Swift Solo construction errata

All these tidbits are taken from the Swift Solo mailing list.

Up to date to the end of December 2005.

Sailing Questions

(link) (link) Recommended trapeze harnesses. The Swift Site also has a link to Kokatat: "makes one of the best gore-tex drysuits for those who sail in cold water. These suits remain comfortable in much warmer tempatures than non-breathable drysuits."
(link) use noodles to keep the boat from turtling; get a cheap, flat main while you're learning; be sure you can swim.
(link) "Veggie" shin gaurds are good to get (from 661)
(link) A short list of Do's and Don'ts for sailing. Also, get the Higher and Faster video and watch it. (link)
(link) How to set the relativity controls
(link) sailing tips, and (link) more sailing tips, and (link) sailing tips to print and keep with the boat
(link) tip: sail trimming
(link) on bottom covers and keeping the hull clean during transport

Rigging Questions

(link) A clarification on the floating block which controls the spinnaker and spinnaker pole.
(link) How the spinnaker is rigged.
(link) Bram's directions on rigging the mast (he has a template for the bottom part of the mast). Answers questions:
- Where the mainsheet cleat platform attaches to the boom?
- Where the boom attaches to the mast.?
- Where the vang control attaches to the boom and mast?
- What is the optimum distance of the tiller extension attachment point forward of the rudder pintle?
- What is the optimum height of the tiller extension attachments above the deck amidships?
(link) boom should be 90 inches, not 91 (mistake in rigging manual)
(link)
- The gooseneck is just a hole drilled into epoxy/silica/scrap fiberglass in the end of the boom.
- (link) The outhaul rack is a cut-down shroud rack (RWO 2350)
- (link) The radius at the trailing end of the boom should be cut so the block doesn't jam against it.
(link) (link) Use rudder gudgeons as deck attachments for the chainplates. Chainplate bolts are 1/4” bolts; use 10-24 everywhere else. Stick with 1/8 lightning rope for the uppers but use 5/32 Ultrex for lowers, primaries, and forestays.
(link) forestay changes, cap shroud adjustments, clothing/harnesses (website)
(link) A halyard hoist, which "makes child's play of hoisting the main".
(pp. 102) (link) Be sure to put a coin under the mast when stepping your mast
(link) clairification on the relativity control (with PDF)
(link) use hockey stick tape on the tiller extensions to improve grip (eh)
(link) bond the mast track to the mast with plexus (link) installation tips
(link) tip: fit the centreboard into the centreboard inserts with spartite to ensure a good fit. There are also (link) detailed spartite instructions (link) be sure your board is perfectly aligned. If your blade is more than a 1/8 mm larger in any dimemsion than the top of the blade / the top cassette insert casting, it will not go through the top insert--you simply can't push it down.
(link) order masthead cranes from Bram
(link) You can also get a pattern for drilling the base of the mast from Bram
(link) Christian's revised parts list. (link) Bram's updated parts list (from Fisheries).
(link) Letter placement on the mainsail.

Hull Questions

Page numbers are all taken from the 4/11/2003 edition of the builder's manual.

The bits & pieces

(pp. 18) On Station 6, the carbon tape should only be applied to one side. No third piece of tape required along the top, either.
(pp. 18) (link) Station 8 gets no carbon tape
(pp. 18) (link) A closeup of the gunwale. It is worth making the bulkheads, tee soldiers, and centerboard trunk 1/4” shorter than the stations. Take this from the TOP of the bulkheads and soldiers. (link) More on this topic - taking off 1/4” also reduces boyancy when the boat is on it's side.
There is a tendency to cut the stations just a little bigger than the patterns, and the bulkheads a little bigger than the stations. When you add this growth to the growth caused by the hybrid and epoxy, it is very likely that your bulkheads will be 1/4” larger than they need to be (you will be at the maximum of the depth measurement at the centerboard trunk). I think everyone will save time by simply cutting your bulkheads, centerboard trunk, and soldiers about 1/4” short. That 1/4” should be taken off the top of the bulkheads etc. Remember, the bonding flanges will easily deal with 1/8” of fill anyway. This will save having to cut them down after they are installed, as I've had to do on both boats so far.
(link) The centreboard pattern already accomodates the 1/4” reduction.
(pp. 18) (link) The big holes in the bulkheads are 3 1/2 inch diameter and the small ones are 2 1/4. Be sure to seal the edges of the holes.
(pp. 18) (link) Station 10 is 74” wide at the widest point. See also the gunwale detail diagram.
(pp. 23) (link) ...your plans will not include a transom bar pattern as indicated in the manual. The transom bar is a simple 72” radius. I decided some time ago not include a pattern for it as it is an additional sheet that is simple to cut. The jig ends up being a piece of 2x6 48” inches long. If you drive a nail in the center of one of your sheets of particle board two feet from one end, you can tack the 48” 2x6 parallel and flush with the other end and use a string to strike the radius.
(pp. 23) (link) (link) How to build the transom bar jig and clamping suggestions
(pp. 23) (link) Don't bother to wrap fibreglass around the transom bar. Don't overlap the windings.
(pp. 25) (link) A picture of the pyramid (23°) blocks in the centre of the boat, and what they do.
(pp. 25, 33) (link) Use 10/24 tee-nuts in the bottom of the centre rail/vang pedestal and bevel blocks
(pp. 26) (link) (link) Build the new centerboard trunk (pp. 38). Be sure to get the updated bow profile and centerboard trunk plans from Bram
(pp. 26) (link) Centerboard caps are 1” thick glassed cedar (and removable)
(pp. 26) (link) A PDF with details on the correct fit and installing the centerboard insert blocks. Another PDF (PDF) from the website on how to build the centerboard trunk inserts, and a possible way of holding the inserts on. Read this before building your centreboard trunk.
(pp. 30) (link) The vang pedestal base has a top diameter of 2” and bottom diameter of 3”.
(pp. 30) (link) The center rail is 1 3/4” at the bottom and 1 1/4” at the top.
(pp. 36) (link) The width of the solid cedar used for the bow piece is 5/4, roughly 1”

