Damo's Sailing Boat and Tow Vehicle

[dmulally]

Just now, cubastreet said:

It's a little known fact that I have impeccable taste.

 

If you're not sure you own the perfect motor I might be able to secure you a 5hp 4 stroke mercury that's probably almost unused.

Megumi was wrong about you. You're lovely. 

I was just thinking of you yesterday when I mowed the back yard with the lawnmower you procured me. Deffo interested in a 5hp banger. I'll send you a flirty text. 

[dmulally]

Well well well. Look what the cunt dragged in. 

Literally dragged I mean. The fuel pump shat the bed so that's first on the list. 

[dmulally]

So I changed over the fuel pump which wasn't any dramas and whilst at it I changed the fuel lines to the carb. They were looking pretty crusty and old and I need to grab some more to do the downstream side of the pump yet. 

I had trouble starting on the key so to prime the pump I thought I'd put a little fuel down the throat. It poured straight back out again around the base. I thought perhaps I'd run it at full throttle just to check the timing was still all good and it did but even more fuel pissed out everywhere. Looks to be a warped throttle shaft/spindle.

Problem is I recall rebuilding this carb at the start of the year with all new bits so I assume the housing is warped or some other fuckery. I even had to redrill and tap the inlet to the carb so it's probably at end of life. I remember spending my teenage years crying over strommies so I think I might look to piss it off entirely and go for something a little less leaky. 

Pic of me circa mid 90's on my EH which also had a shitty leaky stromberg. 

Before I start getting fancy, does anybody have any red motor manifolds/adapters for a weber or SU in the back of the shed they want to sell? Single carb preferably. It's still a land rover. 

 

 

[dmulally]

Mucked around with the seat tops this weekend. Wasn't too bad but it was very fiddly. I'm going rogue from the plans and am going to tape in the seats to the planks as they dont follow the stringer top the whole way. Not a big deal and I'm keen to have all the sides as buoyancy tanks so want them good and air tight. 

Meant a lot of faffing about with some 3mm mdf and was very happy to see that it swapped from port to starboard with no mods required. 

After they were loose fitted I did a trial sit and there was a bit of flex in it. Probably when glued and screwed in that would go away but as I'll never be able to get to it again I spent the afternoon bonding in some seat supports. I doubt they have much structural support but if it stops flexing then I'm happy. You can see the unpainted bits in the below pic for where my ass will go. 

The other thing I mucked around with was pretty fun just not for my back. I had to find the optimal size hole that will sit under a deck lid that can hold the toilet and backup 2 stroke outboard. I used the biggest portable outboard I have as if I figure if it fits with that then a seagull or 2hp yammy/3.3 mercury should fit easily. 

Will still need a bit of play with this one to make a lid in the seat that can be stood on easily to get to the anchor/mainsail. 

[dmulally]

On 15/07/2025 at 19:10, Bearded Baldy said:

Anchor locker ftw. Having to move a box of wet chain and warp gets old.

As I won't have a bow sprit like the normal whalers, I was going to leave the anchor dangling off the front with a bow roller. That way I can have a winch do it all and have the rope coiled in that. Anyway still have time to think on it. 

[dmulally]

Super frustrating trying to get things done in this weather presently. I have such a small window to get anything done as nothing sets properly. I have to get three coats of epoxy onto the underside of the seat tops before they get glued and screwed on so it was an early start today and will be a late finish tonight. There is a fan heater on the epoxy just to get it to come out of the jug and one of those outdoor LPG heaters next to the pieces to help the epoxy settle and dry. Thankfully it's sunny today but it's a chilly morning. 

If I get the time I'll do another coat of white inside the lockers and start prepping to have the benches installed. I have also coated all sides of the plywood cushion seat benches. I'll take them in to the trimmers when the land rover seat is done. It will be nice to be able to hop into the boat without having to balance on a 20mm stringer worried that I'll go down in a heap every time. 

 

[Tiger Tamer]

Nice work. Making up the seat panels would have been time consuming, and they look like they fit nicely. 

Are you using the fast hardener for your epoxy ?. Should help with setting time this time of the year. Not so good in summer though.

[dmulally]

1 hour ago, Tiger Tamer said:

Nice work. Making up the seat panels would have been time consuming, and they look like they fit nicely. 

Are you using the fast hardener for your epoxy ?. Should help with setting time this time of the year. Not so good in summer though.

Yeah I switched to that a few weeks ago, mate. Just got a small 2l jug to get me through winter with the goal being that by spring Ill switch back to slow hardener in time for flipping it over to glass the hull. 

I still have to heat the epoxy just to get it to flow and mix so it still runs. But really it isn't a big deal. Just something I have to be aware of. If I were patient this wouldnt be an issue but I work on projects before and after work. 

