RAN Sailingvideo
Building the Swim Platform and Tackling Compound Curves - Ep. 483 Ran Sailing
3 April 2026 · 18 min · 96K views · Skåne
Johan rolls resin fabric onto blue swim platform under vacuum
What this video covers
Johan constructs a swim platform and complex transom sections for a 52-foot custom sailboat. To build the platform, he laminates a foam panel using three layers of 600-gram biaxial fiberglass on each side, vacuum-bagging the assembly with breather, perforated release film, and peel ply.4:03 He cuts the cured panel to size using a shaper to achieve precise curves at the stern.5:44 The finished platform measures approximately 700 millimeters deep and 2.6 meters wide.10:09 To address the compound curves of the transom sides, Johan creates internal templates at three different levels to hold the foam in the correct shape before laminating the exterior.11:01 He uses cardboard to template the transom geometry and makes relief cuts in the foam to facilitate the arc.13:47 Additionally, he installs foam fillets against bulkheads to improve structural stiffness through tabbing.2:25 The process demonstrates that using internal molds allows for accurate shaping of complex, multi-directional curves in foam-core construction.
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