Building Ardent

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Looks good Eddie – I should think that you are very pleased.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi Graham , Derek, all I have to do now is learn how to sail her properly. hope to get to Hearne Bay during the week, weather permitting, there is a bit more room there on the water.

Thanks for your interest.

Eddie.

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Avoid Monday Eddie – 22mph winds gusting to 40. EEK!!

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Yes it is going to be later in the week when the wind and rain has gone through.

Eddie.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

At last – beginning to look like a yacht. Some may notice that I have increased the length of the keel (fore & aft) but not the depth. I am considering cutting out the centre of the keel, filling it with lead and adding 1.5mm ply panels each side. I know that that amount of lead will be insufficient but, when nearer completion, I can ballast the hull down with more lead and then fit it as a moulding at the bottom of the keel or as a wing keel. At least those are the thoughts at the moment.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Good morning Derek, as you say it is beginning to look like a yacht, you are getting on well with your build, it's difficult to see that it is larger than the original from the pictures but the lines are just the same of course.

That sounds like a good idea to put some lead into the keel and then add more later when you can see how she sits in the water, it is always difficult to know how things will turn out when you deviate from an original design.

I am looking forward to the next stage of construction.

Eddie.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Hi Eddie,

Many thanks for your kind comments. Did you go for a sail today? I am anything but a fast builder but I am quite enjoying this one and solving the various problems as they crop up. My right arm and hand were aching with sanding the chines and then I remembered I had a palm sander which is brilliant – now just waiting for more packs of sandpaper so that I can continue with the correct grade.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

No sailing this weekend, it's bank holiday and the parks around here will be very busy especially with the weather as it is, should be out on Thursday as I have just joined one of our local clubs, the Wicksteed Park MBC at Kettering.

I am just putting finishing touches to the pond yacht re-furb, but the radio gear has got to go back as there is a fault with the transmitter on channel 3,

It's not about the speed of build but the enjoyment you get out of it.

Eddie.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

The deed is done – one keel with one big hole. Now to get some lead sheet to fill it.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

I hope you are not thinking of the lead on the church roof!

Eddie.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Oh dear, I've been rumbled !!!!!!!!!!!!

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Don't worry it won't be missed till it rains, by then it will be in the keel and covered up.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Ardent on the water at Wicksteed Park with my new club.

Racing Sparrow out for the first time.

Sailing in 'formation' with a pilot boat

That's all for this week, until Thursday and the the following weekend is Model boat Mayhem I hope I may see some of you there.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 19/05/2018 16:06:41

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Ardent looks good on the water, Eddie. What is the length of your mast from the deck, please? I would like to get to the Mayhem weekend but it is a bit of a long drive for me so I might not make it.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Good morning Derek, I am pleased with the way Ardent sails and looks on the water.It would be nice to see you at Wicksteed but as you say it is a long way for you to come.

The mast is 50 inches from the cabin top. How is your Ardent build coming along? I know it is summer and there are other jobs that have to take priority over boat building!

Regards.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 20/05/2018 08:09:11

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Many thanks for the measurement, Eddie. I made a guestimation of mine at 1.5metres but increasing your 50" by 1.25 gives me a measurement of 62.5", just under 1.59metres – so not too far out. Will have to give it some thought as I think that Sailsetc groovy mast sections come in 1.5metres and the next size is 2.0metres, which would add unnecessarily to the cost.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

The mast does not need to be 1.25 x longer in total, if you measure the luff of the mainsail x1.25 add about 130mm for the uphaul? for the mainsail and another amount from the bottom of the goose neck to the kicking strap that should be quite a bit less than my dimesion x1.25.

My mast is made in sections of 10mm aluminium tube with 8mm inserts with the joins were the fittings for cross trees, rigging eyes etc are fitted, I got mine from B&Q, they also sell 12mm OD that the 10mm OD will fit into, but you will have to run a 10 mm drill into the 12mm to get a fit for the smaller tube, a spot of cyno will then hold it all together.

I hope this helps.

Regards.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 20/05/2018 16:08:36

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Many thanks, Eddie. My idea was to make the mast according to the dimensions on the plan but, as you know, there is no hint as to what the designed length is, but then to go on from there and work out the dimensions of the sails to get them made up. A bonus is that I have just found out that there is an excellent sailmaker in my club and I have no doubt that I will get some good advice from him.

Derek.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Well, as you can see, things have moved on but rather slowly – my normal build rate!!! I am now working on the cabin but the temperature in my workshop is ridiculous – so hot that it is only possible to stay in for no longer than a couple of minutes. I want to fibreglass the hull but that is impossible at the moment. I have got the mast and boom sections and, hopefully, have collected all of the other bits and pieces for deck fittings, standing and running rigging. Sounds ridiculous but I wish that things would cool off a little.

Derek.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi Derek, I have been thinking about you and progress with your Ardent, she is looking good, I do like the shape of the hull.

I have been sailing at least twice a week with mine and I am trying to fine tune her, I am now on a third set of sails and have another main sail on the dining table at the moment.

the main problem has been her coming up into wind, especially during gusty winds, she would spin round before I could let the sails out, I have now moved the mast forward by about 1 inch which has improved things and I am hoping a new main sail slightly shorter in the foot will improve things even more. If I need to move the mast any further forward I will have to fill in the forward cabin roof light shown on the drawings and alter the mast foot fixing inside the hull.

Eddie.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Thanks for your comments, Eddie. Glad you are enjoying your sailing. I have now got one step further – I have given the hull a coat of epoxy resin and, unfortunately, I ended up with a rather bad orange peel effect so I had to do a lot of sanding. As can be seen from the photo, I am now ready for a coat of glass cloth and it is draped over the hull ready to go, but that means another very early morning rise to get the epoxy coat on before the temperature gets too high. I think that I have now got all the spars and fittings in hand ready to fit. I was hoping that a club member was going to make the sails for me but he does not make them for groovy masts, which mine is, so I have ordered them from Nylet.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Hope it's not ominous but that looks rather like a shroud.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Derek, don't worry it will soon change when you get the resin on to it.

Over the past few weeks I have slowly got Ardent sailing better, I am now on my 4th. or 5th. set of sails! some larger some smaller, I have moved the mast forward about 1" to the back of the roof light in the cabin roof, I did this to try and improve its tendency to spin into wind if hit by a bit of stronger gust, this helped and the current suit of sails with a slightly reduced mainsail area and increased jib sail has made it much easier to handle, I have also moved the pivot point of the jib boom right to the end of the boom and anchored about 1" back from the point of the bow, all of these changes, made one at a time, has made her more responsive to the rudder and will sail gull winged before the wind and with less tendency to round up into the wind when on a tack.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

How's the Veronica progressing ? Rather sun burnt ! Out on our Mirror dinghy with my granddaughter today lovely breeze in the channel

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray nice to hear from you again, I have just come from the 'boatyard' after fitting the last frame to the keel, I feel a few photo's coming on for the TSB thread.

A bit of 12" to the foot sailing sounds good to me.

Regards.

Eddie

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