An Ilur in France

[Timmo]

This is the slowest build in my history.

I'm lucky enough to be able to spend half my time at a home in France that comes with a nice big barn. Being equidistant between the sea at La Rochelle and the lakes of the Limousin so another boat was required.

I started with the kit from Alex Jordan, a large pile of oak and douglas fir from a timber yard in Oxfordshire and mahogany that was formerly a staircase I rescued before it was cut up and fed to a neighbours woodburner. All lugged to France on an old canoe trailer.

The build is going slow because:

a) we only spend half our time in France
b) there's a lot of other stuff (renovations and property development) to do
c) visitors distract
d) sometimes relaxing in the pool just seems more important

There are also optimum times of year for epoxy work in between the 40° of summer and the 0° of winter.

It's the first time I've gone with the kit. Was particularly interested in doing so on this occasion because Francois Vivier really seems to have taken advantage of CAD to create a very ingenious build system. The strongback, building frames and boat parts coming together in a way it would be difficult to achieve using just paper plans.



The marine ply parts are all boat, the MDF parts are building frame (can you tell which is which in the photo?)



Again, the kit speeded up the assembly of the planks. No spiling! I used screws to hold the joints while the epoxy set, the hull will be painted inside and out and it was both quicker and more secure than clamps.

Except the sheer strake, which will be finished bright (probably) so here I used clamps.



It's a hefty boat, so it made sense to paint before rolling her over:

Jotun primer (brushed on)



And Jotun top coat (not my choice of colour, I'm with Herreshoff on paint colours for boats.) This I sprayed on. First time I've sprayed, should have done it before. Finish not good (I don't do good finishes) but a lot better than my brushwork.



Then Kate and I rolled her over (quite easy even with only two of us, again the design of the building frame helped.)



So that's where we're up to. Now to clean up inside, fillet and sand ready to paint the hull and ply parts. The timber will be oiled.



Loads of work to do, but lots of carpentry... the fun part. I hate painting!

[inwe]

Looking good Tim. I agree its so much easier after visiting Mr Jordan. And in a way more satisfying because you see the results quicker, so important when making things. I'm glad you have a nice big barn, alas I am being evicted from mine so the cost is going to rocket. One quick word of advice, try using Columbian pine for the spars as the quality of Sitka is dropping. It suffers stress shakes easily. My mast went over the side a month ago, snapped. Stress fracture very low down, not an overload fracture. New mast! Good luck with the rest of the build she's looking OK.

Richard

[Timmo]

Thanks Richard.

Good tip on tmber for spars. Was also planning on showing off and doing a birdsmouth job on the three spars (I'm going with a boom... apologies to the misainier fans.) Hopefully that will spread loads around any impefections and help reduce risk of breakage.

Tim.

On 11 Sep 2017, at 13:35, inwe [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Looking good Tim. I agree its so much easier after visiting Mr Jordan. And in a way more satisfying because you see the results quicker, so important when making things. I'm glad you have a nice big barn, alas I am being evicted from mine so the cost is going to rocket. One quick word of advice, try using Columbian pine for the spars as the quality of Sitka is dropping. It suffers stress shakes easily. My mast went over the side a month ago, snapped. Stress fracture very low down, not an overload fracture. New mast! Good luck with the rest of the build she's looking OK.

Richard

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[inwe]

A quote springs to mind. Somebody once said something about being able to go for a walk around the deck !!

Richard

[Timmo]

I tested the design by standing my entire significant bulk on one gunwhale up near the mast on Roger's boat when moored off the DCA stand at Beale. Felt completely secure. Was the clincher in my decision to build an Ilur.

Tim.

On 11 Sep 2017, at 21:04, inwe [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

A quote springs to mind. Somebody once said something about being able to go for a walk around the deck !!

Richard

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[inwe]

Tim the quote was from your good self about Calluna!

Richard

[Timmo]

The slowest boat build continues...

For the first time in a long time I've been able to devote a contiguous week to the build.

After a marathon of cutting, planing, thicknessing, cutting, planing, glueing, cutting and sanding we now have decks and floor boards.





Also have a pile of staves cut for creating birdsmouth spars.

Still tons to do, but feels like progress.

[inwe]

Looking good. about time we had a progress report. I am struggling to get the photos from my latest build into nabble. Hint don't use your phone to take the pictures, they get revolved. Just about to paint the outside oh and put in place bilge runners, not in plans. I don't know about you but I don't believe you can beat Ian's plans. looking forward to more progress.

[Timmo]

Ruzvaen has made further progress. Ever slowed by the fact she sits in France and for part of this year that would have been building time(can't remember why) I was stuck in the UK.

Anyway... recent pictures:

Kate likes painting more than I, note the adapted right angled paintbrush for painting under stringers. Why does Nabble insist on turning my portrait pictures to landscape? You'll have to hold the computer/tablet/phone on it's side!


I took over for the top coat, used a spraygun!


Yes I was pleased... but I have low expectations of myself.


Then some jiggery pokery to lift her onto the trailer.




Hatches are just plastic, but only two are not hidden under floorboards or seating.


Rowlock (Oarlock?) sockets also installed. They have screws as well now.


Next I have to rig her. The mast is a mess, but if I paint it I might get away with it. Anyone fondling it to feel whether it's smooth and round will have their throat cut. So she will be launched next year, probably in time to actually sail her in the summer.

And I didn't mention 'social distancing' once... until then.

[inwe]

As I have said before She looks very nice indeed Tim and I do not for one moment believe you when you self criticize you abilities about painting. I just don't agree with using slave labour !!!!

Richard

[Chris Waite]

I shake my head in amazement

All three of you, you TimmO, Richard and Grum of course, such beautiful, beautiful boats.

Puts my various angular, "fits where it touches" efforts

Into ghastly perspective

Chris

[inwe]

Tim
methinks that you have found a boat that the larger man doesn't have to keep loosing weight to use ?
You definitely will be able to exercise in.
Richard

[inwe]

Congratulations Tim she looks very good. Now the problem will be to stop the 'improvements as you need to fiddle' . That empty workshop ?! See you sometime.

Well done
Stay safe
Richard