“SET SAILS” - my IACC120 building log

Other America's Cup Boats
21

It’s working Row, the positive reinforcement!

I have been following your Enterprise build log with great interest. The molding of your ballast is quite an achievement. I didn’t realize though that it was your very first built. You have all my respect for taking such a first endeavour with a J class. But I guess the important thing is to follow our motivation.

I am very happy that every one of you guys, that I happen to discover through your build logs, are now chipping in mine. Even more since all of your suggestions and wisdom are not trivial or superficial but very instructive and coming from every angles. It is then very helpful for me to come up with my own decision for which I will be comfortable.

You are right that I have been shopping around to pounder the options. And I have found some unexpected great deals along the way that will come up in future posts. So even if your findings are not all necessary for the hull, this way of thinking may get me further in other section of the boat. So thank you for this reminder as it sometime easy to forget, while looking at all the great boats in here, that the prime way is not the only way.

22

I would like to echo 'Twisters" comments. My first effort was a Marblhead, old-style made from 3/4 inch thick bread/butter type construction. Once I shaped the exterior, I found I didn’t have the tools/experiences to hollow it out well, so just added a deck, mast and only standing rigging. It traveled a bit with a family move, but eventually wound up in the dumpster. Cost was minimal, time expended was a lot, but many lessons learned.

My first “successful” sailing boat was also home-built. I used the bandsaw to cut strips of pine from some clear boards - 1/4 inch thick. I used a set of hull templates from a Marblehead called “WIND” - but scaled to 36 inches in length. It came out pretty well, is heavy, but it sails and reacts to radio control - so for me at the time, a complete success! The thicker strips allowed me to sand/fair without worry of a breakthrough, and I used a “bit” of auto body filler to help out where needed. All of this done without the benefit of the internet. A lot of trial and error - and visits to a local sailing club where much more information and education took place.

Basically - you can build a reasonable performing boat for little money, and while it won’t be a “killer” race boat - you will have learned a lot to aid you in the next build. It appears to be a daunting task, so break it up into small projects to keep you happy they are completed. Looking back, you will see how far you’ve come - and as always - the fraternity of r/c sailors is here to assist and offer experience, advices and opinion.

Best wishes on your future in the hobby/sport.

Dick

23

Wise thoughts Dick. Thanks.

BUGGER

Along with the shadows (a post will come later), I have now printed the full scale plan view of the hull. First surprise, seeing 120cm on a ruler is not the same as seeing the hull, even in a 2D layout, in front of me. I immediately printed and assembled a full scale elevation view with the appendages and the sails. Wow, this thing is huge! I had all the data since the beginning but the “immensity” is only now sinking in. Too involved in the little details, I forgot the big picture. Maybe it is too big for my car. Maybe it is too big for my little cave workshop. I had to check.

Pfiou! The hull barely fits on the rear seat if I built a cradle to clear the armrests on the doors. In fact, the two baby seats there would act as a perfect holding rest and the kids will be more than happy to sit on the roof. With the wife factor, maybe it will go the other way around though.

More seriously, this is a bit of a downer. I could always work something for the car but it will be very crampy in my little workshop. And with 2.2 meter of height, I can forget to display the boat in my house in winter like we see on the first picture of this thread. The hull would be too low to get any appreciation. Unless I come up with a display rigging and sails plan! No show stopper here as these downsides get soften by the thought of being virtually at the helm of such a boat.

I guess the bigger realisation is that it’s not like I will be able to grab the thing for a quick test run if an opportunity arises (remember the two very young kids!). It will have to be dismantled every time I move it (or them) even if the first pound is just at a 5 minute drive. An AC100 won’t make a big difference here.

A question then, how long does it takes you to grab an AC120 or the like, pack it in the car, unpack it at the water plan, rig the boat and adjust everything, ready for sailing?

An analogy. My catamaran was on a trailer for the first 6 years. I had to “work” two hours before I hit the water. Then another two to get it back in storage. Too often all this for nothing as the wind had dropped down during the process. Needless to say that I used it less and less over time. I then loan a place in a catamaran club. Ten minutes and I was on the water. It finally made sense to go on an impulse, for just an hour or two. What a difference! In this regards, my question goes to the unfortunate who have to move everything, every time.

