Water has been added

Finally the day has come to launch. It has been a while but well worth it. We launched at Martha Cove in Melbourne with family & friends around to witness the event.
I have decided to call the boat "Shockwave".
Launch was Feb 28th & it was decided that the 1st race would be the next weekend in the Marlay Point Overnight Race in Gippsland Lakes.
What a week. We needed to adjust some sail problems, only minor, but also instal the electrics. To say that I was still screwing fittings on on the way down would be close to it. The boat trailed really well & we sat on 100kmh all the way down.
There was lots of interest in a new untried boat so we were a bit nervous as to how we would go. 123 entries all starting at the same time is interesting. It was a downwind start so up went the spinnaker & we took off. We were 2nd boat into the straits & played chicken with 3 boats all the way to the finish. Winds were fickle & light so there was a lot of lead changing. 91/2 hrs later we crossed the finish line 3rd overall & 2nd Multihull.
A great race was had by all on board with smiles all round.

Nearly there

It has been a while but the painting is finished & I  am ready to load back on trailer.

 I am very pleased with the Durepox paint that was used. The clear coat over the white is extremely hard.

 2nd float will be attached today. Mast is painted & will be fitted next week. Need to clean the interior up & then add some water

Beams on

Beams have been fitted to floats & the trampoline supports are fitted. 

Everything folds nicely. The only adjustment is to shorten the hull supports on the trailer to allow the floats to fully fold. 

 Rear hatch has been sealed at last

Beam me up

The next major step has been achieved. The beams have been mounted into the floats & better still they fold as well. It is great to see the boat finally taking shape. They are not going all the way in as the lashing ropes holding the steady are in the way. Close inspection reveals that the will even miss the trailer mudguards. I just need to move the float bearers down a bit & I will get a nice tight fit. Geometry is great & they are easy to push in & out. Congrats Ian on a great design 

Beams mounted to floats

Bar fridge

An important item but where to put it. I decided that it would best to access this from the cockpit. I used some 25mm blue foam. I cut each panel to fit & then glassed one side on the bench. I used a bit more epoxy as I wanted a good sealed finish
I then glued them in place & taped all the seams. The inner was made & fitted after the sheets were fitted to back of the compartment









I used my own self made hinges for the lid.

Update Feb 2012

Well it has been a while since my last post. I must say that building in an undersized area at home is not good. Especially when a lot a lot of sanding is required. The dust is not good for neighbours, washing, cars etc.
I have finally found a vacant factory that I have been able to move the boat to which is 10 minutes from home. I moved at Xmas & since then have accomplished more than in the last 18 months. There is still a long way to go but I am able to focus on a lot more aspects of the boat & also spread myself out a bit.
I have installed a carbon fibre pulpit. I have also completed the hatch assembly & the hatch slide. The floats are just about finished fairing & I will spray the Hi build soon. The carbon chainplates are in the floats, although I had to cut out a temporary access hatch in the floats to get my hands in to laminate the glass.
The mast raising chainplates, carbon variety, are in. The ice box, beer fridge, with access from the cockpit is partially completed. Here are a few photos:

Here is the factory...big enough I think


Carbon Fibre pulpit started off with 2 pieces of electrical conduit & with a bit of help from the heat gun I managed to get the shape I wanted. I covered the tube with c/f sleave & then bogged & glassed them onto the hull. The rear ends were put through the hull & are bonded inside & outside the hull.





C/F mast raising chainplate is bonded through the hull

Transom Bracket

Unfortunately work has been a bit slow on the boat...frustrating. Work & other bits & pieces have taken a lot of my spare time. At least I have been able to do a few things.

After much debate I decided that since I was making the daggerboard rudder & box that I would also alter the transom to suit. So I made the transom support bracket & cut a big hole in the cockpit floor.

This is the old set up.


I made up a false frame to fit the bracket to & taped this in place.




I made up some flat pieces of glass to act as flanges to sit the cockpit floor back on.

Because my cockpit flor sits a bit higher than plan I checked with Ian & he advised that I could leave out the support tubes if I used large fillets on the sides where it meets the floor. By the way I am not sure why the floor is higher. The person who I bought it off obviously had there reasons but I still don't like to deviate from plan. Unfortunately there is not much I can do here.


Floor sits a bit high at the moment but will trim to a flush fit & rebate edges to take the tape so that it will all sit flat.