Anchor system basics

This afternoon I gathered a couple of pieces of Duflex, that I had previously cut, and checked their fit into the small space between the two water tank compartments.

These pieces or bulkheads, will form the support structure for the anchor chain rollers and the sides of a wash down channel.

I then marked and cut out a ply template of the main anchor we will use on Binary, a Rocna 33, that weighs 33Kg or 72.7525465 pounds. The full size side elevation templates are available at Rocna Anchor

This made it easy to mark out the roller location while not having to get the whole 33kg, up close and personal, with myself and Binary.

Below – The roller support bulkheads and the ply “anchor”.

Water tank bulkheads and paint

Looks like a nice place to work, however it’s very hot and humid.

Below – I am not looking forward to applying tapes inside this space to secure the deck panels.

Below – Fitting small bulkheads between the anchor space and the water tank compartments.

Below – Filleted and taped on the tank compartment side.

Below – Jotacote epoxy paint going on immediately over tacky glass tapes and freshly sealed duflex laminate.

Below – The bulkhead fitted and painted in one process.

Below – The other side of the bulkheads, a small compartment is where the anchor chain will pass.

Below – Finally this is the finished compartment minus the deck.

Straps, holes and tie-downs

I offered up the deck panels to check every thing including placing and filling the Turtlepac tanks. I found the forward tank tie-down webbing was not against the rising bridge deck, as I had assumed, but actually met the deck panel. This meant I had to sand back some of the deck underside (see previous post) to bond the two forward composite tank tie-downs. I also bonded the aft tie-downs into the compartments.

See the video showing the making of composite tie-down fittings for the Turtlepac tanks and following are more bits in the tank compartments.

Below – Final unidirectional straps over the catwalk beams and onto the inner surface of the water tank compartments.

Below – I used a hole saw to cut through the first laminate in the port and starboard base respectively of each water tank compartment. Then a chisel to pry the plug of balsa and top laminate off the base laminate.

Below – This tool is an old 10mm rabbeting bit with the guide cut back to the body…

Below – The battery powered drill on a slow speed….

Below – The rebated edge of the partial cut-out.

Below – The rebated core around the drain cut-out was filled with rolled up unidirectional, ‘rope’, overfilled with stiff glue mixture and the aft tank tie down fitting bonded nearby.

Below – Once cured, the same hole saw used to final cut-out from the lower side using the obvious original drill point as a guide.

Below – Because the unidirectional is overlapped by both laminates, further reinforcing is not required around the hole and a small rounding over is all that’s required. I will make and fit a cowl over all the drain holes in the boat prior to the external paint.

Below – The drain from inside the compartment, before shaping and paint.