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June 2008 newsletter
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This is our first attempt at a web update, so my apologies for anything that isn’t correct.
Please feel free to tell me what is right, wrong and can be improved.
Hopefully we are now back on track for regular updates and my technique will improve with practise.
Since the last update, a huge amount has happened. Some of it is below, the rest will be in the next update.
This update will also be the last in the form that you have come to know in
the last years. While Myriam and Youri of Wangkaboats have restructured the
site and its navigation, Yana (their daugther) renewed the lay-out. The new
site will normally come online in the course of next week ... we all hope
that you will like it ... |
* Mark and Michele left Harryproa at Xmas last year, so I am now a one man band again, with help from a variety of people,
including Myriam and Youri who are doing the web page, which is a huge load off my shoulders. It was an amicable split, Mark wanted to
design catamarans, Michele wanted to spend more time with her family. The main upshot of this is that we are no longer building boats or masts. After a couple of false starts, I am in the initial stages
of setting up a new mast business in China, with the simple aim of building unstayed carbon masts cheaper and lighter than stayed aluminium ones.
We will also be building stayed masts, booms, and other carbon components. The plan is to start slowly, build the 8 rigs we have had on order
for some time, then assess where the business goes from there. It also looks likely that I
will be joining forces with Mike Barker in Panama to build boats for the Caribbean and USA markets. See below
The second upshot
is that I have had to learn computer drafting, accounting and web page updating. Been a fun and very busy 6 months.
I would like to thank all those who have helped. |
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* There is an excellent video of Rare Bird
cruising down the New south Wales Coast at Youtube
( All due credit and thanks to Mark Stephens for this video).
The wind strength for the first half is 10 knots, boatspeed 10 knots, the second half is 15 and 15. Not very big seas, but the motion
of the boat in both pitch and heel is rock solid. The mast works superbly, there is none of the crew tenseness that would be associated
with a cruising cat at this speed. Given that Rare Bird is the cruising version (35% heavier than Blind Date, the sports version), the
sails are not quite right (a small alteration) and that this was the first decent sail, with a crew who were happy just to be there, so
were not worried about sail trim, it is a remarkable performance. The only cruising cats that can prove similar performance are
the million dollar+ Atlantic 46 and the multi million dollar Gunboats. |
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* Rare Bird is still for sale, but the price is down to just over $260,000 as the family is very keen to sell it.
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* There are also some videos and photos of Blind Date
on it’s early sails at Zeilen met Visie.
Blind Date is currently having new beam mounted rudders and an electric motor fitted. Should be sailing very soon and I will print
the report as soon as I have it. Rudolph built a test rudder shaft, and it broke under a 15 ton load!
Pictured below is the Finite Element Analysis we did on the rudder
box, and some photos of the early versions on my Elementarry.
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* The KSS workshops to build my solo boat hulls and decks late
last year were fantastic. We all learnt a huge amount and Derek was magnificent. Extremely knowledgable about the
technique and lots of stories from the good old days. KSS is the best way to build one off hulls that I have come across.
I have since made a number of alterations to the system to build rockerless hulls with round or U shaped bilges.
This system does not require the frames or the cutting and repairing of panels that KSS does.
Neither system has the usual rounded harryproa decks, but I am working on this.
WORKSHOP 1 Report by Rob Denney
(as posted on the Harryproa
discussion group)The workshop was fantastic! 12 people (about equivalent to 3 boatbuilders
working full time once all the talking and learning had taken place)
attended and we got the two half hulls and the deck infused. Hulls are
gel coated above the water line so no fairing or painting is required.
There were a few materials related hiccups, so we did not glass or fair
the half hulls after the below waterline shaping was done, but this is
not a huge job. If we did it again, the whole lot would be completed
in the 4 days, which is a quantum leap quicker than any other one off
build technique. Derek's deck edge radius is a stroke of genius, so joining
it all together will be very quick and accurate.
It all looks fair, but we won't know for sure until the rest of the glassing
is done and the frames removed. The wet out and laminate consolidation
is 100%. Vinylester resin still smells, but infusion is so much better,
lighter, quicker and less wasteful than hand layup that there is no comparison.
