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!

Resin infusing a SageCat deck

The first production SageCat is being assembled.  Last week the new deck mold was completed and now the first deck has been made.

Here are some pictures of the deck being prepared for resin infusion –

The deck mold has been buffed, sealed and treated with mold release.  It is now ready for gel coat.

A ‘skin coat’ of fiberglass mat is applied to stabilize the gel coat and limit any fiberglass print-through.

Over the structural fiberglass and balsa core peel ply is placed to assure the flow media comes off the part. Flow media assures the entire deck structure receives the correct amount of vinylester resin.

Over the flow media the vacuum bag is placed.  The vacuum pump is the machine in the lower-right of the picture.

Vacuum is applied to check that there are no leaks in the bag.   If no leaks the resin is mixed and the part is infused –

A 5-gallon bucket holds the vinylester resin that is ‘sucked’ into the deck mold.

Here is a quick video shows a portion of the SageCat deck being risen infused –

https://youtu.be/30fjfFsCecI 

After the part has been fully infused the vacuum bag and infusion media are removed.  The interior side of the deck is now prepped for gel coat –

The deck after the infusion bag and flow media are removed.

Here you can see some of the flow media after being peeled off the deck.

Deck interior side has been prepped and is now ready for gel coat.

Now the deck interior finish is sprayed –

Wearing a ‘bunny suit’ Matt safety sprays gel coat in the spray booth.

 

Sailing with friends

This past weekend Dave (aka, me the person typing this post) met up with a group of friends at Eleven Mile State Park (CO).  This group of sailors, who first met at the now defunct Lake Havasu Arizona sailor get-together, arrived with a variety of craft to enjoy sailing on this high elevation lake.  In the fleet were Sage 15 ASOLARE, sporting a temporary catboat rig, and a Sage 17 from Texas.

The weather was very nice with 70 degree days and cool nights … nice for people but the sailing was sedate as the daytime winds were 1-5kts.  This isn’t to say there wasn’t wind, especially during the late afternoon thunderstorms.  Being on a high mountain lake with a tall lightning rod isn’t the safest so no high-wind catboat rig testing was conducted.

What was confirmed is that folks really liked the look of the Sage 15, the cabin and cockpit accommodations, and the modern catboat rig.  On the water the catboat rig again proved it will sail in what seems to be no wind.

Center: Sage 15 ASOLARE;  left: Sage 17 from TX (not yet named); and right: a Hobie Mirage Tandem Island.

At this time the resin infusion deck strength has been confirmed so ASOLARE will be converted back to a sloop.  Sage 15 SAGECAT, the prototype catboat hull, will get her standing rig back over the next couple of days.  Sea trails on both boats will continue with emphasis on the catboat setup.

Hull liner complete and ready to be removed from the mold.

Hull liner about to be resin infused.

Hull about to be resin infused.

Daggerboard trunk in foreground. Deck being layed up in background.

Hull being layed up.

The second SageCat prototype is being built and will be attending the October Annapolis Sailboat Show.  Let us know if you want to see the boat by sending an email to info@sagemarine.com or calling 800-621-1065.

NOTE: a Sage 17 will also be at the show.  Sage Marine’s spaces at the show are ‘land sites 80&81’.

Boatbuiding action at Sage Marine

Here are photos reviewing last week’s boat building – (click on images for larger versions and photo descriptions.)

S17 deck hardware.

Installing S15 interior teak.

S15 deck with openings.

S15 cockpit locker lid being resin infused.

S17 cockpit full of tools.

Preliminary S15 sloop deck hardware layup.

S15 cockpit floor bulkhead and stringers in place.

S15 cockpit locker lid and companionway slider hatch getting skin coated.

Fiberglass being layed into S15 cockpit locker lid infusion mold.

gel coated S15 under-cockpit spaces. Under-cockpit flotation foam is between the bulkhead and stringers.

S17 interior teak.

Sage 15 sloop build update

Busy assembly week for the first Sage 15 sloop –

The daggerboard trunk and forward bulkhead bonded in place.

The support bulkhead and stringers under the cockpit floor have been initially tabbed into place.

Final step before installing the liner – mixing the bonding putty.

Once the liner has been installed the hull can be removed from the mold.

Matt and Greg removing the deck from the mold.

After fifteen minutes of tapping on the deck and using wedges the deck assembly ‘pops’ out.

This is the first deck to be resin infused. On top of the house is the mast step at the approximate location for the sloop rigged Sage 15.

This boat still needs a name … have an idea?  The person with the best suggestion during the ‘Name The Sage 15 sloop Contest’ wins two Spyderco knives!

Assembly of the second Sage 15 has begun!

We have started to assemble the second Sage 15!  This boat will be sloop rigged.

This is the second S15 hull to be resin infused.  Here Matt and Greg are getting the hull out of the mold.

Like the first hull to be infused this part came out with little fuss.  Just some wedges along the flange and tapping along the side of the mold with rubber mallets.

After the hull is out of the mold Matt cuts a hole in the hull for the daggerboard.

