So after work this afternoon I cut and fitted the front frames ( I am saving the biggest job, the centre-case for last ! ). To align the frame fore and aft, I used a combination of methods, the string-line and the trusty Laser “level”. With the frame tacked in place, I couldn’t resist taking a few artistic shots using the laser light.

Firstly I design the frames in the computer model, then I print out a template full size. This step isn’t really necessary, but as I have access to the model, it saves a lot of time trying to work out the exact frame shape. Once I have made the paper templates I transfer them to foam board that I get from an art or office supplies store. Then I trim and fit them to size and get them 90% right.

Once I have fit them, I trace around them on the flat carbon panel that we have pre-made then cut out the frames with the dremel and sand to fit. This process takes about an hour for each frame. (I have also cut the hull down between these two shots.

Once in place then I glue them in in place, with a fillet and then I will tag them in place one night this week. (And yes, I know that the centreboard case is missing )

So all in all some steady progress this weekend … next big job is the centre-case.

With the shell bottom completed the next big task is to mark along the dotted line and cut the hull down.  The question quickly became … where do I draw the dotted line ? This is where having a full 3D model of your boat comes in very handy …

Ok time to cut … ? Nope. Cutting down the hull presents an opportunity to leave some of the hull in place as for the wing support blocks. The fact that I am re-using my existing wing bars means that I needed to hoof down to the shed, measure my current boat and then update Johns Gilmor’s model to an accurate representation of what I actually built. This allows me to know where I should cut and where I should leave the height.

With all that planning now done, I am ready to get out the grinder this weekend and start cutting. Although I already know of a problem that needs to be solved. The bottom of my current mast stump does not touch the new floor as the floor in Teknologika is very flat.  I am going to call this an opportunity, and see what I can come up with as a way to mount my control lines on the floor on the new mast stump base.

Once the hull has been cut, progress will speed back up pretty quickly. I have already templates for most of the internal frames, flat panel ready to cut them from, and thanks to Rocket Surgeon Composites, I have a centreboard case ready to put in too.

In this episode, we talk about setting goals with Goalscape, Bruce’s how to build a moth guide, the new Manta Moth, ask where has all the Velociraptor and Bladerider tooling gone and finish up talking about 16 year old round the world sailors and the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

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This episode is sponsored by Pukka.com.au

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This episode is sponsored by Pukka.com.au

First up was mold prep. The mould is a little worse for wear these days, than she was when she was new, and the last person to use her, cough doink, didn’t to the best job of leaving it how he found it. After a few hours of polishing and waxing, it started to look somewhat like its former glory days.

Then the preparation started.

I have come to the conclusion that boat building is a lot like making stir-fry. Most of the time will be spent in preparation for the construction. All of Friday was spent cutting cloth, foam and pre-bending foam to shape with a heat gun.



With all the foam prepared, and the cloth cut it was time for beers. Then, at about 9pm (after the kids were in bed), we set the 2 hour timer and went for it, as determined by the resin pot life and the need to have the boat under vacuum before the resin started go go off. We set a “point of no return” at 1:30 where we would assess where we were and decide to proceed with the second, inner skin as well.

In the end, we managed to get the whole thing done and in the bag in 2hours 10 mins, so we were pretty happy with that, then we set the pump on it, oh and this is no pussy small pump let me tell you …

We recorded the whole thing on video, so here is how to build a shell in 8 mins …

So with all this talk of Monsters and Rocket Surgeons, one could think that there is a lot going on. And there is.

But there are more builds coming. Next week I am heading north, to invade my brother’s workshop and start working on my next Moth (4th one I will have built, 6th moth in total). So here is my radical new design ….

Well, no actually It’s exactly the same as my current boat. My new hull is designed to be an evolution of my current boat, which is now going really well, and is bloody fast. Not Mach 2 fast, but is definitely capable of keeping up with any Bladerider or Prowler if the skipper has a clue (which I don’t obviously).

So why a new boat? Well being a development class there are developments that I want to try to keep moving forwards, and I have learnt a ton in the last 2 years about building things out of carbon, which I want to embody in my new hull.

At this stage, I am currently planning to move the wings, rig and foils to my new hull and sell off the hull with my first generation square foils very cheaply (around the $2K) mark after a tidy up. If someone wants the wings, better centreboard and Ilett rudder, then they could be included to, but the price will go up accordingly. At any rate, the boat won’t be sold until the new one is on the water, and I make it look pretty again, as it has been a tough season on the old girl.

Dave and Lea have been working hard with Marrco Lanulfi to develop what they hope will be a new benchmark for quality and performance in the fleet. The Monstro is the “pagani zonda” of the fleet to the point where everything on the boat has been moulded, right down to all the internal frames.

The shots below shows the first “monster” during the final stages of construction.

The CNC machine is a bit better than our home built one that I used to make my foils and is capable of cutting our full size car or truck!

This monster certainly won’t be wearing a little black dress.

Here is taste of the logos.

Oh and if you are looking for a complete business identity which includes a logo and domain name, we have a few of those as well.

pukka.com.au will be replacing ful-vue as our primary Mothcast sponsor.

I had a couple of DNFs through gear breakage, and the were both rudder related. The first occurred when my gantry sheared off in a gybe with the 6mm carbon plates crying enough. The 1/2 hour wait for a rescue was disappointing, and will need to improve with 100 boats on the course. The gantry Was repaired thanks to Matt Day’s magic toolbox and a quick trip to the local chandlery. Back on the water for the first race on Sunday and the tiller adjuster screw broke. This really pissed me off as I had replaced the uni rubber 2 days before the regatta as it looked dodgy. The act of replacing the rubber was probably the last straw for the adjuster. At least I had finished 2 laps so I got a result even though I didn’t sail through the line.

A quick trip to the shore steering with my foot and some rope and I was about 2 mins late for the start, but not the last foiler at the first mark So I sailed the rest of the day with no rudder adjustment and I am leaving it like that for the rest of the season as I haven’t missed it yet.

Overall I was very happy with my boat speed especially downwind but was let down by my upwind and my tacks and gybes. I have already made some changes since the states which have improved things significantly in this area but more practice is still needed.

So it looks like, if things go to plan that was the last regatta for me and “Teknologika” as work on the next boat starts when the season ends in a few weeks.