I decided a simple paint scheme would be best. I used marine enamel on the creamy coloured parts and an oil-based house paint on the dark red. It took a lot of thinking and the help of a neighbour to bolt the beams to the amas. I propped them up on tall sawhorses then rolled the main hull underneath. The problem then was lining everything up for the final assembly. So, here it all is, for its first roll-out into the sunshine.
I knew the amas were heavy, but I figured they would be manageable. To try out the folding part of the operation, I undid the bolts holding the hinges in place and rotated the amas onto the main hull. That was a huge grunt! It feel like they weigh about a hundred pounds. Rolling them back from the folded position to the 'open' position was much harder again. Then my lifting was with poor leverage, making the effort even worse. I am working on some system, but it may be simplest to stand on a short step stool so my legs are more effective.
Raising the mast was the next challenge. I am using the winch on the trailer. To keep the mast from moving off to one side, I have support lines between the outer ends of the main beam and where the mast-raising line attaches to the mast. I also used a pole to change the angle of the winch line. If anyone wants more information, leave me a comment here.
This was a very exciting event. My first sitting in the cockpit with the sails, beams and amas up and in place. Much easier to see how it is going to work.
A picture to show the jib sail we made from the Sailrite kit. That project went together very nicely, including the fancy corner treatments.I now have a long list of fun and fiddly things to make and install. Things like rudder controls, center-board controls, sheet controls etc, etc, I am facing a week of rainy weather, so I am in no great rush to get things done so I can go to the lake. Rolling the boat out into the rain will be a nuisance.
Next report should be all about the sea trials. So exciting!
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