Bunty B's maiden voyage movie

The Launch

Despite the fact that I have applied the utmost care, attention and accuracy throughout the build so therefore confident that every joint was perfectly fitted, glued and sealed, I was nonetheless slightly anxious about the transportation to nearby Lake Windermere and of course the launch itself. A cold damp Saturday morning 2^nd November 2019 was chosen as judgement day with the family in attendance as helpers and spectators.

The first test was to confirm that my calculations were correct (or otherwise) in that I was actually able to negotiate the tight restricted access from our property to the public carriageway which, in the event passed without a hitch. A setting up period of two hours at the lakeside was longer than I had anticipated, although I expect that with practice I can improve on this and have already identified some areas where improvements can be made to speed things up. The actual launch and recovery on the concrete slipway was a lot easier than I had expected, once reversed into the lake she virtually floated off the trailer and I eased her off single handed. Any concerns that I had previously harboured about the whole process simply evaporated once she floated free, she sat in the water perfectly on her designed lines and looked a pretty picture. 

It was a dead calm autumn day with not a breath of wind so we were restricted to only using the motor, I rigged the sails but they were not hoisted being surplus to requirements. Nonetheless we cruised around the lake for a couple of hours with my granddaughters taking turns on the tiller. Everything worked and seemed spot on with no leaks or apparent faults. The recovery back onto the trailer was dead easy too. Following this day of testing I will lay her up for the winter and carry out a full public launch next spring with the benefit of longer daylight hours and the prospect of better weather.

The only issues I experienced were with the transportation. The aft mast support that I had designed and constructed did not perform as I had expected. Once mobile the trailer can generate some bounce which was particularly prevalent on the rough roads around the area in which I live, this in turn generated some movement of the support. I have since rectified this by discarding the prop and have constructed another to a completely new design.

Family members running behind as the journey down 

from the build site gets under way.

The negotiation of the first of several tight bends which in the event was quite easy. 

Further down it becomes more difficult culminating in the final bend where the 

track joins the public carriageway. I wanted to build a bigger boat but from this 

photograph you can see why I had to settle on this design!

Reversing down to the slipway was easy.

 Note the customised prop on the port side holding 

the trailer tail lights power plug clear of the water.

So to conclude this blog detailing the construction of Beniguet, there are a few things that I wished I had done differently.

·       In the event of having the opportunity to re-visit the build, I would have chosen not to have the plywood parts CNC cut, instead I would have preferred the option of purchasing the Architects patterns for the component parts and cut them for myself as and when required.

·        As I have previously mentioned, I regret using a modern sail cloth material, deviating from the Architects sail plan specification of using polyester of “clipper canvass”. This regret may or may not be unfounded or perhaps seem less important with the passage of time, only time will tell.

·       I am not happy with the scroll design I carved into the rubbing strips at the bow. I have decided to live with it for a while but may cut it out and change it in the future.

Other than that the project has been immensely engaging and enjoyable. The actual construction work consumed 2,717 hours plus many more hours of research and study. From the outset I have made it my business to fully understand every aspect of the design and build, in doing so the subsequent research has taught me so much.

An important note worth consideration; prior to leaving the build site before the launch, I tried to obtain insurance but to no avail. I was informed that because the boat is self-built, insurance companies would not offer terms. One company has suggested that I obtain a full out of water survey and valuation by a suitably qualified marine surveyor, an option I shall investigate further before taking her to sea.

Finally I have to convey my thanks and admiration to Francois Vivier. His plans are superb and extremely accurate, nearly all my queries were answered by simply studying the drawings, on the rare occasions that I needed additional advice, he always replied answering my enquiry fully and without hesitation. 

I plan to continue this blog as the voyages and adventures of Bunty B as they unfold over the forthcoming years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and hope that you have found it both informative and entertaining.

  

Centre Plate (the final job before launch)

Of all the many materials and fittings required to build this boat, I did not for one minute expect that the supply of the centre plate would be a problem, I contacted several companies inviting them to submit a quotation and received a very mixed response. It seemed that they could supply the plate cut to profile but were unable or unwilling to drill the holes or machine the edges, some never even bothered to reply. To obtain a quote for the machining was a real challenge, citing excuses about handling the weight or just submitting a silly price to make me go away, no one really wanted the job. Out of frustration I decided that I would undertake the drilling and machining myself and placed an order with the most accommodating company to have the 25 mm thick 316 grade stainless steel plate cut by laser to a DXF file supplied by the architect. When I turned up to collect, it was loaded into the back of my pickup with a fork lift.

