Emerald Marine Carpentry: May 2021

The Longtail 30 is a custom designed performance daysailer, built for speed and ease of handling. Designed by Paul Bieker and built in cooperation between Emerald Marine Carpentry, Betts Boats and Beiker Boats.

The frames and planks are constructed from sheets of plywood cut with Computer Aided Design and the hull is stitch and glue epoxy method. Carbon fiber, lamination and vacuum pump technology strengthens the frame that rings the mast step and keel strut. This is part one of a series.

Frames are 6mm plywood with spruce and fabric reiforcement. Extra carbon fiber was added to #4 due to proximity to the mast step and keel.

The stem was laminated at Emerald Marine and then sent to be shaped by cnc at Betts boats.

An early start to gluing the pieces together

Puzzle joints

Carbon/foam tray for jib traveler

Laser level!

Building jig ready for frames

Frames in place

Carbon fiber reinforcement at the chine

Stem in place

Carbon/foam transom

Mast Step/compression post and keel attachment installed, keelson glued.

The planks are added with stitch and glue

Underneath, the keel joint is taped with three layers 300 g glass and peel ply.

Dry fit the broad strake with bifurcated forward end to accommodate for the twist

Dry fitting topside planking, false transom

Preparing planking: full length, pre coated in epoxy and 'glass, stringers attached

Shaping the Stem and faring with micro balloons.

Final faring and glass. 300 g S glass. Then peel ply on the lapped and doubled areas.

Last fiberglass cloth, more ply, and more micro balloons. Total two layers on the bottom and an extra layer of tape on the topside chine. Three and four layers overlap at the bow.

Sanding begins

Rudder tube with synthetic bearings, top and bottom, bushed onto an old pipe
mocking up the rudder post. There is a reference string on the pipe face.