24

Yup… Same thing happened to me. I cannot have the keel and the mast on at the same time in my workshop. I did not realize this until I put it together for the first time…

I have a CR-V and I transport it rigged without a keel.
I started by transporting it all apart, and it takes about 10 minuites to rig it at the lake. All sorts of little things you can do during the build to make it easy…

I suspect most people take the rigging down to transport, I’m lucky I do not have to. Mat has a Smart Car, and he brings 2 boats…

Mike

25

I need to strip my boats down for transport, Rudder, Keel & Rigging to fit in Toyota RAV 4. packing it in was 5 min job and I use sail box so there no problems bending things on the rig.

My first boat took me about 20 mins to put it together lake-side, with my next boats I learned to modify things to make it easier and faster to assembly, like rudder mounting outside of the hull (not inside) keel bolt outside (not inside) and use a mast box for keel stepped mast rather than try and balance mast on the deck while putting shrouds on etc.

Now I guess it takes me about 5 mins before I’m in the water after arriving lakeside, providing no-one is asking me 100’s of questions like where is the motor ? how does it turn ? what does that long board underneath the hull for ? etc etc … Plus I use one base measurement that helps me speed up rig settings, same backstay length for right mast position to start with, then tweaking and adjustments after testing conditions on the water …becomes a ritual.

Only issue was winter where it can get down to -15/20 C around these parts, getting used to having the hull in the middle of the bed was bit of an issue with the other half for a while …but she has learnt to live it now :stuck_out_tongue:

Cheers Alan

P.S I sail in fresh water so it same procedure for packing up and storage however, when I sail in salt water, when I get home I strip everything down and out of the hull to rinse down with soapy water and re-assemble the boat again, takes about 1 hour.

26

It isn’t a monohull, but my big (F48) trimaran is a similar sight. 48 inches long and just under 48 inches wide I can only describe the “platform” (3 hulls with cross beams) as being one half of a sheet of plywood! So every time I look at a sheet, I keep seeing only 2 boats. We multihull guys are a bit more fortunate, in that we can raise boards and let the hulls sit on the floor - but still an imposing sight for non-sailors. And again, it takes up a spot 4 feet by 4 feet of floor space. Thus when not sailing it simply hangs on a set of wall pegs with mast off and deck to wall. Fortunately I am lucky to have a daughter who shows/ride horses, so being the “dad” that I am, I am “allowed” to furnish transportation for the 3 horse trailer. I made a cradle for the pickup bed of the truck (when not hauling horses) that carries the hulls, and I use two pieces of eaves trough/gutter (plastic) with end caps that allows mast, booms and rolled up sails to be carried out of the weather.

Perhaps consider a roof carrier (kind of like for skis) which should allow hull (keel removed) and a two part mast to be securely locked inside and also out of the weather while traveling. Usually the wife will opt for the additional cost of the carrier just to get the stuff out of the car. As for your display - maybe an indoor pool for wife and kids, and let it float free. (Just kidding)

Cheers, Dick

27

> 10 minutes/5 minutes before I’m in the water
This seems reasonable. Not a concern for the hull plug, but I guess from now on I should keep close attention to every little details that will make it easier/faster lakeside. Oh well, a call to re-read for the zillion time all your building logs.

> providing no-one is asking me 100’s of questions like where is the motor?

My jaw still hurt on this one. :lol:

SHADOWS (2)

Ok, case closed. For better or for worst, I have now printed my shadow templates. I don’t think the overhang steps are that critical as I can easily (well, time will tell) create a temporary guiding edge for the stringer and the first strip of balsa with a simple piece of wood pressed by hand under the shadows. Bottom clearance for sanding and glassing are privileged. I reworked a bit the hollow inside the shadows, at the level of the first plank. It will be easier to use spring clamps there. I also tapered the legs “à la Alan” if I ever want to try latex lamination. Only the baseboard will need to be trimmed in this eventuality. Some of the white off cut portion will make the female cradle on a second baseboard.

