Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #8 . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Almost didn't post this since visually, it was fairly anti-climactic, but decided to keep with the chronological progress (however slow!)    to date.

One of the things keeping me back from coating the inside of the hull 3 times, was all the fiddly little details that really should be in place before doing so.
A fairly common issue with SCAMP water ballast tanks, is leakage.
After looking at the box construction of the tank in the hull, I could see why.
Everywhere the cleats join the sides, is a gap, as well as gaps in the corners of the top cleats.
The entire floor and the corners are nicely filleted, but I decided what the cleats really needed was fiberglass tape on the underside of the cleats, where they abut the sides.
I didn't want the tape to sag while the epoxy resin was curing so I covered some slats with packing tape, applied the epoxy to the tank, then the tape, then clamped them in place.
Worked well. Zero sag, under the cleats.
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With the sides heavily sanded to hide my sloppy fiberglass workmanship, I was ready to FINALLY!!    Start applying the first of 3 coats of epoxy, starting with the water ballast tank.
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I also started on the outboard compartments on one side, all except for that last compartment, where the heat got so bad I couldn't apply all the epoxy, before it started gelling on me.
My usual schedule is: 8 oz. at a time until noon, then 4 oz. at a time in the afternoon, until I start running into gelling problems, then that's it for the day.   
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Still and all, not a bad day's work!
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After reading the SCAMP builder's manual, I initially questioned the need for 3 coats of epoxy, but the first coat turned me into a believer.
The contrast between shiny spots and flat spots, due to variations in the wood absorption, showed the wisdom of all the previous SCAMP builders.
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Looks like one coat to start, another coat to fill in the "flat" looking parts and a third, sacrificial coat used for fairing the high spots without damaging the other two coats.

The next morning I finished the rest of the compartments and the inside bottom of the hull.
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Also did all the upper cabin bulkheads that I TOTALLY FORGOT!!     From the day before.
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All the wood looked so good from the first coat of epoxy, the temptation was very strong, to finish the whole boat, bright.
When you're the kind of guy that likes wood and thinks the inside of a guitar is as beautiful as the outside, it is an extremely strong compulsion.
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To counter that urge, I reviewed several pics of brightwork maintenance on Urchin.
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Yeah, I'm over it.   
If THIS was a nightmarish chore, what would a WHOLE BOAT be like?!?!?   

I AM keeping the SCAMP tattoo, put there on the transom by the CNC kit cutter.
Even though there is a blemish (knot) I still think I'm going to mask around it when I paint the cockpit and varnish it from time to time, as necessary.
Looks cool  and is far better artwork than anything I could do, graphics-challenged as I am. 
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It is very much in keeping with my personal building philosophy:
NAILED! GLUED! SCREWED! BLUED & TATTOOED!! 
Then, whenever something falls apart (which is rarely) at least, I can console myself in the belief that I did everything I could, to make it hold together.

Revisiting a previous project:
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I disassembled and primed the inside of the shelf for gluing with epoxy.
Also primed the battery tie-down cleats prior to gluing.
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Glued stuff up and clamped it together.
Didn't need so many clamps since the screws held most of  it together, nicely.
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Close-up of the battery tie-down cleats.
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The shelf after some judicious sanding before coating  the sides missed from the previous priming.
The glued cleats after sanding. and before priming the exposed wood, are at lower right..
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So, Charles, why go through all that make-your-own-cleat work, instead of just using a footman loop?
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Because the screws would run the risk of penetrating the ballast tank and leaking and I didn't want to take any chances.
Plus, the less metal in and around the batteries to accidentally short-circuit something, the more comfortable I feel that the LiFePO4 batteries won't "China Syndrome" on me and burn through the bottom of the hull! 

Port battery cleat; spacing was optimized for the average length of all the 50 A/Hr LiFEPO4 available and not locking me into a single vendor.
I wanted to get those cleats installed before doing epoxy coats 2 & 3.
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I'm going to have a 50 A/Hr battery in each side, for a total Ampacity of 100 A/Hr.
Available 100 A/Hr batteries don't quite fit in the space on either side, so I was forced to go to smaller batteries.
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And, NO, they are NOT leaning away from each other, it's just my camera!   

