The propeller is 60 mm diameter which scales out to 24" which is about the size I measure off the plans and looks about the size of the prop that Leo pulled out of the boat in video 7 but it isn't as heavy!
I cleaned up the inside of the hull using sanding disks on a Dremel. It is still uneven but the blobs of epoxy are gone. It now has a coat of epoxy with grey primer over that and looks quite respectable. No one is going to see it when the model is finished!
The outside of the hull was more of a challenge as it has to have a smooth surface. Sanding removed the high spots in the planking and an application of epoxy "bog" (white) filled in the low spots. Sanding and more bog (grey) and more sanding gave it a surface that I'm happy with. It looks a mess at the moment but that will be fixed soon.
The drawing show the stern post cutaway to give clearance for the prop. Leo's videos show that the prop was held away from the stern post by a wooden spacer block. I've chosen to follow the plans with cutouts in both stern post and rudder. Here's what it looks like (I need better hinges!).
I've made a mold for casting the lead keel using the wooden pattern made previously. I used Plaster of Paris because it is easy to work with and readily available. It is taking a long time to dry out (still feels damp after 2 days but in Brisbane's high humidity it is taking longer than expected). If it doesn't dry out in another day or so I will put it in my steam box with a hair dryer - it is too big for the kitchen oven. It has to be dry because moisture and molten lead are a bad combination.
I've begun thinking about how I can control the sails with radio control. Obviously by using servos but just how to do this is not so obvious. The main sheet needs 800 mm of travel as the boom moves from the centre line to just touching the shrouds. There are several ways of handling the main sheet using sail winch servos but getting the 800 mm travel is a problem. The foresails provide a different problem because there are two sails (working foresail and number 2 jib) that need different amounts of sheet travel using one servo also one sheet has to be let out so the other can be taken in. Of course all of this has been done before but not by me and I am having trouble finding the "how to" information.
The reason for sorting out the sheeting and servo arrangements is that I want to get them installed and working before I start putting the deck on. Once the deck is on access to the inside of the hull will be more difficult unless I can find some tiny assistants.
Next steps are: cast and fit the keel, fibre glass the outside of the hull and put some primer on it, continue working on the sail control.
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