No Work?

Hi,
You discovered this blog and then, that it's a dead-in-the-water project. Yep, I understand your frustration, I hate that too.

Well, the issue is that while building the Paradox I had a change of heart of two or three things of great importance. One, I realised that I was getting older, 55 next month, and I wanted to not "waste time" building another boat. The other realisation I had, was that I wanted to do more blue water sailing.

I rashly bought an old Folkboat that I've since named bohemian (yes there is a blog), that I have patched together for a sail to my home port. I then hope to fit her out for offshore cruising.

The good news for Paradox lovers is that, I'm still keen to complete the build. Once I get my Folkboat sorted and get some sea miles under her keel, I will return to the Paradox build. I hope to use the Paradox as as retirement sailing boat. One I can bring home on a trailer and put under cover, but also launch easily and sail without doing monkey dancing on a heaving deck. There's a really good Paradox blog by a Brit sailor, once every while he throws stuff on board and chuffed off about the coast. Sometimes he catches up with other Paradox sailors. His name's Jim, and I want to do what he's doing except on the Australian east coast. So until then.

Transom Vent Cleat and Baffle. Sound like a mouthful?

IThis bit of the Paradox sounds like a real mouthful and I did what I could to worry over it (unduly). I read The Guide several times and still didn't 'get it' mainly because when I first looked at The Plans I was blown away by the fact that there was a gaping hole in The Transom - I came away imagining a smile-shaped cavity about as wide as The Transom. 

So I kept trying to comprehend what was Cleat, what was Vent and what was Baffle, and nowhere could I see where or when the Vent (ie: The Great Gaping Hole Across The Transom) was to be cut out. So I kept reading The Guide and I was starting to get Really Annoyed with the author's willingness to get off topic. So I started making notes "scribe an arc ... make a Template for the angle of the Baffle ....". 

About this time, on my third coffee, I was in full procrastination mode because I just did NOT know how to proceed, I decided to have a look at a video I had of the completed build of JOHANNA. (I'll stop here and get off topic; if you love the Paradox videos that abound on line and don't want to download their files every time you watch them and you have two tablets, video the video so you have your own copy.) I checked my vid. file of JOHANNA, as the builder patiently showed her from each angle inside and out, and then the penny dropped, there is no Great Gaping Hole Across The Transom at all. In fact it's a nice little hole just big enough to allow the Tiller to enter the Transom and with the pivot point being close by, the tolerances are relatively small. Phew! 

So, I needed to cut out a curved piece of ply to match The Radius, making the lower edge a 35 degree angle to mate with the upswept Baffle. Once all my ducks were in a row, everything went surprisingly well. Having no 1"/25mm plywood hanging about, as per The Plans, I made two curves out of 5/8"/15mm ply and they are currently having a meeting over a nice blob of epoxy resin.  Baffle next.    

Baffle. I've just popped out a Baffle. The most difficult part was getting hold of a nice piece of 6mm ply. That done, I clamped the centre of the ply to the centre of the Cleat, then used ratchet tie downs to induce the bow, marked off 300mm width and cut it out. It needs a sand and epoxy sealing, but basically the Cleat is glued up now, but the Baffle must wait until the Hull is assembled. 

All held together with string at the moment. In real life it's much more curves. A nice design. 

Homemade Wooden Bollards

The winter weather is majestic, crystal clear skies and although the nights are frosty the days are warm and good for working on Paradox. Once the firewood and laundry are sorted, I'm pretty well free (most days) to devote to my build. 

Over the last couple of days I've been making wooden bollards. From a cardboard template I cut out the shape with a sabre saw and then routed a 3/8" (plus or minus), radius around the edge. Then the fun bit, sanding it all down, fun because the end result is quite beautiful.  Add varnish and it just gets better. 

There is a useful article in volume 25 of Messing About in Boats emagazine (which is issued as a free on their website), but the process is all pretty logical. 

So take up a spare piece of timber, make a template and go for it. If that's not good enough for you, these bollards are natural, homemade, recyclable and unique to you and your boat ... and they're NOT PLASTIC!

Epoxy Sealing - Bulkheads & Transom are now done.

