Still working on the fairing of the outside of our boat, inside will come next. While Mick, our fairer, continues to bog, sand & polish, Neville has been working on the conversion of the cockpit locker to an icebox. Mick will add the finishing fibreglass, then Neville will add some insulation. This is a ‘work… Read More: Fairing continues … »
Dry weather, mild temperatures, it’s fairing time. We’ve finally found someone to fair our boat. Mick is working on the outside while the weather is fine. Lots (and lots) of bogging and then sanding, with spraying starting today. We’ve also started adding the two underfloor ribs. One on today, prep done for the other. Not… Read More: Outside fairing has begun! »
Cabinet-maker and upholsterer coming soon to measure up. Can’t wait!!
More fibreglassing of shelves and saloon couch, batons in the ceiling of the bathroom ready for the ceiling, fitting of a bilge pump to the port hull, pre-plumbing of two toilets, galley bench, laying up of small sections of our existing moulds to use as trim here and there …. the list goes on!
After MUCH research we decided on Raritan toilets. Our first one has arrived and fits perfectly in the two spaces we have. We visited the Sydney Boat Show with a paper template of the two spaces we had hoping to make a final decision. Number one, it had to fit both spaces (we did not… Read More: Our first loo … »
Noticed our last post was dated 28/11/11, just on one month ago. It has been a slow month for boat building as real work has got in the way in December. Our work is always busy in December so totally expected AND we do have to pay for this boat! Still lots of conversations, planning… Read More: Windows and Doors »
The last few weeks have been all about getting all the inside ‘shiny-sheet’ bits and pieces completed, particularly around the doorways. We’ve cut out the internal doorways now and measured for our aluminium trims. We are using the same company who have made our external doorway and windows. The external door & windows are powder… Read More: Fairing has started … »
You would be forgiven for thinking I am in costume! Unfortunately this is a costume that every fibreglass boat builder wears from time to time. It’s also the one that doesn’t appear in the article telling you what a fabulous experience building your own boat is! Never mind, it was taken just after I trimmed… Read More: Is it Halloween? »
It all started because the motors were here, due to a price agreement 12 months ago. Then a good friend, Tony Borrell, offered to help fit one. How could we refuse? After all, we can always wrap it in gladwrap, and it does help to organize mountings for filters, strainers, exhausts, hot water and so… Read More: We Have A Motor! »
We have purchased an Isotherm 40 litre hot water service with dual heating coils as we intend to heat the water by engine, but also by means of a small Webasto diesel heater which will also power heaters in the main saloon as well as both forward cabins. This will avoid the need to run… Read More: Not in hot water … yet! »
Sunday is clean-up day, well, it’s supposed to be. Neville is good at the mess, so I suppose I compliment him by being better at the cleaning up. We can now see the saloon and the ‘couch’ furniture as I’ve ‘cleaned up’ this area this afternoon. I can’t really help ‘hands on’ with many jobs… Read More: It’s Sunday … »
Very exciting …. motors have arrived! 29hp Yanmars, saildrive legs and Gori three bladed props. Now I just have to work out how to fit them! You can go to bigger motors but considering weight, fuel economy and cost I couldn’t really see the point. These should push it near to hull speed anyway and… Read More: Motors have arrived! »
All the big bits of furniture are largely in place now except for the two sections inside each side of the doorway. I am waiting for the doorway to arrive before glassing those two in so I get them in the correct place in relation to opening the doors, as these doors will be opening… Read More: From little things big things grow …. »
Really looking forward to the saloon coming together. We have put a lot of thought in to this area. Our initial thoughts were to have a galley down (like our Seawind 1000) – more entertaining room up and utilise the hull space down. After much discussion, measuring and researching designs on other cats, we decided… Read More: Our saloon … »
A few jobs conquered. Know we’ve been a bit slack on our blog … thankyou for reminding us blog readers! Not intentionally slow with the updates, just not as much to report as the early building stages. But, I do know how interested and excited people get who follow these boat building projects … Neville… Read More: Half-way?? We think so (& hope) … »
Recent fine weather has been ideal for further engine bay work. A floor surround around the engine beds now provides a flat floor and directs any water to the sump under the engine sump where a bilge pump will soon be fitted. We have opted for cable steering and have fitted both rudder quadrants and… Read More: Always something to do…… »
I’ve learn’t so much during this build, especially working with fibreglass. Making the furniture pieces has been very rewarding. Finding ways to make white shapes and then piecing the made pieces together to make the corners, walls, steps and cupboards has been tedious but very rewarding. Just had a ‘week away’ escaping the cold and… Read More: Winter Update »