The hull

(pp. 41) (link) Stands are placed between stations 4 and 5, and 12 and 13.
(pp. 42) (link) squeegee epoxy into the edges of the strongback templates to keep them strong while working
(pp. 42) (link) Station 1/2 goes 6” in front of station 1!
(pp. 44) (link) (link) Toe rail clarification: On page 44 the manual tells you to cut the strips 64” long. That is correct. On page 45 the manual tells you to cut them off at 55” overall. That is the length I used on the first boat but decided to make them a bit longer on the second one. My preference is that the final length should be 62 inches so that they go from about 1/2” aft of station 8 to station 13. This is not a class controlled length but rather a preference. I recommend that you make them 62” long.
(pp. 46) (link) (link) use polyester staples instead of steel - automatically filled staple holes, no outgassing
(pp. 52) (link) advice on filling epoxy holes with syringes
(pp. 52) (link) advice on fillers, and how to match colours to the strips being used. (Sawdust from sanding the hull is a good choice.)
(pp. 54) (link) Be sure to get the updated bow profile from Bram
(pp. 56) (link) You need a 12 oz can of West 423 Graphite Powder, for the underside of the hull
(pp. 56) (link) Mix the graphite powder at one tablespoon of powder for 6 squirts of resin.
(pp. 56) (link) Three coats of graphite on the bottom, be sure to mix the right ratio all three times (otherwise you get zebra stripes), and don't varnish the graphite (link) (link) (link) * bubble removal tips
(pp. 57) (link) (link) The AMP is the aft face of the station 14 template which technically is also station 14.
(pp. 58) (link) The cradle frames sit on stations 6 and 10. It helps to let the glass hang over the front of station 6 a little more (it is not quite centered on the cradle frame by about 2 inches--you can see what I mean in the picture on page 58).
(pp. 61) (link) * consider using hybrid on the inside of the transom; install hybrid on inside of hull on a diagonal * building your own hybrid bias tape
(pp. 61) (link) use a paint scraper to clean up the inside of the hull/deck
(link) the hull may not touch bulkhead 6 or 8 exactly; how to bend the hull to the correct shape.
(pp. 65) Be sure to get a copy of the new deck plan (in colour!)
(pp. 65) (link) The hybrid backing piece for the chainplates is about 1/8” thick. (And how to drill the chainplate holes.)
(pp. 65) (link) (link) The jib track is now mounted on top of the wings (not between them). The shock cord needs to be re-routed after exiting the front of the toe rails, once you put on the new jib track. Here is a picture of VMG's solution.
(pp. 65) (link) How Mark built his jib track blocks.
(pp. 65) (before bonding hull & deck) (link) (link) The lower rudder gudgeon should be moved up and the drain plug is centered below it.

