Fifty Feet of Grey (steel)

[jfm]

Yes and no, Rob.
Thrusters indeed demand a high flow, which ain't required by stabs while cruising (though stabs do require a rather high pressure, anyway).
But at rest, also the stabs flow ain't trivial.
Besides, if you go all the way hyd, also winches draw quite some power.

Fwiw, I fully agree that joystick is pointless on a shafts boat.
It's indeed useful - almost necessary, I'd dare saying - with pods, because handling manually (and separately) the thrust direction of the two things would be a nightmare. But with shafts+thruster(s), it's all very intuitive, and it's just a matter of getting used to the hull-specific lag/reaction.

+1 to all that. Therefore on mine the computer automatically disables the stabs if you use either thruster. The logic is that when you want thrusters they are more important than stabs, and the somewhat significant power absorption of the fins is turned off to leave all power for the thrusters

 

[jfm]

Good going rob and I look forward to the pics of you doing first weld

Ref thrusters, if it's proportional you care about you can have that with DC as well as hydraulic. Proportional is veeeery nice

On the rails I'd have oval ss. I have teak rail about 80 x 40 section, on 100mm ss legs, on my current boat. while I like the look, the details are hard work. The teak itself is laminated, in about 5 ply each ply being about 8 mm thick. Then to attach the 35 mm dia posts to the teak there is a turned ss boss screwed to the teak, with a groove turned in the boss. A grub screw in a tapped hole in the ss tube seats in this groove. A fat wood screw inside the boss attaches the boss to the teak. The whole boss slips inside the ss tube so totally hidden. Then repeat at the other end of the tube, unless uo're happy to weld the bottom ( more difficult to repair a prang). Looks nice with everything hidden but a helluva job to do on a one off, and fundamentally the teak Ss interface is not as strong as a weld. Looks nice though!

 

[Robg71]

the yard took a beating over christmas and after. just north by a few mile of Aberystwyth. Im sure you have seen it on the news...
the water levee is normally a few feet lower.
the boat is being built around a scaffold frame, which is then heat shrunk, to build the shed for it. the steel arrived at exactly the wrong time, and had to be unloaded in the pouring rain. good job it was on higher ground. water level was a good six fret lower than this when i was there last....

Some of the plate work.

you can see how wet every where is. no fun. I won't be surprised if it needs grit blasting again before paint.

the first of the jigs going down for the keel plates. the dutch barge was not far off floating away with the rain.... seriously.... :nightmare:

 

[longjohnsilver]

the yard took a beating over christmas and after. just north by a few mile of Aberystwyth. Im sure you have seen it on the news...
the water levee is normally a few feet lower.
the boat is being built around a scaffold frame, which is then heat shrunk, to build the shed for it. the steel arrived at exactly the wrong time, and had to be unloaded in the pouring rain. good job it was on higher ground. water level was a good six fret lower than this when i was there last....

Some of the plate work.

you can see how wet every where is. no fun. I won't be surprised if it needs grit blasting again before paint.

the first of the jigs going down for the keel plates. the dutch barge was not far off floating away with the rain.... seriously.... :nightmare:

Rob, how did you come to choose that particular yard? It's a heck of a long way away from your usual base!

 

[Robg71]

I had a gut feeling, I trust my instincts. They have had a good commercial background which I thought would bring a new dimension to the project, and they specialise in steel work. Its nothing flash for sure.

 

[MapisM]

the yard took a beating over christmas and after.

Wow, that's not what you would want to see where they are building your new pride and joy!
All the very best to them for a prompt and complete site recovery!

 

[Robg71]

We were meant to have a complete hull by now, but with one thing and another on the delays front.... Not the yards fault, they now have the worst job in the middle of the winter. It should have been wrapped up a couple of months ago.

