Local TV Interview and Hatch Preparations

By Alberni PDRacer Club #623 "John D" (2es 1eo 2ea 18ad 3ar)

We aren't ready to release the exact details yet, but we are making rapid progress putting together the huge event we are working on. Our local TV station produced this YouTube video of the construction of hull #623, and our interviewer/editor is also a local sailor!

I exchanged email with John Bridges as you suggested. Very helpful. He uses pre-cut "hatch kits" to speed assembly. We had already decided on something like that and he had some useful additions. Our second hull is to start building on Tuesday with a "test team" of two adults and two teens. This will allow us to get a handle on time/cost/issues before detailed planning for the big event. The boat will be in the water by the end of March. Then we will have two - and we can race! And we can use such races as publicity.

So we built a "kit". But first we made patterns for the sides from 3/4" MDF so we could use a flush cut router to trim rough cut panels. This allows quick accurate production of up to four sides at a time. Cost $35 but the time saving will be huge and the patterns will be available for other people too. We also made a bevel board (from our pattern!) to aid in cutting the cross member bevels.

Then a local shop teacher offered to have his students build "hatch kits" for our event as a shop project. He asked me to write an account of how to make a kit. So I did.

Then I prettied up the account and added a picture. The result is attached here as a PDF. You are welcome to use it on PDRacer.com if you think it is relevant. I could do somthing on making the MDF patterns too, but I took some pics of making the pattern but not of USING it! When we do the next kit I can remedy that if you think it would be of interest.

Look out for our second hull going 3-D soon.

David