Building a Foam Core Powerboat

This site will report on the building of the 'Hawk41', a 41ft sea-going launch. It's specifications are: - Length: 12.50 m - Length waterline: 12.07 m - Beam: 3.27 m - Draft: 0.75 m - Displacement: 4.3 t - Engine Power: 184 kW.
The vessel will be constructed from a foam core sandwich using the 'controlled vacuum infusion' technique.

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Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Stichting Maritiem Kenniscentrum

This morning I payed a visit to Max Duursma & Jacob Gieze of SMK ("The Maritime Expertisecentre Foundation") in the far north of the Netherlands. These men work with prolonged unemployed people to train them and get them into jobs in the yachtbuilding business. And yes, they use vacuum infusion! And what's more, they cooperate with Polyworx to realize the perfect infusionplan. Currently they build a yacht that they developed themselves. Soon they will start a commercial wharf (employing their trainees) that will produce this yacht in series.
I went there to find out if they can help me doing the infusion. So it seems. On showing them the plans for the Hawk41 they were very interested in some form of cooperation.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Point of no return is passed.

I signed the contract with Peter Bosgraaf (the naval architect) last Friday. The point of no return is therefore passed. Now it is going to be serious. Got to hire an unused barn, shed, greenhouse or stable or something. Got to get vacuumequipment.
I fiddled a bit with the Polyworx software, but I didn't manage to get the knack of it. Two weeks tryout is really not enough. (Not for me at least) However, the little I could do convinced me definitely of the value of this software. So I'm going to have serious talks with Polyworx this time.
Next Thursday (the 19th) I am paying a visit to "Maritime Knowlegde Centre", a foundation that perhaps can assist me with the infusion. We will see...