Since 4 oz at a time, is the smallest amount I can mix up for epoxy glue, I instead mixed up 8 oz. of glue, used ¼ of an oz on the cleats and used the rest to glue together 2 of the 3 pieces of my rudder blade.
By always having another project in reserve, you don't waste much epoxy and chemicals.
Those packing-taped slats are left over from the fiberglass taping of the ballast tank.
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Why stop there? Why not do the third piece? 
Well, that happened to be the last of my adhesive epoxy powder, until Amazon brings me some more.
But in the mean time, I can still do the next two coats! 
I am using slow-curing epoxy which in Florida, in August, has about the same pot life as guys up north have, using quick-curing epoxy.
 
Still marching along! 
Charles Brennan

[Spot]

Nice work and report CB. Nothing like working on the clock with epoxy and hot weather.
Been there done that with laying cloth on 12'-6" paddleboards at 98 F.

Pray tell, what is 'adhesive epoxy powder'? Ain't never heard of such an animal. Secret Scamp sauce? Will it change our lives?

All joking aside, nice work!

[Doug SC]

Yes, the epoxy will really kick quickly in the heat. I have the pumps for the MAS epoxy I use. The less volume of epoxy you mix the slower it heats up which helps to give a bit more time before it starts to kick.

[Doug SC]

I can attest to how the ballast tank can leak if not given the real attention it needs. I had to cut the sole out of my Scamp over the Ballast tank to address the rot and leaky tank issue. I am not going to knock the original builder because I am pleased to own the boat, but it appears he may have cut some corners.

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[Doug SC]

Something to consider for the deck plates you will install. Checkout the Armstrong deck plates/ hatch covers. I like that you just cut the proper size opening and are done with their installation. No screws in it at all.

[Charles Brennan]

Spot, In what apparently was a vain attempt to avoid insider jargon, for the sake of a general audience, I did NOT just call it "West 403" and assume everyone knew what that was, so SUE me!! 

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Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

[Charles Brennan]

Doug, You put me onto the Armstrong deck plates some time ago (for which I greatly thank you!) and the links to a vendor are in my SCAMP folder. I'm going to have 2) 8" deck plates for the forward cockpit seats and 3) 6" deck plates for rear-most cockpit seats and the ballast tank.

Thanks,
Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

Doug, You put me onto the Armstrong deck plates some time ago (for which I greatly thank you!)

Thanks,
Charles Brennan

Charles, my wife also says I often repeat myself! I'm blaming it on age. She went through this spell where she would hold up however many fingers needed for how many times, she had already heard it. After a short while she quit doing so. She kept running out of fingers.

[Spot]

Spot, In what apparently was a vain attempt to avoid insider jargon, for the sake of a general audience, I did NOT just call it "West 403" and assume everyone knew what that was, so SUE me!! 

Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

I mean, if you're going to use cellulose pulp fortified with synthetic amorphous pyrogenic silica, why don't you just say so?

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[Riley Smith]

Hey CB, in years past I always managed to get most of my epoxy mixing containers from Mardi Gras parades where they throw cups from the floats 

[Captain Kidd]

Just getting around to reading this post. My first thought is "there sure is a lot of wood in that little Scamp!"

Second "that partially finished boat left a lot to be done!"

Third "that cheap boat is going to cost you some good money."

You're doing a good job!

[Charles Brennan]

Dale, In response to your comments:

My first thought is "there sure is a lot of wood in that little Scamp!"
There sure is and I haven't even done the cockpit sole, seats, deck, roof, sides, rails, and skegs, yet!   
Reminds me of the line from comedian Steven Wright:
"It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it." 