Bag the job, pour the resin into the bucket, open the tap and 15 minutes
(mostly spent ooohing and aaahing) later you are sitting down with a
cup of tea, with half a 50' hull curing on the table. 450 gsm or 2,500
gsm, it all gets wet out with exactly the right amount of resin; no voids,
no dry spots. The solo lee hull is pretty small, but the same technique
and timing will apply to any size hull.
There were 6 (including Mark and I) pro strip plank builders present,
all of whom were convinced that this is a much better way to build boats.
The materials cost was $5,000, which included tailoring the foam, which
was so easy that it would have been cheaper to do it our selves. Strip
cedar/epoxy are similar materials cost, plus paint.
There will be some photos on the web page soon, and a weight analysis.
A highlight of the workshop was Derek, whose knowledge of the technique
made it all very easy and enjoyable for everyone from the the know it
alls who didn't, to the completely inexperienced. His tales of the early
days of multihull development and short handed sailing were a large bonus.
We all had such a good time that we are going to have another workshop
in August to build the ww hull. Only half as long, but more complex due
to the cantilevered bunks and cockpit. It will even be possible to infuse
the complex curves of the seats and include the washboard track and hatch
surrounds in the laminate. With the deck edge radius, all 7 parts (2
hull halves, deck (including cockpit cover) 2 seats, bunk base and bunk
wall will slot together with no additional glassing or filleting required.
regards,
Rob Denney |
After Mark stopped, I was left with the hulls and decks of Solitarry on the other side of the country.
I organised to get them to Brisbane (8 hours drive) on a specially built (and very expensive) trailer.
Part way there, the tow bar fell off the trailer and it ended up at a friends place while I tried to sort out what to do.
Fixing the trailer, chopping the ends off and loading it into a container on a truck to bring it over here for completion
would have cost almost as much as starting again. So when a Visionarry builder wanted to buy it and use it for building practise,
I jumped at the opportunity. It should be sailing by Xmas, at which time I will start building the replacement.
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* There was an article on Rare Bird by Mark Giles in the latest issue of Multihulls World. He was hugely impressed.
He wants $600 if we reprint it here which is absurd, so anyone who wants a copy should contact me privately.
Mark has submitted another more general harryproa article to the American Multihulls magazine, but I am not sure when it will be published. |
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* Bain took Aroha on a trip up the coast to Surfers Paradise just before Xmas. Had a blast by all accounts, including
a 30 knot blow, which the boat survived unscathed. |
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* Arttu is ready to launch his Visionarry. The plan is to motor it down to Holland where Rudolph has built the mast and boom. |
* Myriam and Youri in Belgium are progressing on the racing Elementarry, building an autoclave and an oven,
testing numerous laminates and building world class moulds. This 7.5m/25’ter is not going to be much heavier than an A class cat
5.5m/18’ with lots more stability, sail area and waterline.
| Report from Myriam & Youri (12/06/2008)
At this very moment we are finishing the plugs for our tapered
Clarck-Y wingmast. We have formulated and tested a sprayable
high-temperature epoxy gelcoat to be used a the first layer of
its mould. The gelcoat and the layup for the mastmould
have been tested up to 150 °C (302 °F) which give us a
secure service temperature of 125 to 130 °C (257 to 266 °F). For
the mast as for the hulls we use a very fine thermofixed Carbon,
that allows to reduce the volume fraction of the epoxy resin to
as low as 30%, without voids or starvation of the Carbon. This
reduces weight, but does not compromise stiffness nor strength
at all. The prototype that will come out of our moulds first,
will be built with a Nomex core (48 kg/m3) of 6 mm
(0.24 ") that has the same shear strength as a structural foam
at nearly half of its weight. The whole gives us a weight of 1.7
to 1.8 kgs (3.75 to 3.97 lbs) per running meter of hull. The
leeward hull being 7.5 m (24.6 '), with bulkheads, the necessary
local reinforcements and the mastfoot should come out at around
15 kgs (33 lbs) .