Thankyou Andrei for the reminder … “No more updates on the blog everything is OK ?!” Loads of work happening, but it’s slow now. No more big pieces being put together. Lots of bogging and fairing, and sanding and gelcoat spraying. Most of the joins have been prepared for fairing now, just weather dependent (you… Read More: Work goes on … and on …. »
And you thought … nothing was happening. Lots happening, including lots of thinking. While we have purchased many interior furniture components from Fusion Mackay, we didn’t purchase the galley and saloon components. So we are designing and building these ourselves. Neville is busy learning ‘how to’ work with fibreglass and I just find the glossy… Read More: And you thought … »
It’s been 6 weeks since we started building. So much done … so much more to do. Long days, many hours, kilos of resin, kilos of glue, metres of fibreglass, hundreds of plastic buckets and white rags, and endless hours of grinding (teeth too). Not to mention the endless number of coffees, lunches and cold… Read More: A pause … »
Just 21 days … stunning progress so far… the kit is basically complete but it was always our intention to fit a large number of moulded furniture components (from Fusion Mackay) and the installation of these has started as you can see from the pics. Fusion Mackay sell these components and we’ve had two of… Read More: Day 21 … »
15 days in … What a wild ride! The pace is fast and furious. Tom left for Mackay today as the kit is substantially finished and the fitout begins. Already we have installed fibreglass moulded modules for the forward and rear bathrooms, one of the forward bedrooms and a few other bits and pieces. The… Read More: 15 days … »
A few more assembly pics. The starboard and port sides have been added, furniture components have been placed waiting for fixing next week when Dodge from Fusion Mackay joins us.
The days have flown by and there’s been so much progress. We have a boat in our paddock! Lots still to do but so much progress in a short time. A big thankyou to guys who have been working with Neville … Tom from Fusion Mackay who’s our “expert”, Trevor, who’s pretty good at everything… Read More: Day 10 … »
Wow! What progress! Only seven days into actual construction and the images make it obvious that the progress has been extraordinary . Tom from Fusion Mackay has supervised the build and with Mike and myself as his eager helpers we have flown through the build to date. The weather has been absolutely ideal for glass… Read More: Day 7 … »
The second container has arrived, the building begins … not bad for nearly two days work.
When I signed on to this thing I thought I would be building a boat not a shed! However it does seem to be part of the deal, and with me too scungy to rent a cherry-picker it means lots of high ladder and gantry work. Still we are only a day or so from… Read More: Prep nearly over … second container arriving any day! »
Wow! The moment when the first rack of moulded parts starts to emerge from the container has finally arrived and is actually quite moving, although it’s difficult to concentrate on being moved when you’re busy towing the racks onto a flimsy rack of pallets and chipboard then it decides to jam on a bolt someone… Read More: First Thai Container arrives »
We have progressed a little. The first Thailand container is on the way and should be here about 25th November. Our second shed container is in place and we have started constructing the shed trusses. Of course they had to be dismantled in Rosebud first which was quite a job! The gantry which will lift… Read More: Gantry arrives »
Our first container has arrived. We ordered the interior fibreglass furniture from Fusion Mackay and then had to tackle the freight issue. After much research on how to get it here, we decided to purchase a 40′ container from Mackay and then transport it in this. We used rail from Mackay to Melbourne, then a… Read More: First container arrives! »
Confirmed, we are kit #63, hopefully leaving Thailand mid November. Gearing up for a January start.
Last update from Fusion … could be brought forward with a change to Kit Number #63 instead of allocated #64. We’ll wait and see!
“Isn’t it gorgeous!” Hmmm … WHAT is he talking about? He was talking about the forebeam. The forebeam has arrived … and the two engine beds.
Our latest update from Fusion is that we are looking at our kit being finished November 19. Then we have the freight concern … will it be here by Christmas?! Watch this space! We were originally expecting our Fusion Kit early September, but due to setbacks at the Thailand factory because of the unrest in… Read More: Kit delayed … again! »
I suppose it may appear that all we have to do is wait but there does seem to be a million things to do in the mean time. We are busy accumulating tools of every description as well as consumables such as disposable gloves and ice-cream type containers (would you believe about 800 needed?). We… Read More: Preparation »
Not much to show so far with the Fusion Kit delayed. With such a wet winter and another ‘small’ building project taking up considerable time (not to mention work), the delay has meant more time for preparation. Every night (no joke) Neville studies his “Master List”. “Nearly everything crossed off,” he told me the other… Read More: Getting ready for delivery »
This site is all about building a Fusion 40 catamaran, which we are going to name Bossa Nova. It is being built by Neville (& Amanda) at our home in Victoria, Australia. You are welcome to follow our journey. It will take several months, a lot of hard work and will be reliant on lots… Read More: Bossa Nova … our name! »