I have just had an email from Osmotech regarding fins and thrusters.
They are recomending a larger size bow thruster than we have tube for. Also full proportional dc system is there recomendation. Looking at ease of fitment I may have my arm twisted. The yard were leaning more for hydraulic too....
Certainly to keep weight down, electric may well be the way forward.... And its crucial we keep weight down...
Sleipner are working on the shear force calcs, so we can then fit any stiffeners etc

 

[Robg71]

update time.
some of the keel plates are in situ, and some of the bulkheads are in. Ive been stuck in to paperwork and other junk so not had as much hands on as would have liked.
Im due a break.... am off to Oslo and then northern Norway to see the northern lights. Apparently its the best year for a long time to go.......

the weather has been horrendous. More rain and floods. not as bad as christmas, but still bad.

We are working on engine installation plans at the moment.
Cummins 600bhp qsc. times 2.
zf 286iv gearbox....

we've had issues.....

 

[Robg71]

figures with these engines give a good solid 26knots at 24tonnes...
this is an outside figure... it gives us room to manoeuvre, and is certainly not a weight we are looking for.
at 20tonnes we have 29 knots. plenty of room for fuel with built in tanks. we should get our target 4000litres. (now the 24tonnes becomes apparent)
Our cruise speed/range means we can carry enough to get over the north sea at 20knots and a reserve.

 

[Robg71]

Hmmmm... Work has blocked photobuket

The keel steeel is laid, most of the lower bulkheads are in situ...
The bow section is starting to take shape...

 

[JerseyDiver]

Hmmmm... Work has blocked photobuket

The keel steeel is laid, most of the lower bulkheads are in situ...
The bow section is starting to take shape...

If you can email them to me I can photobucket them and link on here ??

 

[JerseyDiver]

Thought the tunnels were already on here bug maybe you just sent them to me already!

Keel Plates with hull sections

Tunnels

 

[rustybarge]

wow, exciting or what...just like a giant Airfix kit!
I had to cut up all my sheets with a gas torch, jeez what a hassle. Another win for technology......

 

[Robg71]

Especially for any double curvature work.... Technology wins....
Plasma cutter and an English Wheel...

Unfortunatly I cant see the photos, but yoy can see the bulkheads midship taking shape.
The bow section will be tacked and brought up, bulkheads going in as we move along.
The superstructure bulkheads are to go in yet, lots more to do midships and astern....

 

[rustybarge]

Plasma cutter and an English Wheel...

What's an English wheel, i thought you were in Wales?

 

[Robg71]

Dutch Style......
And technically... No, Im in International Waters

 

[longjohnsilver]

Exciting and interesting in equal measures. Keep the photos and updates coming.

 

[Robg71]

Sorry been a bit lacking with updates and photos.... Ive been busy, and ive also been busy enjoying myself running around the planet....
Must try harder.....
Anyway, we are cracking on....
We have enough fuel and range to go across biscay if required, at a reasonable speed...
We have room for stabilisers, although still waiting for the shear calcs to come back...
(Vetus have also launched there own range of small fins too....)
We are on with interior layouts as well....
(New designer /naval architect helping out....
So, definitely progressing, although sometimes it feels like ten forward five back.....

 

[vas]

Rob,

silly Q time:

as they go along happily welding and forming the hull in open space, presumably rain water is coming in (and hopefully out by unfinished welds else it will be a swimming pool by the summer)
I understand the sheets were primed/treated/whatever, where the weld comes all this protection goes off the window and surface rust starts.

What are you doing about that? Just curious.

cheers

V.

PS. we need more pics, you cannot get away with 2 pics every fortnight!

 

[Robg71]

At the moment, not a lot.
We are going to cover the whole scaffold frame with a shrink wrap.... But we need to get all the large sections in or on first.
Being as we were so delayed in starting, it would not have been a problem before....
The whole thing is going to be blasted again before finishing/painting....
It is double working, but unfortunately cant be helped at the moment.
We need all the tent up and finished before we start mig welding, to avoid porosity and any loss of gas shield.