Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #3-3E . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Discovered why SCAMP yards have a third hole in the peak: 
Added a ball-bearing swivel to the end of the yard peak, so I can fly streamers, flags, wind socks, and whatnot.
Clearly, that's the end that bangs into the forward cabin bulkhead, when the rig is stowed; debating whether it's worthwhile or not, to keep touching it up. 
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This  is how much I had to cut down the centerboard cover, after the centerboard was correctly positioned. 
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Much skinnier.
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But at least it fits properly now, AND the centerboard can swing up and down, without hindrance!! 
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1st coat of epoxy.
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It cured fast enough, I was able to get a second coat of epoxy on, in the same day.

And the final coat of epoxy, the next morning.
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Which OF COURSE!    Got some Amine Blush, when some unexpected late afternoon rain came in.    Fortunately, it's such a small area, it's easy to wash off.
Ready for painting! 

Which I did! 
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Next issue, was the ladder needing a third step.
You know, so you can actually climb on board. 
I ordered a ⁵₁₆" X 12" 316 stainless steel rod and tapped a ⁵₁₆"-18 thread on it, at each end.
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So I could put on acorn nuts, to finish off the Nylock nuts.
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Because it's going to be an axle for a Teak step.
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The Teak step had to be beveled 10º, to end up as a level step, since the transom slopes outward.
Discovered one of my climbing issues, was that the ladder sloped inward and made climbing it, even more difficult.
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That gorgeous block of Teak came from an antique store, where it was originally part of a 100+ year old set of bed rails! 
Part of the set (cross-slats) had gotten lost and they didn't know what to do with a partial bed rail set.
Told them, I'd take it off their hands    and offered up $20 bucks, which they were glad for!! 
Later, I calculated the current board/foot cost of the wood that I had brought home, was probably valued in excess of $300 - $500 bucks. 
Check the grain. 
Trite to say: "They don't make them like that, anymore."
But over 100 years ago, they did.

Drilled a ⁵₁₆" hole through the block.
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Tested it for fit, with an un-threaded rod.
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I wanted the ladder to rest against the transom at  more of a vertical angle, so I needed to make some ladder spacers.
I still had some Starboard scraps left over from the trailer bow stops and the aft mast stand project, so I put them to use, starting with drilling a hole using a 1" Forstner bit.
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Cut, sanded, formed, and tested for fit.
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And now the ladder hangs vertically! 
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Tested the whole assembly.
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Definitely needed that third step.

My first inclination was to drill a hole through the Starboard and ladder tube, to pin the spacers in place with a sheet metal screw (like the aft mast stand spacer had).
But then, the internal tube of the next ladder rung would be similarly pinned. 
Not a Good Thing.   
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I settled for drilling and tapping 10-24 threaded holes into the Starboard, and cut down some 10-24 screws, to act as set screws. 
Holds surprisingly well; no sliding or turning, at all. 

Final task for the day (since I was running out of a suitable painting weather-window) was to get the first coat of paint on the teak block.
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Already, I can hear the criticisms: 
1) What?!?    No 3 coats of epoxy, first?!?   
Nope. Multiple coat epoxy, is to prevent Okoume plywood from checking and/or rotting; Teak does neither and it's oily enough, that applying epoxy is sometimes problematic.
Even then, I still had to wipe down the Teak with acetone several times, just to prepare it for painting.
2) You just put three coats of epoxy on the centerboard cover!!    How come IT doesn't get a pass?!? 
Simple.  It's not Teak; it's Southern Yellow Pine and it NEEDS that protection.
3) Painting over Southern Yellow Pine, I get it, but painting over good Teak, like that?!?!    Sacrilege!! 
While I would usually agree with that sentiment, I wanted a more conservative and uniform appearance on the transom and not a whole lot of disparate-looking elements.

While all that was curing/drying, I stepped the mast and raised the sail, so I could trim all the various lines to more usable working lengths.
Refined the hardware a little here and there, and changed out a few (small) lines I wasn't overly happy with, for better ones.
Melted all the ends of all the cut lines and was concentrating on everything so intently, I never thought to get a SINGLE pic!!   
DOHHHH!!! 
Just take my word for it: The rigging looks great!! 

