Serenity

The fiberglass work is basically done.. at least, the boat is watertight at this point. I do need to work a little more on smoothing out the finish, final paint, etc. I also am still working out the details of the deck lid(s) to conceal the boat contents (i.e. electronics and power) water-tight.

I recently came across a similar project, the ( Pinta ), and decided their design is superior to mine, but I am pressing forward for now with what I've started.

Here are some reasons I like the Pinta's design:

1. Hull appears to be completely sealed, with all electronics in a simple, water-tight box.

2. Rudder hinge is more elegant than the brass tubing/shaft approach I went with.

3. Boat hull is longer. Not sure of exact dimensions, but it looks to be at least 8 feet long which will handle rough ocean much better than Serenity's 5 foot hull length. Then again, I don't have/want a boat trailer, so I am pretty happy with the length I chose for now... until a shark swallows mine. 😐

Anyways, my morale was boosted when I finally put the hull in some water for the very first float test and found it to be extremely stable, even without the keel! It also sits as high as could be hoped for in the water. I had feared it might sit too low because the hull is getting quite heavy now (haven't weighed it yet, but I'd guess easily 30+ pounds).

The next step is to water test with the keel to determine the appropriate keel weight to make it virtually impossible for the boat to capsize. This will amount to temporarily duct-taping different lead weights to the keel and trying to get it to tip.. very scientific process, I know. 🙂

A picture was added to the Sailboat page.