Second "that partially finished boat left a lot to be done!"
True, but I knew that when I bought it.
In terms of project management (which I used to do back when I was working in construction) with the hull and trailer, I'm currently about 25% done. (Including the partial build of the hull.)
Finishing the bottom, including glassing the hull and building and installing the skegs, the centerboard gasket, marking the design water line and painting, plus finishing and installing the centerboard and rudder, will be 25%.
Finishing the sole, seats, deck, sides, dead lights, cabin top and resultant painting and filleting, will be 25%.
The final mast, boom, spar, rigging and all deck hardware mounting and miscellaneous finishing, will be the final 25%.

The nearly 3 months I consider myself behind, correspond to the weather window last winter, which kept me from practically anything having to do with epoxy.

Third "that cheap boat is going to cost you some good money."
"Nothing more expensive than a free boat."
I get it.

But I still consider myself well ahead of the game.
Got the partially completed kit and centerboard foil and partial rudder kit for $200.
Here's the current SCAMP kit and foil/rudder kit.
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So there's $3495 I didn't have to spend.
And that would have been for a stack of plywood, not a 3-D hull.

Mast, Boom and Yard from Gig Harbor is roughly $1400 plus $300 shipping from Port Townsend, Wa. to Gainesville, Fl.
Got everything except the yard, for free.
Got all  wiring, for 50 cents on the dollar and got the hefty trolling motor wiring for free from my electrician son-in-law, who considered the lengths as scraps, from partial spools he was going to throw away.
Got all lines, for roughly 30 cents on the dollar
Paid $15 for mahogany that would have otherwise cost me $85.
Got an electrical panel for half-cost, from a West Marine clearance sale.
Got some used, but really clean looking Perko Stainless Steel bow and stern lights for $20, versus $160 from West Marine.
Thought I was going to have to pop about $700 for hatches.
Got a used but presentable sole hatch at a flea market for 10 bucks.  Got the forward hatches and cockpit seat hatches on sale for a total of $180 by catching an Amazon Prime days sale.
Still need 3) 6" and 2) 8" Armstrong hatches, which will cost me a little over $250.
(Unless I trip over some, somewhere.) 
$450 instead of $700?    I'll take it!   

Trailer new, is $1200 - $1500.
Bought a frame for $150 and added another $100 in odds and ends and pieces.
$350 for galvanized wheels and high-speed radial tires and I'm at $600, instead of $1200 for a trailer.   

"That cheap boat" will certainly cost some money, but will be nowhere near what it might have cost.
I've been finding all sorts of odds and ends, scrounging here and there and keeping an eye out for deals and fully expect to (eventually!) acquire a SCAMP with a lot of discounted parts and a ton of sweat equity.

And will consider myself, fortunate.
Charles Brennan

[Captain Kidd]

That's quite the breakdown!

Charles, I understand completely! You are fortunate, but you've created much of that good fortune through your diligence and genius. I'm thrilled you're undertaking such a project and am enjoying following your progress. As for cost, I did the same kinds of things on my CIY you're doing on the Scamp, though my boat is much simpler than yours. A kit cost somewhere in the $8k range (now it's over $9k) when I built mine. That did not include sails, oars or trailer. Of course, my boat has no electronics. I built mine, including sails, oars, and trailer for $3700. I used repurposed wood, second-hand plywood (for strongback and molds - all plywood in actual boat except for daggerboard is new 1088 okoume or meranti), used power boat trailer that I refurbished and fitted for a sailboat, mainsail home-sewn from a Sailrite kit (mizzen from Duckworks cost same as a kit so guess which one I went with), homemade hatches which I have no delusion are watertight, some donated hardware (thanks, Earl), some ebay hardware, and so on.

Keep up the good work!

(Cedar Key 2025 here we come)

[Riley Smith]

The trials of building! I'm surprised that I was able to keep everything at bay long enough to get the boat together. You'll be happy when the color goes on!

[Travis Chapman]

I think every boat part in my inventory, and especially those on Panda Paws, has a story of how great a deal I got for it... And validates my belief that I couldn't just go out and buy a new boat off the lot the way I wanted it.

Well done Charles! The build is looking great and your estimate seems on point. Realistic expectations. If you haven't heard of it before, I always like Gougeon Brother's for a good text on epoxy boat building (compliments the West epoxy). Served me well at USNA in the Naval Architecture department.