Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Fun Has Started!

At the chairman’s lighting in early December, I told Santa that I wanted to build a i550 and needed a pile of ¼” plywood and some epoxy for Christmas.  I did not want to be disappointed, so I did not get my hopes up. After all, I have asked him many times before. Two weeks later old Kris Kringle came through with an opportunity to work on i550 Hull 36. 

This is Christopher Beckwith’s first I550 hull Paninaro (http://i550paninaro.blogspot.com/).  On Dec 19th we moved her 125 miles from Charlestown, SC to just west of Irmo, SC on Lake Murray. As the banker (aka: Wife) said eight tiny reindeers put it in the garage. This is not what I was thinking when we blew a tire, but she made it home safely. Thanks goes to William Bouknight for his help, the use of the trailer and a seven minute tire change on I26. 




The hull is solid with the bottom and sides paintded, but the deck needs to be sanded and finish. The deck layout looks like a M20 with a long cockpit that extends to the mast. A hatch will go in front of the mast. The keel needs some final sanding and I will need to pour the bulb.  I will also need to make the rudder and purchase a mast, sail, harware, trailer…….  Just ordered the West System epoxy with some glass and CF uni.  Now I realy know why they say “BOAT” stand for Bring Out Another Thousand. 




Today’s task was to bury the hatchet and havest the lead ingots from this bulb.  Two hours later I have the lead i need and I will also need to resharpen my ax.  Maybe I can find a scout that needs that requirement signed off. 









Thanks also goes to the Chris for this oppertunity and the other i550 group members that have answered question on how they did things on their boats. 

I hope to keep this blog updated as I continue working on the boat and as someone in the i550 group said “it did not happen without pictures”.