BYYB Forums

Here's my introduction post if you're interested in reading that sort of thing: http://www.byyb.org/forum/index.php?topic=3487.0

The boat I will be building does not have a name. The design is inspired by the Flicka 20, although she won't have such a heavy displacement. The boat plans will be taken from an ocean-proven vessel that's been lying around here (see: measured) then modified slightly to bring it closer to what I have in mind. This figure is not set in stone, but I plan on increasing the boat's length by ~4 feet, and the beam by ~4 inches. The original LOA is 20 feet and the beam is 7 feet. There is a picture I've attached and it'd be nice if someone could get a name of either the boat or the designer. The "cabin" in the picture was added after its owner died.

She will have a fin keel and a ballast consisting, in part, in the form of steel plating. The construction method will be a multi-chine dory-style hull to save time and I am hoping that I'll be able to finish this boat within a year. I will be using Santa Clara marine plywood in between a fiberglass and resin layer on both the outside and inside. The mahogany I have so far is (I believe) of a South American species and will be used for the bow, keel, etc. I am currently weighing the options for a variety of cabin layouts, but advice on that will have to wait until the hull is finished.

The rig, as mentioned, will be junk. I will sail singlehandedly around the world for a long time and the practicality of instant reefing cannot be passed up. I plan on adopting one of the Western modifications to the Chinese junk and I have been loaned a book called Practical Junk Rig by Blondie Hasler, who is extremely well-known in the sailing community. I have yet to finish it, but I have to finish the boat before making the sail anyway. The mast will be made of thick-walled bamboo and I find it very funny that I'll be sailing across the world with a piece of grass (and yes, bamboo checks out).

I haven't bought any plans because I've essentially (under the instruction of my.. teacher so to speak) created a frames view on a big piece of plywood, which I will be using to create bulkheads on which to wrap battens around to get the curve. That sounds a little more complicated than it actually is, but hopefully the pictures that will eventually follow this thread will make it clearer. The bulkheads (the big ones formed by adjoined 8x4 marine ply) will be adjusted accordingly to the plan to extend the length once I finish mapping everything. Since I have no experience it's slow going, although the local boat builders here help me out constantly.

Technical comments, tricks and tips, as well as online resources, book titles and advice are all appreciated. I request that untested and/or unproven theories on so-called cruising conjectured from hearsay and gossip be withheld for the sake of keeping the thread clean and concise. I do not want to be associated with the term 'yacht owner' because I'm not rich at all, and 'modern cruising' always seems to involve motor under sail, navigating by GPS. I do not plan on buying a GPS or autopilot, or using the motor unless I am in a dangerous situation (I will have a wind vane). I do plan on learning everything about my boat from the ground up and how to navigate without the use of any electronics (although I will have limited solar power). That said, questions are always welcome and I don't want to discourage them. Most of all, I want this thread to inspire others to do the crazy stuff they've dreamed about. You just have to be insane enough.

I consider this to be the true starting point of a really awesome adventure, so I'll post what pictures I think are relevant and some numbers for what I've spent so far in both time and money (converted to USD) to get to where I am now. I am keeping the pictures and posts down to a minimum because plenty more are coming. Do note that I am in a country where things are a lot cheaper than in the US and these figures are accurate as I keep a dedicated accounting/daily planning notebook that I write in every night and morning.

You may wonder why I'm including costs such as for my visa extensions, food, household items and so on. The reason is that I'm also trying to get others who are my age to live more adventurous lives without letting money stop them. At the very least, I think the numbers could inspire others to decide to live their lives for themselves instead of for others. I've worked to save up enough to travel around the world and about 90% of what I've spent traveling (including now) comes from those savings. The other 10% is my parents' money that I was required to spend due to them worrying about me. I don't like that percentage, but they sort of forced me into it. And yes, I never went to college because I figured I don't have to spend 8+ years preparing to live my dream when I could jump straight into the fun stuff.

Pictures Explanations:
1. Here is the picture of the original boat I took the measurements off of.
2. Designing the frames view.
3. Mixing cement to create a level rack on which to build the boat. I was loaned an old rack to use, but I had to buy some mahogany (that will later be used on the boat) to finish the rack. You can also see my first project and bamboo workbench. The tarp looks a bit pathetic and I'll be replacing it with a proper (and expensive) one once I finish constructing a bamboo frame.
4. Leveled rack.
5. Four pieces of the twelve 3/8 in. 8x4 ft. Santa Clara marine ply ($331) bolted together with tek screws that will be used as bulkheads at station 1 and 4 (length of extended cabin).