I did a thorough search for 1/8” (3.18mm) plywood around here but found nothing readily available. There is plenty of luan and hardwood though, both very cheap. Luan looks a lot like flat door panel (two sheets with an inside core of something) and maybe it is. I had some experience with it in the past and I recall that the edge of the panels were friable. So I choose hardwood (seems like a very dense cardboard compression, like the one we have at the back of bookshelves cabinet, only thicker, harder and flat on both side). Goose, in its “ETNZ IACC120 Dual build”, reports that this material was not taking CA glue properly. But thanks to his “in-house testing facility”, we now know that Titebond III is working well with this material, the only drawback being the drying/curing time. Maybe I am still a bit naïve about planking a hull, but this doesn’t bother me.

I will use Claudio’s proposed configuration for the frame. At first, I was racking my brain to find a way to bevel properly the shadows along the natural curve and not in angular steps. But then I figured that only the tip of the support edge must be precise (undiminished/untouched). I should only and relatively loosely bevel the potential interference that would prevent the natural curve of the planking and it won’t matter if the bevel doesn’t perfectly match the natural curve. Seems more reasonable!

BALSA PLANKS

The common balsa sheets in North America are 36” (91,4cm). Since, as possible, I didn’t want to bother with joints but still wanted the working easiness of balsa, I needed to find some of the less common 48” (122cm) length. There is plenty online but it didn’t come that cheap if you add shipping. I had finally resolved to cut myself some stripe from wood I already have.

Without any conviction, I eventually dropped by our local hobby shop. I remembered from many years back that the old guy didn’t had much stuff there and everything was pricy. No surprise, the guy was even older and he only had costly 36” stripes (compare to this Internet era). But he was intrigue by my request and we chat a little. At one point, he got up and went to is back store (I think he lives there) only to come out with 6 balsa planks of the desire length, “from my personal supply” he said, “will this help you?” Well, of course. They were full of dust and a bit wavy at the edges. Very flat though, nothing that couldn’t be straightened by a clean cut with a metal straight ruler. Because of my hesitation, he offered them to me at a third of what would have been a good price!

Shadows 2.50$CA, planking 10$CA and the baseboard and angle brackets for nothing. That’s about 8,95€ for you guys in the birth land of the IACC120. Not too bad a start.

…AND SOME HARDWARE

I also found spring clamps at a good price… well I think. 48 x 2.5” (6,35cm) and 12 x 3.25” (8,25cm) for 14$CA at www.widgetsupply.com (great service BTW, and cheap shipping fees). Then another great finding, a scroll saw in good shape for 15$ in a garage sale. I know that I could have done without these, kind of luxury in my conscientious budget, but I think this will make my wannabe-hobbyist life much easier. A way to make sure I give me a chance to be in for the long run.

Since I am on a good roll, maybe I should look around for a cheap bargain on Dick’s indoor pool idea. :lol:

Finally! The real work can begin.

28

Hi Sylian,

If you reading the ETNZ 92 dual thread, this was my very first scratch build, I have built more boats since and you may want to read my most recent published summary version of NZL 32 which is http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1430343&highlight=iacc+120+black+magic this has quite a few refinements since my first build, that maybe helpful.

From my observations of other builds, many people don’t get past the mould making stage, it’s a big task for a first timer and a great personal achievement when you’ve got it done. Maybe (I don’t really know) mould making it is the most time consuming part and I’m guessing many stop there when they think about whats ahead with lamination and final construction …I took some time out thinking that will take more time …but believe me that’s where the real fun starts and your on the down hill run when you have finished hull lamination and start the final boat construction.

Cheers Alan

29

Alan, I really appreciate your last comment. I had observed that many thread stopped after the wood mould. Maybe some of them just concentrate on building the boat while skipping the time consuming log. But I guess there is many drop outs. Along with the technical aspect, I have been pondering this at the back of my head all along.

I am sure I would be happy sailing a couple of R/C Chinese AC copy. But I am now committed to the hard way and I can only hope that I made the right decision. This building log is part of my safety net as I feel beholden to give back what I took from this forum. As you can see, or read, it turns out to be as technical as philosophical. Proper tooling, without breaking the bank, is another part. And there are a few others.

