Bestevaer 49ST

[Seaworthy Lass]

More photos have arrived. It was a perfect thing to find coming off my watch this morning .

The pilothouse and cabin top have been lifted onto the hull. This was the start of the process:

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...sdcouhive.jpeg


There are a myriad of additions that we can see, that I will point out in the following photos.

These may be a bit slow in coming, as we have just settled down after an overnight passage and a sleep deprived prior night. For those who haven't tasted the cruising life, living at the mercy of the elements is hard to describe. Suffice to say every fibre of your being feels alive .
In the last couple of days we have experienced two severe thunderstorms with 50+ knot winds, once in the throws of anchoring the night before last and once barely ten minutes after setting the hook an hour ago. The heavens opened with 50mm (2") of rain in two hours in the first instance, and now we are being pelted with deafening hail, as well as wipe out conditions with rain. Autumn has arrived with a vengeance in the Med!

This is a snapshot taken from our companionway at anchor just now. No time to be wondering if "bigger is best" when it comes to anchors. Certainly no time to be thinking of laying two anchors if one is inadequate when this unexpectedly hits and you have a lee shore:

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...s47am3zle.jpeg


We are relaxing after showers with the first drink in hand for a few days, so more photos may be a bit slow in coming .

SWL

[packeteer]

wow, that is going to be incredibly strong with all that framing

[Matt Johnson]

Wow! The framing looks crazy strong for the deck and cabin top. What size is the deck/ cabin plating? As always, it looks beautiful.

Matt

[Tayana42]

The new boat continues to look beautiful and strong. The photos of your current boat anchored in the thunder storm makes one appreciate all the good information you and Noelex have provided in the anchor photos thread. I assume you didn't jump right in during that weather to get photos of your anchor set, or did you?


S/V B'Shert

[Jim Cate]

For those who haven't tasted the cruising life, living at the mercy of the elements is hard to describe. Suffice to say every fibre of your being feels alive

Truer words are seldom seen here on cf!

Jim

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Wow! The framing looks crazy strong for the deck and cabin top. What size is the deck/ cabin plating? As always, it looks beautiful.

Matt

Hi Matt
Deck & cabin plating is 5mm, except where there are any fittings attached such as anchor winch, bollards, yankee and staysail tracks, clutches, blocks etc, where it is generally a minimum of 12 mm thick. The entire top of the combing where sheet winches are fitted is 12 mm.

Some of the fittings are welded through the deck. Those that are attached with screws will be blind tapped into the aluminium to ensure no possibility of leaks below deck.

SWL

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

The new boat continues to look beautiful and strong. The photos of your current boat anchored in the thunder storm makes one appreciate all the good information you and Noelex have provided in the anchor photos thread. I assume you didn't jump right in during that weather to get photos of your anchor set, or did you?


S/V B'Shert

The captain took pity on me .
The water is like soup following these conditions, so no shots were possible the day before last, but the thunderstorm was short lived this second time and we will be in our current spot long enough enough for clarity to settle, so underwater photos will be taken.

When I look back at the photo I posted, conditions looks so much tamer than reality. The salty rain was horizontal and felt like needles hitting skin. No hope standing in these conditions - you crawl. The boat pitches and rolls violently. No verbal and little visual communication is possible between the bow and helmsman.

We were actually out in something similar dropping anchor the night before last. Trying to carry a "special storm anchor" forward in these conditions or deploying two would just be laughable. The severity was unexpected, so no hope of prepreparing for this. Thunderstorms swept through for 8 hours with very few lulls while the wind swirled through 270° degrees and our plot subscribed the most perfect circular shape. I napped, but it was very comforting seeing this thin arc each time each time an eye opened. At least yesterday's conditions did not last as long.

Anyway, more boat build photos to come after I have had brekkie .

SWL

[Seaworthy Lass]

Here are some of our deck features that we are seeing for the first time. Some of them are very simple, but serve to make the boat more functional and are easy to incorporate at this stage of the build.

First the swan neck:
The best way of getting mast wires through the deck in a completely waterproof manner, but something that all allows for future additions and replacement of wires,
is with a swan neck.

Traditionally swan necks are swan neck shaped , but a stronger swan neck can be made welding a complete pipe onto the deck with an opening at the rear base of one end. It then also makes a great tie down point at the base of the mast.

This is ours:

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...scrcpyklz.jpeg


This photo on a steel boat explains it better:

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...sp3stcxm0.jpeg

[Seaworthy Lass]

Modern construction tries to do away with deck clutter primarily for aesthetics, but it is also stated there is less to stub toes on.

In boat reviews this is often mentioned as a great positive feature, however, what we have found that people who cruise full time know the boat so well that these raised areas are unlikely to be hazards and instead become assets, as feet can be braced against them. When it comes to numerous tie down points and handholds, they are in fact invaluable. In some cases like hatches, not making them flush with the deck can greatly assist their waterproof nature. This is one instance where aesthetics will take a back seat on our boat.

This is some of our deck "clutter".

Each hatch has four tangs welded at the corners. These will provide tie down points for wind scoops, hatch covers, etc. The 20 mm thick staysail track is also shown in this shot:


http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...sqkhwqazr.jpeg

[weavis]

If I were but wealthy enough to have these guys make me a catamaran...

[packeteer]

I do like the tabs/tangs. brilliant idea!

[Snowpetrel]

Looks fantastic, and thats is one seriously strong deck. I like how you have kept the area forward of the mast clear, is that so you can strap a dinghy down over it?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Looks fantastic, and thats is one seriously strong deck. I like how you have kept the area forward of the mast clear, is that so you can strap a dinghy down over it?

Yes. The dinghy will be hung under the solar arch most of the time, but for longer passages it can be strapped down at the front.

The dinghy position is indicated in yellow below. Not being large it leaves plenty of room on the side decks, and the front locker can still be opened.
Five tangs to secure the dinghy are also shown. We have lots of those pad eyes all over the deck .

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...shetvhejb.jpeg

[Seaworthy Lass]

I love this photo .

We copied this hand rail from a couple of other Bestevaers. It will make going forward so much easier. A similar rail is "standard" on the pilothouse roof and can just be seen in the background. The third lot of similar handrails on the inside of the cockpit combing just inboard of the winches (not welded on yet) is similar to that seen on KM's Stadships. Our time spent examining lots of boats and photographing features we liked, helped tremendously when it came to drafting specifications.

Below is one of the few areas on the deck that have been sanded properly yet, but it gives an idea of final finish. That vertical sheet running fore/aft tack welded next to it is only temporary:


http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...snekouvjt.jpeg

[DDabs]

yeah those little deck attachments are amazing.