May Pilot Classic 55 Updates

A busy month at the yard which has seen the Coracell M foam outer skin laminated with e-glass, vacuumed and then epoxy filled and partially faired, infact below the water line fairing is completed. The slightly scary process of turning the hull with the jig inside was completed and she is now sitting in her build cradle with the jig removed. We call already see her beautiful lines. The next month will be all about forming the internal structure, its very much a carbon based grid system engineered by Hoek Design to be light and very strong. The bow of the boat looks slightly strange at the moment as the boat has a false bow which is a safety feature used on high end race boats where if one was unlucky enough to hit an object at speed, the false bow is designed to break off whilst maintaining the integrity of the hull. As a further safety measure there is also a watertight bulkhead immediately behind the bow as well as in the aft section.

April Pilot Classic 55 Updates

The foam structure for the hull has been competed and lamination has started. You can see the cove line, hull windows and keel recess have all been prepared. The foam is specified in different densities depending on the load areas as specified by the designers. Its been a busy month ordering a lot of the equipment such as the engine, drive train, steering as well as much of the deck gear. Lamination should be completed by the end of the month and then probably in mid May the hull will be turned and the internal structure will be added.

February-March Pilot Classic 55 Updates

The build started in the second half of Febuary with the jig arriving and being set up the week earlier. Exciting times for all. There are also some 3 d images showing the hull ines and also the preliminary internal structure. The photos of the jig in place are starting to give us a glimpse of the stunning hull shape. The Gurit M foam will then be laid over the jig in long strips and then glued together with epoxy. Once this is completed then the laminate will be laid and epoxied and then vacuumed to the hull.