As you can see Donald & Daisy (the air scoops) arrived and were installed.
Also fitted some other new deck rigging in order to be able to establish the forms of the anti slip mat wich I orderd in the mean time.
In the pictures below you see those fittings and also a first porthole pane installed...
Glad to see the cold isn't slowing you down. Looking forward to the next post!
ReplyDeleteHi! Looks great! Did you use 3mm sheet? What is the weight of your hull? What is your opinion on building this with 6mm bottom and 4mm aluminum sidewalls and deck, and leaving out most of the support ribs, etc. (Similar to a Meta Shipyard Strongall)? Do you plan to foam insulate, or add buoyancy foam to make unsinkable?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi Karl, thank you for your comment. I used 4mm sheet for the sides and the bottom which is absolutely enough considering the (8) original bulkheads and floor-ribs. I did not implement any other ribs and this worked fine with 4mm sheets for the hull. The roof and decking is in 3mm which I had to reinforce in certain places (seats, roof) to be stiff enough. It would have been better in 4mm as well. I am not certain about the weihgt yet. Considering the depth in the water I estimate that the weight doesn't differ much from the original wooden version (around 400 Kg).
DeleteI foamed up the existing buoancy spaces (around 300 liters). I did not foam insulate the hull but lined it with RV-type flexible carpet.
Thank you for taking the time to publish your Blog! Your PocketShip is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you recommend 4mm aluminum for the entire hull, decking and seating area. Or for those of us in the US, 5/3" or 3/16". (I wish we would switch to the metric system!)
I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind:
1. What grade of aluminum did you use?
2. Did you install one or two zinc anodes on the hull?
Thank you again!
Tanks Bill and no I do not recommand 4mm aluminum for the entire hull.
DeleteWhen applying extra frames and reinforcements the entire hull could be made from 3mm. When I would build it again I would consider that or make the bottom panels from 4mm and the rest 3mm.
I used 5083 grade aluminum as this is the typical marine grade aluminum.
It is strong and has a good salt water restistance.
I don't have any zinc anodes installed.
The anodes are important if you have a bronze or steel prop and shaft insstalled which I haven't. And I have my pocketship out of the water when not sailing. I recon that the possibility of corrosion will be small.
You have any plans for building a Pocketship in aluminum?
Please check my You-tube video's as well:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyj10fnwRBBJB9rBtwk2NaA
It also is coated with
Thank you for the quick reply! I have watched your videos. In fact, I found them prior to finding this blog.
DeleteI am thinking about building a Pocketship in aluminum. I like the idea of making the bottom panels out of 4mm for no other reason than provide some resistance to dents.
I have built an aluminum airplane (Van's RV-9) but that was all driven rivets. I do know how to oxy-acetylene weld, so learning MIG and/or TIG shouldn't be too difficult. I HOPE!
Good information on the anodes. I grew up sailing on the Great Lakes so corrosion was not an issue for us. However, I now live in South Carolina so some saltwater sailing will be in my future, if I build a Pocketship.
Before I start, I either need to finish to sell the current aircraft project (Spacewalker II) I have in my hangar. My wife wants me to pick a hobby the three of us can enjoy together and having two two place airplanes is not what she has in mind.
I have so many questions, could you email at bill (@) Repucci (dot) com?