Wow! I discovered Herb Payson only last night & I really like his writing style & what he has to say about tossing if all in to go sailing, & the Western consumer society. Brilliant expression ... after buying their boat his wife "Nancy wanted to organise a party. I could see it now ... Nancy was related to everyone on Long Island. The fact that boats were for sailing was beyond her". Should be a great read, Payson's expression is similar to my favourite sailing book "Princess: of New York" which was written by a New York artist in the early 1900's. 

I started the day off reading a chapter from Sven Yrvind's book (offered free on his web site), the one he was falling about why the Paradox design, particularly the flat bottom and chine-runners, are such good things from a simple cruising sailor's point of view. I can't really summarise it but would link to the article if anyone wanted me to. 

After housework & getting the knuckled down to their schoolwork, I went out back & worked on my Paradox. I think I'm now done with the Bulkheads & Transom, without wanting to tempt the black hand of Fate, I think they're all cut out correctly, the beads & cleats are in place, & the whole is coated with three layers of epoxy. Now I can get the Side Panels going. 

I have already cut out the rear sections of each side, now I need to buy two sheets of play for the front sections. And, I be had a change of heart, I'm not going Marine Ply, I'm going with oversized construction play. I think the trick is in the doing firstly, getting the boat made & wet. The next most important thing is keeping it dry, ensuring it's all securely sealed & the bilges are checked for dry & they are properly ventilated. Now matter how good your ply be, a damp boat will compromise the integrity of the wood. 

Do I have heroes?

I began sailing at age 12 years and have carried the interest ever since. After raising babies when my sailing was limited to off the beach type craft, my interest was stirred by reading about Mingming and more recently Mingming II. Here she is, all 23 feet of her, returning from her first voyage into the Arctic Circle, junk rigged, engineless, liferaft-less, with the understated Roger D. Taylor at the helm. 

           MINGMING II

"The voyage (from Whitehills to Kong Karl's Land at 79 deg. North) was 55 days long, and noon-to-noon positions totalled 3332 nautical miles. Mingming II was a delight to sail; quick, easily handled and relatively comfortable".

MM II can be described as a 23' GRP wreck that was refurbished cheaply & in the most basic fashion, albeit to the highest standards of seaworthiness. She has a recycled lamppost as a mast. 

Rear Side Panels

I've just cut up a perfectly good sheet of 12mm Marine Ply! The stingy, frugal side of me was very nervous about stuffing up the measurements for the Rear Side Panels. Both are made from the same sheet & they come within millimetres of one another so a misjudgement could lead to tossing away $120 bit of firewood. 

But it went okay thanks to some useful advice in the Paradox Builder's Guide. The advice, to mark both sides of the sheet while marking out, was aimed at having reference points on both sides of the sheet in order to make assembly easier. I found that marking both sides of the sheet acted as a blind test that the marking out was correct. Once the marks on each side of the sheet were cross checked, I felt a whole lot more comfortable attacking the cuts with a sabre saw. 

The only advice I would offer with marking out is to take your time; mark off twice & cut once was too cautious for my liking. I marked out & double checked twice over! Another tip when marking off curves is to put tacks into each strategic point on the curve to hold your batten against. This gives a nice fat curve, just make sure you pencil in on the same side as the tacks... 

Look, there are some tricky measurements on the Sides that you need to mull over before marking out. Basically. Apart from the scarf edge & the a Transom edge, both sides end up curved. Use the edge of the sheet as a reference to mark your Datum, I did my datum 28mm in from the edge, The Book suggests 50mm but I couldn't follow that reasoning. In metric countries, like Australia, the plywood sheets are actually smaller than in Imperial Countries, so a 50mm datum may produce only firewood. Don't rush it!

"The Book" also advises to cut 3mm outside each mark. This is excellent advice which I took & was glad I did. Back a few years before sabre saws boatbuilders used jigsaws, a lightweight version with blade width a maximum of 6mm. These skinny blades would wander to over 20mm offline on the underside of the cut if the blade was dull, the wood grainy & tough or thicker than usual. Of all my boatbuilding tools I had the least  confidence with the jigsaw. Nowadays, the sabre saw is way better, but it can still roam so give yourself a fighting chance, take 3mm less first up. 

Okay sides cut, I clamped them together for sanding. This saved time, but ensured I had to of the same Sides, the idea of having an asymmetrical sailing boat freaks me out. Imagine having to hold the tiller to port all the time? Okay if you want to circumnavigate islands by the right all the time I suppose. 