The daggerboard trunk set in place to confirm sizing of the part and fit along the hull opening.

Now the first resin infused hull liner is removed from its mold.

Matt is cutting out the hull liner openings.  The ‘long and skinny’ opening is for the daggerboard.  Sage 15’s v-berth is 85″ long … 5″ longer than the Sage 17’s!

The two aft square openings, port and starboard the opening for the daggerboard, are for access into the under v-berth storage.  The forward opening is where half of the boat’s flotation foam will be placed; filling the forward half of the v-berth.

The hull liner and daggerboard trunk in place for sizing.

Keep tuned to the BLOG for updates as the second Sage 15, boat ‘001’, is put together.

 

Video showing first Sage 15 hull to be resin infused

A short, speed enhanced, video showing the first Sage 15 hull to be resin infused in early March 2016

First resin infused Sage 15 hull is out of the mold

With just a few taps the first resin infused Sage 15 hull came out of mold.  Matt will now inspect the hull to confirm the layup and gel coat are to specifications.  This being the first resin infused part we are very pleased with how it looks!

 

 

Sage 15 Resin Infusion

Over the past couple of months work has been progressing on getting the Sage 15 molds ready for resin infusion.  This involved various tests to confirm the molds have no leaks and installing a flange for the vacuum lines.

All that work has now been completed and the first Sage 15 is ready to be infused!

 

First the finish color gel coat is sprayed into the hull mold.

After the finish gel coat is sprayed the hull is coated with black.  This assures that sun will not show through the hull on a bright and sunny day.

After the hull is ‘blacked’ a light layer of fiberglass mat is put in place.  The mat stabilizes the gel coat in the mold and reduces and ‘print though’ of the layup fabric used to build the hull.

The hull is now ready for layup.

Fiberglass being layed into the hull.  The glass is dry and held in place with a special adhesive that doesn’t interfere with the infusion process.

Matt puts the final touches on the layup.

Infusion time!

Infusion fabric and flow grids are installed over the fiberglass layup.

The infusion bag is put in place and vacuum tested.

Resin begins to flow!

Done!

This hull is the second prototype and will be rigged as a sloop.  Assembly will begin in April in preparation for the local lakes loose their covering of ice and snow.  Once the lakes are clear, and the boat assembled, sloop sea trials will begin.

Busy in boat shop and on the road

Many happenings at Sage this month:

• Sage 15 SageCat was prepped for and took part in the Wrinkleboat Ran-Tan on Lake Pleasant, AZ.
• Completed another Sage 17 that Dave is currently taking to her owners in Florida.
• Two more Sage 17s are in the shop being assembled by Greg for their owners.
• Matt is busy modifying the Sage 15 molds for resin infusion.
• Preparations being made for the Third Annual Colorado Indoor Messabout

Details (or some details with more to come) –

The Wrinkleboat Ran-Tan was held on Lake Pleasant, AZ, the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (Jan. 15-16-17-18, ’16).  SageCat was on the water for the second time.  Jerry has a summary of his experience here on the Sage Marine forum –

http://www.sagemarine.us/forum/showthread.php?645-Wrikle-Boat-Ran-Tan-Sailing

More in-depth reporting is coming.

 

Sage 15 SageCat on the custom trailer about the depart for the Wrinkleboat Ran-Tan.

Dave, meaning me as I’m typing this post, is on the way to Florida with a brand new Sage 17 –

A rest stop in Louisiana on the way to Florida.  The above boat features all exterior wood replaced with Starboard (plastic ‘teak’) and custom cabin windows.

 

Multiple Sage 17s are in the shop being prepared for their owners –

Sage 17 SEAK is now on her way to Florida.  Two more Sage 17s in the background being assembled.

 

Matt is almost done with the Sage 15 hull mold modifications for resin infusion.  Once done he begins testing of resin flow rates in preparation to making hulls.  While doing this Matt begins modifying the other S15 molds (ie, deck, hull line, etc) for resin infusion.

 

The Colorado Indoor Messabout will be 20 February 2016 at Sage Marine.  CLICK here for last years’s messabout report.

Third Annual Colorado Winter Indoor Messabout

When        –        Saturday, February 20, 2016  —  1 to 6 pm

Where       –        Sage Marine  —  820 Spyderco Drive, Golden CO (metal building North of SpyderCo building, entrance is on the West side – shipping containers out front)

Cost         –         $  00000000000000000000.00

Agenda    –         Free flowing dialog, large screen TV available to show off your boat/boating trip/boat project/almost anything boatish) from a flash drive. We welcome anyone having a boat project (completed or in progress) to bring it along and be prepared for discussion. There will be space and time for you to say a few words, but only if you want to. It’s a very very informal setting.

Food          –        Light snacks and beverages will be provided. you are welcome to bring something to share, but definitely not required.

Hosts      –      Dave Scobie, Johnny Walker & Paul Breeding

Questions or concerns  –  Paul Breeding  pbreedingco2@msn.com

See you on the 20th;    Dave, Johnny & Paul

PS    –    You do not need to live in Colorado to be invited, feel free to share this with your boating friends.