Time:

Clearing land - 18 hours
Repairing dinghy (learning how to use power tools, stitch and glue, apply fiberglass, etc.) - 107 hours
Running around with a measuring tape and spirit level - 13 hours
Land Modifications and Side Projects (bamboo workbench, toolbox, rack construction, etc.) - 41 hours so far
Reading and research (excluding online research and reading, which I spend more time on) - 51 hours so far
- Voyaging on a Small Income by Annie Hill
- Tropical Cruising Handbook by Mark Smaalders & Kim des Rochers
- Storm Tactics by Lin and Larry Pardey
- Practical Junk Rig by Blondie Hasler
Due to the courtesy of others, I have a huge library of books related to sailing. If there are any books you'd recommend, that'll help in locating what I'd like to read and photocopy.
Cane Toads murdered in cold blood (confirmed kills)- 16 total so far
Building main boat - 16 hours so far

Money:

Fixed Costs (more or less):
Land rent - $500 yearly
Accommodation rent - $133 monthly
Visa extension - $60 initial, $150 next two months, $40 monthly from then
Food - $280 monthly
Transportation - $32 monthly
Jigsaw - free (present)
Power Drill Set (complete with hammer, measuring tape, screwdriver set, spirit level and more) - $60
Grinder - $40
Electrical stuff - $30

Costs that will keep rising:
Equipment I [Essentials] (excluding power drill, grinder, electrical stuff) - $200
Equipment II [Boatbuilding Materials] - $425
Equipment III [Household Stuff] - $64
Equipment IV [Others] - $37

Notes:
- The Cane Toads are an invasive species here and the local sport is to hunt the absorbent, squishy, parasitic bastards down mercilessly.
- Transportation works a bit differently due to carpooling and generosity.
- The costs so far are a rough estimate. At the end of every month I do a summary of everything, so more accurate figures will be posted then.
- Thanks for reading so far; I go to town 3 days a week and will update on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Cheers.

Leo,
Good to see your project getting off to a good start.
Be careful about modifying the size of a sailboat hull.  I urge you to run it by a naval architect first because changing the size can alter the balance, center of buoyancy and center of effort of the sails.
Changing a planing hull up to 10 percent isn't a big deal but yours is a displacement hull with sail power, and you're proposing increasing the length 20 percent, with a disproportionally smaller increase in the beam.  This subject comes up from time to time in the Glen-L forums where prospective builders want to increase the size of a Glen-L designed sailboat.  Gail at Glen-L discourages such changes for the reasons noted above.

Stretches are performed fairly regularly, but this appears to be more than a stretch, but less than a proportional enlargement. There are many variables involved with this type of approach, most not so obvious to those not accustomed to dealing with some basic physics issues, namely the law of mechanical similitude. This little puppy has screwed many a designer, trying to makes thing work in smaller or larger sizes.

Simply put: linear measurements such as length, beam and draft vary in proportion to the scaling factor. The results of doubling the size (for example): twice the length, twice the beam and twice the draft. Those values that involve areas, such as wetted surface and sail areas, vary as the square. Anything that has a volume, like displacement, varies with the cube. So, incidentally, does the heeling effect of wind velocity on the sails. Stability varies by the power of four. So, what does this mean numerically?

If we double the size (again as an example) of a boat we get:

Twice the length, beam and draft – (x2).
Four times wetted surface and sail areas – (2x2 = 4)
Eight times the displacement and heeling effect – (2x2x2 = 8)
Sixteen times the stability – (2x2x2x2 = 16)

Of course, it would be silly to scale up a design in such a simplistic manner. After all, we can expect people who sail small boats, to be roughly the same height as those who sail larger ones, so there’s no need to have twice the headroom. But these dimensional relationships give us an important, though inexact, means of comparing the properties of boats of different sizes. If say, comparing a 10m boat with one of 20m we might deduce that the larger boat would have roughly four times the accommodation area and be sixteen times more stable – two very significant advantages that go with size. And, since build costs roughly follow displacement, we could guess that the larger vessel is also likely to be eight times more expensive!

