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Fran Sneesby lives in S.E. Queensland building multihulls for Yendys Multihulls.

It's been a while since I posted and the work is progressing well. The metal tubes were built into the main hull and the deck added. Boat was turned and the bottom filled and faired. The main hull was primed ready for finish paint. Now while it is so hot it is time for a break so I will be refreshed to start again next year.

The floats were painted with Jotun Pengard hi-build primer ready for final coat.

The building frame was set up like most of Ray's boats and the panels were attached. Panels were taped, The bilge panel was rounded like the floats sanded and the bottom of the hull was glassed. The bulkheads, centreboard case and mast post were added. A floor was added from bulkhead 2 all the way through the boat. This will be water-tight area for added buoyancy

The deck was made the same way as the bottom bilge panel. The foam panel was partically split using a diamond blade in a circular saw. It was bent over the bulkheads and temporarily attached to the float. The splits were filled with filler and sanded. The deck was then removed so the tubes could be attached to the bulkheads.

The deck was then attached and covered with glass as on the bottom. The the float was filled ready for paint.

I wanted a round bilge so I cut the foam partly through and bent it over the building frame.
The gaps were filled with filler and sanded. the bottom was then covered with glass over the bottom and the bilge panel. This provides a bit more protection when the boat is pulled up on the beach.
The float was turned and the bulkheads added.

This boat is to be built using Gurit 10mm foam laminated with 200gsm plain weave glass and polyester resin. This will make the boat very light.
It will take 9 sheets of foam to build this boat (2020mm x 1020mm).
The panels were joined and laminated the same as most of our boats, lofted and cut out using a jig saw.
The panels were attached to the building frame with dry-wall screws. A good trick is the mark the panels on the inside as the final bulkheads will fit in the same position as the temporary ones and this saves time measuring the position later. It is important that the building frame is square and the distances between the frames is accurate especially bulkheads 4 and 8 as this is where the sliding tubes will be attached.

The 16' boat will have to wait to be finished while I fulfil an obligation to build a small boat to replace one of the boats destroyed in the fire.
Ray is designing another small trimaran (10' with sliding tubes attached to the floats). He wanted to build a prototype but he is still busy with his Scarab 32 so I will start the boat and he can jump in whenever he has time. He is working on the plans for this small boat and they should be ready soon.
The building frame (made from MDF) was set up for the floats.The building frame was attached to saw horses with angle brackets.

The boat was turned over and bulkheads were installed. Also the ring frame to support the beams. These beams were not the ones designed for the Scarab 16 but were based on the folding beams of the Scarab 18 and the Scarab 650. Then a shelf was added the same as the original Scarab 16 but with a dagger board and without the cabin. The area in front of Bulkhead 2 and the area under the shelf are sealed to add flotation.

I wanted rounded bilges and we have had some success splitting a l0 mm laminated panel to a depth of about 5mm and bending it around curves on other boats. The temporary building frames were cut with rounded bilge and the split foam bent around. The splits were filled with Q cells and the bottom panel and the bilge panels were laminated with glass. This made the bottom very strong and provided some protection on the bottom of the hull. The boat was then sanded.

It's been a while since I wrote anything here. The floats are pretty much finished just need to fill, sand and prime them. Tomorrow will go and pick up some plywood to build the centreboard and rudder blade.

After the fire I have had plenty of time to think. In January I said the 16 would be a day-sailor with a cuddy cabin. I now want to build an off the beach trimaran (more like a skiff). Rounded bilge, dagger board in the main hull and different folding system (like the Scarab 18). The boat will be basically the same as the original Scarab 16 so if anyone wants to build a boat like this off-sets can be supplied.

The new supplies arrived last week and now I can start. It will be a while until we have a new shed so the building will happen wherever we can fit it in.
The supplier was out of Gurit foam so there was a wait and all we could access was foam manufactured for vaccum bagging with many small holes all over. We fixed this by joining the panels to the appropriate length and wiping a thin layer of resin and aerosil to block the holes. Then applied the glass and peel ply. When the panel was turned there was very little bleed through. Panel was then laminated on the other side.
The panels were lofted and screwed on the building frame. Note the temporary bulkheads on the building frame are rounded to create a round bilge.