Friday, September 28, 2007

Blade F-16 strip plank project.

We are building three Blade F-16 catamarans in norwegian spruce with strip plank technique. The Blade is a Phill Brander design and has been the "rage" in the F-16 class the later years.
We are building in strip plank with local materials becouse we could not source good okume marine plywood at a reasonable price. We also think building in strip will result in a stiffer and potentially lighter boat than the same boat done in ply.
Project is a cooperation between three persons, Omar Sejnæs, Frode Nerland and myself (Rolf Nilsen). We are doing this on a very low budget, so sourcing affordable parts is a big part of the project. We have currently sourced two Tornado rigs which will be cut down to F-16 size. We also plan on building our own trampolines and sails. Fittings and lines will be sourced at the best possible prices and imported by ourselves. Building materials and glass will be bought directly from industrial providers where we have made contacts.
We plan to document the building process and eventual other projects in this blog. Current goal is to have the hulls done ready for painting and final fitting out in the spring. This dont leave us with much time to spare, but we will do our best to document the process.