Topaz!

Topaz!
by Brad Raby sailormon@torchlake.com

Read parts two and three too

( click thumbnails for larger view)

1)As I promised, I will give the name of our close freind who is providing us with these pics. Thanks Nan.
2)I will foreward a few pics that I have had on the comp. The boat is of course in the rough stages with no real finish or fairing at this point.
3) I am holding my wife off from going too far so as I don't mess it up. The roof is going on in the next day after I stretch headliner over the beams.
4) This is my inovation and not the designers, I like the finished look you get this way. I will try and show the floor that had to be built first and then turned over, onto which the boat is built.
5) A few in between. Use them for your own interest or whatever. As you were interested in the boat, you will of course like the building process.

6) By the way, my wife and others like her, women really like the boat. I just received a letter from Tim Smith and he may build one.

7) I will send along the next four pics as soon as they are received as I believe they will better show the boat in it's present stage. This includes tools, sawdust and all.

8) P.S. I have a lot of pics and would share them at any stage if you or anyone else is interested....like glassing seams etc. turning, roughing and taping it together.

9)

10) The boat is comming along more slowly at this point. Making things like the doors, glassing in what has been built as well as molding is slow business at best.

11) I have included a few more photo's showing some points of interest that were addressed when communicating ealier.

12)This shows a closeup of the coaming that was built in around the fwd cockpit. This is outside the plans and results in a finished and clean exterior. This area at this point is a closed cell and will need to be drilled into from the cabin to open up to air.

13) This is the close up of the transom showing the same treatment. This area has only been rough sanding and not glassed at this point.

14) This is a closup of the door, minus glass at this point. The lower 4" addition laps down and seals that area from any incomming waves. I plan to install double latches inside to dog this down securely.

15) Good veiw of the cockpit and the newly constructed door. The cockpit is 6' plus on the seats.

16) Corner veiw of the whole boat showing the roof resting on the boat. This will be finished later with wood edging so the pink styrofoam will be under glass tape.

17) Good veiw of the ceiling treatment. Notice there is an extra beam so that the nautolex headliner can be supported every two ft. This has been stretched on like a canvas ready for painting prior to the roof being put on. Later in order to screw down to beams, a good stud finder may be in order.

Chuck, here is the latest on construction. Many things that are not in the photo's are of course not included such as taping of the chines, glassing in of the stern and other things that eat up a lot of time. It's the fun acheivements such as the galley and pretty stems that will later be put to the test of anchoring, that stimulates one to the newer jobs. So I include these as much to show construction methods as to share the thrill of building.

18) Photos of the stem looking aft and foreward shows the mahogany cleat that is built in and beefed up to withstand any wind conditions in the future.

19) I will later through bolt and backplate this cleat as well. Also note the beefy rub rails recently added, made of a heavy, dense form of mahagany

20) On the close up of the sink side, you can see the array of drawers and doors, one of which is going to be enlarged at my wifes orders, oh well. The brass sink is my wife Connies recent purchase. I know, it haint nautical and will tarnish, but we will use this boat in the great lakes only, I think. Beneath the stove there is plenty of room to make a cooler or store one. Also beneath that is room for holding tank, water tank or whatever.

21) Looking aft, shows the galley as seen from the ceiling in the middle of the saloon. On the left is the stove and on the right is the sink. Both sides are tiled and grouted to enhance both the beauty and utility of the galley.

22) Next to the stove beneath the large lid is the head. What I did was to use part of the head space as galley space. This lid comes up, closing off this area from the forward part of the boat while an additional panel encloses the aft. The half door is augmented by a heavy curtain, completely enclosing the head. This becomes a small, but separate room which can be left up or converted as you see it when only a few are aboard. When only a couple are aboard the simple setup is more than fine.

Here are the line drawings and specifications for Topaz