Cutting some big holes in a DIY 47' catamaran

In this video we cut the openings for the forward locker hatches. We also take a lookout where the boat is at after 3 years of building.
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Thanks!

[@normanboyes4983]

Kevin you do really nice quality work, the year in review just illustrates how much you have achieved - absolute brilliant.😀👍⛵️

[@saltlightdix4704]

@@normanboyes4983 Hi Norman, thank you for your encouragement! It’s alway great the hear from you. Kev

[@markfrost9087]

Hiya Kev! I've been meaning to write commending your desire to get retirees to engage with the project. It's so important for us humans to be useful, to contribute to something bigger than just ourselves. And the common feeling of appreciation felt is such a sustaining force we need more than ever in the latter stages of our lives. so Chapeau Kev! Building a boat and sharing the experience with others is fantastic, but helping others feel useful is a whole other level. If I was anywhere near I'd be happy to help. Instead I'm up a mountain in Italy with no central heating and trying to install some. Time for me to be useful to myself!

[@saltlightdix4704]

@@markfrost9087 Hi Mark, thanks for your encouraging words. If you ever find yourself traveling in Japan please come by! Wow in the mountains of Italy, sounds cold for winter. It’s funny here, most houses only heat the room they are in only and generally by kerosene heaters. Get cracking on your central heating so you can get through winter :) Kev

[@markfrost9087]

@saltlightdix4704 I just restored and sold an Edwardian house that had no central heating and the old ladies who owned it before me just carried storage heaters from room to room during their period of ownership -- they must have been pretty tough old gals. I've been to Japan twice, last time in 2014 with my wife's ashes. She was born Mjorengi near Yokohama and she had asked me to see if the owners of her childhood home would mind me putting some of her ashes in a flower bed. They were very kind and allowed it. I do love lots of things about Japan but I've got some other places I would rather go such as Thailand to see and old friend and to visit my niece who lives just north of Sidney. But, having sold the Sunderland house I now want to invest some resources and time into this old mountain home which has been on my back burner for more than ten years. It's quite overgrown outside and a bit decrepit inside. I installed a lot of state of the art tech in the Sunderland house toale it more ecologically and economically sustainable and I want to do the same here, replacing all the central heating system and domestic hot water

[@davidantill6949]

Nice one Kev. I really like your work and your secondary purpose with the project. The world would do well with more people like you 👍🏻

[@saltlightdix4704]

Thanks David! Kev

[@robinhodgkinson]

Cutting large holes in a boat I found a little nerve racking. Logical assessment and numerous dimension checks later it still did not feel right. You handled it like a pro. Nice on those hatch frames.

[@saltlightdix4704]

hi Robin, actually, after I cut the holes, it did take me a second as I thought I had made them too big! With the frames and hatch in place it looks right. Kev

[@dancarter482]

As with all timber / wooden construction it's such a pity that it has to be hidden. Be wonderful if you could just lacquer the living daylights out of it and be done like a classic gentleman's yacht. Some lovely lines and a real milestone getting the hatches cut in - bit of pressure 'cause you can't just weld it up if you get it wrong! _Cheers._

[@saltlightdix4704]

Thanks Dan. Yes I measured many times before I attacked with the saw. Yeah I know, the timber look is really nice. Kev

[@derekfawell2853]

When Kev said working on the roof would be ‘fun’, he meant ‘a challenge’. Nice work there.

[@saltlightdix4704]

hahahaha.......yes australian sarcasm Kev

[@robinengland5799]

What a treat for thanksgiving here in America, what a wonderful job you are doing. The boat is looking amazing. Can’t imagine doing all that work! How often do you have to maintain the finish on the boat to protect the wood? Thanks for the videos.

[@saltlightdix4704]

Hi Robin, hope you had a great Thanksgiving time. The epoxy coating is only to waterproof and give the plywood a hard finish. I will eventually get painted with an epoxy paint. Kev

[@kankama1]

Gday - are you going to put a cross beam in front of the hatch cut out - from side to side of the foredeck? Those stringers are now cut and have to put their load somewhere - I usually have a crossbrace somewhere close to the cut stringer's end - but maybe you already have done this. Check for stiffness otherwise.

[@saltlightdix4704]

@@kankama1 The frame will act like a cross beam, it will get filleted and tabbed from the inside

[@andrewkadogo]

Hi Kev,there is a premature senior moment going on - either you have overlooked sharing a 'buy me a coffee' link' or I've lost the plot again. Either way I cant help you smell the coffee... :)

[@saltlightdix4704]

hahahaha....thanks Andrew, yes it was late last night when I was finishing editing.......all the time I was thinking.....dont forget the link! Fixed now Kev

[@guitarandgospel]

The frame fell holy through the hull into the hole and it was by by forecastle, right?

[@saltlightdix4704]

Absolutely :) How's life in your part of Japan? Kev

[@LanceJapan]

Doing well Kev. Still nice weather for this time of the year.

[@eppot1]

Nice work.. uv protekting the epoxi?? over the years??

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Pretty sure It will be epoxy UV resistant painted .. when fully constructed. I think I might be tempted to finish everything then lower it as far as possible or move it part way out to do that roof last.

[@saltlightdix4704]

Yes, it will be coated in an epoxy paint. Ill have to wait till next year now as winter has come early this year. Kev

[@saltlightdix4704]

Hi Clive, I have only got about 50mm under the hulls at the moments. I'm thinking that I will get the epoxy bit by bit, then see how I go working from the side decks, but it may be that I do the final paint outside. Kev

[@SuperEddie001]

Apologies if this has been addressed but will you be glassing the exterior of the hull at some point?

[@saltlightdix4704]

Only in a couple of small areas, the design is using plywood and epoxy. Check out Gougeon Brothers www.westsystem.com/app/uploads/2022/10/GougeonBook-061205-1.pdf Kev

[@albertfunk1176]

Nice video, your knees will thank you if you cushion them a little.

[@saltlightdix4704]

Thanks for watching, I do usually have a foam square that I use for my knees, this time just found it unstable on the curved surface of the deck. Kev

[@albertfunk1176]

@@saltlightdix4704 There are uncomfortable knee pads for tilers etc. Overalls with knee protection are better. I also built a 13m aluminum hull, so put something under your knees...Good luck!

[@georgeluckert5430]

La vagabond contacted you ?

[@saltlightdix4704]

Hi George, no they haven't. It's such a shame what happened to them and their boat. Kev

[@georgeluckert5430]

@saltlightdix4704 ...Thought they might ask for tips on where to put it up for repairs. Legal is going to be something. Thanks