I also found the 300 stainless steel 5mm countersunk head bolts, nuts & washers in Jamison & Green hardware dealers in
Although things have been somewhat quiet on the web, i can assure you that that has not been the case in the boat shed. Now that all the major building work is largely finished, all the little jobs are now taking up my time. First job was to cover all the exposed ply and timber with a generous layer of liquid epoxy resin using a small roller. Although not really necessary, i felt the epoxy will ensure long life to all wood of the superstructure that will be exposed to wear and tear over the coming years. During the epoxy application i also applied woven glass ribbon to all wheelhouse joints and corners. Particular attention was given to the bottom joint between the foredeck and front window and where the wheelhouse sides meet the gunwales. I also applied ribbon to the whole edge between the hull and the decks. After the epoxy set I had the arduous task of sanding it all as smooth as I could, paying particular attention to the wheelhouse joint, I wanted an invisible transition here for aesthetic reasons. I then applied a good thick coat of hi-build 2-pack epoxy white primer to all the boat's upper surfaces previously epoxied. I then sanded all this down and applied another thick coat in preparation for the final coat of white epoxy gloss paint in the near future.
In the meantime winter has set in here with a vengeance! High winds and rain preceded very low temperatures, ice and snow. I have had to sit in the house many days looking out at my quiet and cold boathouse in despair. While in the heat of the house I made cardboard templates for all the Perspex windows. I need 7 in all including one for the wheelhouse door that I have yet to make. I searched EBay and found a supplier who can supply 8mm pieces very close to the sizes I need at half the price I can buy them from the dealer here, so guess where my money is going? I will need 6mm laminated glass for the 2 front windscreens set into frames. I have already sourced a supplier in my nearest town who will cut it as and when required.
So there you have it so far. Weather permitting, I will upload another report very soon.
24th October 2010
After 2 hectic weeks of boat-building I am now taking it somewhat easier with smaller jobs. I began by painting all the new plywood, frames and roof of the wheelhouse with Ronseal preserver. I also did the foredeck, gunwales & upper transom section. I used a small roller and literally soaked each section which then took a few days to dry. While in the mood I also lifted the 4 floor sections and soaked them as well.
When dry, I cut out the rear windows of the wheelhouse. It took some trial & error deciding on what size they should be but after drawing the size onto the ply and standing back I decided that 18 x 13 inch looked just about right. I again soaked the exposed cut edge of the ply with preserver.
Over the next few days I filled in
I intend covering the entire foredeck, gunwales, transom top and wheelhouse roof in woven glass cloth impregnated with epoxy resin. I will also do the same for the area where the wheelhouse meets the gunwales and the raised coamings. While not strictly necessary, I feel these areas are the ones which will be exposed to the higher degree on wear & tear in the future, and as such will benefit from the protection that epoxy will provide.
The weather is on the turn now and I am very pleased with my progress so far. I am thankful I have most of the major construction work done before winter and I hope I can epoxy in the coming weeks before any frost sets in. I am aware that epoxy resin can bloom somewhat in cold damp weather but I’m not too concerned about this as I intend painting the whole boat in 2 coats of 2-pack epoxy paint which sets perfect in any weather.
8th October 2010
This has been another very busy week in the boathouse. I finished off last week by cutting out the window apertures in the wheelhouse sides. This week I began by building the wheelhouse door frame. As this door bulkhead is not included in the original plans I had to call upon skills I learned over the years and by researching other boats in the area. The original plans only show an open cabin and half bulkhead, upon which the seats and cupboard storage are built.
I decided to use mahogany instead of pitch pine for the door frame as I intend hanging a fairly substantial door and wanted good hard wood for the hinge screws to bite into. I began by building uprights extending from the ‘already built’ opening in frame 3. I bolted these to frame 3 and extended them up to bolt onto the rear cross beam for the wheelhouse roof. Inside these uprights I built a frame on top of frame 3 and the wheelhouse sides so I could attach the ply bulkhead. While bolting these uprights I also bolted the mahogany door frame using the same bolts, this door frame was needed to reduce the door opening to a more manageable 2-foot, 2-inch door width.
