Tango

[browndog]

Can I sail my Tango on the Great Lakes? I'm thinking Erie and Michigan in particular. Also could it be used as a ocean coastal sailor?

[AaronStJ]

Absolutely.

[browndog]

I was reading the material list for nails. I was wondering if the nails are 14ga or 12 ga bronze nails makes a big difference on the amount per lb. Also is is possible to use screws instead of nails, Seems like screws would hold better.

[Lowka53]

I was reading the material list for nails. I was wondering if the nails are 14ga or 12 ga bronze nails makes a big difference on the amount per lb. Also is is possible to use screws instead of nails, Seems like screws would hold better.

yes screws can be used

[Stuart]

You can use nails sometimes. The boat nail is ringed and the rings make it very hard to pull out. It can be pulled out but the force required is similar to pulling out a screw, but it is my experience, and perhaps someone will have more insight, nails pull out easier. However, depending on the wood, screws will pull through the plywood easier than nails. For example you can drive the head of a #8 screw through a 3/8" sheet of okoume plywood very easily. A bronze nail not. The flat head of a nail prevents the board pulling over the fastener. The real problem with nails is being able to drive them. Sometimes they will split the wood and often you can't pull the two pieces together with nails. If your gluing is critical, the impact of the hammer blows can splash all the glue out of your joints. Another problem with boats is that no two pieces ever seem to be flat. The builder is always trying to pull the parts down in the corners. Nails not so good. Also some battens are too thin to be banging with a mallet. Overall, using screw's reduces the number of worries but nails definitely have a place.

Stuart

[AaronStJ]

The bill of materials specifies 12 gauge nails.

As others have said, you can use screws, with some caveats. Personally, I'd stick with nails as specified. Like Stuart said, screws can pull through plywood fairly easily. You have to countersink through a couple of plies, and that considerably weakens the wood. There isn't really much of a need for screws, either. The plywood-to-chine/keel/sheer joints are well glued, and the glue ends up being much stronger than the fasteners, whether you use nails or screws . The fasteners are there mostly as a backup and for to hold things in place during glueing.

But the biggest reason I'd stick with nails: cost. Silicon bronze screws really add up. The nails aren't cheap, either, but they're much less expensive. Inn a boat the size of the Tango, switching to screws will add hundreds (at least) to the cost, with arguably no real benefit.

[browndog]

If we are going to be mostly freshwater sailing and not kept in saltwater. Would Silicone bronze fasteners still be recommended or may I use galvanized fasteners. Some day my do some sailing in salt water. But highly unlikely and then very little.

browndog

[Stuart]

You can used galvanized as long as they are hot dipped. But remember when you are tooling them and working around that galvanizing, a coating can be scratched to expose the highly corrosive iron. In my opinion it is going to take 5 years in the water for an uncoated iron alloy to rust serously. However, shop Ebay and there are 100's of boats from the 70's still available for sailing. The fasteners you use will probably never fail during the time you own the boat. The woods you are going to use, how long will they last? Some fasteners react badly to some woods. Oak is one of them. Silicon bronze nails are low cost and absolutely the best choice but thats in my opinion and I used stainless steel screws.

Stuart

[Mark Chadwick]

My thoughts same as Stuart.......silicon bronze for nails and ss screws for fresh water. That is what I did.

[browndog]

Getting prepared to skin my Tango. Thinking ahead to flotation. Is there any information out there to assist with placement of flotation/bouyance?
Also wondering about electrical power for lights ect.

[Stuart]

Starting to look good. I was thinking the same thing about floatation but abandoned the idea because I have to have air flow and drainage in the bilge. Some area's I will not see again others only if something goes wrong. Whats the chances eh...fingers crossed

Stuart

[browndog]

Well, so far quite the learning experience. But the planking is on and ready for fiberglass.

[Stuart]

Well now it looks like a boat. What combination of screws and nails did you decide to use.

You asked if the boat would sail the Great Lakes? I would say yes and I intend to launch; "my wood in the shape of a boat", from Lake Erie. Lake Erie is a shallow lake and blows up quickly to 10ft I'm told. I was warned that it is a dangerous lake for nubian sailers, the subclassification on my license. Winter sailing not so good either. I'm sure the Tango will be fine in the Great Lakes as long as you don't have some sort of floating block party 2 days out from shore.

Stuart

[browndog]

I am finishing the fibreglassing on the hull. I have been sanding but it just does not feel right to me. I am wondering how much the paint is going to hide.

[Roberta]

Typically paint will not hide anything and may even accentuate imperfections. You could add more resin and long board to get the surface smooth or use a sandable fairing compound and sand and long board. The smoother you can get the surface the better the finish. Just depends on what you want and how much work you are willing to put into it.

Roberta