Photo credit: Billy Black
Zemphira’s rebuild at Lyman-Morse continues to move forward at pace for early spring delivery.
The mold for the hull replacement part is carved and ready for finishing and the carbon-fiber girders and floors components have been built. The edges of the hull hole have been trimmed and beveled for the lap/scarf joint between the wood/composite hull and the carbon-fiber/foam replacement part.
CNC-carving process for the mold that’ll be used to create the carbon hull replacement part and keel socket. The new steel fabricated keel strut with lead casting on its bottom will fit into the socket; the socket will handle all the transverse load that the keel places on the boat as it heels. Photo credit: Tyler Eads/Lyman Morse
Mars Metal is beginning the fabrication of the new keel, which will be a steel structural strut cast in place on a lead lower fin and large bulb. This strut will be encased in carbon-fiber sheathing to our design at Lyman-Morse to create the foil shape. The new keel will be the same draft as before—10’ 9”—but narrower longitudinally and skinnier in thickness too, with a bigger bulb and about 1,000 less overall weight.
New carbon framework placed under the boat as a test fit, with batteries and tanks placed in their appropriate locations on top of a full-size paper pattern SWD supplied to allow systems layout. Photo credit: Tyler Eads/Lyman Morse
Zemphira will have the same righting moment, however, because even though the weight is less it is concentrated lower in the bigger bulb. The net effect will be less wetted surface (about 60% of the original) for better speed in light air, less frontal area in the narrower fin for less drag downwind, a lighter boat overall for better acceleration and performance off the wind, and a more effective fin shape for windward work.
Not all additions to Zemphira during thie mini-refit are carbon-fiber. This elegant teak seat on her aft deck will be a comfortable and beautiful perch from which to watch the crew work the boat around the race course, or simply hang out for sunset.
We’ve provided a full-size template of the new structural gridwork which allows Lyman-Morse to lay out and build systems installations (wiring harnesses, plumbing runs) off the boat, speeding the process to fit this rebuild into the short timeframe. We’ll also support Lyman-Morse with patterns and design for a new sole system, completely removable, which will also be built to our patterns off the boat to save time.
Other components from last year’s refit are coming together as well. A carbon-fiber/teak stern seat on a new stern pulpit will allow the owner to experience the racing from a comfortable perch and we’ve also designed a carbon-fiber, multi-part boarding stair system. Zemphira will be faster and stronger when launched next year, we can’t wait for the first sail.
Zemphira’s new carbon-fiber floor timbers will be inserted into the hull above, replacing the original bronze structure. Note how the hull around the area is prepared for bonding. The original laminated wooden frames can be seen extending past the edges of the hull opening. The transverse carbon floors will be bonded to the wood frames, and the entire structure will be taped to the interior of the original hull and the replacement section. Photo credit: Tyler Eads/Lyman Morse