With the frame built I made paper templates of the ply sections I needed to fill the door bulkhead, (I felt these had to be fitted and sanded down before the roof went on). I took a lot of care with these templates to ensure a good tight-fitting section. I’m glad I did as they fitted perfectly with minimal sanding. Bearing in mind that ply had already been fitted when building frame 3 last year, the new section sat perfectly on top. All I have to do now is to fit small side pieces extending to the door frame and the bottom step which stops water from entering the wheelhouse. This whole bulkhead will then be sanded back and covered with epoxy & woven mat and then primed with 2-pack epoxy primer.
I then moved on to the wheelhouse roof. I began by sanding down the rear bulkhead plywood where it met the roof beams; I had allowed a good ¼-inch for this. I lifted the first sheet of 3/8 marine ply up onto the roof and clamped it down along the centreline of the mid fore & aft roof beam. From inside the wheelhouse I marked the pattern of all the roof beams, side beams and along the outer roofline. With the ply removed and placed on the cutting table I allowed an extra 1-inch along the sides and 2-inches to the front for aesthetic reasons and to fit a drip edge later on.
After cutting out I drilled and countersunk the screw holes 4-inches apart paying close attention so screws would not come into conflict with already fixed screws in the roof beams. The ply roof section was then dry-fitted and checked for accuracy before I applied a generous covering of glue to the frame and beam top edges. I then screwed it in place with 1-inch x 8 brass screws. I did the same for the other section, stood back and admired my hard work. I now revel in the fact that I have installed the last major section of my boat. From now on jobs will be on a more manageable scale and no more 8x4 sheets of heavy plywood will have to be manhandled in and out of my hard-worked and somewhat abused motor-home – good old girl, she has carried all the timber used in building the boat so far. Next day I fitted the last piece of the rear bulkhead – the one-piece step and infill section to the door frame. Bearing in mind that I am looking for a watertight step, I had to lift the rear floor and continue the step piece down into the bilge area, screwing it to the oak frame of #3 frame. I finished off the top of the step with a piece of 1-inch x 1½ inch mahogany bracing on the inner top edge of the ply step and another mahogany trim piece on top.
26th Sept 2010
This has been a very busy week in the boathouse. I have now moved on to building the wheelhouse and at last the boat is taking her final form. As I said before, I am making small changes to the style of the wheelhouse in an effort at achieving a more modern looking boat.
I fitted the port & s/board sheets of 3/8 marine ply which form the wheelhouse sides, I have made these sides slightly longer to incorporate an additional smaller window behind the seats and to provide shelter on the open deck outside the wheelhouse door. I then built the roof beams by cutting them out of 1¼-inch pitch pine on James’s bandsaw. After fitting these to the 2-inch side beams I fitted the 3 roof battens between them. Again I used 1x1 inch pitch pine here instead of ¾ in the plans; I wanted a bit more strength up top as I intend fitting the life-raft and other equipment up there. Cutting the notches in the beams was time-consuming but in the end I achieved very tight and strong joints which were then glued & screwed to the beams. I then climbed up top with the power-planer and sander and sanded all the beams perfectly smooth in preparation for the marine ply roof to be fitted next week. I then carefully marked out the side windows and cut them out. I decided that 2 windows in each side was better looking than to one big oval one as shown in the plans; bearing in mind that I am also fitting an enclosed wheelhouse door. I intend building this doorway using mahogany frames as I feel I need real, long-term, strength in this area. This will then be covered in marine ply and windows cut out. At present I intend fitting Perspex windows to the sides and toughened glass to the front. I will make my own frames out of aluminium or thick Perspex, whichever is the most cost-effective.
I extended the coamings from the wheelhouse to 3-inches past the aft beam of the transom. The plans state mahogany for these but through experience I have found many mahogany coamings crack and abrade quite badly so I opted for an epoxy lamination of 2 pieces of 3/8 marine ply, giving a thickness of 3/4inch, this will later be epoxied and painted with 2-pack epoxy paint. While doing so I also extended tidy little bracing sections to the edge of the wheelhouse sides extending up to the roof, I feel these will strengthen this trailing edge.
20th September 2010
With the foredeck completed and planed to the sides of the hull I moved on and painted the #2 bulkhead in white epoxy primer and a coat of white gloss.
I am now moving away from the hull-building and will begin on the wheelhouse.
I have decided to alter the front screen and wheelhouse sides from the original plans. The plans show a flat screen and cut-away open sides but I consider this to be a bit dated looking so I am building a slightly pointed split screen and enclosed sides in a more modern style.