 TWO REAR SIDES BEING SANDED AS ONE

Finish Sanding & Sealing Bulkheads

Back at it today, my Mach II Bulkhead 4 is completed & just needs sealing. Sealing, for me, means giving both faces two coats of thinned epoxy resin. I reckon a few hours work, with drying times in between, are all that's needed to complete this part of the build.

Here you see my pile of four bulkheads (B4 on top - not sealed) & transom. My Plans book is there too, I just printed everything on recycled A4 paper & wallow in the "Apple-like simplicity" of this build.

What you may not see is that these parts are made from 15mm ply instead of 12mm. I found all the locally available construction grade 12mm ply to be warped. On the hull's Side Panels I am going for Marine Ply because I reckon that being in contact with the sea & being susceptible to damage, I prefer that luxury. I'd have to say though, apart from a fluffy surface, I am pleased with the quality of construction grade. If it's soaked in epoxy inside & out, I can't really see the need for marine grade. You'll make up your own mind, that is, what your fear of the sea demands & your pocket allows. Each to his or her own, as long as you're building or sailing who cares?

'





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bulkhead 4 Mach II.

Owing to the fact that I erred when marking out Bulkhead 4 first time around, I had to make another one today. It's pretty amazing really, given how many hours it took to do the first one, I've now all but completed its replacement, cleats, floor & all, in just one afternoon. 

Gets me thinking ... you could load up the fridge with frozen lasagna or pasta, pats & powdered milk, put everything else in your life on hold, & work around the clock of a Paradox build. I reckon it could be done in weeks! It would have to be inside, with all the materials laid on. If could be done. I'd like to have a crack at it. 

Anyway, right now, all my Bulkheads & Transom are complete, & they've mostly had at least one cost of epoxy. Now, I am ready for the Side Panels, marking out, scarfing & so on.  

Deck beams & bulkheads!

Still going, though beginning to do the sealing up bit too. I have Bulkheads 1, 2 & 3 as well as the Transom all assembled, beveled & sealed on one side. Bulkhead 4 will be a complete rebuild because I made a mistake adding up while lofting. 

I am super happy with BOTE Cote epoxy at each stage, it glues well & with the Preservative added to the base coat it seems to penetrate the plywood quite nicely. Oh, by the way, for those considering using Construction Grade Plywood; the reason given against using this grade is the number of voids. Phooey, I've seen next to none certainly no more than Marine Ply. So with the ply sealed with epoxy, what's the problem? 

Good to see flooding rains gone which we had over the last two weeks. First day's sun today for soo long. 

Deck Beams to Bulkheads

It were a mixed boatbuilding bag today, a leap ahead, a major set back and blood spilt on the boat. 

My principle goal for today, was to get the Bulkheads prepared for a 3D  assembly. To achieve this I first had to; fasten the deck beams to the bulkheads, tidy up the bulkheads and at least begin giving them a coating of epoxy sealer. Boatbuilding teaches you a bit about how your mind operates, for me, I have found that I do not enjoy any time away from the project. My first build, fitting out a fibreglass yacht, went well because I was able to fully immerse myself in the build, everyday head down. This time around, being older, I've got baggage, other commitments, but I can only blame the weather this time, a week and a half of wild storms, flooding etc. So after two weeks off the job, I felt like I was "all thumbs", and for quite a while I fumbled about trying to get back into the build. 

My first error was to start chiding myself for not having made a Deck Beam for Bulkhead 3 - it wasn't until I woke this morning that I realised that that particular Bulkhead, being mid-cabin, doesn't actually have a Deck Beam. But this is the sort of stuff I trip over if I'm not there every day, keeping my head in the build. After a few hours I had Deck Beams added to Bulkheads 1, 2 and the Transom and thought things were going well but while preparing Bulkhead 4 I found a fault that floored me. I had measured, cut out, glued floor and cleats without noticing that the Bulkhead was 100mm short. I considered my options (no epoxy won't fill that far), and concluded that such a fundamental error meant I had to go way back at the start and create another Bulkhead, cleats, floor ... Dang, but it's just got to be done. NOTE: I'm not blaming anyone, but more than once I've misread measurements off the Plan and I can't decide whether it's down to my failing eyesight or the author's handwriting. Be careful. 