The deck

(pp. 66) (link) Build a couple saddles at stations 6 and 10 to support the flipped deck.
(pp. 66) (link) If you align everything with the hull up then you may have to bump stations 11 and 12 up 1/8” when you flip the strongback over to build the deck.
(pp. 67) (link) (link) How the foreward ends of the strips that butt up to the steps meet with the centre strips.
(pp. 67) (link) How to position and shape the wing ends
(pp. 68) (link) The gunwale tapers very slightly at the bow - from full width at station 6 to 1/2” narrower at the bow.
(pp. 73) (link) The s-glass is 50” wide, and thus needs a bit extra to cover the gunwale, just in front of the wings.
(pp. 76) (link) How to make your own launcher throat (from the website)
(pp. 76) (link) Move the launcher throat back 3” to 27”, per Pat's design
(pp. 76) (link) Aligning the launcher throat: if you could sight an imaginary line through the center of the throat foam, it would intersect the top of the pedestal on the front of the center rail.
(pp. 82) (link) (link) The type of material to use for backing plates. Normally it's bulkhead material; for the spin cleat and the block behind the sock, it's bulkhead + glass/hybrid plate.
(pp. 82) (link) Roger's recommendations on the cleat bevel blocks (straddling the centreboard).
(pp. 82) (link) Pictures of Mark's bow fitting.
(pp. 86) (link) toe rail placement
(pp. 86) (link) How to route the channel in the toe rails (make sure it's deep enough), and then fill it in with glass tape and filler.
(pp. 88) (link) (Bram says:) The spinnaker blocks should be moved aft 8 inches. That new location is corrected on the new deck plan that I've been sending out as people send me pictures showing they've started their deck. Remember, If you have the deck plan with pictures on it, it has the new spinnaker block locations on it.
(pp. 88) new I now believe that the trapeze exit sheaves from the toe rail should be moved back 6 inches. This is not a big deal but it will help the speed of the jibes. When you come in off the wire and stand up, if your feet are close to the trapeze exit, you come unhooked automatically. If you are more than foot aft, you may not come unhooked automatically. The problem is that you want your feet to be aft of the spinnaker sheet (and block) so that you can reach down and grab the new sheet with your forward hand, just inside of the block, before crossing the boat. With the sheet block moved aft my current boat requires that I swipe at the trapeze bail first to make sure I'm unhooked because I'm further aft. Thus, in my opinion, both systems need to be closer together. In short, the spin sheet block aft 8” and the trapeze exit aft 6”. Deck plans sent out after today will include both changes.
(link) Positioning the spinnaker halyard cleat block
(link) toe rail sheve exit block - use a RF20711 Exit Block with Cover Plate
(link) Positioning the cam cleats relative to the toe rails.
(pp. 90) (link) A better way to install the jib traveller
(pp. 90) (link) The angle the traveller should be installed at
(pp. 101) (link) When you are ready to cut the centreboard slot, use a router. Just be sure you build a flat jig for the router base.
(pp. 101) (link) (link) (link) how much pro-set do you need to bond deck to hull?
(pp. 101) (link) How to take pictures of the interior of the hull during fitting for bonding
(link) The face of the wood block that you bolt the spinlock cleat on is 7” from the centreline.

Other bits & pieces

(pp. 38) (link) (link) Centerboard trunk building primer.
- Build the trunk before bonding it in the hull (you can even build it before you start building the strongback)
- If you use fillets, use small ones (1/8” radius on the inside of the trunk)
- The insert blocks are screwed into place and held there by 4200. The posts they screw into are bonded in place. Do NOT install the insert blocks until after you have cut the hole in the hull and deck.
  - (link) No longer true - now the blocks are held in place entirely with threaded rods.
- The forward end of the mast step is screwed (pp. 64), bonded & filleted to station 6.
- Read the errata for pp. 26 before building; you want to install the tubes in the trunk while building, not afterwards, if possible.
(link) (link) Roger's recommendations on building the trunk (make sure it's *perfectly* square), and how to align it to the hull. (Hint: cut the hole in the bottom of the hull first, then install the trunk, using a spacer to get the alignment).
(link) How to make centreboards from Greg's blanks (Bram's final PDF).
(link) Bill's board weighs in at 5 pounds (55.5 inches long)
(link) (link) The original conversations about centerboard length.
(link) Greg's recommendations on centerboard length.
(link) Foil layup schedule - Christian recommends around 25-28 oz total of carbon (no kevlar), Bram recommends the kevlar to spread the load, particularly for the first layer.
(link) Use saran wrap around the saddles to ensure you can remove the saddles from the c/b blank
(link) Roger lost his rudder: tips on rudder layup and things to watch for
(link) (link) Tiller layup schedule.
(link) How to work with braided carbon tube (for the tiller).
(pp. 102) (link) Use medium duty 3M non-skid (4” x 60’ roll), not the heavy duty sandpaper-like stuff.
(pp. 102) (link) The preferred pattern for non-skid.
(pp. 104) (link) Details of the centerboard shape
(pp. 104) (link) The rudder cross section and plan. (link) Greg has patterns, and he also discusses why his foam cores are the shape they are.
(pp. 104) (link) (link) Christian's and Greg's suggestions on building the rudder box
(pp. 104) (link) How to install spinnaker socks ordered from Bram.
(link) How Bill cut the holes in the centerboard inserts