I began my cutting the frame pieces where they rest upon the foredeck. Bearing in mind the screen will sit at an angle of approx 35 degrees, and the curvature for the foredeck, I had to be very accurate in my cutting of the frame piece accordingly. To do this I drew the curve on a piece of 5-inch x 1½ pitch pine half the width of the foredeck. To achieve the cut I altered the cutting base-plate on my electric jigsaw, (see picture in album), and cut along my pencil line. Not only did I cut the desired curve but it was now also cut at the desired 35-degrees, and it fitted the deck perfectly. I did the same for the other side them trimmed both pieces to meet in the middle of the foredeck and wheelhouse sides. Then I marked them on the foredeck, drilled through and secured them in place underneath from within the cabin roof. As luck would have it, the curved off-cuts were exactly the sizes required for the upper frame pieces! I measured and cut the side pieces, paying particular attention to planing the sides where the meet the wheelhouse sides. The centre frame pieces were a different matter though. Because I now have a pointed split screen the 2 centre frame pieces have to be carefully planed to meet at the precise angle required. When planed, I carefully drilled through them when clamped together and epoxied & bolted them tight to the desired angle. All I had to do now was to epoxy each join and screw all pieces together and to the sides of the wheelhouse.
Next day I planed off the whole frame to achieve a perfect seat for the 3/8 window ply. I used paper templates to achieve the exact sizes for each window, cut them out, drill and countersunk them; again I used the jigsaw at an angle for the bottom edges of the window ply where they rest upon the foredeck. All I had to do now was to glue and screw them to the frame.
I am now glad I decided on the somewhat modern pointed screen, it should look smart when the wheelhouse roof is also cut and fitted to the same angle.
I will spend the rest of the week securing the wheelhouse sides to the boat, cutting out window apertures and building up the roof and doorway of the wheelhouse.
Until the next time.
5th September 2010
I have been busy the past few weeks with small but important jobs.
First I stood back and studied the door into the small cabin. I had noticed the rather restricted headroom above the doorway and decided to cut this away and make a folding hatch that would act as the top of the doorway then fold down to aid storage in the wheelhouse. I cut away the oak beam above the door in frame 2. I then re-used this beam by placing it forward 20-inches after building a new oak frame to accommodate it. I now have much better access into the cabin without banging my head too much. I then built the 2 plywood berths after making a cardboard template port and starboard. After tracing this to the 3/8 plywood and cutting out, I only had minimal trimming to obtain a snug fit inside the cabin. I already had installed the forward berth support when building frame 1 last year but still had to build the main one between frames 1 and 2. I followed the plan in this respect and ended up with a very strong and stable frame on which to attach the 2 berths. I also improved upon the plan by adding a ½ ply strengthening piece between both berths where the meet upon entering the cabin, this area I feel will need to be the strongest and will carry the full weight of bodies entering the berths. I will now also enjoy more storage under the berths thanks to the clever curved cutaways as shown on the plan. I then began covering the foredeck with 3/8 marine ply. I had been looking forward to this for some time as it will be the final major pieces of planking I need to fit to the boat. I began by fitting the port sheet exactly central on the deck beam. I then clamped it down and crawled into the cabin and traced with a pencil all the beams and frames. I then removed the sheet, cut off the excess and drilled & countersunk all the holes. After offering up the sheet and being happy with the fit I glued and screwed it in place. I then did the same for the starboard sheet. Because the 8x4 sheet was not long enough the reach the bow I had to attach small 1-foot sections to meet the stem piece.
All in all I am well pleased with the result and it is really starting to look like a boat nearing completion, well the hull at least, there is still a lot of work to do.
This coming week I will be in the cabin again painting the underside of the new deck and varnishing the berths.
22nd August 2010
This week saw me painting every day, it really is very time-consuming to do it right! I bought another 3.750ltr tin of Hempel (Blakes) white epoxy primer & its 1.250ltr tin of curing agent (hardener). I mixed it 3 parts to 1 and began painting inside the transom and under the rear deck. In order to do so I had to lie on my back and use a small brush to avoid spills. I also painted the inside hull in the rear cockpit. The fumes of this paint are really overpowering, as I have said before. Thank goodness it was a windy day; I even had to put the electric fan on, which reduced the working time remarkably. Having said that, I mixed the paint in 2 batches and had it all done in about 3 hours.