I decided to keep busy and focused on cleaning up the bulkheads ready for epoxy sealing. To do this, I took the advice from the Paradox Boat Builders Manual and used a "flapper" course sanding attachment on my angle grinder ... the one that I've had for so long that I couldn't even guess where it's guard attachment got to. Well, when you're sanding your Bulkhead, grinder belching out sawdust, as you flip the timber about with your other hand don't put your pinky on the flapper. I did, and that good aggressive remover of epoxy runs, sharp edges and fluffy finish, is also very good at removing flesh. As I stared into a 7mm grove over the first joint of my left index finger, I noted the lovely mix or red and white flesh there. The other side of my brain was thinking still and I rushed off to get some Elastoplast and disinfectant cream before the blood arrived. Yeh, do be careful. But with all significant injuries, there"s that pleasant self-anaesthetising effect that kicks in and you can work for a good few hours before pain sets in. I got at least one side of one Bulkhead sealed before knock off time. 

Ideas from Today.

Don't forget to select a 'good side' before fastening your Deck Beams. 

The whole bevelling of bulkheads thing is not well explained in the plans. Just roll with it and know it's going to create work down the track. 

Flapper is good, just be careful. 

Do what the Builders Manual suggests, and carefully measure up the overall heights of the Bulkheads and Deck Beams before glueing. 

When you stuff up, don't sweat it, just call yourself a dummy and go back and start again. As many builders have found, epoxy can hide a myriad of sins. Strongly too, but if it's too far out, just cut another piece of wood and burn your mistake. 

And, an oldie but a goodie; measure twice cut once. And, make sure you read the Plan clearly. 

 

Bulk Epoxy -Bote Cote

I bought a bulk order of BOTE COTE yesterday, through a local agent I found. BC in an Australian made epoxy and apparently has no solvents and is low allergy. Brushes can be clean out in water and the mix ratio is 2:1. It's quite a bit cheaper than WEST Sysytem. One interesting difference is a product used to thin out the first coat of epoxy. apparently it allows the epoxy to penetrate deeper and act as a moisture barrier and timber preservative. 

I look forward to splashing some about. Today though we're having record rains with houses in the next town being washed away ... so no boat work. 

                             *     *      *

While out making my purchases yesterday I came across a waterfront village I'd never seen or even heard of before. Unbelievable, it was like going back in time. Great expanses of land close by the water dotted with slow moving boatbuilding projects. I found two Wharram cats a Pahi 26 and one about 35-40' ? Both in poor condition stripped down and being rebuilt. I suspect that the Pahi won't actually make it given that her owners have "no idea" and only visit infrequently. I dropped in to chat with a local pro boatbuilder who filled me in and he also suggested another brand of epoxy, cheaper still* and "very good" made by Acme Chemicals. (*$200 for 20 litres). Going by the finish of the motor launch he was building, he knows his scarf from his splice. 

     -            -          -

NEW EPOXY (BOTE COTE - Made in Australia)

I've just started using my new epoxy to glue cleats and floor pieces to the bulkheads and so far it feels pretty good. There is little smell, seems to penetrate well and it feels creamier than WEST System. I can only describe it that way, it feels silkier, proof when you're glueing and the pieces want to slide sideways as you're clamping. I'm less worried about dry joints too, cos this stuff spreads well. 

I'll test the strength in the morning I guess, but so far it looks good.

PPS: As of today, 25/4/2015, I'm giving BOTE COTE a big tick of approval. The pot life is fantastic (even with the standard rare hardener), judging from the lack of smell the claim that it's 'low toxic' seems about right too, when you're done working (without gloves) you don't even need to wash your hands, if so soap and water will do, and it's sticks well too. A few days ago while testing out ring nails (I used a few to hold the cleats in place), I coated the nails in epoxy, but because I was only tacking and didn't want the joint to squeeze dry, I only rammed the nails part way home. When I came to nail them all the way next day, they were very difficult to budge. Other joint have shown no sign of weakness, and the manufacturer's claim that it's 'flexible' when set, seems right too because when I bend the plastic spatula to remove old dried epoxy, the blade bends a terrible lot before it breaks the bond. I haven't sanded it get, but from the result so far, I'm not expecting and problems. 

