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CUSTOMS Catamaran Sashimi MK2 INTERMEDIATE REPORT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATAMARAN SASHIMI MK2 IN SRI LANKA Introduction The Building A Future Foundation was founded in March 2006 by Mr. Pierre Pringiers, Honorary Consul for Belgium in Sri Lanka and co-founders of the tire company Loadstar (PVT) Ltd. This initiative is a long term extension of the Solideal Loadstar Rehabilitation Trust, an organisation created in the aftermath of the tsunami that occurred on 26th December to rebuild the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The mission of the Foundation is: To innovate, to introduce and stimulate any activity, industry, renewable energy, technology, skills, and individuals and, to provide the necessary infrastructure to: train unprivileged youth into innovative activities and new skills which have a potential of economic development; empower them with the required hard and soft skills and the necessary infrastructure, generate spinoffs, develop new concepts of sustainable and renewable energy, and/or attract external entrepreneurs to create new business (social or not) in cooperation with BAFF. Building a Future Foundation is a social entrepreneurship project providing training in innovative technologies with a focus on sustainable energy (reducing CO2 footprint), in order to generate new economic activities and employment opportunities for the youth in Sri Lanka. BAFF also aims at modernising the fishing industry in bringing development in terms of production and training to sea related jobs in Sri Lanka and in other coastal areas of the Indian Ocean. In this frame that the Foundation develops the Catamaran Sashimi MK2 intended for tuna fishing in fish reserves towards Somalia and Malaysia. The catamaran has been designed by the naval architect German Frers in support to the Building A Future Foundation. This intermediate report presents the project context, the human dimension and the project description and progress from December 2008 to November 2009 and the tentative budget and actual expenses. Context In order to reduce CO2 emissions and to reduce costs related to fuel, it appeared logical to the Building A Future Foundation to reintroduce sails on fishing boats. Since two decades sails disappeared in fishing boats, engine being the main propulsion source. The Sashimi project is in line with the “Ten year Development policy frame work of Fisheries and Aquatic resources 2007-2016” published by the Government of Sri Lanka for the development of bigger boats able to reach high seas fish reserves and equipped with better conservation and storage methods. After the tsunami, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlighted problems related to the fishing industry in Sri Lanka. The BAF Foundation intends to propose solutions to some of them with the development of the Sashimi project as presented in the below table. Problems highlighted by the FAO Objectives of the BAF Foundation Overfishing in coastal areas due to inadequate fishing boats for high seas fishing To propose boat prototypes which speed allows reaching high seas faster (8 to 10 knots) Need of stronger boats to allow 6 weeks sea fishing to reach more lucrative tuna reserves close to Somalia and Malaysia Introduce and develop innovative construction techniques and conservation and storage methods for fishing during long periods at sea Poor inboard fish conservation and storage conditions Better storage and conservation techniques Destructive fishing techniques Introduction of 3 to 4 km long line fishing (400 hooks) for selective fishing High fuel price and ecological impact Reduce fuel consumption by introducing sails as complement to the engine and therefore reduce CO2 emissions More security at sea for fishermen Better stability. Security due to the presence of sails in case of engine break. Human Dimension One of the main objectives of the Building A Future Foundation is to train unprivileged youth or youth affected by the tsunami, initially in Sri Lanka, to innovative jobs like boat building, sail making, composite mast making, manufacture of rubber, polyurethane and plastic products. BAFF proposes theoretical and « on the job » training and provides the necessary infrastructure. Approximate 10 trainees will work at the construction of the Catamaran Sashimi MK2 at BAF boat building unit in Palana, Weligama on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Project description The design of the catamaran has been made by the naval architect German Frers in support to the BAF Foundation. The plans, power curve, weight bills, etc have been transferred to BAFF by German Frers in October 2008. Boat characteristics: Lenght 14 m Width 8,4 m Propulsion Sails and engines(2X 60 CV Nanni) Fishing technique Long line Days at sea 6 to 20 days Sailing team 5 Cabin 4 beds, a toilet and a cooking area Empty weight 11,8 T Full weight Storage capacities 20,4 T 5 T (fish) and 2 to 3 T ice Sails surface 77,8 M2 Mast height (carbon) 17 m Progress from December 2008 From January 2009, the Building A Future Foundation has selected the person who will instruct and teach the trainees and will supervise the construction of the Catamaran Shasimi MK2 in Sri Lanka. Mr. Christophe Ancellin is an expert boat builder from St Malo in France who has 25 years experience in the field. The Foundation also worked in collaboration with a French naval architect who made details drawings and realized 3D drawings of the boat. 27 April 2009 Traditional opening ceremony in presence of 11 trainees, BAF team and Mr. Christophe Ancellin. The construction of the marble started on which the couples of the plug will be fixed. 