The plate is very heavy at around 100 kg and I was handling it by myself, I therefore decided to keep it low down to the floor on a pallet and blocks then take my bench pillar drill to the plate. I created the rounded profile on the forward edge by grinding with an angle grinder fitted with a ceramic grinding disc. The chamfer on the aft edge I machined using a milling machine in a friend’s workshop, I blended in the end of the chamfer again using the angle grinder. The centre board case is very tight, prompting a concern that the shackles connecting the blocks might chafe the sides of the case and cause wear, allowing possible water ingress into the plywood. I therefore decided to machine a 5 mm rebate either side of the plate around the anchor points to compensate for some of the thickness of the fittings, I then used Allen key shackles as opposed to the conventional type to further increase the clearance.

Set up for drilling on the barn floor

Clamped down on the milling machine bed ready to machine the chamfer

The machined rebate to minimise the projection of the shackles

The finished article ready for installation

Installing the plate into the boat proved to be a challenging operation. It became apparent that the whole assembly would not feed in from above so it had to go in from beneath. The boat had to be moved back on the trailer cradles to give clear access to the centre plate case which was partly obscured by the beam axle of the trailer, I then jacked up the boat as high as possible from a position just aft of the case opening. The plate was slid under the boat on timber battens then reared vertically on its edge whilst attaching the hoisting blocks, shackles and line. I then raised the plate into the case hauling on the installed tackle plus an additional lifting rope passed through the pre-drilled handling hole, lining up and inserting the pivot pin proved to be easy, an unexpected bonus. Because of the extended clearance between the keel and the ground, I was then able to carry out a test run lowering and raising the plate to check that everything was in line and working as intended.

All that remains is to cap and seal the centre plate case, carry out some further improvements to the rigging and she’s ready for launch. 

Sails and Rigging

Because of headroom constraints I have previously been unable to raise the mast, but now since moving the boat outside and after much anticipation, the time has come. The standing rig is simple, comprising of a fore-stay and two shrouds which I have had made up to Francois drawing. Raising the mast was easy and quick, with one lifting from a position standing in the cockpit and another pulling forward on the fore-stay. Only small adjustments were required to get the whole assembly set firm and true. Now she really looks like a sailing boat.

In addition to the mainsail, the sail plan gives the option of two jib sizes and a balloon jib cut as an asymmetric spinnaker. Initially I have decided to have the larger of the jibs made but thought that perhaps have the spinnaker made at a later date. I chose a local recommended sail-maker of many year’s experience. Throughout this blog I have endeavoured to be completely open and honest regarding thought process and construction decisions. Regretfully I have to report that following my discussions regarding the making of the sails, I allowed myself to be convinced  by the sail-maker to deviate from the plan and use a modern sail cloth instead of the recommended ‘clipper canvas’. I now fear that I may have made a mistake, perhaps after the passage of time this regret may prove to be unfounded, either way I will inform of how I eventually feel about this and their performance. The sail-maker also made the berth cushions at the same time.

The mainsail laid out in the sail loft

There is a surprising amount of work in making up halyards, sheets, reefing pennants etc. plus the fitting out of hardware. During one calm day, I hoisted the sails to enable me to iron out any problems and improve the rig before hitting the water, this proved to be an exciting moment. I have gone for the option of a furling jib using a traditional Wykeham- Martin furler which runs beautifully. When hoisted I noticed that the fore-stay did not run parallel to the jib luff narrowing towards the head. Whilst this did not interfere with the jib when furling, I decided to rectify this detail by designing a shaped hardwood spacer block fitted to the fore face of the mast head, just below where the fore-stay loop pulls against the cleat on the aft face of the mast. 

When raising the mast from horizontal, there was a tendency for the top loop of the fore-stay to jump from its locating cleat on the aft face before hoisting tension could be applied, I therefore solved this by designing and making a stainless steel retaining cap to hold the loop into the shaped profile groove of the spacer block, this has negligible visual effect and has proved to be an effective solution.

The mast head spacer block showing the stainless steel retaining cap

Preparing to raise the mainsail for the first time

For some time I mulled over the problem of how to transport the mast, spars and sails to minimise the set up time for regular launching. I arrived at the conclusion that all rigging should remain fixed to the mast and secured along its length using cam straps to prevent slapping and movement whilst towing, this will allow for a quick and simple erection with only three shackles to secure the shrouds and fore-stay. To support the mast horizontally on the boat, I designed and constructed a cradle which attaches to the aft face of the tabernacle by bolts and wing nuts, a gallows frame set aft on the cockpit floor supports the mast towards its head and straps hold the mast assembly securely in place. The boom and gaff remain attached to the main sail which is flaked over the boom and enclosed securely by a purpose made sail coat. This will be transported by removing the bottom panel of the companion way to allow the whole assembly to span between the cabin and the cockpit. The jib is simply furled and stowed in a purpose made bag. At the end of the season I will remove the sails and stow away for the winter folded into sail bags. I have also constructed a gallows frame to provide support when attaching the boom goose neck to the mast band.

