This site is all about building a Fusion 40 catamaran, which we are going to name Bossa Nova. It is being built by Neville (& Amanda) at our home in Victoria, Australia. You are welcome to follow our journey. It will take several months, a lot of hard work and will be reliant on lots… Read More »
Not much to show so far with the Fusion Kit delayed. With such a wet winter and another ‘small’ building project taking up considerable time (not to mention work), the delay has meant more time for preparation. Every night (no joke) Neville studies his “Master List”. “Nearly everything crossed off,” he told me the other… Read More »
I suppose it may appear that all we have to do is wait but there does seem to be a million things to do in the mean time. We are busy accumulating tools of every description as well as consumables such as disposable gloves and ice-cream type containers (would you believe about 800 needed?). We… Read More »
Our latest update from Fusion is that we are looking at our kit being finished November 19. Then we have the freight concern … will it be here by Christmas?! Watch this space! We were originally expecting our Fusion Kit early September, but due to setbacks at the Thailand factory because of the unrest in… Read More »
“Isn’t it gorgeous!” Hmmm … WHAT is he talking about? He was talking about the forebeam. The forebeam has arrived … and the two engine beds.
Last update from Fusion … could be brought forward with a change to Kit Number #63 instead of allocated #64. We’ll wait and see!
Confirmed, we are kit #63, hopefully leaving Thailand mid November. Gearing up for a January start.
Our first container has arrived. We ordered the interior fibreglass furniture from Fusion Mackay and then had to tackle the freight issue. After much research on how to get it here, we decided to purchase a 40′ container from Mackay and then transport it in this. We used rail from Mackay to Melbourne, then a… Read More »
We have progressed a little. The first Thailand container is on the way and should be here about 25th November. Our second shed container is in place and we have started constructing the shed trusses. Of course they had to be dismantled in Rosebud first which was quite a job! The gantry which will lift… Read More »
Wow! The moment when the first rack of moulded parts starts to emerge from the container has finally arrived and is actually quite moving, although it’s difficult to concentrate on being moved when you’re busy towing the racks onto a flimsy rack of pallets and chipboard then it decides to jam on a bolt someone… Read More »
When I signed on to this thing I thought I would be building a boat not a shed! However it does seem to be part of the deal, and with me too scungy to rent a cherry-picker it means lots of high ladder and gantry work. Still we are only a day or so from… Read More »
The second container has arrived, the building begins … not bad for nearly two days work.
Wow! What progress! Only seven days into actual construction and the images make it obvious that the progress has been extraordinary . Tom from Fusion Mackay has supervised the build and with Mike and myself as his eager helpers we have flown through the build to date. The weather has been absolutely ideal for glass… Read More »
The days have flown by and there’s been so much progress. We have a boat in our paddock! Lots still to do but so much progress in a short time. A big thankyou to guys who have been working with Neville … Tom from Fusion Mackay who’s our “expert”, Trevor, who’s pretty good at everything… Read More »
A few more assembly pics. The starboard and port sides have been added, furniture components have been placed waiting for fixing next week when Dodge from Fusion Mackay joins us.
15 days in … What a wild ride! The pace is fast and furious. Tom left for Mackay today as the kit is substantially finished and the fitout begins. Already we have installed fibreglass moulded modules for the forward and rear bathrooms, one of the forward bedrooms and a few other bits and pieces. The… Read More »
Just 21 days … stunning progress so far… the kit is basically complete but it was always our intention to fit a large number of moulded furniture components (from Fusion Mackay) and the installation of these has started as you can see from the pics. Fusion Mackay sell these components and we’ve had two of… Read More »
It’s been 6 weeks since we started building. So much done … so much more to do. Long days, many hours, kilos of resin, kilos of glue, metres of fibreglass, hundreds of plastic buckets and white rags, and endless hours of grinding (teeth too). Not to mention the endless number of coffees, lunches and cold… Read More »
And you thought … nothing was happening. Lots happening, including lots of thinking. While we have purchased many interior furniture components from Fusion Mackay, we didn’t purchase the galley and saloon components. So we are designing and building these ourselves. Neville is busy learning ‘how to’ work with fibreglass and I just find the glossy… Read More »
Thankyou Andrei for the reminder … “No more updates on the blog everything is OK ?!” Loads of work happening, but it’s slow now. No more big pieces being put together. Lots of bogging and fairing, and sanding and gelcoat spraying. Most of the joins have been prepared for fairing now, just weather dependent (you… Read More »
I’ve learn’t so much during this build, especially working with fibreglass. Making the furniture pieces has been very rewarding. Finding ways to make white shapes and then piecing the made pieces together to make the corners, walls, steps and cupboards has been tedious but very rewarding. Just had a ‘week away’ escaping the cold and… Read More »
Recent fine weather has been ideal for further engine bay work. A floor surround around the engine beds now provides a flat floor and directs any water to the sump under the engine sump where a bilge pump will soon be fitted. We have opted for cable steering and have fitted both rudder quadrants and… Read More »
A few jobs conquered. Know we’ve been a bit slack on our blog … thankyou for reminding us blog readers! Not intentionally slow with the updates, just not as much to report as the early building stages. But, I do know how interested and excited people get who follow these boat building projects … Neville… Read More »
Really looking forward to the saloon coming together. We have put a lot of thought in to this area. Our initial thoughts were to have a galley down (like our Seawind 1000) – more entertaining room up and utilise the hull space down. After much discussion, measuring and researching designs on other cats, we decided… Read More »
