i550class.org

Greetings to everyone on this forum and thanks for all the useful information.

I bought my plans (Hull#262) about three years ago and for one reason or another I never got started.

I have finally made a start, well sort of. I had previously acquired 180 kg of lead wheel weights for a carton of beer and spent last week melting them down into muffins - a filthy job and I don't recommend it to anyone. Better off sourcing clean lead even if it costs more money. I took what I didn't need to the scrap metal yard to dispose of it responsibly and I ended up being given $30 for it!! China must have such an appetite for materials, I couldn't believe my luck. It paid for some foam on the way home to mould shape the keel bulb.

I have build the keel mould and am waiting for the sand and cement to dry for a couple of weeks before I pour the lead.

Welcome to the forum David. Happy to hear about another build starting. As you get going and have questions there are several builders here to give advice if you have questions. In the end, sailing what you've built is a awesome feeling.

Thanks for the positive response Jray.

A wise and wealthy man once told me after spending many years researching what sort of multi-hull he was after and eventually buying it, that most of the joy in life is the journey not the destination. A bit philosophical I know but I think the i550 could be a bit like that for me. The challenge of building it will be equally as good as sailing it.

My experience to date has been helping a mate with his boat (Baker built Brolga) and building several RC boats from scratch. In principle this should be the same just heaps bigger and much more work with much heavier materials.

Kind regards