CLEATING

Well this is a really fiddley part of the build, lots of little pieces to go on each bulkhead and you can only do one side of a bulkhead at a time. I just need to get this done before scarfing up the side panels before a dry fit. 

GETTING BACK TO WORK

 AND it feels great to have the school holidays over and be back at work on Quixotic. 

Next step scarfing side panels

I've been dragging my feet not glueing the cleats & the floors onto the bulkheads so far. but yesterday my budget expanded a little so now I can think ahead & to buying a second sheet of marine ply for the hull side. When I loft, cut out then scarf the 2 side half-pieces per sheet of ply, I'll be ready do "dry fit" the hull into 3D. 

I've taken notes on scarfing from various blogs & read the Builders Guide but I won't know what works until I get going on it. My previous build just had side panels butted up together with a backing plate, which in hindsight was easy to accomplish but very amateurish. A good scarf should be strong & straight, just what you need to have under you when pounding away at sea on a dark night. 

IN HINDSIGHT I may have been a little ambitious claiming that scarfing the Sides was my "next step". 

Cleats & co.

Today I finished ripping back all the cleats & bits & pieces that are attached to each of the bulkheads & the transom. Many little pieces there are. 

Next will be to glue these in place. Simple. 

Sven Yrind's "mongrel Paradox"

...  of Matt Layden’s 14-foot coastal cruiser Paradox. I got out the drawings and looked at them. Paradox has a strong flat bottom and a draft of only nine inches. At first look one gets the impression that she cannot go to windward as it seems that she has no means of preventing leeway. A closer look reveals her chinerunners, small two-inch wide horizontal winglets sticking out from the chines for about a third of the boat’s length. But was that enough? Intrigued, I called Matt and he told me that he could sail Paradox better to windward than Dave in his slightly bigger centerboard boat, and he invited me over to see for myself. In October 1997, I sailed Paradox for a month. In 2003 I returned, and again in 2006 and 2007. Each time I stayed for about a month, sailing and discussing boats with Matt. We continue to exchange ideas once a week over the phone, which is very enlightening, as Matt is always one step ahead of me. I am now convinced that the chinerunner concept, created by Matt in 1982, is the greatest innovation for small cruising boats in the last century. The reasons why very few people have realized its advantages are that Matt does not try make his voice heard above the din from the egos in our conservative, self-centered society to promote his idea, and that the principles behind it are complex and subtle, and have been subject to little research and experiment. After a decade studying Paradox, and talking to Matt I have come to understand that the boat’s leeway-resistance comes from a combination of three sources, the chinerunners, the lifting body shaped hull and the large rudder.
Unlike the ordinary cruising boat, Paradox has no heavy ballast keel making her stability obvious. Matt uses less obvious means, like her cruising load kept low and her flat bottom which, a bit like a multihull, moves a lot of buoyancy to lee at small angles of heel. At large angles of heel, Paradox’s righting moment comes from a good height-to-beam ratio and the buoyancy of her superstructure. This shape gives Paradox positive stability at up to 165 degrees of heel. Better than most conventional keel boats Matt uses a lug sail. "Yrvind" is a mongrel, based on Matt’s and my ideas. I am grateful to Matt, and would like to thank him here for taking time to engage himself in my problems.

My favourite photo. Mr Yrvind looks so chuffed with his build. Rightly so! 

Sven went on to successfully sail "Yrvind.com" across the Atlantic Sea then up the east coast of America. He went on to build another design to make a record breaking circumnavigation in a 10 foot boat. His later comments about his "mongrel Paradox" was that it was too heavy & did not have enough room for living aboard in rainy weather. Both these criticisms can be partly attributed to the changes Mr Yrvind made to the original Paradox design. 

For full details go to "Yrvind.com" particularly the period May 2008 to September 2011. 

A Wonderful Paradox Story pt2.

In part one, I wrote about SMALL FRY from Western Australia & how, based on two separate articles, she may have been rolled, dismasted & her skipper lifted off by helicopter & the some years later both were found cruising 400 miles further north. 

