Natural Navigators

 

Seems kinda simpler on the water!

From Crowd Motion Patterns, Dupont etc al. (2017)

Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of [their] mind comes through [their] movements.

- Maria Montessori

Natural Navigators

Line of sight navigation - lines of position, ranges, transits, relative bearings - is the simplest kind of look-see reckoning. No numbers, calculations or algebra! Given fixed visible points and rough angles, we can tell where we are on the water. With a second glance, we can tell if we're advancing, clearing or if another vessel will pass ahead or behind.

Simple.

Yet many struggle with the concepts involved. Many feel that such skills are beyond them. That there is something mystical or arcane in their ways.

I won't go into the details as they're well documented elsewhere. Rather, I'd like to point out that we use these skills daily without giving them the least conscious thought. We're ALL navigators from our early infancy!

Come with me for a walk in the park?

We're walking along a path bordered by green grass. We encounter others strolling along. Occasionally, we overtake a group going the same direction, and pass through with nods and 'hellos'. We see a vendor's stand to one side and pull off for ice-cream.

Lovely.

Of course, we've been navigating the whole time. We've not overstepped the path to tread the grass. We've tended to the right as have those coming towards us. We've threaded a 'fleet' of slower folks without bumping. We cleared the corner to the vendor's 'cove' and entered.

We do this every day. We walk toward our destinations. We walk through doors rather than crash into the walls on either side, coming and going. We assess and adjust our course and pace, relative to others in motion.

The only difference that makes navigation on the water feel uncanny is that we aren't generally providing the physical impetus of our own motion. Wind and water move us along as we sit and admire the view. But line of sight navigation remains the same. We adjust our course and speed according to what we observe, just as we do ashore.

It ain't magic!

 

Tulle + TBIII + Paint: A Promising Sheathing Combo

 

Save that Veil...
It's Tulle!

Because, in your dreams, every detail matters.

- Wedding Veil Ad Copy

Tulle + TBIII + Paint: A Promising Sheathing Combo

In our endless search for cheaper solutions to common problems, we seem to be closing in on a minimum. Specifically, in regards to a plywood sheathing system.

Previous posts - More Than One Way to Sheath a Boat and Deck Sheathing: Alternatives to Fiberglass and Plastic Resins - explored alternatives we've tried. Our state-of-the-art is woven acrylic fabric (sometimes sold as 'Dynel') providing a matrix for TiteBond III water-based (but 'proof') glue.

Problem is, formerly cheap acrylic went from about $5 to $25 per yard (yikes!) over the last ten years.

So we hunted around. Synthetic fabrics of every stripe were durn expensive, and we were reduced to collecting second-hand sheets (not a bad option, but take a lot of piecework).

And there was Tulle (bridal veil material)! We found some made of polyester that covered the horizontal decks of our new boat with plenty to double it on high-wear areas. All for about $1 per yard (less in quantity) through Amazon. TiteBond III is still cheap as paint.

Tulle wets down well, and the drying TBIII first layer has little problem pulling it flat (but help it along creases by spreading flat). It conforms well to tight-radius exterior and interior edges. With two coats of TBIII and topcoat of paint, the result is a moderately textured surface over a thick, reinforced film of hard-set glue protected from UV by paint.

So Tulle looks good as an inexpensive alternative to other synthetic fabrics. Time will tell... the gold standard is about 15 years.

Watch this space!

Our Application Procedure:

1. Prep surface (smooth and tack-free)
2. Pre-cut Tulle to fit
3. Wet down Tulle with water (soaks the wood under)
4. Immediately brush TiteBond III (ample, but don't sweat it)
5. Let dry (will draw down Tulle for initial bond)
6. Lightly sand sharp points, edges or ridges, if any and tack
7. Apply second coat of TBIII (ample, but brush out to preserve weave)
8. Let dry
9. Prime while still 'green' (within 24hrs)
10. Topcoat

One cool aspect is that, with judicious selection of products and a warm, breezy day, starting with a prepared deck we can (theoretically) manage five coats (2xTB, 1x primer, and 2x topcoat) in one long summer day. And much of that is kicking back and watching it dry.

Cheap AND efficient!