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Building sequence
December 2005 to August 2006 |
The building process
is described on three pages:
- Making the
foils, hull, and A-frame (this page)
- Making the
sail (click here)
- Finishing
touches (click here)
Pictures of the
prototype sailing can be seen
here.
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1 Making the foils, hull, spar, and A-frame |
December 2005
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construction of
foils - centreboard and rudder |
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foam core,
carbon fibre spar and edges, epoxy/glassfibre covering |
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construction of
centreboard box from marine ply and expanded polystyrene |
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January 2006
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began making jig
to support assembly and shaping of craft |
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panels added to provide surface on which
to place foam core |
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completed central stringer, with rudder
mounts, centreboard box, vertical tube for potential use of
windsurfing rig, and forward-facing tube at front end for
optional bowsprit |
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February 2006
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core built up from 5cm-thick
panels of expanded polystyrene |
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initial rough-shaping of core |
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final shaping of upper deck surface |
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layers of glass fibre cloth laid dry over
core - 3 layers in main deck area, 2 elsewhere |
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March 2006
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epoxy resin added to wet the cloth layers |
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side-tubes added |
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additional coat of epoxy |
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after shaping, 2 layers of glass fibre
cloth applied to under surface and resin added |
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central ridge built up with foam in front
of and behind the centreboard box |
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initial shaping of central ridge |
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foam fillet added between ridge
and under surface |
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two layers of glass fibre cloth
laid on with resin |
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April 2006
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mast made from curving aluminium
tube 1¼" OD wrapped with layers of carbon fibre tape/epoxy
resin in several different orientations |
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two reinforcing layers of cloth added to
edge of craft |
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filler coat applied to lower surface of
craft, not yet sanded |
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upper ends of A-frame joined, and top
mast bracket added |
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front bracket for mast made from
stainless steel plate |
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May 2006
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sanding of underside in progress |
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working out optimal dimensions
for mast and A-frame |
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fitting front bracket for mast to nose of
craft, lacing with wire around underside of nose tube |
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two additional layers of glassfibre/epoxy
resin were then added on top of the bracket feet
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with the A-frame and mast now complete, a
paper template is made for the sail |
(click here for pictures of
sail construction) |
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Fleche prototype
