Sanding … sanding … and when you think you have done enough SAND SOME MORE!

The plug for the SageSport 160 is now nice and shiny and we have begun the process of making the mold!

Shinny plug that is ready for gel coat!

Spraying gel coat – this will be the surface of the mold.

Here the first of many layers of fiberglass are layed over the gel coat – 

Balsa is added create a strong and stable mold. NOTE: the hull of the SageSport 160 WILL NOT be cored with balsa!!!!  This photo is of the hull mold NOT a boat.

And more glass is put over the balsa –

Here is a link to more pictures of the hull mold being made: –>CLICK HERE<–

Next the second half of the mold will be made and then the first fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber SageSport 160 hull will be made!

SageSport 160 hull mold update!

This is the second post about the building of the SageSport 160 hull mold.  To view the first post on the process <CLICK HERE>

After cedar slats were covered with fiberglass the plug was flipped over to install the outwales –

Again the plug was flipped so a flange could be installed –

The flange is needed for the vacuum infusion process that will be used in building these composite boats. Here is a link that discusses the infusion process used on the Sage 15 boats – https://sagemarineblog.wordpress.com/20 … -infusion/.

The plug was sprayed with Duratec, a mold surfacing and shaping product –

Lots sanding was done to get the perfect shape –

The keels were installed –

and, you guessed it, the plug is again sprayed with Duratec followed by more sanding!

 

And here is an ACTION video of more sanding –

 

More updates to come!

Bit of the old and the new

We like to mix the traditional and the modern at Sage Marine. The Sage 17, Sage 15 and SageCat are a bit traditional and a bit modern. For the next boat we are at it again … the SageSport 160! What is this ‘SageSport’? Well –

Sage has taken the classic Robb White Sport Boat and mixed with some modern. SageSport 160 is made of a resin infused fiberglass, carbon fiber and kevlar hull that makes for a very light boat that is car toppable. We are trying for a standard boat weight of 50#. She can also be paddled, rowed (both with a fixed seat or a sliding seat) and, you guessed it, sailed.

A SageSport 160 is rated to use up to a 6HP outboard. The boat will plane at just over three knots (way before her hull speed). The boat is actually designed to plane … not an ‘apply horsepower until the boat goes fast’ design.

Our first prototype, a wooden strip-plank built, boat has been built and tested. So far we have taken the boat out in winds blowing up to 30 knots with seas about 2’. The boat motored at 9-10 knots at ½-throttle on a 6HP motor. Yes, she was planing in these conditions! Additionally the boat wasn’t squirrly and felt very stable.

SageSport 160 will have positive flotation and be available in a variety of colors.

More info to come!

Doing it the right way

One item that has been much debated during the Sage 15 development process is the location we will make the boat components (hull, deck, cabin liner, etc). There has been ‘flip flopping’ on the issue: make parts here at the boat shop; no, out-source; no, make them here … repeat. Well, in late 2015 we made a choice: YES, the Sage 15 will be made entirely in the Sage Marine boat shop in Golden, Colorado.

Why was ‘where to lay up the parts’ a much debated issue? To legally build boat components, even with a vacuum infusion process, there are still volatiles and particulates that are released. Most of this comes from spraying gel coat into the mold before laying up the fiberglass and carbon fiber. Many boat builders are not legal, some go so far as to spray on weekends outside so as not to ‘draw attention’ to their illegal practice. At Sage we strive to do things ‘the right way’. In this case to make fiberglass parts we need a way to capture the volatiles and particulates and a fire resistant facility.

For Sage this involves installing a spray booth, upgrading the building’s electrical and fire suppression systems. Before installing a booth and upgrading the building one must get permissions from a variety of city and state departments, offices and officials. Obviously this takes time … and money.

At this time the money is in place, the design for the booth and building is done, and we are one official away from approval to begin assembling the booth and renovating the building. Once that last ‘sign off’ is complete the six to ten week construction project will begin.

Fiberglass Bonding

bonding the cockpit to the stringers and bulkheads

After the boat is decked it is time for some dirty work.  The cockpit has to be bonded to the bulkheads and stringers with fiberglass so there is no flex in the floor and the boat is stronger and stiffer.  This involves sticking my head in the cockpit locker and putting the resin coated pieces in place.  I have a stack of the mat and cloth cut to the size I like and will wet them out with resin in a pan while kneeling in the cockpit.  Then I reach into the locker and put the piece on the seam.  I work with pieces that are less than 12″ long and about 6″ wide so that they are easier to handle.  When the resin cures I will grind the edges and excess so it is neat,

fiberglass pieces

-Matt