I oversee no problem up to the lamination, although the process will take time when the sound of the power tools, like trimming the shadows, and long working stretches, like lamination, are involved (two very young kids and a work shop below their bedroom oblige). All of my technical concerns have been iron out on this forum. I am even excited and looking forward to the lamination, thanks in great part to you.

The following though is still a big void for me as I have been concentrating my reading on the hull making and the physics of a sailboat. OK, maybe a bit on the apendages and bulb making. But not to the point where I am at ease. The resonance of your testimony will get me there.

Your Black Magic log have been part of my night sleep reading in the past few weeks, along with maybe ten or fifteen other generous contributor of this forum (and others I confess). Thank you for the link anyway.

30

Congratulations on the tool & material acquisitions, you’re well on the way now!

I too have a young family (son is just 2), which makes it quite difficult to get quality workshop time - evenings are now fairly free, but then I can’t use powertools & I’m usually exhausted. When I started my ‘Enterprise’ build I had what I thought was a straightforward schedule of works which meant that I should have been on the water by now. How time flies when you’re having fun… I suppose the point I’m making is don’t become disheartened when progress seems slow. Alan’s build logs will certainly provide you with excellent reference material, but try not to worry if your progress slips behind his - I’m in awe of his workmanship and the speed with which he manages to achieve things - I try to console myself with the thought that maybe he just doesn’t sleep…

Keep plugging away at it, you’ll probably be on the water before me!

Regards,

Row

31

:lol::lol: To the contrary my friend, I’m normally in dream land & sailing around the cans by 9 pm ! but I have managed to get myself into the habit of only tackling one thing per day … otherwise I begin tinkering on many different things at once and nothing gets finished.

Cheers Alan :zbeer:

32

At the contrary, I think Alan’s secret is that he indeed has some quality sleep. Seems like a luxury right now :sly:.

[EDIT: See! Alan replies faster than me!]

You nailed it Row. I couldn’t have expressed in a better way my feeling about the lack of quality workshop time and exhaustion. And it is exactly because of this that I need this project, to keep my sanity and remind myself that I still exist.

If Alan’s logs and posts here are quite valuable, I won’t even begin to try to follow his commitment and his pace in this hobby. I believe he has two teenagers now. That stage must bring its own load of concerns, but I guess he is less sleep deprived than us. I won’t start to put pressure on myself. And besides, tree leaves are falling now. Soon enough we won’t see any liquid water outside… until next April or even late May on most lakes. My only hope is to have something somewhere, anywhere, next summer.

33

This is very funny. I have a 3 year old and a new one due in May. I get her to bed and run to the far side of the garden so she can’t hear the sanding sounds in the night lol. It also reminds me that I can do something other than work etc :slight_smile:

My AC 100 is currently a semi-finished plug using my now perfected “more filler than wood” method and I’m actually quite pleased. It’s only taken about 3 months lol.

I highly recommend Claudio’s method of using foam when laying up the fibre on your keel. I was amazed at how well it worked on my first attempt.

34

Point taken for the keel fiber laying Andrew. I guess we can’t go wrong by following the advices of the old sea dogs around here.

Congrat on your semi-finished plug. Any pictures you could post on your “IACC 100 specs” thread?

35

I’ll finish doing the sanding and post…possibly in about a month:)

I must also warn you about lining up the keel box when gluing in. I measured time and time again, and when it came to gluing in somehow still got it at an angle to the centreline (on an RG 65). I was so pre-occupied about getting it vertical that I missed it. Lesson learnt and it’s fine for me as it’s all a learning curve. I think I’ll run string down the centre line on the deck side next time so I can easily see it visually next time. I hope you can learn from my mistake.

Cheers
Andrew

36

I was so paranoid about all those centreing measuments. Took me 2 hours to draw a centre line in ithe hull!

To centre the fin, I build a Jig that fit over the top of the fin box, and had arms that reached out to the gunwhales at the front and back of the top of the box.

Sounds really precise and cool, “I built a Jig”. Running that through google translate “I glued 4 sticks of blasa together”.
Then I spent 2 hours verifying it was true!

Grav

37

LOL… That sounds like a good way to go. It shall be known as “The Gravitar Jig” which could also quite possibly be a sci-fi weapon of mass destruction.