I am happy to report that this indeed is what happened. The skipper did abandon SMALL FRY, she was recovered & continues to achieve some creditable sea miles cruising the WA  including a rounding of Cape Leeuwin on the SW tip of Australian continent. 

I posted these findings on the Paradox Builders group site & it's brought up some further discussion & input from a friend of SMALL FRY who provided some of the above information. He also suggested, based on discussions with the skipper, that the rudder may have given away before the capsize & dismasting. Some of the discussion follows:-

> Geoff Davis recently sent me a link to this article.  (See my previous post about Paradox Design) It explains why the Paradox is a very good sea boat.  The Paradox is not overly beamy, is heavy displacement for its size, has a favourable prismatic coefficient which means that it does not hobby horse excessively, the ballast ratio is not excessive and the ballast is not too low down, the rig is relatively heavy which slows down the roll motion. The A/B ratio which is the ratio of boat above and below the water is also good.  Not covered in this article is the fact that the mast will float when submersed, adding more to the ultimate stability.  I have previously built a free standing mast and have used the same calculations to check the design of the Paradox mast.  I think it is strong.  If anyone is concerned about the strength of the mast it might be worth considering a mast tabernacle which will help to support the mast.  I considered this but decided to stick with the plan, mostly because it is so neat. When I questioned Geoff about the capsize he thought the rudder had given way first.  I think it is worth having a good look at how you build your rudder.  Make sure it is strong - there is a lot of force going through it.

> ... the rudder. It also looks to me the most vulnerable part of the boat.... the weakest link. But, to be fair, Matt designed the boat as a coastal cruiser which only ventures out onto the wide open ocean during during reasonable weather.( Posted by: "james hall" flexwing462)

> What are the weak areas of the Paradox rudder? . (Posted by: wyliewesty)

> The rudder is cantilevered from the rudder stock and unsupported for most of the underwater part. Which is not a problem when used as designed. Many other boats have unsupported rudders and they aren't having a problem. But the Paradox rudder carries more load than most other types and when conditions become extreme that load increases, so it and its fixings need to be stronger than most others.( Posted by: "james hall" flexwing462)

> I'm looking forward to reading Geoff's account so that we can understand what went wrong, and why, and the info will help us when evaluating what are suitable weather conditions. ( Jim c/-Jims Times blog)

I recall that Sven Yrvind did a major redesign for his ocean crossing design based on Paradox. 

This is Sven Yrvind's "modified Paradox" rudder assembly under construction minus it's mass blade shown below. Very complex, he later wrote that "YRVIND.COM" "became too heavy". 

 

Paradox Design Principles

There has been some discussion on the builders group about Paradox's design, & one contributor said that Geoff Davis skipper of SMALL FRY had recommended the following article to help explain some of the theory behind his design. 

Beam, Ballast & Displacement by M Kasten of Kasten Marine, Port Townsend. 

From the web article I have snipped the following highlights: 

"Widening the water plane (increasing beam) will increase stiffness,  & reduce comfort & degrade seakindliness.

Adding ballast will make for more aggressive roll motion due to the added righting force. though adding ballast will reduce roll angle, there will be a less gentle "return" at the end of the roll, i.e. there will be a shorter roll period, roll accelerations will be greater, the roll motion will be less comfortable, and the incidence of seasickness will increase.

From research on Fastnet Disaster, those boats with heavier structure, lesser "ballast ratios" & heavier rigs resisted being "thrown" into severe rolling, had a much more seakindly roll motion, were easier on their rigging, did not lose their masts, did not capsize, & did not experience nearly the degree of sea sickness among their crews."

View full article @ www.kastenmarine. com

There was a further comment in the article about the benefit of distributing ballast as far from the centre pivot axis of the vessel. I understand Paradox has billets of lead distributed along its length fairly close to the bilge chine. 

I'm Beaming

This morning it's cleats, floors and beams. The first of many more similar days I'm guessing. At the end of all this there's the reward of having to scarf join the sides.

Already I've been nervous. Worried that my first laminated Deck Beam would stick to the mould. But happily at lunchtime I took the clamps off (no movement at all), still worried, but a good thunk against the jig loosed it up fine. I mean it was covered in grease proof paper, but better that than half in plywood. 

I gave it a quick blast with the sander and it actually looks quite good. After it sets fully, I'll take it down to timber. Spot the rooster in cognito?

