Bluzone Dive RHIB

Construction links
Boat design Bakewell-White Yacht Design
Hull construction Circa Marine
Cabin construction Sportfishers Whangarei
Tube construction Lancer Industries

Date
02/08/2004 hull framing cabin frames
  Hull frames are assembled at Circa Marine Cabin frames are laid up at Sportfishers
06/08/2004 hull stiffeners foam strips
  All hull frames are laid up Foam strips are laid over the frames
13/08/2004 hull stiffeners cabin foam
  Longitudal stiffeners are put in place The lines of the cabin top take shape
20/08/2004 last hull plates tacked up ready to weld
  The last of the hull plates is fitted She's ready to weld up!
31/08/2004 are we ready over we gooo
  Time to rock n roll...      
10/09/2004 test tube fitting first coat epoxy
  Measuring up the test tube... pretty good fit The first coat of epoxy is applied... 2 more to come
17/09/2004 welding cabin glassed
  Welding up the stern deck lockers 3 coats of epoxy are on the cabin... the easy bit!
20/09/2004 deck plates frames cut out
  Fuel tank testing, bilge and deck plates Frames cut out, glassing the interior
28/09/2004 bow tube support glassing the insides
  The bow tube support is fabricated The interior has two layers of cloth/epoxy
18/10/2004 clean the mess hull weighing
  Clean up time The hull is weighed - 2 tonne exactly
18/10/2004 hull lift on truck out in the sun
  Piggy back Leaving Circa Marine on the journey (1 km!!!)
18/10/2004 arriving at yard off she comes
  Arriving safely at Sportfishers in Whangarei The hull and cabin meet for the first time
20/10/2004 trial join hull joined to cabin
  The first trial fitting of hull/cabin... not bad at all Now the work really begins... bring it on
29/10/2004 starting to look like a boat whack on the sealer
  The cabin is fitted and screwed to the hull 12 tubes of sealer are used to waterproof the cabin
Early November tube fit testing bogging
  First trial fit of the basic tube The hull is bogged ready for sanding/first primer
30/11/2004 cabin top fit more bogging
  The cabin top is trial-fitted to measure the windows - Ivan is busy with yet more wiring and cabling The lads are busy with more bog and sanding
09/12/2004 first coat primer central seating frame
  Cabin top fitted and 1st coat primer... insides primed as well... windows cut out... more sanding... Alloy diving tank storage racks and seating finished and acid-washed... just like a bought one.
14/12/2004 final coat looking good
  The first finish coat is applied... great colour Damn fine piece of spraying
15/12/2004 big yammies mask up
  Coupla V6 Yammies... bolt 'em on boys! Masked up and black sprayed around windows
16/12/2004 anti-fouling oh yes
  Anti-fouling masked and sprayed in the morning, tubes arrive lunchtime... No lunch for me today!!! Hmmm... here's one i made earlier
22/12/04

Launch day

 bring her out lift her up
  Roll her out, the crane's coming... Crane's here, let's lift her up...
  good christening wet wet wet
  Irena cracks the bubbly... shraws are poised! Over she goes... the rest, as they say, is history
     

Special thanks to Kevan Moore at Sportsfishers whose special knowledge and unbridled energy made this project possible and on more than one occasion even fun!

Kevan was drowned in a tragic fishing accident at Bayley's Beach, west coast Northland in early 2006... RIP mate