At his moment we envisage a unirig of 23 m2 (248
ft2) including the 2.9 m2 (31.2 ft2)
surface of half the mast. This should give us a Bruce number of
1.95 with a double crew of 80 kgs (176 lbs) and 2.23 with a
single crew of the same weight. We will see what it brings ...
we will keep this site and the Yahoo group updated ...
Since we are rebuilding the Harryproa site and ours in the
late hours, because neither of them are up to date, we ask a little patience but you can have a look at
our site as is at ... www.wangkaboats.eu
Best regards,
Myriam & Youri |
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* Doug has rebuilt his Elementarry using his own variation of the rudder. He is cruising further and further up and down the coast,
as practise for a trip around the top of Australia and down the east coast. His fibreglass and wood masts work a treat and he regularly
flies a hull. Top speed so far is 13 knots, exceptional given that it is all kitted out for cruising, including a bimini.
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The last 6 months has been by far the busiest period in harry’s history. And it has almost all been one offs, or at least
stock plans with some major alterations. This has been great fun, and has resulted in some fantastic brain storming sessions
with owners and many late night ideas. Thanks to all concerned. It may be that I have bitten off more than I can chew in terms
of keeping up with the workload, so I apologise to anyone who has not had an immediate response. As a rule of thumb, any emails
marked Urgent (as in, I can’t keep building unless you answer this question) are answered the same day. Others within 3 days.
If it takes longer than that, please resend it or phone me.To keep me motivated, I have also changed the plans payment system.
Pay 50% upfront, the other 50% when the last part of the plans arrives. Now that Skype and similar programs have made phone calls cheap,
I am getting more and more phone enquiries from prospective clients. This is great and I am happy to talk boats all day and all night.
However, it is very easy to misunderstand questions and answers over the phone. For this reason, I much prefer emails.
Also, please note that I live in Perth, not Sydney or Brisbane. We are 2 hours later than those cities,
and I am not at my best early in the morning. |
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The boats and plans for the last 6 months are: |
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A 20m/66’ter under construction in Portugal. This is a live aboard version of the 66 being built in Norway.
The Norwegians infused their foam core half hulls in a mould. The Portugese boat, Luca Antara, is strip planked cedar, with foam/glass decks and internals. |
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A 15m/50’ flat panel harry to the owners design, but using Visionarry plans for guidance in Melbourne, Australia.
The hulls are built, but labour shortages mean it will not be sailing at Xmas as originally planned. |
An 18m/60’ charter harry for Seabattical in the Caribbean.
With 4 double cabins and ensuite toilets, huge galley, electric motors and space for 8 people to live comfortably,
this boat is a move in a new direction. It does however, keep the harryproa attributes of light weight (7 tonnes/tons fully loaded in charter trim),
low cost ($78,000 for the hulls, descks, beams, cabin, bulkheads and floors, all joined and painted, much less cost and weight than a 12m/40’ cat)
and “different” looks We have had quotes to build the shell (hulls, decks, cabin, beams, floors and bulkheads all joined and painted)
from a KSS builder for $96,000 and the Chinese mast builder for $80,000. However, it is looking increasingly likely that it will be built
for less than either price in a new factory on the Pacific coast of Panama, as part of a 620 boat marina/sailmaker/chandlery/boat repair facility.
We have a factory and a skilled workforce currently completing the restoration of a 90’ schooner, so harry time should not be far away.
Whether the charter boat is the first one built, or whether we practise on something smaller is still under discussion.
Whichever it is, I will be in Panama to oversee the construction of the first shell and rig and ensure everyone knows what they are doing.
There is a trailer sailor and a harry which should also be started there later tis year. There has been some talk of a crowd of harry enthusiasts being the first charterers of this boat, at a very good rate.. Anyone interested should contact me.
First in, first served, unless you are a world class chef!
Charter boat with a difference
Actually, a lot of differences!