The procedure I use to laminate the beams varies little from that detailed in the Paradox Builders handbook. One technique Ihave been adding is to alternate the grain of each strip. 

To achieve this, before ripping back a batch of strips, mark one end of the blank with pencil, then as you lay up the strips switch the direction of every second strip. One obvious benefit is to strengthen the finished piece by distributing weak spots in the natural wood. It's not something I can take credit for, I read it somewhere, possibly in a Wharram building guide. 

FAST FORWARD: 

I now have four Deck Beams prepared & although we need six I'm holding off from building the other two till later. These are "Intermediate Beams" because they float between bulkheads 1 & 2, 4 & the transom. They are not needed for first dry fit (bulkheads & Side Panels), & their length is not accurate ly identified in the drawings. It is possible to make them extra long & just cut them to size when the sides & bulkheads are assembled, but I feel uneasy about building waste. It's cool though, I'm a patient fellow. 

A Wonderful Paradox Story from Western Australia

Yesterday, while trawling the net for information about sailing the Paradox, I came across ASHIKI's blog. In a post from Shark Bay WA ASHIKI's skipper expressed surprise that Paradox named SMALL FRY had sailed from Fremantle, some 370 nautical miles to the south in 5 days. ASHIKI's skipper described SMALL FRY as tiny (he initially thought she'd been launched nearby), but fast through the water ... "no need of an engine" and well stocked with food ("mostly muesli and baked beans). To add to the reputation of her seaworthiness, the skipper reported having sailed SMALL FRY around Cape Leeuwin (that's one of the five great capes BTW). 

So ... I couldn't rest without knowing more. I revisited the blog for any detail, and discovered a photo credited to Geoff Davis, I knew the skipper's first name was Geoff. So I Googled Paradox, SMALL FRY, Freemantle and Geoff Davis in all combinations without winning any direct hits until I read about an incident involving the rescue of a 4.2m sail boat which had rolled and been dismantled off Freemantle. The skipper was a "Geoff Davis". I wondered if this could be the same fellow and whether SMALL FRY had been wrecked.

Scanning for more detail, the news article claimed that Mr Davis built the wooden and fibreglass boat over a period of three years. Davis described the design as "unusual" how she was sailed from below decks, lucky for him, he had the hatch close when the large wave rolled the boat over and dismantled her. Davis said he owed his life to the boat's design saying that if he'd been out on deck on any other yacht, he would have been washed overboard. I'm thinking, surely this must be a Paradox?

So what's good about a Paradox capsizing and dismasting, even of the solo sailor survived? Well the authorities that winched Mr Davis to safety, described the weather as "terrible", not a day to be offshore, with winds to 125 kilometres per hours, or 60 knots. They went off at Davis saying:"his decision to leave port was foolish. Broadcast warnings of heavy weather and winds had been made for over 24 hours". Meanwhile Davis said he was heading off for a few days cruise along the South Coast, before the weather closed in and he attempted to return to the port of Freemantle,  in hindsight reckoned he should have "stayed on the river". 

So the Paradox negotiates hurricane force winds, and even when dismantled and capsized by a rogue wave as it closes shore, the occupant emerges claiming how safe he felt. 

Then much to my delight, when I checked the dates of the sighting at Shark Bay and capsize off Freemantle I learn that the capsize happened first, in fact many years beforehand.  The wreckage of what we can assume is a Paradox off Freemantle sailed by Geoff Davis occurred in 2009, the sighting of Geoff Davis on the Paradox SMALL FRY was last year, in 2014! 

We can't know whether the original paradox survives or another one was built, but for a fellow to be caught offshore in extreme weather and face disaster, to take to sea so bravely in the same design over many subsequent years, says much about Paradox ... or that Mr Davis is more nutty than the rest of us :) I'd love to meet him on the water one day. 

Now, about a jury rig? 

How good are chine runners instead of a keel or centreboard?

In the words of Sven Yrvind: "I am now convinced that the chinerunner concept, created by Matt in 1982, is the greatest innovation for small cruising boats in the last century."

End of Week 1:

So far Bulkheads 1-4 & the Transom are ready for cleats and sealing up. 

I have made the jigs for the Deck &Cabin Beams & am about to glue my first laminated Deck Beam. 

