Update

I pulled Beto out of storage to give her some air today. As one can see in the photos, the telescoping trailer works, and the forward decks have been glassed. I taught my girlfriend to apply glass and use power sanders, so I hope to be putting her to work when I start back! In the second photo our 10" ventilation hatches for the cabins can be seen. All of the upper decks have been coated with epoxy and are ready for glass. I just have to wait for the weather now!

Things that are left to do:

• Varnish cabins
• Install anchor locker hatch coamings and make hatches
• Glass hulls and Rudders
• Finish Crossbeams
• Install main hatch coamings and build hatches
• Fill glass and Fair
• Paint Everything
• Rig
• Sail!

It seems like a lot to do when listed out here, but I should definitely be in the water sometime in the month of May.

Glassing!

Today I got around to getting the port hull forward deck glassed. I wanted to start the starboard hull, but we have a large cold front coming through, and the rain was starting to fall as I finished up the port section. As can be seen in the photo, I have a couple of bubbles where I couldn't get the glass to smooth down. The upper deck stringers are a little larger than the plans suggested for a solid foothold while bouncing around, and it was a bit ambitious to hope that everything would lay smooth. It's no big deal though; I'll sand the area out tomorrow and put a couple of patches over the spots and have everything covered. This was the largest area I've ever glassed at one time, and I think it went ok. Unfortunately it's supposed to be super cold for the next few days, so I'll have to wait to try again. I'm planning to glass around the sheer stringers with both the deck glass layer and the topsides layer to have nice protection around the impact areas.

So many fillets!

Forgive me for not posting more these past few weeks, but the work has consisted of small details that don't really show. I have finished all of the cabin top fillets along with small fillets along the stem and skegs and the upper deck stringers. I guess it should go without saying that I'm really tired of fillets and have been putting them off for a while. Once I started them, I got a good system going that actually made the whole process enjoyable. This should help a ton with doing the beam fillets! I've also gotten all of the hatch coaming pieces cut out and ready to go after coating. I plan on sanding the fillets smooth tomorrow and finishing the day with a first coat of epoxy in preparation for glassing on Monday. It's finally coming together! I also cut out holes to fill with epoxy on the rudders to keep the lashings from touching bare wood and cut out the notches for the tillers.


For anyone interested in easy fillet making:


Mix 3 oz epoxy
Mix in 3/4 cup silica and 3/4 cup wood flour
Place a zip loc bag in a plastic cup
Scrape fillet mix into bag
Twist up bag like you would for cake icing
Cut a small hole in one corner of bag
Apply and use a radius tool to make a smooth fillet

Fillets!

Well I have been avoiding the interior cabin top and hull to deck joint fillets like the plague for a while now. Something about epoxy icing in a zip lock bag while inside a cramped Tiki 21 hull with little room to maneuver seems like a terrible proposition! With the cool Fall weather, though, I started in on them today. Much to my surprise and despite not touching epoxy for the past ten months, the process went really smoothly. The starboard hull is done on the inside except for the anchor locker. I plan on knocking the rest out and the port hull in the morning while it's still cool. I have also sanded the decks down and faired in the miscellaneous stitch holes and started fairing the cabin top to deck joint for a nice rounded edge. She's starting to get a little bit sexier!

 

I stuffed the spinnaker and life jackets in the vent hatch holes to mitigate sanding dust intrusion.

Back in the US!

Well I finally made it back, and brought Beto out for a little sunbathing today. Plans are to start back on her on Monday. Stoked!

America de Central

Well I've been working down in Central America along the coast for a couple of months now, and I'm so stoked to finish out this work with a bunch of funds to start voyaging. I mapped out what's left on Beto, and if I work hard it should only take about eight weeks to get her in the water. After starting the project, going through some very heavy life experiences in the middle of it, and finding my drive again, I feel this break is proving very beneficial towards the re-kindling of my Tiki 21 dreams. I came close to posting her up for sale last year, but there would be no point in giving up and making all of the work I've put into her so far meaningless. Adding to my stoke-factor, living on the Caribbean side of Central America to this slower pace, seeing others out actually cruising, has done everything to solidify and inspire me to get Beto on the water. For now I'll just keep renting Hobies and growing the funds...

Gorgeous Water out at the Islands

 

 

Anchored Out

 

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