For a start, it is for Seabattical, a company that deals in long
term charters. You charter the boat for up to 6 months, fly your
friends in to visit for short or prolonged periods and generally
live the carefree cruising life without any of the hassles (tired,
heavy, slow boats, crowded destinations, no sailing after dusk,
etc etc) usually associated with chartering. It is a very
successful business, with a fleet of 4 x 40-46’ cats
The sailing performance and “livability” of charter cats leaves
a lot to be desired. Seabbatical wanted a boat that would sail
fast, but still be safe, with the same space, but in a much more
user friendly layout. Mostly, though they wanted it at low cost.
The brief was for a boat with 4 double cabins, better
performance than any regular charter boat, and lower cost than
any production cat with similar space. It also had to be very
safe and easy to sail, shallow draft, comfortable inside and out
and suitable for electric motor propulsion.
Four cabins was pretty easy, 2 in each hull. But as the design
evolved (hundreds of emails and drawings) the spec changed to
island beds, and no steps for the 2 owners cabins. This is not
silly when you think about it. Six months of clambering in and
out of bed via the end of the bed or over your sleeping partner
is not a lot of fun. No steps was also logical and easy. The
saloon floor continues all the way across the windward hull.
This provides a huge, single level saloon, no steps to fall down
and plenty of stowage space amidships under the floor for all
the machinery.
The speed part of performance was a given. Even heavy harryproas
cruise at wind speed. However, performance is about more than
speed. It is an easy motion, easily trimmed sails, low windage
for good pointing ability and shelter for the crew.
The easy motion came from the long lee hull. 60’ will always be
more seakindly than 40’. On a proa, extra length is very cheap,
at least until you get to the marina. The seakindliness is
enhanced by putting all the weight in the middle 50% of the boat.
The ends are empty, with nothing on or below deck outside of the
beams. Combine this weight concentration with zero rocker hull
shapes, and harryproas pitch much less than any catamaran.
The rig is an unstayed schooner. Maybe not as good as a sloop
with crew continually tweaking the shape upwind, but better on a
reach or a run. The booms are rigidly attached to the rotating
masts so no traveller or vang is required. The sheet loads are
very low, there are no flapping sails, no heavy winching and no
sheets trying to knock anyone overboard. Being unstayed, it is
quick and simple to dump the sheets to stop the boat on any
point of sail in any wind strength. Sails are always hoisted
with the rigs facing into the wind and there is virtually no
maintenance required. In strong or gusty winds, the mast flexes,
spilling the wind so capsize is very unlikely and the first reef
is automatic. No furling/unfurling headsails or trying to reef
the main while heading dead down wind with it wrapped around the
shrouds.
The cabin is big on the inside, but has comparatively low
windage. At 8m x 3m it has more than enough room for the two
island beds, toilet/showers, big galley (fridge and freezer,
each 5 cu’), 3 burner stove, microwave) and dining table. Rather
than having fixed settees which are difficult to get in and out
of we are using café style chairs which can be stacked in the
corner when not in use. On the outside, it has a huge flat deck
(easy to build and lounge on). Access to this is via steps on
the ends, which also double as shades for the windows. The lee
hull is sleek with huge load carrying capacity due to it’s
length, but still contains 2 big double beds, toilets and
showers.
The boat is sailed from the lee side of the saloon. All round
vision, including the sails, close to the crew and the galley
and completely sheltered from the wind, rain and spray with the
sheet winches at hand. The bimini between the saloon and the lee
hull has roll down clears, so access between the hulls is
possible in any weather and the mosquitos are kept away at night.
The outside area is enormous, with plenty of seating and
lounging space. Dinghy access is by a ramp which folds down off
the beam. This is far easier to access than the stern steps of
most cats, particularly when anchored in a chop, when boarding
by the stern becomes dangerous. These boats will invariably be
anchored. The anchor winch is on the bow of the ww hull, close
enough to talk to the helmsman without raising your voice.
Occasionally they will Med moor, anchor out the stern, bow to a
usually rough wall. An extendable gang plank allows stable,
variable height access to the sea wall with much reduced chance
of bumping into it while trying to get crew ashore.
The cost was next. It is amazing how many different pieces are
required to build a catamaran. Each has to be made and fitted.
Cats have evolved to be very complex shapes, which makes fitting
them out time consuming. We decided from the start that the
hulls would be simple shapes, built from flat panels infused
full length on a table. The hulls don’t have or need any
knuckles, chines or other time wasters.
