Sunday, August 25, 2013

More Progress

I cut out the cabin tops for each hull. I'll have a 10" ventilation hatch forward. I am making a sliding main hatch instead of the standard design with the dimensions of 20"x25". If all goes to plan, I should have the aft decks and cabin tops all installed by this coming Sunday!


4 comments:

  1. Hey Brad,

    Nice blog! It's great to see the process of your build.. I just got hold of some tiki 21 plans and have been thinking of building one to get some experience and see if i'm up to building a 38 later on..

    How have you found the build so far? Time wise? Costs? Difficulties? And how about the size? Any wishes to have upgraded to the 26?

    I seem to keep going round in circles in deciding which way to go - I just love them all!

    Be great to hear your thoughts!
    All the best, Josh

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  3. BradSeptember 4, 2013 at 1:54 PM

    Hey Josh,

    I've found the build exhilarating, frustrating, rewarding, and tons of other emotions! Overall, every time I pull up in the driveway and see those sweet lines waiting to be unleashed on the seas, I am just totally stoked. I've been working on it for a year. I have had a lot going on in the mean time, and winter really slowed things down with the epoxy. Here lately I've been free to work on her full time, and she is coming together quickly. I've learned a lot and not to stress every little detail. Rick Hueschen told me that there will be thousands of things you think about that others will never notice. I'm finding that to be very true! I'm beefing my tiki up for pretty hard use, and spending money on the best materials (wood, polyurethane paint, sails, gear, etc). However, despite this I think I will come in around ten grand or so with the trailer, boat, aluminum mast, performance and storm sails, and rigging. I got my trailer for 200 and am getting all the welding done for free, which saves a lot in itself. Overall the plans have been pretty easy to follow. I haven't messed up anything serious yet!

    Regarding the size, I am extremely satisfied with the 21. Last summer I beach cruised a Nacra F18. It was like camping in a Ferrari. Soaking wet all day on trap, exposed at night on the trap even with a boom tent. Now I have an actual cabin with 12' of bunk varnished to look like I'm inside a nice, warm tree trunk! Wind can't get to me in there! Yeah, I can't sit up inside, but I can sit up under the dodger (going to fashion some like Rory's) and sit up on my side in the cabins to read. I guess it's just about your attitude/mentality. I sleep under a tarp instead of a tent while backpacking. I just like everything minimal and fuss free. I always sleep in the quarter-berth on larger boats. I'm just a small spaces type of guy. I prefer to sleep in the back of my truck than inside a house. I think that has a lot to do with my satisfaction level. I can also disassemble the boat on a beach and flip a hull over easily by myself if I need to. A 200 lb hull is very manageable. I do not wish for a larger vessel. I've found it's quite comfortable to sleep two inside a hull (head to head). My ex wife is 5' 8" and I am 6' 1", and we both slept very soundly sleeping head to head in Brandon Gamble's tiki 21, Element. We could also get down in the forward birth and do some very cozy snuggling. Again, we like small spaces anyways. If you would like pictures of an actual person in the hulls or anything like that let me know. I remember scouring the internet looking for pics of someone actually sleeping in a tiki 21 hull before I chose it.

    Sorry for the long, reply! Feel free to ask any other questions.

    Brad

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  4. Hey Brad,
    Thanks for your reply, it's great to hear of your thoughts and experiences.. Looks like your build is coming along great! Looking forward to seeing her afloat! Will let you know how I go.. All the best, Josh :)

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