Richardsons RC45 and RC35

[andyfish]

Looks like have been lakesailored!

[C.Ricko]

I think it is a reqirement of the RCD (sorry recreational craft directive ) that there should be a means of reboarding the boat, our new boats have a ladder over the back which folds up so that it doesn't get bent while mooring.

[Stranger]

Hi Clive looking good only one worry how deep is the draft going to be with a keel of that height?

[C.Ricko]

Hi Dave,

The hull bottom should sit just about at water level and the keel is down at the back about 18" so depending on how we balast it will be about that deep I recon..

[Mark42]

Clive,

I have only just noticed your posting re RC45, This project is brilliant news and all the information that you have posted is much appreciated.

This April we had 1 week on the Broads Sunrise and next April we have the Broads Sunset for 2 weeks. We will be looking forward to 2 weeks on the new RC45 in April 2011 our style of boat.

Mark

[C.Ricko]

Hi Mark,

Glad you like it, at least that is one possible booking, everyone else seems to want to help by doing sea trials or checking for faults on a free holiday

[Guest]

Hi Mark,

Glad you like it, at least that is one possible booking, everyone else seems to want to help by doing sea trials or checking for faults on a free holiday

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is that so hard to beleave

Jonny

[goodall_m1]

I'm sure there are many like me that did not know the details of how it is done and only had the vaugest of ideas about the construction of the plug etc.Rod

Clive,

That includes me, and I'm probably well behind Rod in my idea of the concepts!

Is the current construction the same dimensions as the finished hull (as you mentioned that any imperfections would appear on the finished hull mouldings)?

i.e. You use this to make an outer mould for the hull?

Do you then construct the actual hull in inside the mould manually using GRP and resin?

Will you also have to make another inner "plug" which will compress the actual hull material and set the internal dimensions?

OK I know, we will all find out as the thread expands....

Martin

[Antares_9]

Until Clive comes along with how they do it Martin, I can give you an overview to whet your appetite. The mould is treated with release agent and then the gelcoat is either sprayed or brushed or rollered on depending on the method chosen by the builder, the gelcoat will never set fully unless the air is excluded and that is achieved when the stranded glass is applied.

The glass can be applied either in sheets wetted with resin or through a chopped strand sprayer which mixes the resin with the glass strand as it comes out of the gun. There is no need for an inner as the layers of mat or sprayed strand are built up to the required thickness which can vary around the hull for a good strength to weight ratio. It is at this time that strengthening beams are encapsulated for stiffness. There are now very eco friendly methods where the hull is vacuum bagged and all the air pumped out which not only removes all the solvents from the atmosphere but also gives a very consistent product by compressing the mat and resin and ensuring optimum saturation.

[C.Ricko]

Hi Martin,

David has pretty well answered most of the question apart from that we will not be spraying the matt on and also wehen the hull is produced we will work on internal mouldings which will be bonded to the inside of the hull probably before the top goes on.

[senator]

Does that mean then that you would need to remove the top to get some of the internal bits out Clive, and how big a job would this be?

Ian

[C.Ricko]

Hi Ian,

in the unlikely event that the interior needed removivg it would probably be removed using some sort of cutting deviceand brought out in bits, it would be a big job.

If access were needed to any part of the hull there will be removable pannels and hatches.

[goodall_m1]

Hi Ian,

in the unlikely event that the interior needed removing it would probably be removed using some sort of cutting

Clive,

When you talk about interior mouldings I presume that you mean things like moulded bulkheads etc.

Would you also put some of the major internal fittings into the hull before bonding on the deck & superstructure moulding whilst it was easier to gain access to their position?

Martin

[C.Ricko]

bulkheads are generally plywood bonded onto the hull and superstructure, the internal mouldings I mean are things like the shower trays and toilet plinths, also we will make a mould for the forward bed and floor with some of the linings these can be clad in whatever material to make them look nice without the worry of things rotting under the floor.

with regard to bigger items of furnature being put in the hull before the top getting put on I have not thought about this yet but it is sometimes done like that as units which may not fit through the doors are easier to build on the bench.

[Guest]

with regard to bigger items of furnature being put in the hull before the top getting put on I have not thought about this yet but it is sometimes done like that as units which may not fit through the doors are easier to build on the bench.

you could always make the saloon windows bigger than normal & if anything did need to come out you could always remove one of the saloon widows just in case

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Here are some more photos

[jimbo]

Wow! I was wondering how they were going to tackle the transom corners! Guess I know now

[C.Ricko]

Hey Jimbo,

there is still a bit of still work to do on them but the forward chine is being done in the same way.

[Jupes]

I am following this and fascinating Clive.

Thanks for sharing this.

I hope it will help your PR and marketing in some way too and it already appears to be doing that.....

Great post. Keep going......

[marshman]

I think you will find different builders use different methods to fit the interior. In my limited experience the bigger the builder and the more it is based on a production line, the later they fit the top!!

In the olden days when Westerly Yachts built boats they put all bulkheads ,fitted the engine and a lot of the fittings and joinery before the join. Equally on the top - windows were cut and a lot of deck fittings were fitted to the top before the join was made. However the things that affected the interior fitting that is dependant on headlining e.g. the windows where the interior of the window often fitted over the headlining, was done after the join.

I have a feeling Brooms do a lot with the two bits apart and I certainly know that a lot of the bigger French builders use that method too.

[mbird]

There's some skillful joinery going on there Clive!

[Antares_9]

You’re certainly right about the French builders Marshie. It does make for more convenient and speedy construction if you have good access and light but if properly planned doesn’t have to mean that the boat has to be hacked about for major works further down the line as with some builders It was one of the swaying points in our choice, the fuel tank can be removed and a new one dropped in about a couple of hours by unbolting one deck panel, the engine and box could be out in the workshop within around 3 hours again by unbolting one panel in the saloon floor and lifting the patio doors off their runners. And all that could be done with the boat still in the water using a normal small dockside crane, in fact I reckon the tank would come out using a couple of blokes if it had less than 50 litres in it.

[C.Ricko]

Whenever we have built something it has always been for our ourselves and to be kept. This has meant that whatever has been fitted we make access to it as easy as possible as it is the builders who have had to deal with problems upto 20 years down the line, we beleive that even things that dont go wrong will in the end.

[C.Ricko]

I have a few more photos taken this afternoon, the walkways are in the way a bit so I will try and get some better shots on Friday.

Not much to say really, you may have noticed the shed was carpeted a couple of weeks ago, this was because as the skin was going on we were a little worried about contamination reacting with the paint when it goes on, the budget did not stretch to a decent underlay, but then the budget seemed to go out of the window after about the second day

As you can see the forward chine has started to be smoothed off and the skin is virtually all on one of the sides, the splines have been left on the front for a while so that it is easier to climb about without slipping off.

[mbird]

the splines have been left on the front for a while so that it is easier to climb about without slipping off.

I hope no-one from HSE reads that Clive . Where are the fall arrest systems/crash mats/parachutes?