I began this blog by giving a brief outline of my background and introduced my father who instilled in us the pleasure of boating. During the Second World War he served in the RAF for four years in Egypt and during his down time as a detraction from the carnage being undertaken at that time, he sailed his small wooden boat by the name of Bunty. I had always intended to call this boat by the same name and had initially referred to it as Bunty II; however I never really connected with the idea of using a two after the name. During a stroll on a local beach at low tide, I noticed a boat called Sheila B and immediately had a light bulb moment and thought that’s it, assuming my dad’s boat as Bunty A, I will call mine Bunty B, a much nicer name with the added attraction of tripping of the tongue.

Moving out and onto the Trailer

For the past twelve months without success, I have been looking out for a second hand trailer that I could customise to suite the hull form of Beniguet.  In the absence of any trailer even remotely conforming to my requirements, I eventually came to the conclusion that it was necessary to buy a new trailer. The design I chose was very flexible, this enabled me to adjust many aspects to ensure a good weight distribution across the most reinforced areas of the hull and I considered it well worth the additional investment.

At the beginning of the project I foresaw that it would be difficult to raise the combined weight of the jig and boat from the concrete floor to enable rollers to be placed beneath. For this reason I machined recesses in the jig sides to allow the blade of a long heavy steel bar to be inserted then cantilevered from a block to raise the jig sufficiently to insert wedges. Increasing the height of the block two or three times each side by using timber packers, allowed a steel scaffolding tube to be passed beneath the jig across its full width. This process was repeated several times along the length of the jig and a corresponding number of tubes inserted beneath. This proved to be an easy and efficient method, I undertook the task single handed in under an hour. The whole assembly was now very easy to manoeuvre, first forward then through ninety degrees to position the bows facing out through the barn doors, ready for winching onto the trailer. The turn through ninety degrees was made by again using the large steel bar to lever the base of the jig over in small increments.

It was then necessary to move the boat over the jig towards the trailer. A bottle jack was placed beneath the backbone with protective timber packing to raise the keel sufficiently to insert 100 mm timber rollers running over a roadway of scaffolding boards laid on top of the jig. The drying out legs were now put to good use providing extra stability and security. The trailer was simply wheeled into place and lined up true ready for winching. Any potential movement of the trailer was prevented by applying the brake and using a mini digger to control lateral movement or lifting of the towing head.

I had previously obtained the boat centre of gravity from Francois Vivier and from my experience of the build knew the most reinforced robust areas of the hull that could best withstand the forces exerted from the rollers, I had therefore made as much prior adjustment to the trailer as possible, further adjustments were made during and after the completion of the winching.  The whole process took two of us a whole day with the occasional further assistance from a third person. Now out in the open and into natural light she seems to have taken on a different character, she needs to be in the water!

Leather work

Apprehension has relegated this particular task to the final stages of the build. I have never undertaken any leather work before and had subconsciously delayed the work in preference to more familiar jobs, an avoidance tactic perhaps! but now there were no more excuses, I had to get on with it.

A few weeks previously I had purchased a Speedy Stitcher and a spool of buff waxed heavy polyester thread, armed with the instruction leaflet that came with the tool, I proceeded to practice the process before committing to the real thing. To my surprise I got the hang of it in around an hour and proceeded to stitch the protective leather sleeves onto the oars.  I first wrapped the leather around the oar and held it in place with clamps whilst marking the point at which the two ends overlapped, I then removed the material and trimmed back the edge approximately 6 mm from the mark, this produced an open joint which would be closed when the leather was stitched and stretched.  I then marked out the stitching centres and pierced the leather to assist the penetration of the Speedy Stitcher needle. Working along the joint for approximately 50 mm, I kept moving back to tension the thread by lifting each loop with a small screwdriver before continuing. A good result was achieved with a traditional classic look.

The Speedy Stitcher in action.

One down one to go!

There were two other surfaces that I considered would require protection, the notch in the transom for the sculling oar and the base of the gaff jaws that come into contact with the mast. I marked out and cut patterns on thin card to arrive at a suitable design, giving due consideration to allow enough relief in the profile to enable me to stretch the leather over the curved surfaces to achieve a tight fit. Before fitting, I soaked the leather in water to make it more pliable then stretched it onto the surfaces held temporarily in place with clamps. I used a large spoon to shape the leather tight onto the contours then finally fixed in place with copper tacks. Again a result, that looks both decorative and functional.

