I have 2 planes set (of 5) and I am working on the next 2 now. The 2 planes that are set are the correct distance apart using the spacers, and then by measuring from port stern centreline to starboard bow centreline and then matching the starboard stern CL to port bow CL you are assured of 2 settings, you know the hulls both start and end at the same length and that each hull CL is parallel and that the hulls are square to each other. Mine measured 13330mm each side. At first I had 12990 and 13380 and moving one too far made the other side larger but with trial and error I got them exact, it was easy enough, the cradles are on wheels. Not for much longer! With these 2 measurements set I have to stop the hulls from moving so I have blocked up the cradles.
From now on the measurements are all height related so the hulls no longer need to move left to right or fore and aft so with blocks under the cradles I re checked the CL to CL measurements to be sure the hulls hadn’t moved while I chocked the cradles. They didn’t.
Next I got myself 30 meters of clear hose (I only needed 15 to 20 meters but Bunning’s only sells pre cut lengths now. Warren showed me how to use it. You fill the hose with water, if you have poor eyesight you can color the water with dye or coffee. Once you have removed all air bubbles you clamp the hose to a height marker, in my case waterline + 1200mm, on a relevant bulkhead, in this case bh4 and bh7. The water will settle to a level and you raise the hose at one end until it is level with your mark. Once level at a mark if it is not also level at the other mark you have to raise or lower the hull to level. It is much easier to raise the hull than lower it so if you need to lower it move the hose to level at that end and you will find the other end is now low and you can raise it to level.
As you can see from the pictures above, I am levelling from the inside of the starboard hull using the bulkhead returns and the waterline 1200 marks on bulkheads 4 and 7. This will tell me if the hull is level fore to aft but wont tell me if there is any twist in the hull. To check that, I have to measure from the outside of the hull to the inside from various points both parallel (same bulkhead) and across (different bulkheads). Once I have the hull both level and with no twist, I will adjust the other hull to this hull, hoping that I don’t have this first hull lower than the other because it is easier to raise a lower hull than lower a higher one. If the other hull is higher, I will simply repeat this process on that hull and come back to this first (starboard) hull and raise it to match. If it isn’t, I raise the port hull to match this one and level it fore and aft and for twist as I go.
After that I can join the bulkheads of each hull together.
Jo is not good at keeping secrets. She bought me a sign for my shed for my birthday. My birthday is not for 2 more weeks but she couldn’t wait and I am glad she couldn’t. I just love it. I smile every time I look at it. Check out how far 9lives has progressed in the last few days! I have finished the bench, well almost, I have left an area to install a ripping saw (table saw) at the end. I have to now put everything into a place so I will know where to look for things.
I have to get moving on this hull join. Hopefully I will have at least one of the bulkheads glued this weekend so I can proudly announce I now have 1 boat!