Incidentally, it was the law of mechanical similitude that helped kill off commercial sailing ships. Faced with a growing threat from steam, they struggled to compete by building bigger and bigger ships – only to hit the scaling factors wall head on. With displacement advancing by the cube and sail area only by the square, they soon found they couldn’t set enough sail to propel all that added weight. Bizarre five- and six-masted schooners were their last desperate attempts. Meanwhile, steamers were discovering that they could carry more cargo (cube) for relatively less wetted surface area (square) so, for them, big was definitely beautiful. Game, set and match to mechanisation and a sad end to a glorious maritime era.

This is a simplification of the implications brought on with scaling up or down and also why professional frown on attempts to do so. This brings up stretching, whereas the beam and draft remain the same, yet the station molds are spaced out further. This has a smaller impact on a design of conventional proportions, but 15% is generally accepted as the limit for this, before you have to "run the numbers" to see if the new set of shapes will need additional thought in regard to scantlings and specifications.

Lastly don't be sucked into the praise Blondie Hasler put on the junk rig. He had success with it, as have many others, but Blondie Hasler was a master seaman, which made his implementation of this particular rig seem more than it is. In other words, he could have sailed with a sweatshirt tied to an oar handle and found success. You'd be best advised to select an ocean going design and not buy into the hype of a reputation (like a dory being a good sea boat, which they aren't or that of a rig, that isn't well suited for much more than putting along). Self designing ocean going yachts isn't an easy task, nor one that can be accomplished by a novice designer, especially if it's a small vessel. Small craft has much less tolerance for modest errors and concessions in the design phase, simply because they're too small to accommodate much variance to correct an issue.

This wouldn't be the ideal site to gather helpful information, as few here are skilled enough in the design department to offer much. Consider taking this discussion to www.boatdesign.net and starting a new thread. Over there I'm known as PAR and besides me, there are many industry professionals, engineers, designers and NA's (including America's Cup winners) that can offer much more guidance, though don't be surprised if they offer similar advice, that I just have. In a nutshell, if you're serious about small boat circumnavigating, pick a suitable design and stick to the plans. This assumes you'd like to survive the attempt, as being farther from shore than you can swim back to, is what we engineer types call and "an unnatural environment", much like flying along at 35,000 feet or riding an elevator up 10 stories. In the event of an issue, you'll want a wee bit more than some luck and a few good guesses, to get your butt home safely. This is why licensing is required for these types of things, because falling from the 10th floor or dropping from 35,000 feet or being 100 miles away from any shoreline is inherently life ending, without a really solid grasp on the principles involved.

Hey Mark, good to hear from you. I've read what I could about modifying the sizes of boats, and the conclusion has always been to check with a naval architect. The numbers (increase in length, beam, bulkhead spacing, etc.) are not my own and the person I'm learning from has been designing and sailing boats for over 40 years. I trust that he knows what he's doing. I do believe I'm past the point of checking the current design over again; I've spent 8 hours measuring and drawing and remeasuring yesterday for just 5 bulkhead frames. Nigel seems to be interested more in getting the boat afloat and letting me get some hands on experience. He also let me know that circumnavigations are about the most boring thing in the world, not to mention dangerous around the capes. There's a good chance that a lot of things will change as time progresses.

Hello Paul! Nice to meet you, thanks for your advice; what you say is true and I will take this discussion to the other forum (of course the relevant topic only; updates to the building will continue here). I'll repeat again that I take no credit for designing anything - I don't have the experience necessary to do it safely. My entire project is only possible because of the generosity of others.

However, I am currently learning as much as I can and also willing to learn more if given the opportunity.

Link to other forum: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-de...54784.html

Leo
Looks like an amazing adventure thanks for sharing it! Where are you building ?

Goes without saying of course, but you'll want a good sextant, and this year's almanac, and this won't do you any good unless you learn to use it, memorize constellations, practice bringing down sights at noon, dawn and dusk and drawing lines of position on charts. Even knowing a little "astrology" helps; if you know what constellation the sun is in for whatever month it is, it will help you figure out where to look for the brightest stars at dusk while there is still a horizon to look at. You'll need a decent watch, too. A couple of them.

Naturally you will find all this out as you learn but I only bring it up because you should start now- it takes a long time to learn.

