Green Island 18

[gregJ]

There has been some discussion in the forum about the Green Island range of boats designed by Headland Boats Australia.
Here are some pics of my almost complete GI18.
The boat has been built over the past couple of years in the open beside my house in Sydney Australia. I found the plans fairly straight forward to build from and the designer, Mike, very helpful.
The boat was built as per plans, except(there is always an except) I changed the rig from gunter to high peaked gaff and I mounted an electric auxillary (Minn Kota 101) in a locker in the rear deck and it's batteries in boxes where the balast should be located.
I will follow with a report on the sailing and motoring performance. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pd73ebd7dcf5c4310b6378be41598bdac/f12c718f.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p3bd3b34f76c934189e87294ea5235767/f12c7168.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p3bd3b34f76c934189e87294ea5235767/f12c7168.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pc5937a3aded4f797ea47571b01cd1ecd/f12c7129.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pc3c560ef40f1322171d86e3641260923/f12c70f8.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pf4556767f52113946549dd0136097c4c/f12c70c9.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p949fac40d18149b9a7ad59da98011cc7/f12c70a9.jpg

[ 12-05-2005, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: gregJ ]

[Rick Clark]

Real nice!!!! how dos'e she sail mate, Ok just joking I like the rudder set up, nice smile.gif

[ 12-05-2005, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: Rick Clark ]

[Adrian Valley]

Nearly there and very impressive, I bet you can't wait to sail her! I love the sheer on these boats (and their versatile and seaworthy reputation), more pictures please.

Adrian
Albany Western Australia

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

More pics, please. Dennis, are you seeing this?

[Christopher Locke]

Nice incentive for me re: the glacier-like progress on my own Green Island 18. Thanks, Greg.

[gregJ]

Thank you all for your kinds words. Below are some more pics.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p3c6730d41a63e42192df33096a273c5b/f128c6df.jpg

This is the boat upside down under a tarp. You can see the small bilge keels I added to protect the cb slot which is not protected with a brass strip.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p63983744795849d64483115ec88bee8f/f128c790.jpg

This is the boat on its stand ready to be moved with the tarp removed. There are few fittings to reduce weight. The boat was then jacked up and the trailer pushed under and then manhandled to the neighbours drive.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pfdaae6ac07fdd2f3ae6f4dfcba5f7a73/f128bd18.jpg

This shows the rudder setup. Because the tiller and the rudder swing in different planes the universal type joint is necessary. Most of Mystras hardware is homemade from scrap brass and copper. All the blocks caome from local trees. The mizzen block is casurina (she oak).

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/pe87a56f0620716d92b84d834f4b0e6f9/f128bcfb.jpg

The 3 batteries for the electric ob are in 2 boxes located where the balast should be (between frames 2 and 3)Above the batteries are the meteres and isolation switches. I wll charge them as 3x12v batteries. Waterways run aft from below the joint between the hatches and the seats. The mast steps and the top of the cb case are old brush box flooring from my firewood pile. most of the boats frames are recycled fir (oregon in Aus) and the ply is Pacific maple.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p183be9fdb4a3a7ce2cba601d338a73cd/f128c768.jpg

This is the motor installation prior to painting - a Minn Kota 101 which is a tight fit.

I got the 3 batteries today, a little more wiring to do and I will be sailing.

[ 12-06-2005, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: gregJ ]

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Greg:

I have the "15" plans and have pored over them for a long time. One change I sketched out was making the rear cockpit seat level with the side bench seats. It seems it would make it easier to slide fore and aft as captain instead of hitching myself up onto the rear seat. Since you actually have built the boat is there any merit to this at all? The only drawback I could see is that there would be less sealed air underneath the rear seat. (Come to think of it this captain needs as much reserve buoyancy as he can get!)

Also, was it hard working off the plans for the "15" as you built the bigger brother that you have? Lastly, how long has it taken you - every other evening for the past year or so? Do post those pics and more. You have quite a craft there and it is an inspiration to m... uhh, others yes - OTHERS who need a prod to get going. ;)

[ 12-08-2005, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]

[Christopher Locke]

Cap't, just a note that with the ketch rig, I think it would be unlikely that you'd want to sit on the rear seat anyways. In fact, even with the sloop rig, the tiller extends across that rear seat so it would probabaly be more comfortable to sit on the side seat, except maybe when on a long down-wind leg where you aren't making big tiller movements and want the weight as far aft as possible.

Chris

[Thorne]

How does the Minn Kota deploy? -- the whole setup looks really cool!

[gregJ]

To Captain... I agree with Chris. On the GI15 the tiller will sweep the rear deck so you will be unable to sit there. Also the rear deck slopes aft and runs any water that comes aboard to scuppers in the transom. This safety feature would be lost if the rear deck was level with the seats. With regards to the plans. The GI 18 had quite detailed plans to work from including full size plans for the rudder and cb. Some measurements and details were omitted like the thickness of the transom ply, framing details under the bow section and the width of the side decks. These measurements I either scaled off the drawings or guessed. I only consulted the designer once re the weight of the balast (as I was using batteries) and recieved a very prompt reply.
I spent the last 2 years building the hull, probably about 8hpw on average. In the 3 years prior to that I made the spars, cb, rudder, tiller and all the blocks and timber cleats working at a very leasurely pace.

With regard to the motor installation. It is a second hand Minn Kota 101. The controls were removed from the bottom section and protrude permenantly through a hole into the cockpit beside and to the stb of the tiller. Stearing is done with the tiller only. The shaft was shortened and placed on a hinge so that it swings through a hole in the floor shaped like a large tennis racket and is lowered on a small block and tackel (the motor weighs 12Kg). For sailing the floor section is replaced and the weight of the motor keeps it in place. This motor well takes up about a third of the rear locker space. Watertight compartments are located either side. To reverse, a 16mm dowel slips into a tube beside the motor to resist reversing thrust but allowing the motor to swing upwards if it strikes a submerged object (by breaking the dowel). This did not work so well as the motor broke the dowel when in reverse and run flat out. I will experiment with stronger dowels. In forward this worked well there is of course a bit of water in the well when sailing or at anchor. When motoring the well creates a bit of turbulence. If I had bought a new motor I would have got a 74 Minn Kota as I think this would have been big enough, The 101 is a tight fit on this boat. I am using 3x130 AH Trogan batteries but charging them individually with 3 12v chargers. Below is a pic of the electronics, located under the stb hatch, one of the batteries is below. If you want and more info (circuits etc) just email me.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid196/pee4725c06f08b81860d296707fdf41a4/f118d6dd.jpg

I also have a 12v circuit that supplies 2 outlets (ss cigarette lighter types) which are fused. A 50A circuit breaker protects the 36v motor circuit.
Under power the boat was great. I could not measure speed but we seemed to reach hull speed at about 20Amps of current. Flat out the motor pulled 32Amps which confirms that the motor is seriously under propped.

My maiden voyage was a quite affair just my family. There was no wind and a fair bit of rain not good for testing the boat. We launched at Greys Point on the Hacking and motored up to Audley weir and then back. We hoisted all the sails, although there was no wind, and just pretended that we were sailing which is easy to do with an electric motor in a well.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid196/pa0f9662935598831c01908010b0caab5/f118d762.jpg

This shows me and my daughters on the beach at Greys point in the rain.

I will log a sailing report after Xmas as there won't be much sailing to then.

[ 12-11-2005, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: gregJ ]

[Lion]

Nice!

Look forward to further reports.

Lion

[Shalfleet]

She is beautiful...with some very innovative touches! Excellent work!!