Nothing ever looks as rich, as that third coat of paint. 
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Since it still needs some curing time before I can do anything else, I decided to put the HIN numbers on the hull.
Another of the myriad details, that are avalanching on me. 
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Wow!!    The boat's practically OFFICIAL!! 

And the finished result on the ladder.
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A little closer look:
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Looks good; now we'll just have to see if it works good!

Another after-build "adjustment" that was required, was drum-sanding a scallop into the coaming, to make more room for the tiller pilot.
It would "just" fit, back when I clamped the coaming on and tested with the tiller pilot in place, but apparently gluing and screwing the coaming in place against the carlins,  lengthened it just enough to bind.
   ARRGGGHHHHHH!!   
I need to be FINISHING the boat, not re-working stuff I've already done!! 
Ah, well. 
Wonder where the idea of a tiller pilot, even came from?!? 
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Oh.  Yeah.

2nd coat of epoxy on the plywood edge.
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The next project up, was fabricating re-entry straps.
This was my first attempt, and after I had looked at it carefully and analyzed it for a while, I HATED it!! 
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The daisy chained loops have all stresses, solely on the sewn seams not on the webbing, itself. 
DOHHHH!!! 

2nd try (after some thought) was a lot better.
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The webbing goes the length of the strap and the loops are all sewn on top of it, so all load stresses are really only on the webbing.
MUCH better! 
The seven loops are adjustment points for people of different heights.  I have it set up for me, on the middle loop.
That will provide adjustments for people taller than me (Son, Grandson), as well as people shorter than me (Wife, Granddaughter, Daughter).

The intent is that one steps on the loop from the water and with knees braced against the hull, spreads the feet apart on the strap, which raises your effective height until the coaming is at waist level.
Then one rolls back into the cockpit.
I know.     But I've seen the videos and I believe it will work. 
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A Velcro strap sewn onto the re-entry strap, keeps the strap neatly stowed and always ready for use.
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Since it's sewn on it can never get lost, unlike all the various twist-tie arrangements, that I see on other people's SCAMPs.   

Get all the touch up paint done on the coaming and the center board trunk cover, and I can start in on modifying the Bimini top.
That has to get done, before I can wire and install the solar panel array and mounting lines. 
And start on the cushions . . . . . .
And the tent . . . . . .
And the veranda curtain . . . . . . 
Ya know that nightmare, where you're running and running just as fast as you can and yet, everything looks like you're going slower and slower and getting farther away?!? 
Yeah. That's what it feels like lately, BUT!! The task list is down to about a dozen or so, details!!   
 
Charles Brennan

[Chris Muthig]

Quick idea I had on the masthead, If it was mine I'd probably cut the top at 90 degrees, and add in a block of HDPE, to be sanded down ALMOST the same diameter of the mast, giving it a little abrasion and shock resistance.  It doesn't have to be big, maybe 2-3" tall and a quarter of an inch thicker than the mast at the top, but tapered down where it joins with the mast so it's the same diameter and won't catch anything.  The streamers/flags can then be attached to the HDPE. 
I've been thinking of doing almost that very thing to the top of both of my masts.  I would have ordered my sails this month, but last month I got screwed out of a very nice bonus at work, so the sails have to wait a few more months.  They still work, they just aren't pretty and need some repairs.  Hoping to get to the cedar key meetup in May, just won't have the new sails by then.

[Charles Brennan]

Chris, Your suggestion:

a block of HDPE

Probably falls into the category of: "If I knew then, what I know now . . . . " 
BTW, it's a "yard" not a "mast".
Yard:
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Mast:
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(Who knew, trying to educate your kids, is a life-long task?!?) 
Still and all, it's a good idea and bears some further thought.

P.S. You DO know a guy with a working Sailrite LS-1 for sail repairs, right?!?
Thanks,
Charles Brennan

[Frank B.]

Curious about the HIN number.  The Hull was already started when you got it, right?  Did it come with the number or did you apply for it after the fact.  Wondering about the process, two fully armed and BP vested F & W guys showed up to give me mine.  Said that most of the time they were doing "lost" numbers on production boats that were sometimes stolen, which was the probable need for the attire.  Never a problem with home built boats though.  Took about five minutes to walk around it, look it over, then said beautiful boat, filled out the HIN and let me put it on as they watched (so I would get it straight, but they had to observe). Didn't want to see my plans, receipts for materials or any build pictures. Mississippi process.