Finally I considered it prudent to fit a protective leather sleeve around the bowsprit at the point where it passes through the bowsprit iron at the stem head; this will protect the timber and provide a nice snug bed between the timber and the bronze ring.

Painting Varnishing and Fitting Out

I have somewhat neglected the blog over the past few months, my priority being focused on the build instead, and as usual I have been giving the project my undivided attention by continuing to put in as many hours as possible. I have previously alluded to the fact that the amount of work and materials required for the painting/varnishing has surprised me and has continued to do so in these final stages. Following meticulous preparation I have applied five or six coats, rubbing down between each with a very fine grade abrasive paper followed by fine steel wool before vacuuming thoroughly then removing the really fine dust particles with Tack cloths. A temporary plastic sheet was suspended above the whole project to minimise the risk of any potential dust or other debris falling from the roof of the barn which, would have contaminated the work. On the whole I’m pretty pleased with the results that I have achieved thus far, however I have resolved to improve the finishes still further with additional coats planned during future maintenance following each season of use.

Sealant has been applied to all mating surfaces of the fittings passing through or fitted to the surface of the vessel to prevent water ingress, therefore minimising the risk of rot and decay setting in between the two surfaces.

I have been continuing the installation of the wiring and equipment including installing a Simrad Cruise 7 Chart Plotter with a transom mounted transducer for monitoring depth and bottom imaging, running on C-Map Cartography.

Research and subsequent meetings have been undertaken with regard to the trailer, sails and berth mattresses, all of which have been ordered with delivery expected imminently.

The auxiliary fuel tank sited in the starboard locker has been connected and the engine alternator has been wired to a detachable waterproof plug sited on the port side.

Laying the Teak Deck – Toe Rails

Because of the challenges I have faced in producing a deck to satisfy my perceived design requirements, it has been quite some time since my last post, however  I can now report that the deck has been laid, caulked and rubbed down.

Since the start of the build, I have visualised how I wanted the deck to look and invested some time in marking out the layout in chalk, this allowed me to make adjustments in the design by simply rubbing off any offending lines to alter the set out. I felt it absolutely essential that the teak strips be swept to follow the lines of the boat with the exception of the deck forward of the cabin which, I laid parallel to the sides of the anchor compartment cover.

The amidships area around the cabin required the teak strips (45mm x 6mm) to be bent to a fairly tight radius. At first I tried to achieve this by cold bending, but found that the radius was beyond the limit from which they were prepared to bend. Following further research I discovered that there were conflicting views as to whether teak could be steam bent, especially given that the strips required edge bending in the horizontal plane with the 45mm face uppermost. I decided to build a steam box and a jig constructed to the appropriate radius. Despite multiple attempts by varying the time the material spent in the steam box, I could not achieve the required radius without the material buckling, even by using a system of multiple clamps to hold the strips flat to the jig base. I concluded that the only option was to purchase some additional wide boards and cut each individual deck strip to the required radius; this proved to be time consuming and produced a high percentage of waste material, however I achieved the results I aspired to. The teak strips were glued down with epoxy as I had done previously with the cockpit sole. The 5mm wide joints were then primed with Sika Flex 290 DC primer before filling with Sikflex 290 DC Pro in black. I allowed about three weeks for the product to fully cure before sanding the surface off flush. Time was occupied during the interim period by painting and varnishing completed surfaces.

The steam box. I constructed the steam delivery pipe in 15mm copper tube with

soldered fittings then used insulation to minimise temperature drop  

Edge bending a teak planking strip.  I did achieve a gentle bend to this aft plank:

Note the timber strips screwed through into the jig base to prevent buckling

You can see the tighter radius amidships

The aft set out

I put the steam box to good use to steam bend the sapele toe rails. Following two hours in the box, they bent easily around the jig. I over compensated the radius to allow for spring back when they were removed from the jig the following day.

Steam bending the toe rails. I manufactured them to the finished tapered

profile then cut corresponding tapered blocks for the jig

Completed teak decking and toe rails.

Oars

I had intended that my next post be the laying of the teak deck; however this has been delayed because of challenges that I will allude to in due course. In the meantime this interim post regards the construction of the oars, yes the plural! Francois Vivier’s design included just one sculling oar to be carried aboard Beniguet, but as I have previously stated in my post last December, I have fitted rowlocks to give me the option of rowing. The drawings give the dimensions only, with no recommendation as to their construction. I concluded that they would be structurally more stable and stronger if made up in four pieces. I used ash as recommended, grooving the mating faces and inserting a tongue throughout, after gluing with epoxy they produced a solid structure. They were then shaped down to the design profile by chisel and plane then, again making good use of my home made mast sanding tool, I rounded the shafts or looms. Following varnishing, a leather sleeve will be stitched to the looms for a wearing surface and protection against the rowlocks or transom notch.

