A short delay

As with any new build, there are often delays. The flatpack design is built around a pre-fabricated carbon spine which contains the forestay mount, centre case cassetted, and rudder cassette space - the backbone is the key for making amateur construction quick and simple (relatively anyway).
With this project about creating a kit IC that anyone can build, it is worth taking the time to get this stuff right, as it will save new builders lots of time and effort.
So this weekend I will be fitting and fairing the stringers, and messing around with the Resin (AMPREG21) so that we're already for the spines arrival (hopfully by late next week)

The Mould is together, just out of picture on the right is enough Divinycell to build 2 IC's (so long as we don't screw up). Just waiting on the spine (boat is built around a spine which seat in the mould - hence the slots), resin, and carbon, and the stringers (Dad has knocked them up and is bringing them down during the week).

Mould is ready

The Mould is built (albeit up in Queensland), it is being packed up and shipped down to SA so we should begin building shortly.

Masts were ordered yesterday from C-Tech, there is a 7 week lead time at the moment so we thought it wise to get in early.

So hopefully the next post is of the mould set up in my shed and us starting to cut up the core.

The waiting is the hardest part

Ahhhh, I don't have a canoe! After picking up 2nd place in a very light and shifty Nationals over the October Long Weekend AUS26 'Trouser Friendly Kiss' has moved to Albury and is in the hands of the current IC junior world champion.

So yesterday I borrowed my brothers nethercott (AUS13 'Hurt') in conditions that made the nationals look windy - I missed the start by about 6 minutes (thankyou Hobie 16 sailors!) but managed to claw back some boats by the end of the shortened 1 lap course. AUS13 has a couple of things that need updating, it has all the gear - carbon stick, good sails...., but because it hasn't been raced in a couple of seasons since some changes have been made it needs to be sorted out. Sailing a high performance dinghy that isn't set up right is just painful and unrewarding.

Anyway, the good news is the male mould frames should arrive this week so we can start putting that together and then get on with building the boat. I'd still like to have it built by Christmas, but the critical deadline is the 2009 ICAA Nationals which will be at my home club of ASC in Adelaide.

The Flatpack Model