RAN Sailingvideo
Building the Swim Platform and Tackling Compound Curves - Ep. 483 Ran Sailing
3 April 2026 · 18 min · 95K 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.
More from RAN Sailing
From RAN Sailing — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.