Sailing SCOUT

I lifted these three images of Paradox SCOUT under sail from a YouTube video . 

# 1: interior. Looks cosy but with large portholes airy. 

# 2: very fast under sail, alongside another trailer sailer,aradox looked very fast. 

# 3: This is one happy sailor. Busy driving his boat hard, dry of spray, out of the sun, and he could easily reef her down in a few seconds. Note the torch standing on end by the hatch. 

Bulkheads 1,2,3 & 4

It's been drizzling rain this AM so (without anyone else around), I took the work in the house and chopped up a new sheet of ply here. 

Anyway, by lunchtime I'd marked off B1, B2 and B4, then had these roughly cut out. Afterwards I sanded the sides and centre cut outs (B's 3 & 4), to finished dimensions. I didn't bother with the cambered tops, I'll do these after the beams have been fixed in place. 

Next, add cleats and epoxy coat. One mod' I am looking at with B2 (front end of the cabin), is to forego a plain large opening and install a watertight hatch. This will keep the area between collision bulkhead #1 and B#2 dry and provide floatation in the event of a serious dunking, capsize or holing. 

There's no way my partner will catch me out working in the house, she's halfway across the Tasman Sea heading east. 

Cutting Timber

.Today I got to cut out my first bulkhead which happened to be number three or "B3". Easy, then three more plus the Transom to go. 

B3 before sanding, Construction Grade with no checks. Note Terrier doing his own woodwork?

Already this boat feels strong and compact. 

With this Western Red Cedar tongue and groove, I will first trim the t & g, then cut four equal strips of 25mm, then slice these in half to turn 18mm into 7.5mm strips for the Deck and Cabin Beams. These are laminated on jigs I have made. 

Today my partner and son are paying passengers on the SEA PRINCESS going from Sydney to Aukland via South Cape. This is bridge cam halfway across the "ferocious Tasman Sea". check how flat the seas are!

Apple Simplicity in a Capable Little Boat

Matt Layden: some say he's an evil genius, others that he can live on salt water & seaweed alone, we Paradox sailors call him The Stig. (Apologies to Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear).

There is something's about Matt Layden's small boats that I find are freakishly Apple-like in design. The Paradox for example, has been perfected, not by adding, but by taking away, simplifying. On the delete list are:- 

> headsail. It takes the lone sailor forrard in heavy weather, whether to dowse it, replace it, lash it or remove it, then threatens to whip your eye out as approach it. leave it out! 

> keel or centreboard. prevents entry to shoal waters, creeks and rivers, careening, parking on sandy beaches & drying out. It literally is a 24 x 7 drag on performance.

> cockpit and companionway hatch, those great scourges in heavy weather sailing, their to catch & store bast amounts of seawater. 

> Standing rigging. prone to breakage, chaff, clutter & create windage.

> tiller or wheel steering. self-steering is designedit into the Paradox, the design is balanced so as to provide selfsteering & a neat arrangement of tiller lines below provides a tiller lock as well as remote steering. 

> exposure to the elements. whether they be dollops of chops, heavy spray or green water, the ceaseless drying winds, rain, hail and snow, or the slow bake being out in the direct sunlight all day, are dealt with by the provision of a fully sheltered cabin. 

Other benefits include; access to all internal spaces for maintenance & repair, plenty of stowage, moveable ballast. In all areas it's: simplicity, form and function over complexity, cost & unnecessary bling. 

A small cruising yacht that can be built in months, is affordable to build, & can be towed by a small car, launched in knee deep water then sailed offshore with a great measure of comfort and safety.

 

Paradox fits my desire to do "off grid"  longshore solo sailing with comfortably and safety. 

An added bonus is that she provides something uniquely personally for me; for many years I've daydreamed about building a "submarine" type boat - an enclosed sailing vessel that I can sail while below drinking coffee, reading & occasionally peering out the porthole to check progress. All very womb like in a Freudian sense. In Paradox I can sail this way across lake, bay or stretch of coastline before shipping the stick & towing her home for a bit of care and maintenance. Simple. 

For a detailed description of Paradox and it's younger sister Enigma copy this address into your search engine: https://aiki.pbworks.com/w/page/1594232/Advantages%20of%20Matt%20Layden%20mini%20cruisers