Any interest in a new build thread?

[Barbican]

Some machinery arrived a while back, and is now installed, the main engine is a Yanmar 4JH80, caught just as it was released from the box. 80hp powers the boat very well. A feathering 4 blade MaxProp will be installed at some point. I haven't opted for an aqua drive, on the basis of KISS.

The genset was still all wrapped up and is now installed but here is the mounting which ends up under the raised saloon.

The model is an Onan 6kva. I had short-listed a Fisher Panda 5 Neo originally since it is smaller and lighter than the Onan and its principal use will be battery charging, but there is just the possibility we might want other kit installed later, and I wouldn't want to find we needed to change the genset as well.

 

[langstonelayabout]

A self build blog?

Yes please, but please put it onto a blog page and post links. Not everyone wants the full and regular update.

 

[Elemental]

A self build blog?

Yes please, but please put it onto a blog page and post links. Not everyone wants the full and regular update.

I disagree. Inline is fine - I can comment and ask questions easily without having to visit and create accounts for loads of different blog sites. You don't have to read the thread unless you want to...

 

[AndrewfromFal]

I disagree. Inline is fine - I can comment and ask questions easily without having to visit and create accounts for loads of different blog sites. You don't have to read the thread unless you want to...

+1

 

[Skylark]

I disagree. Inline is fine - I can comment and ask questions easily without having to visit and create accounts for loads of different blog sites. You don't have to read the thread unless you want to...

+ another one.

I’m already hooked and this boat seems to be progressing more quickly than our last “new build” thread. That one made >1000 posts (eBay never splashed Colvic Detritus )

 

[Barbican]

+ another one.

I’m already hooked and this boat seems to be progressing more quickly than our last “new build” thread. That one made >1000 posts (eBay never splashed Colvic Detritus )

Haha, Its progressing quickly because I'm weeks behind! but I will catch up, then it will slow down somewhat.....

 

[Barbican]

Whilst the main build process continues apace in one part of the factory cabinetry is being produced next door, here is a picture of some of the joinery being built, CNC cut parts are hand assembled and finished, Discovery are well known for having a very high standard of finish:

This assembly then receives some lacquer and looks like

You might be able to see a couple of grooves cut into the solid wood by the hinges, normally these are filled with contrasting light or dark wood strips, but we are going for stainless, its quite difficult to do compared to wood apparently but I approved the mock up pictured here resting on the corner of the forecabin berth, committed now:

Discovery also do their own marquetry, here's the mockup they sent through so I could choose which woods:

This compass will be on the outside of the folded leaves of the saloon table, but normally they are placed centrally on the inside:

Were not really testing their skills much, but its good to see their craftsmanship as well as boat building skills

 

[Barbican]

OK so whilst the furniture is being made, and to get back on course with the main build once the hull moulding and main bulkheads engine mounts etc have been put in the floor grids start to go in. Most of this is constructed like this:

So this picture shows the main saloon and forecabin area. Lower centre is the TekTanks main water tank, in the middle is the keel box , the aperture on the side is for the retaining pin used to pin the keel fully up top slot is where the lifting pennant goes through, and the large hole is an inspection/maintenance hatch giving access to the pennant attachment. To the port side of the keel, you can just see the side of the fuel tank.

Forecabin area showing the bowthruster tube, and some access holes for the speed/depth transducer, although in this twin cabin version they will actualy be further aft, so these will be blanked off at some point.

Sail locker and chain locker shown here, both bulkheads are watertight when the chain locker access door is in place, the underwater sections of the hull up to 400mm above the waterline have Kevlar incorporated. There is a hatch in the sail locker to access a bilge pump and a small ladder is installed to get in/out.

A shot of the lazarette area at roughly the same time(but not yet flocoated), showing gas locker and storage area. Two hatches in the watertight bulkhead on the left give access to the Lewmar Mamba steering gear and autopilot drive

 

[dgadee]

Going back to basic structure, how is it built - hand layup or spray or what? I presume there's no balsa anymore - what's used instead?

 

[Wansworth]

No wonder boats are expensive,so much work and materials and planning.m

 

[Barbican]

Dgadee the layup is by hand, with the foam core vacuum bonded to the outer skin, then further hand laid inner. Resin used is apparently DCPD, I'll see if I can find the short video of the core being installed.

Here it is orientation is wrong Im afraid. Ill see if I have an app that will turn it sideways....

https://flic.kr/p/2ccQdjX

 

[Blue Sunray]

I disagree. Inline is fine - I can comment and ask questions easily without having to visit and create accounts for loads of different blog sites. You don't have to read the thread unless you want to...

+1

 

[dgadee]

Very interesting. My boatbuilding knowledge stopped at around the 1990s. I was wondering if things like pre-preg had become common (ovens were mentioned in other posts).