This shows how I jointed the blades of the oars with the shaft or loom, 

tapered to a point rather like a cricket bat.

Glued up prior to shaping

The finished articles. Note the sheathed tips to reinforce the ends to prevent splitting or damage.

The other item to the right is a seat for rowing, this will span the cockpit.

Mast and Spars

My blog 31^st July 2018 described the laminated manufacture of the mast. I deliberately constructed it during the summer months to take advantage of the warm weather to aid the penetration of the epoxy into the fibres of the timber, it was then machined square to size and set aside. I have been looking forward to continuing the process of rounding and finishing along with the manufacture of the boom, gaff and bowsprit. I first planed down the correct taper in its square form before marking with a spar gauge then planning off the corners to form an octagon. I then continued to work it round with the plane and then abrasive paper on a block with a rotating action when pushing the block along its length, however, I found it time consuming and considered the results less than acceptable, I decided that I needed mechanical assistance. My solution was to manufacture a timber cylinder with a hole bored down its centre to allow a threaded stud to be inserted, nuts and penny washers were fitted either side to secure the cylinder allowing an approximate 40 mm projection on one side and 200 mm on the other. I then slid over a length of 15 mm copper tube and secured it loosely with two locking nuts at the end to allowing free rotation . The contraption was then secured in an electric drill chuck with the drill speed set low. I then inverted a sanding belt, thread it over the mast, inserted the rotating cylinder and applied tension to drive the belt by friction, unfortunately the belt refused to rotate around the mast but sanded the cylinder instead! I realised that I needed to increase the diameter of the cylinder to greater than that of the mast for the rig to work, I therefore re-constructed the rig with a lager diameter cylinder and tried again. Success, it worked wonderfully well and I was able to produce a beautifully round mast by roughing it down with a coarse grade before progressively using finer papers to achieve a smooth finish.

My home made mast rounding tool.

In action.

Dust flying everywhere, result!

Because of my intention to fit navigation lights and a VHF antenna, I customised the head of the mast to accommodate an LED Tri-Colour and antenna bracket. It was necessary to increase the 50 mm diameter mast head to 90 mm, I therefore made up two blocks with a half round machined into each face, when glued together they would then form a 16 mm diameter duct for the cables. In the lathe I turned the block down to an aesthetically pleasing profile then turned on a 30 mm diameter spigot and shoulder which would fit in to a corresponding hole bored in the mast head. The cables were pulled through the whole mast assembly prior to gluing, due care was taken to ensure that the epoxy did not squeeze out internally into the duct, therefore preventing potential cable replacement at a future date. 

The two blocks with half round ducts machined into each face.

The finished mast head ready for release from the lathe.

The architects designed masthead incorporates a 10 mm diameter hole drilled through approximately 40 mm down from the tip, the peak halyard passes through and is secured by a knot tied in the end. I was unable to adhere to this because of my cable duct throughout the mast; I therefore fitted an additional two eye mast hound which also provided me with a potentially useful spare forward facing eye. Both of these hounds were bedded onto the mast in epoxy mixed with fibres, to prevent possible rotation, a bronze countersunk screw was inserted either side of each hound. To prevent potential rotation of the main four eyed mast hound, I filed half round grooves into the inner face, sheathed around the mast then bedded the hound in epoxy onto the sheathing.

Because I have opted for a roller furling jib, the forestay is attached to the mast by means of a loop which, is prevented from sliding down by a wooden block. I considered that with this design there was a potential for the wire stay to wear around the mast, I therefore sheathed this area to provide a tougher wearing surface. I also saturated the base of the mast in epoxy and gently warmed it through with a heat gun to assist its penetration into the grain; this I hoped would toughen the fibres of the wood and provide a harder wearing surface against the steel tabernacle.

The completed mast and spars showing the additional two eye mast hound

VHF antenna and Tri-Colour navigation/anchor light. The base and the upper

reaches of the mast above the four eye hound will be painted white,

all other areas and spars will be clear varnished.

The base of the mast saturated in epoxy, teak cleat fitted to the fore face 

for the jib halyard.

The gaff jaws all laminated, clamped up, set and ready for release.

The manufacture of the gaff jaws was an interesting and enjoyable exercise.

This structure consumed the last of my home grown ash.

The boom gooseneck.

Work began on the build 12^th February 2017. Today is the day I have been working on the boat for two years and has so far consumed 1,968 man hours. Onwards and upwards, the finish is just peaking above the horizon!