4th May

Visited Yard in torrential rain, looks like drought not a problem in Northland anymore...

Deck now fitted- the lid is on.  Pete has been doing a great job of keeping things moving - but with characteristic attention to detail - while Craig hasn't been in so often in the last couple of weeks.  

That blue thing is a 44 gallon drum ... somehow the scale gets lost without a reference and it all looks quite small in some photos

Transom, aft lockers, portlights in aft end of seats for quarterberths.

fordeck opened up to access prod as passes through bow, for more reinforcing of exit point.  Recessed forestay attachment looks very nice, sockets for stanchions.

Chainplates nearly finished.  That bevel of the hull/deck join looks really good.

Deck mould in foreground, square structure sitting on top of it to the left is the hatch slider for the companionway

Pete fitting the stanchions into their slots.  Bow looks bigger with someone in the picture to provide scale...

Composite stanchions, pulpit with easy access to prod between these

 Galley looks similar to last time, but for the bevel and fiddle on the benchtop and more work on the keel structures

Portlights in back of seats visible from the inside here, these were primarily put in for ventilation but will be quite good for light as well

It seems like a long way from the companionway to the end of the front cabin.  Lots of headroom everywhere, not even much of a duck required from a 180cm/6ft chap to get over the keel box

Area behind the aft sealed bulkhead (where the steering gear will go) has been clear-coated and pretty much finished.  Except for the steering gear of course...

And a few interesting bits and pieces ...

Speaking of the steering ... here are the rudder stocks, nearly solid carbon, very chunky and seriously strong.  They are awaiting bearings before going in.

One of the dagger board cases that will pass through the boat at the outside edges of the back of the saloon, just in front of the galley and chart table.

Gori folding prop, not much drag when these blades are folded in.

Plates for the hydraulic ram attachments.  Theses are also mostly solid carbon

Visit 4th April ...

Vesna, Rob, Matt S and I visited last Friday.  Things are moving along well, deck and hull being fitted together (not joined yet, still a sliver of daylight showing).  

We discussed the liferaft box, since the box might interfere with the steering mechanism, and sited low down it might be hard to access/remove from on deck, we've decided to mount it just in front of the traveller, and not have the box for it in the transom at all.

  The 1m fixed prod (was in previous pics) has been removed again, so not visible in these pics

Craig reckons these are some of the strongest rudders he's ever made.... the stocks are lots of layers of carbon (enough that Craig checked with Mark our engineer about whether he'd been a bit enthusiastic!) and fit right up to the carbon skin -- ie into the slot seen here.

And the inside is coming together too -- chart table area and aft end of stbd bunk, keel box

Heads, with integral carbon sink

Saloon looks much the same ...

 And lots more space in the quarterberths than our last boat, headroom to sit up on the bunks

The galley is much larger too.  We've asked Craig if we can upgrade the wooden steps, though, they seem out of place ;-)

Deck and Hull - getting close to joined

Craig and his team have been working hard ...  deck and hull being aligned and adjusted before being connected

Getting Closer!

Next visit to Keri Keri is on the 5th of April.  The boat is coming along nicely.  Craig Partridge and his expert team of boat builders at Craig Partridge Yachts are working flat tack.  Our experience of building a new boat has been fantastic largely as a result of choosing a great designer in Rob and boat builder in Craig.  Rob and Craig have involved us every step of the way and it has been a privilege to see this boat evolve into something very special.  Lots of help and support along the way from various kindly and interested sailing folk in Wellington.  We have sold our Young 11 Clear Vision to a great sailor who is connected with her history and who we know will sail her to rival other Young 11s in Nelson.  It was really hard seeing Clear Vision go as we have had so many great times and have many wonderful memories.

Bring on the launch date for our Shaw 12!

Internal Hull Construction Started Jan 2013

Hull turned over and ready for internal structure

Yup, that's pretty close to centered ;-)

No, not Kilroy...

Feb 2013; looking forward over transom

Feb 2013, overview

Transom to left, aft main bulkhead (sealed, will have hatch to allow access from aft cabin to steering gear)

February 2013

March 2013

Looking aft from saloon towards port stern.  From near to far: keel bulkheads, space for cooker, benchtop area, port quarterberth.

Engine and fuel tank.  Beginnings of heads enclosure.  Designer's feet.

Constructing heads enclosure, starboard near companionway steps, starboard quarterberth on right of picture

Building of the hull shell started in mid-November 2012

Final layers of wax so the carbon won't stick ... then on goes the black shiny stuff ...

Port rudder location

Late November 2012.  First layer of carbon on, then fitting of foam core material

 

As on the deck, higher-density foam for high-load / slamming areas.  Slot is the daggerboard location

Foam glued and sealed with epoxy, being vacuum-bagged into place

Then surface re-faired

9th December 2012: foam and fairing pretty much done

 ... with nice attention to detail, great workmanship.

Then the outer skin of carbon went on

Fairing the hull before undercoat

Undercoat after yet more sanding and fairing ...

Fairing and undercoat finished just before Xmas 2012

 Lifted off mould, preparing for hull weighting and turnover, January 2013

 Hull turned over 16 January 2013.  Weight 387 kg (incl. fairing and paint).

Deck, Hull, Hull Mould, 20 January 2013