 

[Barbican]

Dgadee the layup is by hand, with the foam core vacuum bonded to the outer skin, then further hand laid inner. Resin used is apparently DCPD, I'll see if I can find the short video of the core being installed.

Here it is orientation is wrong Im afraid. Ill see if I have an app that will turn it sideways....

https://flic.kr/p/2ccQdjX

OK so a little bit more info on the layup for Dgadee - The outer hull skin ends up at about 6mm the inner around 4.5mm, the core material used is Divinycel at 30mm, the hull forward of the mast upto 400mm above the waterline also has an additional layer of Kevlar adding the best part of 2mm to this area. Under the waterline the hull is solid and thickness around the massive keel grounding plate area is about 25mm thick. I asked about pre-preg/ovens to see if they use these techniques in any of the existing boats and they dont although they have used vacuum infusion on some hulls. My 480 does have a large carbon beam under the mast support area and this is also produced traditionally the goal being ultimate strength with less concern about weight that might be the case in say a racer.

 

[dancrane]

Any chance of a look at a layout plan?

Sorry if it was visible in one of the links, I didn't follow them all.

Likewise, it'd be interesting to know the extent to which the builder was willing (or able) to vary their original ideas about layout - and how far you chose personal preferences over their standard plans.

Well done for ordering a British-made boat! :encouragement:

 

[Barbican]

OK so picking up from where the floor grid and tanks are in place, the next stage is the installation of the furniture and at the same time a lot of wiring plumbing and other engineering work goes on.

The build teams have a known sequence so they are not working in each others way all the time but my visits don't really capture that aspect.

The engine has also been slotted in to its home by this stage and the generator is in position, much of the structure added after this is designed to be easily dissembled to ensure these larger elements are removable in the event they need to be replaced at some point (hopefully not for many years).

So here's the furniture modules for the saloon being trial fitted. You can also see the tank tops with fuel lines for generator, engine and heating, and in the top right are the changeover taps for the two tanks.

A while later it looks like this now with one unit covering the keel box and various others underway. On the left in this photo you can see the galley modules at a similar stage, whilst in the middle of the pic, you can just make out a water separator for the generator.

Later still the modules are all in place

Access down to the space under the saloon is through the hatches dead centre of the picture, this area has lighting installed, and is sufficient room to access the generator as required. This is how it looks in its home with some work in progress on the various pipes etc.

So here's the same sequence going on for the forecabin

Berth and heads going in

Still a couple of cupboards to go

Aft cabin at the same time

 

[Barbican]

Any chance of a look at a layout plan?

Sorry if it was visible in one of the links, I didn't follow them all.

Likewise, it'd be interesting to know the extent to which the builder was willing (or able) to vary their original ideas about layout - and how far you chose personal preferences over their standard plans.

Well done for ordering a British-made boat! :encouragement:

Yes so far mine have all been British....

Here is the layout plan for the Southerly 480, which I hadn't posted before (For speed I pinched this off the Distant Shores site hence the berth numbers. DS have agreed to this):

Most have opted for this with some small alterations, but we have a two cabin layout so our forecabin covers all the space in front of the saloon, and has a central island berth and desk, with some extra vertical hull ports. In one boat the berth number 3 has been turned into cabinetry, and includes a third fridge, they can also make the pullman cabin 5/6 into a workshop surface with stowage cupboards under, and a berth cushion on top of the work surface as a single berth crew cabin. so a lot can be tweaked.

Discovery are very willing to discuss any requirement, but of course the cost can mount if there is a lot of design work, particularly if it is unlikely anyone else will go with the same design. We were lucky with the 2 cabin version as another customer also wanted that approach. More importantly they will resist any compromise to the structure especially where it might impact on the certification.

This coupled with a choice of any wood finish (they do their own veneering) leathers and fabrics makes the boats very unique to the client. As an example we wanted to use walnut with the grain laid horizontally, except for the cabin doors which have both vertical and horizontal grain. The standard woodwork has inlaid contrasting strips set in to the solid wood cap rails around berths and seating, but we asked them to use stainless steel inserts, and they have accommodated this. They have also changed some of the details around the vertical hull ports so that we can hide the roller-blinds and achieve a properly dark cabin.

The two cabin layout we have ordered for comparison:

 

[dancrane]

Very nice, great layout images.

Good to see a really luxurious layout for two couples, rather than the usual formula that squeezes eight/ten people into cupboards.

 

[Barbican]

Very nice, great layout images.

Good to see a really luxurious layout for two couples, rather than the usual formula that squeezes eight/ten people into cupboards.

Thanks for your comments, that's exactly what we wanted to achieve..

 

[Wansworth]

Do you have a berth to crash out on when conditions are not nice,what are your design parameters a coastal cruiser,ocean crosser .Thanks for the photos and drawings