All the big bits of furniture are largely in place now except for the two sections inside each side of the doorway. I am waiting for the doorway to arrive before glassing those two in so I get them in the correct place in relation to opening the doors, as these doors will be opening… Read More »
Very exciting …. motors have arrived! 29hp Yanmars, saildrive legs and Gori three bladed props. Now I just have to work out how to fit them! You can go to bigger motors but considering weight, fuel economy and cost I couldn’t really see the point. These should push it near to hull speed anyway and… Read More »
Sunday is clean-up day, well, it’s supposed to be. Neville is good at the mess, so I suppose I compliment him by being better at the cleaning up. We can now see the saloon and the ‘couch’ furniture as I’ve ‘cleaned up’ this area this afternoon. I can’t really help ‘hands on’ with many jobs… Read More »
We have purchased an Isotherm 40 litre hot water service with dual heating coils as we intend to heat the water by engine, but also by means of a small Webasto diesel heater which will also power heaters in the main saloon as well as both forward cabins. This will avoid the need to run… Read More »
It all started because the motors were here, due to a price agreement 12 months ago. Then a good friend, Tony Borrell, offered to help fit one. How could we refuse? After all, we can always wrap it in gladwrap, and it does help to organize mountings for filters, strainers, exhausts, hot water and so… Read More »
You would be forgiven for thinking I am in costume! Unfortunately this is a costume that every fibreglass boat builder wears from time to time. It’s also the one that doesn’t appear in the article telling you what a fabulous experience building your own boat is! Never mind, it was taken just after I trimmed… Read More »
The last few weeks have been all about getting all the inside ‘shiny-sheet’ bits and pieces completed, particularly around the doorways. We’ve cut out the internal doorways now and measured for our aluminium trims. We are using the same company who have made our external doorway and windows. The external door & windows are powder… Read More »
Noticed our last post was dated 28/11/11, just on one month ago. It has been a slow month for boat building as real work has got in the way in December. Our work is always busy in December so totally expected AND we do have to pay for this boat! Still lots of conversations, planning… Read More »
After MUCH research we decided on Raritan toilets. Our first one has arrived and fits perfectly in the two spaces we have. We visited the Sydney Boat Show with a paper template of the two spaces we had hoping to make a final decision. Number one, it had to fit both spaces (we did not… Read More »
More fibreglassing of shelves and saloon couch, batons in the ceiling of the bathroom ready for the ceiling, fitting of a bilge pump to the port hull, pre-plumbing of two toilets, galley bench, laying up of small sections of our existing moulds to use as trim here and there …. the list goes on!
Cabinet-maker and upholsterer coming soon to measure up. Can’t wait!!
Dry weather, mild temperatures, it’s fairing time. We’ve finally found someone to fair our boat. Mick is working on the outside while the weather is fine. Lots (and lots) of bogging and then sanding, with spraying starting today. We’ve also started adding the two underfloor ribs. One on today, prep done for the other. Not… Read More »
Still working on the fairing of the outside of our boat, inside will come next. While Mick, our fairer, continues to bog, sand & polish, Neville has been working on the conversion of the cockpit locker to an icebox. Mick will add the finishing fibreglass, then Neville will add some insulation. This is a ‘work… Read More »
Sunday is clean-up day, the cockpit the target. With acetone, a new yellow gunk (can’t remember its name) and even a toothbrush, Amanda washed, scrubbed, re-scrubbed and used her toothbrush to restore the whiteness to our very messy cockpit. I remember when we bought our Seawind noticing a toothbrush with the cleaning implements … I… Read More »
February 24, 2012 Just noticed I saved this page way back in October last year and never posted it (see below). Easter completion date … I don’t think so! We are hoping for September/October now. No way we’ll be ready before winter and it will be too wet during winter to move our boat out… Read More »
There’s so many confined spaces on a boat. Squeezing in to the cockpit stern seats to complete the fibreglass and then flow-coat, accessing the tall cupboards with only one arm fitting through the opening to flow-coat while trying not to paint the rubber hoses and then watching Neville build the gas bottle shelf in the… Read More »
Our internal door frames have arrived! Anodized aluminium complete with trim rings which we hope will look really classy! They should be a lot less work also but there will be a tedious bit of fibreglass adjustment required. Most of the bulkheads are now trimmed out but some of the adjoining furniture needs to be… Read More »
Jobs done … helm pilot hatch, bathroom ceiling, rudder reference control in port engine locker, gas bottle shelf/locker, galley furniture, rear beam join in back locker, dinghy davits, auto-pilot cabling, second engine bilge pump … Is he going crazzzzyyyy???? See pic number 8!!
It’s a beautiful day here … 25 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, no breeze, just sunshine. Some days the weather can reflect the mood. Today, we feel we are making progress and the sun is shining. Mick, our fabulous ‘fairer’, our fibreglass master, has added some shine to the bogged and gelcoated white. … Read More »
Sunny day, cold weather approaching, time for the windows to go in. We started last week preparing the fibreglass, with four ready, we started on the glass today.
Easter has arrived. The pictures tell the story, as they often do. We have finally fitted the link to the linear drive motor for the autopilot thanks to my brother John, who built a new one because the Lewmar part was too fat and wouldn’t fit. You can also see the rudder reference gadget which… Read More »
“Nearly” is a BIG word in boat building. “Finished” is a BIGGER word in boat building! Lots of jobs are “nearly” finished, including our windows. They are a bugger to fit. Placing them, wanting the same gaps between & deep, all rather tricky. As is applying the black Simsons with caulking between. All front windows… Read More »