Mounting the keelbox

[slowpoke]

I need to mount the keelbox any ideas on just how I should align it? I saw where someone ran a string front to rear and then dropped a plumb line down at the front and rear of the box, but what about vertical alignment?

[Chad]

Plumb = vertical, no? -if the boat is sitting level, that is.

Put the keel foil in the sleeve/keelbox (your lead isn't attached yet, right?), put the whole shebang in the boat, and plumb up the keel, not the sleeve.

Wrap a string around the leading edge of the keel and bring both tails to the transom center. Then measure from trailing edge to each string and make equal. Then your keel is pointing straight ahead.

Keep measuring until you are happy, use a sharp pencil for your reference marks, and go for it!

[admin]

Rocky, i did it with my keel seated in the slot....see my build log, 8.31.10--9.6.10 Back to School, Weak.
Worked pretty well!

[slowpoke]

Ok, let me describe all the things I've done wrong, so you can see my delimma..... First, the build jig is sitting on the trailer, and I don't believe it is level. Second, yes, in my eagerness to get something done I attached and faired in the lead bulb on the keel.
So here's what I propose to do: First, I'll level up the build jig again, and run a string linefront to rear. Second, I'll make a mock keel to slide in the slot, and use it in place of the real keel.
Chad, if I level up the jig, will the boat be level?

[lohwaikin]

Rocky,
I got my keel-box installed without using the actual keel foil.
Just as you described, I used a 2X1 batten about 5 ft long with its 2" width fitting firm into the keel-box.
I then had the keel-box bottom edge aligned with the bottom panel centerline.
The protruding batten is then aligned with the centerline of frame F110 (I'm doing a half-cabin version) and then everything clamped.
In my case I took frame F110as reference for both centerline and vertical, and the bottom edge of keel-box has to be trimmed a few times to match the bottom panel's rocker curve.

2012-06-17-14.JPG

Cheers,

[Chad]

Rocky,
Yes, if you level that cradle, the boat will be level. Laterally, use the bottoms of the plywood cradle bunks. Lengthwise, use the 2x6's for your level- but you probably don't need to worry about lengthwise since your keel box will butt up against the face of the adjacent frame.

Since you can't stick your keel (easily) in the sleeve, how about two 3-5' lengths of small pipe? Like the ones you use for a pipe clamp (3/4" steel pipe) or just two pieces of 1/2"-3/4" pvc water pipe. Small enough to fit in the sleeve easily and wedge to the front and back so they extend upward- shove a little bent twig in between them in the sleeve to hold them against the front and back of the sleeve. Plumb the pipes, then like in Loh's pic you can clamp the forward one to the top of frame 110 (or the aft one to the top of frame 124 if you're building the short cockpit version)- except instead of a 2" board like he used, you'll be using a pipe.

Note that if you have a tall frame like in Loh's pic, either in front or in back depending on your build version, you can accurately measure and draw a centerline on that frame to use for aligning the stick or pipe, without leveling the boat. You can't use bubble levels or plumb bobs in that scenario though- just tape measures and rulers.

[micah202]

Rocky,
I got my keel-box installed without using the actual keel foil.
Just as you described, I used a 2X1 batten about 5 ft long with its 2" width fitting firm into the keel-box.
I then had the keel-box bottom edge aligned with the bottom panel centerline.
The protruding batten is then aligned with the centerline of frame F110 (I'm doing a half-cabin version) and then everything clamped.
In my case I took frame F110as reference for both centerline and vertical, and the bottom edge of keel-box has to be trimmed a few times to match the bottom panel's rocker curve.

2012-06-17-14.JPG

Cheers,

...hey Lowwaikin--you're using the first FULL jig I've seen/heard of someone using!!....how are twist,fit issues?...m

[lohwaikin]

Hi Micah202,

I bought the plans in DEC 2011 with a table of hull profiles (drawings B4 & B5).
So I cut 8 support frames (with hull bottom cross section profile) at every 24" interval.
Bow and stern overhang by 24".
That was back in MAY 2012 when I constructed the building stock.
I use Meranti marine ply for the hull panels.
So far so good, no concave noted near frame 018.
I'm about to flip the hull over, so we'll see if the bottom springs any surprise.
Good thing about this setup is that you can stand on it while filleting and taping the hull panels and frames.

Anyway I'm not the first to construct such a building stock.
I read it from a guy's blog who built a non-cabin i550 in the U.S., who has lived in Singapore before.

Cheers,