The saloon is all built on the shop floor, then lifted up onto
the hull. Only boats which leak or have hulls which are too high
need bilges so he floor in the hulls is the floor of the boat.
All the furniture is structural.
The big cost savings are
1) The materials bill. For the shell and rig, materials weigh a
little over 2 tonnes and cost $AUS28,000. Less than most 40’
cats. This is partly due to there being less materials required
and partly because all the rig and beam loads are concentrated
into a very small area so despite the similar surface areas, the
proa has much lower loads to contend with. The weight savings
continue as so much of the structure is also part of the fitout.
2) Labour required. The hull halves are infused from gunwhale to
waterline inside and out on a flat table, then joined along the
keel. As there is no rocker, this is a butt join on the table.
The two gunwhales are then lifted until they are a deck width
apart. There is a small amount of compound curvature in the keel
line at this stage, which is removed by pushing down on the
gunwhales amidships. The core deforms, and the fair hull is
ready for below the water glassing. The deck is entirely laid up
on the table, complete with radiussed edges which bond to
matching radii on the hull. The hull is turned and the bottom
glassed and faired, a relatively easy chore as it only 35 sq m
of simple curves. There is no faster way of building a one off
hull. Unfortunately, it only works for zero rocker hulls. We
have received a quote to build the shell (both hulls, decks,
saloon, floors and bulkheads of the first boat of $96,000. The
same company builds the lowest cost quality 39’ and 46’ cats in
the world. Their prices to the same stage are $99,000 and
$135,000.
3) Daggerboards vs mini keels conundrum. The harryproa answer is
to have neither. Large rudders mounted on the beams prevent
leeway and steer. They kick up in either direction and can be
raised to the same depth as the hull (450mm/18” ) for steering
in shallow water. There are no holes in the boat, hitting things
is no problem and draft is 450mm/19”. This system results in
phenomenal steering and has huge cost, weight, ease of use and
safety benefits. A further advantage of the rudders on the beams
is the electric motors are mounted on a bracket which slides up
and down the rudders. They are deeply immersed when required,
can be lifted for shallow water and pulled above the water for
sailing and maintenance. They also give you the ability to motor
silently sideways or at any angle just by turning the rudder.
Electricity will be provided by a genset, solar panels and wind
generators.
4) The rig. With our unique construction method and the
availability of carbon that is cheaper for a given stiffness
than aluminium, unstayed carbon masts are now a cost and weight
effective alternative to stayed alloy masts. With nothing to
replace or maintain, the savings get bigger as time goes by.
5) Financial package. We are negotiating with a finance company
to arrange a package where the owner pays a small percentage of
the cost and borrows the rest. The boat is chartered except when
the owner requires it and part of the charter income pays the
interest on the loan. At the end of 5 years, the charter company
buys the boat for an agreed price. This is very similar to the
arrangement which Moorings has made so popular.
I would like to thank Ron Bokenfohr from Seabbatical for his
faith and vision and for all the very clever ideas he has added
to the mix. |
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An Elementarry using the new flat panel build system under way in Greece |
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A Visionarry with a lee hull stretched to 18m to be built in the upstairs area of the owners newly completed house. |
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A 12m/40’ trailer sailor with the requirement of “being the ultimate racing trailer sailor that the owner can take the wife away
for a two week holiday and occasional weekends, and win races the rest of the time”. This will be built from partially glassed flat
panels and features telescoping beams and mast. The owner wants to race the Chicago Mackinac and Key West next summer.
Each time I asked him about a change in the drawings, his response was. “If it goes faster, do it!”
Maxi Trailer sailor
Leeward hull length: 12 m / 40'
Windward hull length: 7 m / 24'
Beam: 6m/20' telescoping to 3.7/12'4"wide for marinas and 2m/6'8"
wide on the trailer.
