Click to enlarge any of the
photos below.
Our thanks to Paul for
providing these. |
Double keel and double chine. |
Concrete poured for a work site. |
The truck drives out from under
the steel. This is 3/16 inch,
wheel abraded and primed steel.
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The steel sheets are butt jointed
and tack welded together, and
then the pattern from the model
is transferred to the steel. |
And Paul uses a plasma cutter to
cut along the pattern.
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With one side cut out it is drug
on top of the second side so the
the pattern can be transferred
exactly.
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Both sides are now cut and a
stainless steel pipe has been
welded to the top of the
bulwark.
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I-Beams are temporary welded
to both sides so they can be
turned over.
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With the other side exposed the
stitch welded will be completed
on the outward facing side.
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Brent Swain joins Paul to pull the
hull together in its original double
ender form. Angles have been
attached to increase the
longitudinal stiffness. |
Paul and Brent pulling it together.
|
Lifting the ends and sides lets
gravity help close the chines. |
With the darts stitch welded
together one side is done. |
After the second side is done,
the two sides are joined together
about 1/4 of the way back from
the bow. |
Viewed from the bow, a front
end loader and hoist pull the
halves together and upright.
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More welds are added and
earlier welds that have broken
are redone as the halves close
together. |
The model sits in the foreground
and the hull continues to close.
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The bow is temporarily closed to
form the original double ender.
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Strong backs are added to help
close the gap between the ends
of the chine plates. |
Once welds are in place, the
strong backs are removed.
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The hull is jacked up and braced
in preparation for the keels.
Note the 2 inch bar on the front. |
There was a small error in the
pattern that resulted in a
distortion at the sheer toward the
bow. It will be corrected later as
the deck and bulwarks go on. |
Spreaders are added inside the
keels, then a pattern is made, the
holes are cut in the hull and the
keels dropped into place. |
Doublers are welded in across
the chines to stiffen the hull 3/16
inch hull plate. Using 1/4 inche
plate makes this unnecessary. |
In order to get more room on the
aft deck the double ender design
is abandoned in favor of a broad
transom of a Junk sailboat. |
To match the Junk look, the bow
is also split open and squared. |
Deck framing was machine bent to give a 6 inch arch
across the
deck, and a crane was acquired to help with the
plating. |
 Cabin
tops are added |
Bulwarks go on. |
Companion way added. |
Skeg, stern tube and rudder. |
Bolt flange on rudder post. |
Ruder detail. |
Aft hand rails and the beginning of the aft deck
canopy. |
The frame is all stainless steel. |
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The aft deck can be fully enclosed by canvas. |
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Forward bulwarks going in.
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Hand rails and testing a raised
forward deck. |
Forward deck goes in.
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Bow roller. |
Bow roller. |
Covering up for the winter. |
1/2 Stainless pipes round out the
edges of the cabin tops. |
Hand holds added to the cabin
tops. A deck anchor winch is
acquired and will be enlarged to
support deep water anchorages.
|
Engine test fit onto it's bed. |
Water and fuel fill ports added.
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Rudder hydraulics.
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Aft deck table, aft cabin light and
engine removal hatch. |
Completed companion way. |
Open companion way. |
Completed companion way
hatch. Aluminum hatch on a
stainless steel rail.
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Aft deck escape hatch.
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Kay climbs out of the forward hatch. The cargo
hatch is just
aft. |
Enlarged anchor winch and the
sheet winches set where they will
be installed. |
Looking forward to cabin sole
above fuel and water tanks. |
Looking aft at the aft cabin berth
and the rudder post. |
Pressure testing the skeg which also serves as the
hull cooler for the engine.
|
Main mast step. |
Forward mast step. |
Deck framing looking aft.
|
Dingy support off the transom. |
Portals installed for additional
light in the aft cabin.
|
Jack and Kay with Paul's boat and the
model of Seeker.
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U-joint drive shaft connected with custom adapters. |