Tips and Tricks

(link) (link) building costs. Figure $10k.
(pp. 14) (link) MLCS Woodworking has bead and flute router bits.
(link) (link) (link) (link) (link) A bunch of posts on milling your own strips - costs $300 (and a weekend) compared to $1800 or more for pre-milled strips.
(link) Fiberglass Supply in Bingen WA. 509-493-7755 beats Sweet's fibreglass prices
(pp. 15) (link) The orientation of the hybrid on the bulkhead material is not critical but it would be better if the carbon ran with the length of the strips (vertically).
- (link) or possibly on a diagonal
(link) When building the bulkhead material, cover it with peel-ply. Gives a better surface to work with, and leads to slightly lighter parts. (Greg decided to vacuum bag his bulkhead parts to reduce weight.)
(pp. 18) (link) I just weighed the station 6 bulkhead completed for USA 013. It weighs 1002 grams with all hybrid and epoxy applied.
(pp. 30) (link) Weights of some of the parts (website)
(pp. 42) (link) If there are changes in temperature and humidity in your workspace, consider epoxying both sides of the station templates.
(pp. 54) (link) (link) Greg's description on how to prepare the bow and bowpiece, a picture of Mark's bow
(pp. 58) (link) Use indoor/outdoor carpet for the cradle. (link) Don't bond the carpet directly to the cradle, use contact cement. Keep the cradle light.
(pp. 58) (link) consider using polyester resin for the dolly/cradle. Greg also has a (link) couple ideas on dolly construction if you beach launch a lot.
(link) (link) Dollie ideas
(pp. 65, 88) (link) Use staple holes to determine where to position fittings, toe rails, etc. Measure down the centreline then out (link).
(pp. 102) (link) A description of UV protection - use Interlux Perfection Polyurethane varnish to protect the epoxy
(link) How to make hybrid tape
(link) Kevlar is impossible to sand (you get the fuzzies). But you can wait until the epoxy is tack free and then cut it off with a sharp knife or scissors.
(link) There are different types of kevlar. The bi-directional type 94905 is the kind Sweet originally provided, but due to shortages many people are finding it hard to source, and using uni-directional instead.
(link) If you are using uni-directional kevlar/carbon, the carbon always goes across the boat and kevlar goes lengthwise.
(link) How to install blocks in foam-core (the launcher throat, for instance).
(link) Possible ways to keep line ends from fraying.
(link) What to focus on if you're rushing to finish your boat before a regatta.
(link) An interesting note on why it's a good idea to get to weight minus tolerance - if you undershoot, then weights will be added to bring you up to weight, not weight minus tolerance.
(link) A small java application to create NACA foil sections, and dump them into a spreadsheet
(link) (link) (link) (link) Build your own longboard. Sanding technique. Make the edges rounded, so you don't gouge your soft cedar with the edge.
(link) Peel ply is pretty useful. Don't pre-wet glass, it's a mess.
(link) Staple removal: use a wedge-shaped piece of hardwood and slide under the staples. (Or staple over twine. Or don't use staples. Or use plastic staples. Or wind string over a screw in the hull and tighten the screw to keep things tight.)
(link) Suggestions on how to keep pieces in registration when clamping with epoxy.
(link) tips for fillets.
(link) tip: how to remove an epoxied in bolt (although it will degrade the mechanical properties of epoxy (link)
(link) tip: properties of 410
(link) tip: holding strips upright while applying glue
(link) vinegar is a good solvent for uncured epoxy
(link) Don't use aluminium rivets, they'll corrode (quickly).

PDFs and other files

(link) Class rules.
(link) Epoxyworks article on glassing a strip hull.
(link) A detail of the gunwale construction: don't cut off the overhang.
(link) How to make the launcher throat.
(link) notes on making the centerboard insert blocks (including instructions on the tubes and stainless rod to hold the blocks in place)
(link) Centerboard Construction 101
(volume 1, volume 2) Rigging manual (June 2004 edition)
(link) How to install the spinnaker sock
(link) Plans for the mast step compass adaptor bracket, for a TackTick Micro Compass
(link) How the new bridle works (this replaces the eye on the gunwale).
(link) Christian's parts list.
(link) Centerboard sections taken from a 49er board. (There's also rudder sections, link.)
(link, ppt) Rudder blade measurements, from Greg's new and improved blade.
(link) More rudder measurements.
(link) How to build a rudder cassette.
(link) How to best wetsand epoxy.
(link) How to whip a rope.
(link) How to build an adjustable forestay.

What NOT to do

(link) Don't get sweat on your layup
(link) Don't get sensitised to epoxy - keep it off your skin!

Inspiration

(link) Photos: CAN 048 ready for rigging
(link) Photos: CAN 048 gets wet
(link 1) (link 2) Photos: "SOLOCOCOLOCO"
(link) The Contender class 2004 championship - worth watching.
(link) pic: picture of deck with hardware mounted
(link) pic: beautiful deck
(link) Mark's gorgeous deck

$Id: errata.html 1.24 2007/06/16 19:34:40 Zeus Exp $