A year has passed since my last post. Not sure of the value of maintaining this blog - little reward. But for now I'll pass along what I've been up to, to some degree if anyone out there is interested.
I've painted the hulls and am dissatisfied with the result. Perhaps the humidity level was too low, but I couldn't get smooth flow after application - just dried to quick to work out the tiny bubbles. I put several coats on so will try sanding it down with some 500 grit to 800 grit paper and then buff it. May have to do if I ever want the boat to hit water.
Got the bottom paint on - used a Pettit Trinidad HD product.
I've been working on the interior - running some water lines and beginning the electrics. Not much planned for now - I have required nav lights, some led strip lights in cabins. Mounted a VHF radio. Planning on a solar panel or more and a lithium battery for house bank with perhaps a lead acid for starting the outboards. But may just stick with the lead acid for now - again to keep the ball rolling for launch. Run the radio off that as well and nav lights if needed (it doesn't get dark here in the summer time) and use money otherwise spent on lithium and instruments on buying sails and rigging. Budget concerns weigh heavily.
For instruments, at the current plan I will mostly just do day sailing around here on the coast, so for navigation I may just use a laptop or tablet with openCPN and some charts. Looking at cheap ways (raspberry pi) for some nav/electrics and may play around with that. I've made a provision for an in-hull depth sounder, but may not need that for awhile. Same with wind - might not need to spend on that unless I can find a good deal. Those things are more expensive that I would have guessed. I'm considering things like digital switching and or NMEA 2000 backbone/drops for the future, but have more pressing needs presently. AIS and robust GPS are planned for the future, but for now maybe a cheap GPS puck for the laptop, and maybe an InReach - plus the VHF has GPS.
That last image above, down in the bench is where I will mount the batteries, I think.
Working on steering and outboard hookups. The steering will use push/pull rods from rudder heads to center quadrant, via a car and track. I've got one carbon fiber wind surfer mast for one side and need to find another for the other side. Otherwise I might have a piece of 2" aluminum pipe for one side, until I can find a replacement. Outboard cables and wires are exposed right now - would like to figure out a way to perhaps chase (enclose) them - though I expect that can wait.
