For the second week in a row it was all about tanks this week as Team Möbius continues to make fabulous progress building the hull for mv Möbius.  Last week saw most of the tanks being built as sub assemblies and this week these were all lifted into position atop the hull frames in the jig and then connected up with the side legs of each frame being tacked into position.  There is a LOT to show you and this will be a long post so get comfy with the beverage of your choice and let’s get to it.

I will let the pictures I took throughout the week do most of the talking and then have a sped up video at the end with a compilation of the video clips I shot to give you a bit more perspective on this week’s progress.

IMG_20180528_103532Picking up where we left off last week, the tanks are being built as sub assemblies and here Uğur and Enver are turning one of the last ones over.


IMG_20180528_103638Like this to finish welding the next set of baffles onto this tank.  You can see other tank assemblies in the background ready to be lifted in place onto to the framework that has been assembled on the jig.


IMG_20180528_131537Here is one of the tanks ready to be lifted in place and slid into the space between two of the bulkheads that have been erected on the jig.  These two bulkheads will form the ends of this tank.  Each of these sub assemblies are actually two independent tanks as they are divided the Keel bar and baffle running down the centerline of the hull. 



IMG_20180529_104915This overhead shot shows the close baffling of each tank and you can also see how these line up with the slots cut into each transverse frame for the longitudinal stringers and the large 25mm thick keel bar.  Once the tanks are lifted in place on top of the hull (remember being built upside down) all the long length stringers and keel bar will be slid in place to line everything up just right.

IMG_20180528_131547This is a shot of what will become the tops of the tanks or the floor inside the boat.  An aluminium plate will be welded on top to form the tops of the tanks and the 8mm flat bars you see running vertically and the one middle horizontal bar are to allow the tank top to be welded on.  If I told you that the tank tops are welded on last, after the hull plates have been welded to all these baffles, frames and stringers, you might wonder how they can weld the tank tops to these bars?  That is dong using a method called “plug welding” where the tank top plate will have a series of slots which line up along the centerline of these flat bars so they put the tank tops on top and then weld through the slots and then grind the welds off flush to finish off the floor. 


IMG_20180529_183605Tanks all tacked up and waiting to be lifted in place.
IMG_20180528_181256Meanwhile, Uğur has started to tack some of the side frames in place which will form the framework for the superstructure above the decks.  This is part of Frame #12 which is where the side decks run alongside the row of large glass windows down the sides of the SuperSalon.  Uğur’s hand is where the side deck will run.


IMG_20180529_104827Moving to the opposite side and looking a bit further forward, more frames being assembled and tacked in place.

IMG_20180529_104515Here you can see a whole row of them as we look aft from Bulkhead/Frame #9.  The plate you can see in the top of the photo is what will be the floor of the SuperSalon and the basement/storage area that is in the space now above this.


IMG_20180529_135827Peeking in we can watch Uğur put the framing in place for the side deck plates up near the front of the pilot house or Super Salon


IMG_20180529_135926You can see how the stringers we’ve been talking about so much slot into place and interlock with the frames so everything lines up just right.
IMG_20180530_105606and now one piece of the side decking is tacked in place
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Stepping back this shot looking forward shows that same deck plate and how it will soon have a mate aft of it.
IMG_20180529_183624With all the plates for the tanks and baffles out of the way the bottom of the pile of AL plate reveals the two 25mm plates which is mostly used for the keel bar running the length of the hull as well as parts like the engine beds where we want these eXtremely thick plates for their sound deadening mass and strength. 

You can see how they have cut the first length of the keel bar out and have cleaned off areas where it will be welded to frames that slot around it


IMG_20180529_183645This will give you a sense of the thickness of these keel bars.


IMG_20180530_134652Here are two keel bars stacked on top of each other wtih their ends ground off at 45 degrees on bot sides to create the deep groove needed for full penetration of the welds that will join them once they are positioned just right atop the hull.


IMG_20180530_105514Meanwhile, our Master Welder Sezgin is kept VERY busy welding up the miles of stringers and frames that have now been put into their final positions on the deck plates.



IMG_20180530_124544Here is a before ………………..
IMG_20180530_105536… and now an after shot of some of his handiwork all these staggered welds along each stringer where it joins the deck plate.


IMG_20180530_134446Can you guess what it means when these guys show up??

