Dual tiki teams spun into action tonight as the July 17 sea trial date approaches.  Mike worked solo in Ballard, sanding the abundant fillets and multiplying inner surfaces of the central platform section.  Over in Scott’s basement we built 75% of a crab claw  main sail — after a fair amount of chatting and deliberating regarding plans, implementation schemes, and the relative merits of frugal-scrappy innovations (Thomas “galvanized” Nielson)  vs autocad-engineered solutions (Kevin “the ubergazebo” Flick).

Sail sewing

Grommet punching

More photos

Eric, Kevin, and Zander caught up while testing out Annie’s two sewing machines while Thomas and Scott laid out the “small” crab claw sail for Tiki 21 specified by Wharram/Boon.  We staked down the tarp, laid down the 15′ lashed bamboo spars, marked the offsets for luff (~16cm), foot (~16cm), and leech (~40cm) with dry erase marker, and then marked the sail edge curves with the natural bend of the spars and/or by hand-bending a long 1×2 batten.  Following a combination of guidance from Thomas, Gary Deirking, and polysail.com we put 1.5″-wide carpet tape along the curved marks, added 1/4″ braided nylon rope (Do-It brand), folded edges over the rope, and then took it down to Eric.  We tied the rope with a single fisherman’s knot and then reinforced the corners with 3″ Dacron tape.  Eric then sewed the taped seam near the edge using #92 UV-resistant polypropylene thread in the Pfaff hobby 1122 and we all put in brass grommets at 20cm intervals along the foot and the luff.

Also, last Thursday Scott stopped by Matt’s garage in Ballard and put in 5 hours stitch’n'gluing the center platform compartment separators and side platform section 1×2 reinforcing.  Matt provided a couple hours critical assistance, levering stitches closed with pliers and helping smooth out the massive colloidal silica fillets.  Then there was a weekend a couple weeks back when Mike and Matt retrieved, cut, coated, and otherwise prepped the platform materials, clocking at least 12 person hours.

Stitch and glue on center section, 9" ply on sides

Working en masse in Matt’s capacious Ballard boatworks (garage), we rapidly assembled the pre-coated and cut platform pieces that Mike and Matt had so diligently prepared over the weekend.  In a matter of just a couple hours, we cut the 1×2″ reinforcement bits, drilled and stitched, and then glued the center platform together.  We decided to utilize the space between the webs for extra storage space, so are holding off on the fairing that the plans recommend.  We also refrained from cutting the hole for an outboard as this is going to wind and oar powered.

With some extra microfiber-epoxy paste, we glued on the 9″ plywood reinforcing strips in the middle of the platform’s side panels.  We then retired to the kitchen for a feast of spicy-gorganzola chicken wings and cheese curds, prepared by the grease masters Matt and Julian.  In combination with some extra beer, this caloric feast really raised the bar on the standard tiki Tuesday!

We finished the evening and tried to metabolize a bit by cleaning up the bonds and fillets with scraper and isopropyl alcohol.  With some additional fillets — and possibly a built in cooler!? — the platform should be ready for some preliminary tests next weekend!

Beam blocks glued on

Mike and Scott glued on the beam blocks with microfiber-epoxy paste, then painted a first coat on the remaining side of the beams (and a second coat on the center bottom sections). We also added a final (second) coat of paint to the tillers and glued together the two wood pieces to form the tiller bar. Mike brought over the platform plywood, as well as the remaining mahogany door veneer for the last hatch cover.

Thomas and I put a first coat of glossy black Easypoxy on 1/2 of the beams, as well as the tillers.  We also put a final coat on the dolphin striker.  It’s pretty stinky stuff, so we’ll see if we end up putting 2 or 3 coats on.