Boat Building - March 1973 to 19th December 1977. EXPEDITUS constructed at 34 Daws Road Edwardstown, South Australia.
First step is to dig holes for the timber building frame.
Gay bends 1/4 inch diagonal rods with a jig clamped to the kitchen table.
The hull frames are welded on each side.
The transom is bent around a curved surface, and formed from 3/4" waterpipe.
1/4" rods horizontally and 1/8" rods vertically develop the three dimensional shape of the hull.
8 layers of mesh are wired to the steel armature.
The anxious builder watches to ensure that mortar is pushed suficiently into the mesh, but not too far.
The hull is smoothed over with a damp sponge to give a fine finish.
The inside is then damped down and grouted with a cement rich paste.
Mortar is trowelled on and left to "go off" a bit before smoothing over.
A damp sponge makes for an expert finish.
9 months into the project and we have a hull.
Deck mesh is tied through with 16 gauge tie wire every 2 - 3 inches, same as the hull. Twisting the tie wire tight 1000's of times It is a recipe for tennis elbows.
Boat building friends now have enough skill to help us plaster the deck and cabin top. Gay and Mike have previously plastered the underside in stages. Many thanks: Peter Japp, Mike Gardiner, Hans Hachler, Stan Sharman, Don MacIntyre, Bob Sobels, Peter & Vladamir.
2 years into the project we have an empty hull with watertanks and ballast, We bought a timber yard with Stan & Don - it took 18 months to sell our investment!
Carole lends a helping hand.
25 HP Volvo is lifted in by tractor crane.
A thing of beauty after 41/2 years.
Nearly there.
Friend Chris does the honours for us. Cousin David's lucky bottle of champagne (it survived cyclone Tracy) also survived the attempt to christen Expeditus and it all went to King Neptune.
Slings removed we are finally afloat after 41/2 years work. Every night of the week and every weekend, and several months of full time work. We launch with $4.73 to our name, and no jobs!
We enjoy a sail with sister kathy and yachty friends Sue & Graham.
Fifteen feet high by 15 feet wide.
Mike nails down the rods forming one side of the hull to a sheet of chipboard on which all frames are drawn full size.
Then paired up and connected with the deck and cabin frames. Water tank divisions reinforce the area beneath the floor.
Boat frames are suspended from the building frame. Waterpipe forms the stem and keel profile.
Squawk the gallah helps Gay align the vertical rods.
Mortar is plastered onto the hull. Many helpers weigh sand, cement, and water, and keep the plasters supplied.
Mortar is trowelled flush to the mesh prior to a thin skim coat being applied.
Later that afternoon the hull is cocooned in hessian and plastic sheeting, and watered by sprinkler hose for 5 weeks.
Back plastering the inside layer - starts with chipping off nodules and vaccuuming out all loose material.
Mortar is squiged into the heavily meshed areas by gloved hand then trowelled into the easy areas.
Guess who is standing on a thin plank 15 feet high?
The deck mesh commences.
Deck and cabin mesh form shadows as we mesh up the water tank tops.
Night time party to melt lead for ballast
Now beginning to look like a boat
Sisters Kathy and Carole pay a visit on a rainy day. Many holes are drilled through the deck to fasten fittings.
The rudder takes shape. Is that a glass of beer in the foreground?
We have an auction to sell off all we own prior to launching,
Lifting onto the cradle.
Chained down to the low loader, and a very happy builder.
We don't usually sail with the toe rail under.