I've put up 4 bulkheads (stern, two widest points [front/end of cabin] and near the bow) with each one raised 26 7/8 inches to allow for cabin room. The bow bulkhead will have to be lowered soon, as I'll be wrapping 2x1 battens around the entire length to finalize the curvature. Construction on frames will begin shortly (spending a lot of money today). Everything is held in place with tek screws and battens I've foraged from all the scraps near here.

If you look closely, you can see spots of messy epoxy where I've attached some extra ply to the bulkheads. Measure twice, cut once, but if you follow the wrong line then none of it matters. I had lots of lines going everywhere (spent nearly a whole pencil) because I had no experience. An important lesson learned.

Hours spent last week building: 33

I finished all my accounting stuff for the 2nd month now, so I'll just post the summary. I'll make the categories a bit clearer:

E I: Sanding disks, jigsaw blades, pilot drill set, clamps, nails, nuts/bolts/washers, galvanized wire, paintbrushes/rollers, sandpaper, pliers, rivet gun + rivets, nylon, Portland cement, tarp, etc.
E II: Santa Clara marine ply (4x8, 3/8), mahogany (2x8x6), epoxy, epoxy primer, topcoat enamel, copper nails, etc.
E III: Shampoo, toothpaste, soap, work clothes, etc.
E IV: Photocopying books, laundry, water, presents, etc.

Total for this month: 1,264 USD
Rent: 133
Visa: 164
Food: 272
Transportation: 40
E I: 39
E II: 478
E III: 6
E IV: 132

Hey Bob, you're welcome. I've rented out some land and set up a shed near Siaton here in the Philippines. All the wood I buy are locally produced and delivered by jeepney, same with all of my equipment. One thing I should mention is that I borrow a lot of stuff and that saves me a lot of hassle and money. I'm very grateful.

Thanks for the info Keith - I'll keep that in mind!

[Edit] Attachments are not working right now... trying to fix. Now I see. Pictures from now won't be reduced in quality to fit restrictions on byyb anymore. Thanks for reading.

I kept forgetting my usb cable and camera, so this update is after 2 weeks: It doesn't look like much has been done, but I've spent a lot of time correcting all of my mistakes I made the first time around. Also took Christmas and New Years day off, unfortunately. I would like to say, for prospective and first time boat builders, that knowing how many mistakes you will make is half the battle when building a boat.

I said I was going to get a big white tarp (high quality from Japan), but I was quoted around $400 for a 9x12 meter piece. I couldn't afford it so I saved $370 dollars by putting in 2 hours work of tying together two pieces of 6x8 of the regular heavy-duty blue tarp you'd see a lot of in the states.

I'm not sure if this would apply to most of those reading this, but I'll say it anyway because I believe it's good information that I would have liked to know the first time around. In this country, the wind blows hard and the rains are heavy. The major problem with the normal blue tarps is that the islets are not reinforced strongly enough for these conditions (although they are reinforced and I've had no problem at all using these while camping in Oregon). If tying with nylon, you can stop them from ripping out by tying multiple loops (6+, doubling up on the nylon halves the time) instead of having all the pressure on just one loop. I am using 80 pound nylon and none of them have broken. The islets are the problem. The tarp itself is of neither good nor bad quality and so far the only tears I've had are where I stabbed sharp bamboo through because I'm stupid. The only good news is that the tarp is now set up properly and can survive on its own without needing repairs every other day.

The basic bamboo structure is a simple but effective support who I learned from a good friend (who is now away working on big ships). It'll be enough for what I want to do.

I also said that I'd begin construction on the frames soon, but I lied because I had to fix so many mistakes. From now on I won't say what I'm going to do until it's done.

Work on boat: 59 hours
Work on bamboo structure and yard work: 16 hours

Pictures:
1 - Cleared some more land so I could bring my wood over. It was tiring to walk back and forth carrying 8x4 pieces.
2 - The new setup.
3 - After 90 minutes of nonstop sawing fixing the reinforcement that wasn't done properly, which incidentally is a good indicator of what I've spent the past two weeks doing. This is the bow.
4 - Another example of fixing stuff that wasn't done properly.

I don't know if they are available over there, but if you buy yourself a grommet tool and some new grommets, you can have as many tie down spots as you need.  The more lines you can lead off the tarp the better those weak grommets will hold. 

Al

Also placing some additional material under new grommets, will greatly reinforce the tarp, especially if you sew or double sided tape the new material in place.