Hello everybody, greetings from Scotland,
After reading many a blog from your forum, and gaining many ideas from the many home made land yachts out there, I thought it only fair to share my build experience with you.

I started with a sketch to get some dimensions sorted, the picture isn't very clear but it was good to have a plan to work too, or at least half a plan, some of this stuff was a case of make it up as I went along.


I'm working offshore in Brazil at the moment and the internet is pretty slow. I had hoped to get all the build photos in but it's going to take too long. Heres a picture of the finished article, The red sail was home modified and there was a tent sacrifice involved! the yellow sail was also partly home modified but it broke the wifes sewing machine! it pains me to have to tell you I had to put my hand in my pocket and pay someone else to sew it for me.




Hopefully you will notice that it does bear some resemblance to the plan I sail at Dornoch beach and I've been over to Harris too. 61kph on Luskentyre beach! it was braw!

As soon as I get home I'll post the rest of the pictures. I've actually started the Mark2 version so I'll post pics of that too. I've to build another for my 8year old daughter too! Its a right little production line going on here!

Let me have your thoughts please.

HAHAHahaha!! Love your forum name!! At 61Kph its very appropriate!

The yacht looks excellent and obvioulsy performs very well. I'm looking forward to more pictures! Well done!

yep Skid,

you got the bug there too, plans look like they came from Divinchi

not a worry...............tight sheets

Nice work Skidmark -
Welcome to the exciting world of miniyachts as Gizmo says "International" .
If you ever head across the pond to Ireland give me a shout.

Also may be worth keeping an eye on www.ipksa.info as there is the odd excursion to Luce.

Alan

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Thanks for your comments guys, Will post some build photos later today, might get a couple uploaded each day? Internet on a go slow.

Recognition from the "Guru" Mr Landyacht himself, Thats made my day!!

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Forks and main spine attached.




The overall dimensions are approx 1500mm wide x 1600mm long,




A simple lynch pin to hold the wheel on and an even simpler piece of alcathene water pipe for wheel spacers, they even match my colour scheme.

IPKSA - why change something that works? although the only thing about this type of steering geometry is that there is no self centering, its a pain to push along, raising the front end and pulling is the only option. There is also a little bit of under steer at speed.




Seat on and chassis bracing on, only temporary seat cover, I needed somewhere to sit and ponder over mast and rigging assemblies!




Mast foot attached with the pinch bolt method same as rear axle, fitted a stop inside about 250mm down from the top for the mast to sit on, the mouth was later flared. 10 deg rake. Anybody in the Highland region looking for a good metal stockist, I used B&M Steel in Inverness, they only sell stock lengths but at a reasonable price. Therefore I have enough steel left for the next two projects!




Some Scottish weather never held me up, The uncut sail on, its a Tushingham 4.2m2 I unpicked the mast sleeve, cut off some of the luff curve and attached it back on with double sided tape, Then I broke the wifes sewing machine! A local tarp specialist charged me a fortune to finish the job! gutted! £70 for only 8m of sewing? We have a saying in Scotland, "ripping off gypsy b*#@&£d"




Sewing machine fixed! Seat cover made from reinforced polyamide (I think?) Punched some eyelets around the perimeter and attached with some cord, just like a trampoline but without the bounce!.





Rigging on, this Dolphin sail was made from lighter cloth so I was able to modify it myself, its about 4.5 m2 after the cutting. I added a single batton to hold its shape. The boom is the same 1" tubing from the forks, A rowlock pinch clamped into the end to allow replacing if needed, a couple of anchor loops for the sail carabiners to attach, a stop ring to prevent the rigging sliding down the boom and last but not least a small lumi flag to stop people walking into the end of it!




My son enjoying the 20 knots available that day at Dornoch beach.

Well thats it folks, I'm about £3oo light and put in about 20ish hours graft, not too shabby if you compare that to the cost of a Blowkart.
I have some other action shots which I will dig out and post as soon as I can.
I have also started the Mk2 version, Seat redesign, wheel change and rigging changes, but kept the chassis design 90%ish, I will keep you all informed.

Thanks for looking.

landyacht said...

when you make your next front end, make the fork pivot line up with the contact patch of the tyre on the ground. next time you see a harley with long raked forks you will see that even those pig bikes do the same. that will correct your self steering issues
i suppose your biggest bad expense was the canvas man

The canvas man was a rogue, I think my biggest mistake was arriving in my Discovery, should have parked round the corner and walked in, why is it in this country people think you're loaded if you drive a 4x4?
The adjustment of fork inclination sounds like just what I need, will start on a new design asap, think I might just make the yokes wider and offset the holes for the stantions, top and bottom being opposite of course, just need to work out my offsets and it'll be braw!
Thanks for the advice Landyacht.

I will thank you guys to not use foul language in this forum!!!!

I believe I just read a really nasty word here.......

Discovery. Land rover Stch Stch Stch. That is nasty.. Least ways in my circle and the drivers are just as bad as Volvo Drivers.
Up until that Nasty Nasty Word I was enjoying reading our Braw Wee Lads Topic.

Skidmark, How is the Pinch Mast Setup going? I would have thought at such a stress point that it would be a sitter for Metal Fatigue??

Nikrum

Shees! What has happened to the Good Ol' Scot, loosing their taste for War. Damn! I thought I could have easily started one. Stch stch, Oh well! I guess my wife is one of the old blood. LOL with a touch of the Hun thrown in
. She is one of the line that was chucked out during the Clearances. I guess I just will have to find a POME or a Yank to pick on [}:)]

She is now a Williams nee Balderston from NZ. They evidently were chucked out of Scotland and went to NZ via Nova Scotia. It doesn't surprise me that they were chucked out either--------They can be a bad tempered lot Her Grand mother went to Brazil from Scotland when she was a teenager and found her way to NZ and Married a German. Man that is a bad mix. ME somewheres down the line my dads side found their way here from GB (Cockney lot I think) and Mums lot found there way here------probably with shackles---------from GB as well, Moody, wherever they originate from Norman lot I think. What a mix my son is Flaming Red Hair down his back and Bloody well 6'6" tall. Big bugger likes to go out into the paddocks and hold Bulls out to Piddle or put them over the fence to confuse the Farmers
nikrum

Is this a meeting of the Seabreeze Genealogical Society?

Glenmorangie is my tipple, I pass the distillery on my way to the beach too!

Hi Skidmark,(I so love that moniker)

You have some serious issues!!!!
1 You drive a Discovery
2 You ride a GSA 1150
3 You build land yachts
ALL VERY SAD REALLY

I know what you are thinking....oh yes!!!

How do I know this?
JUST LOOK AT MY LITTLE OPERATION
TOTALLY CERTIFIABLE
We even have the same bloody trailer....and we live 20 thousand miles away!!
You need to see somebody....I did .....it didn't help
And it snows here too!
When are you coming to Tassie?

at least with the landcruiser, when you get your 4 minis on the roof rack, you then only have to worry how many TONNES of landyachts you want to put on the trailer

Hey Skidmark
Tis kinda spooky really!
I've just put a set of Metzeler Tourances (is that how you spell that?) on. Went around the sheep yesterday.........they sure are slippery when they get bogged up with poo.
One good thing though......we are moving into summer and you into winter HA HA!