Building an Opti with my grandson

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW:Here in the Antipodes that class of boat is most often called "Opti" by students, coaches and bystanders. Pedantic worry about the correct name does not draw much water here in Oz, where mangling of English is a national pastime.

Jim

PS Way to go, Grampa! A wonderful experience for you both.

The problem I had was that I really didn’t know… I suspected but never heard that before. I thought it may be was some home-built version based on the Optimist design, not allowed in competition.

So the question is… where it is called an “Opti” now, was it called an Opti in the 80’ and 90’s too? I have simply never read anything about it since then except for competition calendar like I posted which only mentions Optimist likeI am familiar with.

[mjscottinnc]

Cut the 1/4" plywood sheet, sides, fore and aft transom, midship bulkhead. Dry fit what we could without the bottom. Hope to have the bottom by this week. If my friends CNC isn't available I'll cut it by hand.

[mjscottinnc]

Floor Cut, but the friend with the CNC forgot to move the daggerboard trunk hole when he moved everything to the edge of the sheet. It was the first cut and I caught it before it got completely through, moved it to the right position and finished the cut. Back at my shop I cut a filler piece and sandwiched it between two pieces of glass. Dry fit all the pieces and had to make a few adjustments with a hand plane for a better fit. Reassembled for the second time and all is ready for epoxy tomorrow.

Just a piece of advice for anyone trying this, own a LOT of clamps. I used damn near every one I accumulated over 55 years.

[keepondancin]

Just a piece of advice for anyone trying this, own a LOT of clamps. I used damn near every one I accumulated over 55 years.[/QUOTE]

I have built a few small boats, and would run out of clamps, over 50 years also. I've used ratchet straps, bricks, concrete blocks, cleats and wedges, spanish windlass'. Looking good, the oops is just part of the story you will tell.

[Dirk01]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

Just a piece of advice for anyone trying this, own a LOT of clamps. I used damn near every one I accumulated over 55 years.

I have built a few small boats, and would run out of clamps, over 50 years also. I've used ratchet straps, bricks, concrete blocks, cleats and wedges, spanish windlass'. Looking good, the oops is just part of the story you will tell.[/QUOTE]

+ one

[GordMay]

“Viggo Jacobsen & the Optimist Dinghy” ~ by Robert Wilkes
An extract from The Optimist Dinghy 1947-2007
➥ https://www.optiworld.org/uploaded_files/VJHistory.pdf

“History of the Association” ~ IODA
➥ https://www.optiworld.org/default/cl...on/category/16

FWIW: Note the URL, <optiworld>, of the International Optimist Dinghy Association [IODA].

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by GordMay

“Viggo Jacobsen & the Optimist Dinghy” ~ by Robert Wilkes
An extract from The Optimist Dinghy 1947-2007
➥ https://www.optiworld.org/uploaded_files/VJHistory.pdf

“History of the Association” ~ IODA
➥ https://www.optiworld.org/default/cl...on/category/16

FWIW: Note the URL, <optiworld>, of the International Optimist Dinghy Association [IODA].

Interesting, thanks Gord

[mjscottinnc]

Seams epoxied, filled, and glass taped. Midship bulkhead and daggerboard trunk in.

The grandson has now mastered the orbital sander, hand sanding, vacuuming the inside of the hull, and is fascinated by the fiberglass tape disappearing in the resin.

Rained last evening and water accumulated through some small holes in the tarp, no leaks!

Moving forward each day.

[gonesail]

seriously good job.

[Jamme]

Lucky grandson! What a wonderful project, congrats!

[JPA Cate]

@mjscottinnc:

What a super project for both of you! You are so lucky to have the desire and the skills to bring this to completion. Good on you both!

Your grandson might also be interested in Alexander McKinnon's "The Voyage of Jack de Crow." I believe Amazon has some copies.

Thanks for posting the pics.

Ann

[mjscottinnc]

The grandson went solo and glassed in the midship bulkhead to the sides, with a little guidance. Epoxied in the daggerboard trunk and used oak for the reinforcement blocks to the hull floor. Installed the forward and aft transom re-enforcing frames after cutting in the corner gussets.

I got an idea that I thought I'd try, using the sides of the boat to form the Gunwales. That way I could remove them, do all the fitting work outside the boat, and then install them once finished. Worked like a champ! I laminated 5 strips of 10mm ply, and used waxed paper as a release agent in case I got epoxy when I didn't want it. I had previously cut the midship bulkhead with the right depth and angle for the gunwale and used it as the flat guide for all the laminate strips. Each strip is 5mm thinner than the previous one.

[Spot]

Looking great, something both of you can be proud of!

[keepondancin]

Laminating with epoxy is slippery stuff. “need more clamps! Wish I had 4 more hands!” Looking good! Will you be epoxy coating the complete hull?

[mjscottinnc]

All the major wood components are epoxy and/or glassed in. The gunwales and gussets are cut in, epoxied, formed, and sanded. The interior has its first sanding. Turning the boat tomorrow to start bottom work.