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CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
LORCHA 50

Posts are set in concrete for mounting the bulkheads

Bulkheads glued in sections with notches for longitudinals, etc (forward molds)
Note the width of the flat-bottom hollow box keel

The lowest portion of the traditional Caravel two-part transom

The lower transom seen from the side showing curvature in lamination

More bulkheads glued up in segments (aft molds)

The Bulkheads and Transom are in place and the box keel is being assembled

View of the box keel showing prop apperture and 2x2 cleats for the bottom plank

The box keel finished and garboard planks are on--Note the Chinese bow

Chine logs are beveled to receive 3/4" ply planking (two lam's below water);
Fasteners are pneumatically driven galvanized ring-shank nails

Middle planks are on

Sheer strakes are on and the Bulwark planks are on

View from astern

Stern gallery windows cut out; Hull in primer

The hull right-side-up

Back in the tent; Pulling the trailer out from under the hull; Paint job not good, was re-painted

Inside showing Retracting Keel Trunk, integral water tanks, etc
The panels (foreground) are for the fresh-water-pump and wine cellar
The platforms are for the galley furniture

Steel angles reinforce the hull/bulkhead joints adjacent to the 3,500lb Retracting Keel Trunk

Companionway steps from center cockpit into the main saloon; Integral 220gal fuel tank below

Joint for chine logs; glass-tape over Bulkhead fillets, Sheer Clamp, Countertop, etc

Engine Room under insulated foam-core cockpit well, Shaft Log to left

The Holding Tank with Shaft Log running through it; Compartment aft was foam-filled

The Hollow Box Keel aft of the holding tank was carefully sealed with epoxy and plywood covered
before being filled with poured-in-place 4lb polyurethane closed-cell foam

The aft cabin being roughed in

View forward showing bulkhead extensions supporting Bulwark planks

View from Center Cockpit into Saloon showing Keel Trunk

Applying epoxy primer

The Galley Sink and Drain Board under construction

Delfine using a trim router

Stern view showing Aft Cabin Gallery Windows; Bill Smith below

Captain Parker looks grouchy!

The Epoxy-mixing station; Delfine mixing Shell Epon epoxy

Deck beams starting to go in

The Parker Marine office in Riverside's old icehouse; Sticky Notes Rule!

Working in the Main Saloon; View aft from the Cargo Hold

Reuel & Delfine working in the Main Saloon

Deck Beams & Hatch Carlins going in--Note the rabbets for headliners & foam cores
The break in the deck steps up at the Main Saloon

Deck Frame for the Cargo Hold

Deck Frame looking forward

Detail: Deck Beam to Sheer Clamp inner laminate

The same view from above

Hatch Carlin to Bulkhead Cleat Beam Detail

Delfine is countersinking staples in the Head Compartment Roof; Cockpit Coamings are finished
and the Cabin Trunks are finished; Coachroof is on, Decks are laid

View showing Lucy Trindar working on the Cargo Hatch Coamings & Foc's'le Booby Hatch

The inner plank components of the hollow A-frame Bulwarks are going on

Davina grinning at the camera man--Xynole-polyester fabric & epoxy going over all exterior surfaces

Lucy grinning at Davina

Fabric/epoxy--Center Cockpit Coamings and Cabin centered

The Booby Hatch to the Aft Cabin gettin Xynole & epoxy

All exterior fabric covering is complete, and epoxy primer has been applied over all

View from the port bow. I repainted the yellow because I didn't like the color

The Douglas fir mainmast being laminated, using the Herreschoff "Bird's Mouth" method

Masthead showing lightning ground and wire for light; The mast collar is for a Junk Mains'l

Mainmast shaped and epoxy sealed

The Bird's Mouth mast lamination uses octagonal 8-wall sections with 45-degree cuts on one side.
The locking joint thus created is very strong, providing large gluing surfaces, a mechanical joint,
and thinner wall sections

Shown are stacks of mast segments ready to be scarfed and laminated for two more masts

The main boom and main yard are also laminated using the Bird's Mouth method

Closeup of the main yard showing the use of large hose clamps in lamination

Using a hand-held power plane to rough-shape spars

Hose clamps are tightened (and loosened) with a battery-powered drill motor

Mahogany bunk boards (and all trim) are epoxy-sealed & pre-finished with sprayed varnish
prior to final installation

"Miami teak" (Wolmanized pine) lifeline stanchions being oil-soaked prior to installation

T'IEN HOU's solid bronze windlass, from Lunenburg Foundries in Nova Scotia

Bill Smith welding the Naca 0009 foil-shaped fin portion of the retracting wing-keel

Bill Smith welding the Naca 0009 foil-shaped fin portion of the retracting wing-keel

The delta-wing portion of the keel being added to the fin

Close-up view showing the pipe leading edge and foil shaped delta wings

The delta-wing sides are being welded on

Bill is welding the trailing edge closed--tricky work

Rudder Core components before assembly

The core has been assembled; plywood skins laminated over; and the endplate is being laminated

The endplate is sculpted, filleted and ready for Xynole/epoxy

Rudder installed in hull; Gudgeon being made (the cut-off wedge allows rudder removal)

The gallery window teak trim being installed--the red paint is Dupont Industrial Imron

Deck perimeters have been sprayed with buff LP; Ready for non-skid

Nonskid applied (sand-blasting sand sprinkled in wet epoxy primer, LP overcoated)

The Isuzu 3LD2 (38hp) diesel installed;
It proved to be inadequate and was replaced with a Yanmar 4JH4 (54hp)

The helm station, with 36" destroyer wheel

The aft cabin & Gallery Windows from inside before trim

The steering machinery platform with rudder shaft & gear ready for installation

The Gallery Windows

T'IEN HOU in the slings about to be launched; Wing Keel in down position; Abaco Dinghy in davits

View from forward showing kayak 2nd tender; Yachtsman anchor catted & fished

Prop apperture & rudder, showing sculpted end-plate & counterbalance

The retracting Wing Keel in the down position;
It weighs 3,500lbs and provides self-righting to a nearly inverted position;
It is lifted by twin Warn ATV cable winches

The Abaco Dinghy (sponging skiff) in the stern davits

T'IEN HOU sailing in Maine, showing off her ketch rig