IMG_20180530_140041That’s right, time for the praying Mantis crane truck to show up!


IMG_20180530_141202Be sure to watch him in action in the video and I’ll show a series of shots now with the tanks being lifted and dropped in place on the hull

IMG_20180530_142441Doesn’t take long to lower the first one in place and the second one is lifted up …..


IMG_20180530_142643and dropped into place.


IMG_20180530_142853The ever watchful eye of Enver (center) making sure everything is just right while Uğur lines up the laser level and Umit is up on top directing the crane operator.
IMG_20180530_143029This section of tank was too long to be tacked up as one assembly so they dropped the first half in place and welded in some vertical supports to hold it while the second have is lifted in place.


IMG_20180530_143815Like this.


IMG_20180530_144711One more for today, our eXtreme crane has the forward half of the water tanks lifted in place


IMG_20180530_145237Umit, one of our other welders helps to pull it down onto the flatbar you can see behind him which was previously welded to the bulkhead as per the lines etched on it for the just right position.


IMG_20180530_145516This forward tank section under our Main Cabin is suspended in place temporarily with some vertical supports they are tacking on here.
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The crane retracts it’s eXtreme arm for one last job while he is here today ……
IMG_20180530_150316……. lifting those big 6 meter / 20 ft lengths of 25mm keel bars into place atop the bottom so to speak.


IMG_20180530_151001Now you can see what those big slots in the frame bottoms are for. 


IMG_20180530_151225Right now these planks of aluminium are just being set atop the frames and once all the frames are up it will be used to precisely locate each frame in just the right spot.

What do you think?  Strong enough to keep us safe and help us SWAN (Sleep Well At Night)?

Our previous boat Learnativity was all steel and she taught us the value of having a rock solid bottom.  For Möbius we wanted this hull to be another 2X stronger.
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This plating is many many times greater than required for even the most stringent CE-A or MCA O certification but this eXtreme plating and construction is a big part of providing the mandatory confidence we think you have to have in your boat when you are going to be crossing oceans in all kinds of conditions and for the inevitable run ins with hard bits such as ice and rock from time to time.  Dennis has carefully calculated all this mass of these much overbuilt frames and plating into the design characteristics to give us weight in the right places and plays its role in making Möbius a self righting boat which makes us feel VERY good.



IMG_20180531_092123With the the tanks and bulkheads all temporarily tacked in position, the frames can now be completed by adding in their side pieces.  Here you can see that the aft frames have their sides tacked in place and the one in the foreground will have its side tacked in next.


IMG_20180530_181757Uğur holds the side frame component in position while Umit tacks it in place.


IMG_20180601_133657Enver tacks one more in place
IMG_20180531_092341The joints between frame pieces are positioned in the best location for strength and have their surfaces extended as you can see in the closeup here to create a weld that is stronger than the adjacent aluminium.


IMG_20180531_092523The pieces for all the frames for the aft deck area are laid out in preparation for their turn in the assembly process.


IMG_20180601_133907and in not time at all these are all soon stood up and tacked in place.


IMG_20180601_134026You can see how the flat bar overlaps each joint for added strength.


IMG_20180601_113715These overhead shots provide a sense of how the hull is really taking on her shape now.


IMG_20180601_181021and Sezgin keeps welding and welding and welding……….


IMG_20180601_180914Here you can see how the baffles connect up to the stringers and you can get an appreciation that it is not an exaggeration to say that there are miles of welding required to complete the hull.


IMG_20180601_180946Now you get a good sense of how the massive keel bar creates a literal backbone to the hull and when the frames and baffles are all welded in place it creates an extremely rigid grid for the hull plates to be welded to and makes for one of the toughest hulls of any ship you will ever see.


IMG_20180601_180941Just imagine how strong this hull will be when the 12 and 15mm plate is welded to this grid of tanks!


Whew!  What a week!  What a crew!  What a boat!

Just another week for Team Möbius here at GreeNaval Yachts in Antalya.

Here is your weekly summary video synopsis that distills the whole week down to a few minutes.  Fun for you to watch and you’ll get a good sense of the progression of this construction technique.

Thanks for coming aboard this adventure with us, wouldn’t be the same without you.  And don’t be shy about adding your questions and ideas in the comments section below. 

-Wayne