I was able to get all three coats done day as it was nice and sunny. Even the locker repainting went smoothly. 

 

[dmulally]

Long long day getting the seat tops installed. Probably not the worst thing that I ran out of epoxy as I'd still be going putting on the doublers that go underneath the lip of the overhanging part of the seats. I'll have to get another 20l container of epoxy and 5l of hardener. $1000 a pop and this will be my third lot. The plans said I'd need 20l so there's that. 

Taping the edges was worth it as there were some gaps that thickened epoxy struggled to cover so it's good backup to make it watertight. I did 100gsm where there was no gap at all (3/4) and 650gsm double bias where I thought it needed it. Such as next to the transom and amidships where there was a gap. Doing this again I'd change the bulkhead heights amidships where it loses the stringer. 

[dmulally]

A lot of small things done this weekend but it all adds up. I hope. 

The transom is now all done except for paint and the honda outboard fitted. With that now fitted I could see how the rear deck looked and start on the shear clamps which will form the backrest/coaming. 

To leave my options for a cabin open, I left the aft bulkheads curved for back support and where a cabin would go I made straight. That way if I do make a cabin or slide a removable one over the top it will be easier. 

This week among other things I have to steam bend the curved part of the shear clamps up front and sort out how to make the rear not look shit whilst leaving room to lift the motor. The outboard looks terrible. Too modern. Especially in the up position where it sticks up too high which thankfully it should rarely ever be in. 

[dmulally]

Covered the seat tops in cloth and epoxy as well as glued in the seat edge doublers. That wasn't too annoying except for having to fillet some thickened epoxy on the corners underneath the seat. All done now but will need sanding smooth on the edges. 

Whilst the seat tops were drying off I knocked together an outboard stand and took a stocktake of what needs doing. 

This 8hp Johnson has no spark. I didn't try to repair as much as diagnose. 

This 8hp Honda I got started fairly easily. Tomorrow I'll put some water in the bucket and see if the water pump works and let it run for a while to free up the oil before draining it. The previous owner I think mentioned it hadnt run in a decade. The tiller is a bit shonky so I might look at making a remote throttle for it also. 

[keltik]

Remove engine cowlings, paint the block hammer finish dark green. Maybe a hand brushed gold Honda logo. 

The very first Lister outboard

[anglia4]

It messes with my brain that your outboard is inboard.

[felixx]

I just read this from start to finish, dammit, last time I felt like this was when someone built a teardrop and it inspired me to do the same.

Luckily I have no garage space due to my existing boat and our mopeds but... 

fuck.. 

 

well done.. it looks amazing

[dmulally]

10 hours ago, anglia4 said:

It messes with my brain that your outboard is inboard.

A guy I know uses an electric motor for his inboard outboard and when sailing around the big boys and stalls in a tack, he just casually gives it a squirt of juice and looks like a pro. Sneaky squirrel cunt eyes that he is. 

[dmulally]

Put on the front thingy that will shape the coaming and front deck. In the plans it came to a V and I now see why. Steam bending for this was a bit shit. 

I think I went through about 8 pieces before I got one close enough. Even the one I did use wasn't perfect but I covered it in plenty of thickened epoxy and covered all joins in tape. Just to make sure I put in a middle piece that wont really do much to support the deck but should give the bent wood some support whilst the glue sets. 

One thing I have realised is that the trusty steam tube is end of life and will be cut up and taken to the tip. 

I still have the coaming to steam and I have to decide if Im to build a decent sized steam box or experiment with a steam plastic bag. The bag I like because I can steam in place. A steam box means I can use it for other shit. 

RIP orange pipe. You did well. 

[Positive Ape]

hey wow, is that a wallpaper steamer?

[dmulally]

6 hours ago, Positive Ape said:

hey wow, is that a wallpaper steamer?

Yep. When I'm done I'm lending it to @HumberSS to take down the Samantha Fox mural in his kitchen.

Some people dont appreciate art. 

Speaking of steamers I went to the timber recyclers to get some decking timber and they had some 12" pine boards in the mud which I got for a bargain so am going to knock up a permanent steam box. 

Cutting out the false stems today. Good fun. Using Matai. 

 

[dmulally]

Got the false stems on. The mattai was hard as steel getting it on but it got there. Christ on a bike it made a hell of a noise in the thicknesser. They were joists from a demolished house. 

Came out really nice. Took a lot of templates to get right but it came out good in the end. They were epoxied on followed by thickened epoxy fillets, fibreglass sheets then peel ply. 

Loads of faring to go but I'm happy with how it turned out. It differs from the plans but I think it looks more boaty. 

Next on the vagenda is to put in the towing eyelet (which is harder than drilling a couple holes) and making a wet locker for the anchor chain as @Bearded Baldydemands. 

[Bearded Baldy]