28 April 2009 Signature of a partnership convention between Bénéteau Foundation and Building A Future Foundation in Paris in which Bénéteau Foundation confirms to offer to BAFF all necessary construction material to build the catamaran. May and June 2009 In the first part of May, 25 couples have been traced and cut in plywood boards. The couples have been screwed on the marble. Then red cedar pieces of wood have been cut in 20 mm width and 35 mm height boards. Strips and grooves have been cut in the boards for the assembly of the boards on the couples. The boards fit together and are stapled on the couples. Once all red cedar boards have been fixed, the team started the manual polishing of the surface with sand paper. It is essential to get a defectless surface in view of producing a perfect smooth hull mould. This important step required full time work of 10 trainees during 7 consecutive days. The next step is the filler. The hull is coated with epoxy filler that corrects any small defects. The hull is then again manually polished. July and August 2009 The construction material provided by Bénéteau Foundation has been shipped to Sri Lanka by boat from Antwerp harbor in Belgium. The boat left on 07.06.2009 and arrived at Colombo harbor 02.07.2009. After completing customs procedures, the material was sent by road to BAF boat yard in Palana, Weligama, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Here below is the list of goods: 6 500 kilogram’s polyester resin 70 kilogram’s gel coat 70 kilogram’s polyester filler 40 kilogram’s polyester mastic 40 litres PU bicomponents paint 800 kilogram’s Mat 450g/m² 800 kilogram’s Roving mat 580/450 g/m² 130 kilogram’s 3 mm felt 125 kilogram’s Bibaxe 400g/m² 1400 kilogram’s Bibiais 600g/m² 45 kilogram’s Ud 690 g/m² width 200 mm 265 m² Balsa 160 kg/m² 19 mm The goods have been stocked in a place away from direct sun and humidity in the premises of the Building A Future Foundation. In July, the wooden keel and the flange have been built by the trainees. The keel and the flange were coated with projectable polyester filler and were fixed to the plug. Polyester filler (blue) is then projected on the hull. This is the first use of material provided by Bénéteau Foundation. 70 L have been used for this operation. BAF Foundation keeps record of the use of material throughout the progress of the construction. The hull is then once again polished to avoid any defect. September 2009 The hull is painted with bicomponent polyuréthane paint. The hull is then manually polished with very thin water sand paper to remove any trace of dust. The mould is now white and lacqued. The next step is to manually cover the hull with 7 layers of polish to allow an easy removal of the mould from the plug. The list of equipments (engines, navigation systems...) is now defined. BAF team is presently collecting quotations from several suppliers before placing orders. October and beginning of November 2009 The next step is the application of the gel coat. Gel coat is a kind of resin applied on the hull. The gel coat machine is used to mix the gel coat to the catalyst. Layers of 0,5 mm are applied for better precision. Fiber glass fabric is then set onto the hull. A layer of 10 mm fiber glass and resin will be applied to make the hull mould. Afterwards, there will be a series of handling to separate the mould from the plug. After cleaning and polishing the mould, the construction of the first hull started in December 2009. Tentative planning December 2009: Start of the construction of the boat. We will start the molding of the first hull in parallel to the construction of the skiff and the construction of the second hull after the manufacture of the first hull. It will take approximately 5 weeks for the construction of one hull and 3 weeks for the assembly. It takes approximately 8 weeks per hull plus the construction of the skiff. January – February 2010: Construction of the second hull and purchase of the equipments. February –March 2010: Manufacturing of the carbon mast by BAF trainees with the newly operational mast making machine. Sails will also be manufactured by BAF trainees in BAF fully equipped sail making unit. March to June 2009: Assembly of the 3 pieces (two hulls and the skiff). Construction and fitting of the bridges and the wheelhouse. July - August 2010: Equipments fitting. September 2010: Official launch of the prototype in Weligama waters in presence of the donors/partners, the Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, local authorities and local fishermen. September - ... 2010: Testing phase by local fishermen and possible modifications of the prototype. Expenses and tentative budget The table next page presents the budget from December 2008 to September 2010. The tentative budget for the construction of the plug, the mould and the boat is 287 109 euros. Actual expenses on the period December 2008 to October 2009 comes to 69 263 euros. The budget lines are the following: Equipments (engines, propeller, navigation systems...), tools, construction material, mast making, sails and rigging making within BAFF, BAF employees salaries, expenses related to the salary, food and lodging and transport of the French expert boat builder, salaries of the 10 local trainees, consumables and other expenses. Budget lines Total budget (euros) December 2008 - September2010 Actual expenses (euros) Decembre 2008 - Octobre 2009 Equipments 96.531 0 Tools 2.810 2.036 Prototype construction 51.698 18.119 Carbon Mast making 12.000 0 Sails and rigging making 3.000 0 BAFF employees salaries 12.086 4.741 Expenses French expert 92.030 40.933 Trainees salaries 8.067 2.354 Consumables 8.177 1.080 Other 710 0 TOTAL 287.109 69.263 Conclusion The construction of the Catamaran Sashimi MK2 designed by the naval architect German Frers and supported by the Bénéteau Foundation started in April 2009 in the boat yard of the Building A Future Foundation, in Weligama, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The boat is built by 10 sri Lankan trainees under the guidance and supervision of a French expert in boat building. After 7 months of hard work, the mould is nearly completed and the construction of the first hull started in December 2009. Sails, rigging and the carbon mast will be manufactured by BAF trainees in BAF sail making unit and BAF specially designed place for composite mast making. It is presently planned to complete the construction of the boat and launch the boat in Weligama waters in September 2010 in presence of the project partners, the local Minister of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, local authorities and local fishermen.