[Charles Brennan]

Frank, SCAMP builders who have purchased plans or a kit can write to Small Craft Advisor Magazine and the publisher, Josh Colvin, will issue a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin that can be used for titling or registering the boat.  In Florida, a boat has to be longer than 16 feet (IIRC) or have a motor on it, to require registration as a vessel.  If I only day-sailed the SCAMP, never put a motor on it and only used the oars, it would not require registration.  In fact, at 12 feet, it is at the lowest tier of registration costs; ²/₃rd the length of my last boat, but only ¹/₃rd of the registration cost!! 

My SCAMP also has an extraordinary history:
Howard Rice bought the 2nd and 3rd kits from SCA and intended to build up one completely stock, as a learning experience and then use the 2nd kit to highly modify a boat expressly designed for an expedition to Tierra Del Fuego and rounding the Horn.
Since he was part of the original SCAMP development, he learned enough hanging out with the SCAMP builders to forego the stock boat build.  He went right into the development of his boat, Southern Cross.
Kit #3 languished around for a while and he decided to donate it to SEAS in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, for a project that never materialized.  One of the Sheboygan Yacht Club members dragged the unfinished project home, intending to finish it and decided it was too much effort.
Whereupon, *I* acquired it!! 

So when I wrote to Josh Colvin, he knew all about the history of kit #3 (and me! From all the TSBB and FaceBook posts) and issued me, my HIN number, since the kit had been registered to SCA, when it was originally sold.

Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Clearly, that's the end that bangs into the forward cabin bulkhead, when the rig is stowed; debating whether it's worthwhile or not, to keep touching it up. 

Plasti-Dip that end. 

I'm only half kidding.

[Charles Brennan]

Noemi,

Plasti-Dip that end. 
I'm only half kidding.

I was seriously considering just that. Of the plethora of coatings out there (Plasti-Dip, Liquid Electrical tape, Whip and Dip), I'm trying to figure out which one would be the most durable, as well as easy to apply.

BTW, what did you think of my ladder solution? 
 
Thanks for all your suggestions,
Charles Brennan

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

That's a GREAT ladder solution!

[Doug SC]

Nice ladder mod!

I bought a wayfarer in Eustis, FL that did not require a title and was built the year before an HIN was a requirement on all boats. SC requires all sailboats to be titled. I jumped through all the hoops, and they issued me a state HIN. The DNR officers were supposed to come by and look at it. I never saw them so i assume I wasn't home when they checked out the boat.

[Riley Smith]

I looked forward to the issuance of the HIN for S R Cat. I wanted to see what the conservation officer had to say about it. I anticipated at least an admiring glance. Boy! Was I sorely disappointed. We had to meet at Orange Grove by appointment and he drove up, got out of the truck, and filled out the form without hardly a glance at the boat. I mean, NOT A WORD.

 Obviously, he was a power boater.

[Frank B.]

I looked forward to the issuance of the HIN for S R Cat. I wanted to see what the conservation officer had to say about it. I anticipated at least an admiring glance. Boy! Was I sorely disappointed. We had to meet at Orange Grove by appointment and he drove up, got out of the truck, and filled out the form without hardly a glance at the boat. I mean, NOT A WORD.

 Obviously, he was a power boater.

Orange Grove is a ways away from you, my HIN was delayed because the officer in charge was hospitalized with a kidney stone.  I offered to tow over to Enid Lake past Water Valley to speed up the process better than an hours drive.  They told me no, just wait, and you can go ahead and use your boat, just keep your application paper work on board.

[Riley Smith]

Well it's actually a different Orange Grove than you are thinking. This one is on Highway 90 around Pecan. No, not Pah-cahn, Pee-can which instantly tells locals if you know where you are! It's the ONLY time I have ever heard it pronounced that way.

[Frank B.]

Well it's actually a different Orange Grove than you are thinking. This one is on Highway 90 around Pecan. No, not Pah-cahn, Pee-can which instantly tells locals if you know where you are! It's the ONLY time I have ever heard it pronounced that way.

Yep, I was thinking about the Orange Grove just north of Gulfport on highway 49.