Weigh in

With Pete as my witness we put it on the scales (complete with water still dripping from the seat (I forgot to drill holes in the footwells) - with everything on (Seat, boom, rudder, and all lines) except the mast we got 37kg. Yes, the scales are correct.

I still have some fairing and painting to do but I am pretty happy with that (I hope its still strong enough).

Pictured is AUS32, with her foredeck going on, and as you can see the flatpack is very customisable with AUS32 having angular foredecks and will also feature straight bulkheads as opposed to the angled aft bulkhead in AUS31.

Launched

AUS 31 hit the water this afternoon, for a quick 30 minute sail. Initial impressions are that it is a lively hull that slices through the water nicely, but I will report more on this next weekend in its first race. Today was just about proving that it works, and seeing any things that need to be changed prior to racing.

Things to do:

• Add bung plug to seat - despite some mods it still leaks
• Fit toe straps (and attach jib sheet to centre of fwd strap)
• neaten up boom slider fittings (currently functional but not pretty)
• Order new sails - the AUS18 sails work for trials but a new set is needed
• Fair and paint (after Easter)

A prep night

Okay, well the rudder and stock is together, cassette is done and ready for glue, GNAV is assembled - need to buy some bolts tomorrow and make a countersinking tool and fittings will be bolted on.

Above is a pic of the parts for the carriage (sides and front/back) on the left and an assembled carriage with mainsheet block on the right. In case you're wondering its the centreboard cassette and bits of the GNAV in the background.

Oh, and there was no resin work tonight as its pouring with rain as well as I need to put a new plug on the vacuum cleaner as it got trodden on yesterday and has no pins left.

Paint and Progress

AUS31 has had her 'final' paint before the Nationals (yes it is undercoat, and yes she will be rubbed back and faired after the Nationals - I just ran out of time to get the finish I want before the racing starts. Fittings are being added now.

AUS32 has her bulkheads in and will get a dancefloor and foredeck this weekend.

MECHAR Foils

How the MECHAR foils come with (or without) a Flatpack IC kit - CNC 2 piece centreboard and 1 piece rudder (also pictured is kick up rudder stock).

If you are interested in this or the Seat, Carriage or a whole IC kit then email Geoff at mechar@bigpond.net.au 

Still working

Hi,
Sorry for no pics but we've been flat out in the shed (especially with Nationals just a couple of weeks away).
AUS32 is under the portable carport at the moment while AUS31 has had a couple of light coats of paint (90% undercoat 10 % topcoat) - she's still a bit lumpy but this is pretty much how she'll be if I want to make the Nationals - I'll then rub back and clean her up before Sauna Sail.
Centreboard and rudder are together, we're using a kick up transom slung rudderwhich is quite neat. Carriage is together, and after reading ICU2's post on Sailing Anarchy I have beefed it up with a couple more layers of bidirectional carbon in the corners - and may put in a cross brace depending on how it feels this Saturday when I plan to launch her!
So tonight I will start bolting on fittings and hopefully weigh her, and with any luck I should be putting her in the water at 10am on Saturday at ASC.

Carriage

The Carriage is in place ready to glue tomorrow night, Geoffs kit goes together very easily (I hope i don't goof and that everything still slides after I glue).

Getting there, slowly

Lots of sanding, fairing and carriage building today, but i did get the chance to pull up the old AUS18 sails (from the World Championships) to see how they look on the boat. Too windy to stand it up in the back yard though.

Lots of fiddly bits

Okay, well in the last few days AUS31 has had:

• Mast stepped to check stay lengths so they can be made
• a couple more coats of undercoat and been rubbed back
• it's slider fittings for the boom (GNAV, Mainsheet blocks and outhaul) - the first of these is being bagged right now - the pic shows that I pulled my first full vacuum (I've only gotten to 95 before, so I'm getting better).

AUS32:

• All carbon is on on the inside 
• winglets/carbon chainplates are glued in 
• the gunwales have been faired to meet the dancefloor.

So things are progressing well, but with the Nationals less than a month away things are going to be tight.

Shabby Chique

First coat of undercoat is on, my doesn't white highlight any bumps and lumps that were missed during the fairing and filling!

From 40+ to 100% humidity

Wow, the first rain in Adelaide pretty much this year and the humidity has peaked, after racing around madly to get in gear from outside and dump it in the shed I thought I'd take some progress pics. Should be fitting the selftacker tomorrow (if it arrives) and then glueing the front bulkhead on, some carbon and then paint!