This year it is time to install the prop and shaft. So I need to work on the prop area to install the bearing, shaft, ballast etc.
I had the cutlass bearing and shim worked on in Arizona by the most capable machine works company called Magma Engineering.Here you can see the cutlass bearing (where the prop shaft comes through) inserted into the stainless tube. The grooves in the rubber allow the sea water to lubricate the shaft. The Shaft tube is wet all the way up to the engine stuffing box. This tube fits into yet another larger 3" tube which will be fastened permanently into the ship. The 3 " tube was cut a little short and I was told to use some type of goop to fasten the cutlass bearing into the large tube. I came up with this idea to find a tube that will fit into the large tube and accommodate the bearing. This way I will be able to adjust the length of the whole works before bolting it all together.
When the hull was layed up on the male mold the back end was just squared off. So the first thing I need to do is carve out flutes for the water to enter the prop area. Here it s marked ready to cut. Notice the galvanized steel reinforcing pieces my brother made.	Here it is cut out with the roto-zip tool. A rotozip is the finest invention to come along is a long time. The only thing is it is so agressive one slip and you've cut a hole where you don't need or want one.
While the aberature was open I decided to add the ballast from the outside. I decided to build this from the bottom up. Notice the hull thickness in this area.	Now I added the cement to seal it in.
This is the back end with the top metal piece installed, and the bottom sections faired and ready for fiberglassing.	Then I took a piece of foam and carved it out, then faired it with bondo. Without the bondo the fiberglass resin would desolve the foam.
These are the first layers of glass applied. I use 2 layers of mat then a layer of roving, then mat, roving; mat, roving; then 2 more layers of mat.	Now it is all glassed in and with the prop tube ready to install. From the inside I glassed this area in to the full hull thickness. So its about 3/4" thick in the flute area. You can see the shaft is a little long but once I fit it all I will get it resized to move the prop closer to the ship.
This is another view with the extra long shaft ready for sizing. This prop shaft was found in a metal scrap yard. Picked up 2 1 3/4" shafts for about $110.00 Note: Alas, it turned out the the shaft was no good. The Prop Shop tried to straighten it but it wouldn't hold. the next day it went right back to the same bend. So a new shaft had to be purchased.	Here is the aft section floor in the aft state room, with the ballast in and the shaft tube installed. Next step here is to cut the flutes in the upper area and finish it off with more ballast.
Now I am ready to cut the upper flutes. As you can see the upper steel support is bolted in place.	Top flutes are all in and the rear section has been faired with bondo. This will allow the water free flow into the prop.
All glassed in and ready for paint!	On all the edges where the fiberglass meets the steel I have used West System Expoxy soaked into the fiberglass to seal the ends. This should keep the water out of all the seams.