Empty weight: 420 kgs
Payload approx: 330 kgs/726 lbs with overload capacity of another
330
Sail area: 47 sqm/505 sq'
Draft: Rudders Up 200 m / 8"
Draft: Rudders Down 1m/40"
Righting Moment: 2.1 tonne metres
'The ultimate trailer sailor/racer cruiser' was the broad
requirement for this boat. As fast as possible, both under sail and to rig/unrig.
Standing headroom, minimal galley, double bunk and a toilet. Trailering is mostly for the 5
mile trip from home to ramp, but occasionally further afield.
Each time I asked the owner about a change, his reply was; "If it
makes it faster, go ahead"
The boat is 6m/20' wide in sailing trim, but easily telescopes to
3.7/12'4" wide for marinas and with a little more effort to 2m/6'8" wide on
the trailer. This is easily arranged with composite beams. The mast and boom travel in
cradles on the lw hull deck, the beams under the cockpit. The trampoline is in two
pieces split fore and aft. Each piece has a 25mm dia carbon or alloy tube sitting in hooks
on the hull and the beams. In the middle is a thicker tube for each piece.
When telescoping for marina use, the lee hull tramp is lifted out of it's hooks
and as the hulls slide together it slides over the windward tramp, so you can still walk
across to the other hull. For light air races, it can also be sailed like this.
For trailering, the tramps and the telescoped beams are quickly and easily removed and
stored under the the cockpit.
The mast is telescoped to 9.2m for stepping/unstepping. A 5m long pole, with a 4;1 block
and tackle on one end is inserted into a hole in the deck next to the mast. The heel sits
in a cup next to the mast step. The blocks are tied around the mast at it's centre of gravity
approx 3.7m from the base and it is lifted up until the heel is above the deck,
then guided into the top bearing and lowered into place. Unstepping is the opposite.
Very quick and very safe.
The reefing drawing shows sail areas incl mast of of 47 sqm/505 sq', 35 sqm/376 sq' and
22 sq m/236 sq m. Storm sail is 2 sq m/22.5 sq' of mast. Lots of sail up high for the light
stuff, no drag or weight up high for the heavy.
Weight in sailing trim is 420 kgs and the payload 330 kgs/726 lbs. Overload could be as much
again without it affecting anything but the speed.
Construction method for the hulls is partially glassed panels joined and compounded, with flat
panels for the rest.
Bruce number empty is 2.34. With normal payload, 1.9. Hull flying wind speed is 10 knots,
lower with the crew sitting to leeward. Inside the ww hull is a double bunk at one end and
the galley and toilet at the other. The galley space is large, but not all of it is accessible.
It will probably end up being accessed through a deck hatch and used for storing fenders, etc.
The cockpit is sheltered with a folding pram hood which will ensure dry sailing. The rudders
could not be mounted on the telescoping beams, so are in daggercases in the hull.
Rather than use long tiller extensions, there is a short athwartships tiller (magenta in the renderings)
with an extension (green) attached to the tiller and a car on a track on the deck.
The car is pulled fore and aft by lines running to whipstaffs (vertical tillers, red) on the leeward end of the
cockpits. The lines are cleated on the whipstaffs so they can be released and easily retightened when the rudders
are lifted and lowered. This is a far easier system than wheel steering where the lines must be released off
the quadrants to raise the rudders.
The boat is being built in Chicago, with the aim of competing in a Chicago Mac race and maybe Key West.
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A 9.6 m/32’ minimalist cruiser which grew to 12m40’ lee hull and 7m/24’ windward one.
Minimalist as in no cantilevered cabin or cockpit, but with storage space for his pushbike.
Named “the hoogley”, it will be built using the flat panel technique and then cruised around most of Australia.
The owner previously sailed a Wharram Tiki but wanted something quicker and more comfortable.
He is making models and testing various layouts. There will be some drawings in the next update. |
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Finally, there has been a bit of an arguments going on between me and Steve Callahan on the proafile chat group.
The upshot is that he has challenged me to a race between my boat (Solitarry) and Jzerro, Russ Brown’s Pacific proa, for a wager of $2,000.
Nothing has been settled yet, and I suspect he is not silly enough to actually put his money where his mouth is, but idf it does happen,
it will be next northern summer. |
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Regards,
Rob Denney
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