I am very glad I chose this 2-pack epoxy paint. Unlike household paint, it dries quickly and very hard but flexible enough to avoid cracking in corners. It really is worth the extra money, £36 as opposed to £14 for the same tin of ordinary paint which stays soft and can take days to dry. No doubt I will paint over the primer with boat gloss in the coming months but at least I now have a very strong, waterproof primer/undercoat. The next day I gave it another coat of epoxy primer and also did the hull and bulkheads inside the wheelhouse.
I remembered I still had to strengthen the plywood kerfs I had cut underneath the rising sheers on the gunwale a few weeks ago so I mixed some epoxy adhesive and filled in the pre-cut kerfs, then applied 2 coats of woven glass mat impregnated with epoxy. When it dried I ended up with a curve in the rising sheer which is much stronger that the ply it is made of. I then painted under the sheers & gunwales with the epoxy primer.
I also built and fitted the 2 parts of the flooring inside the forward cabin. These only extend about 2-feet inside as the ply berths are built upon beams and join in the middle. A semi-circle will then be cut out of the 2 berths where they meet at the doorway to aid legroom and aid access.
This coming Thursday sees the first anniversary of my first cut & first day's building. I think I have done well so far and will be having a few friends round for a well-deserved drink.
16th August 2010
This week I took a few days off on holiday in my van to
On my return I purchased 5ltrs of top quality red paint and painted the whole bilge area. I liked this idea as it creates a visible demarcation between the white uppers and the bilge area, which in reality, should be covered. I will give it another coat in a few days, and then I will be free to secure the floor boards to the boat. I intend painting the inside of the hull with 2-pack epoxy primer then 2 top coats of gloss white over the next week. I will do the same with the floorboards inside and out but using grey paint. So, as you can see, there is little building work going on at present. I had to paint inside the cabin before the foredeck goes on, this should be covered in the coming weeks.
6th August 2010
This has been a busy week working inside the boat. First I spent a couple of days sanding inside the cabin and smoothing out any rough edges which may catch clothing etc. When building the upturned hull I was conscious of how the forepeak met the stem and thought it could have benefited from stronger bracing in this area. I did double up in the glue & screw dept but decided that when I turned the hull over I would brace this area with epoxy resin and woven glass cloth. I did this today by applying 3 layers of cloth along the lower bow section. I was also concerned by the large lower hull panel between frames 1 and 2 and epoxied in a sprung piece of 3/8 ply. By cutting this 4-inch piece across the grain it bent better and ensured a really tight fit between the chine and the keel. I liberally applied epoxy to hull and ply and tapped it forward until the ply was in firm contact with the bottom of the hull. I then covered this ply brace with a layer of epoxy & cloth. Maybe I am being over-cautious but I now feel much better for these 2 little modifications. I then bought 5-lts of white 2-pack epoxy primer and painted the inside of the rear bilge area and inside the cabin. Anyone who has used this paint will be only too aware how pungent it is to use, I was as high as a kite for a few hours, even though I had good ventilation. I found the use of an electric fan made the paint dry too quickly so had to turn it off. It took the whole tin for just the rear bilge and the cabin so I will need more for under the wheelhouse and inside the hull.
Today I followed up by painting white gloss inside the cabin, this was much more pleasant and the one coat over the primer should do.
1st August 2010
This week I have been very busy inside the boat. After buying 2 sheets of 3/8 marine ply I began covering the aft deck and gunwales. No real problems were experienced here and a very good finish was achieved. To avoid unnecessary joins I cut half the aft deck and most of each gunwale out of a full sheet, I can use the large off-cuts at a later stage. I also intend covering all the decks in strip planking at a later stage so I wasn’t too bothered about the millions of brass screws I used. I then moved on and covered the rising sheers which will sit either side of the wheelhouse and allow access to the foredeck. When fairing these sheers I had to be mindful of allowing a slight gradient towards the hull for water drainage, the last thing I wanted was water collecting next to the wheelhouse.
When covering with ply I had to bend it sharply at the base of the sheer. In normal circumstances the ply would have broken in half, but I sawed 3 shallow lines under the ply at the bend point and it fitted perfectly, ( kerfing). I intend filling in these cuts and cover with epoxy & cloth from underneath to strengthen the bend. All I had to do then was to plane and sand the gunwales and sheers smooth where the meet the outside of the hull and inside the cockpit.
25th July 2010
With the floors now in place I feel much more confident and secure walking around inside the boat. I no longer have to watch where I put my feet for fear of slipping off a floor beam and doing damage to the hull.
I have now started on the carlins (gunwales), and transom deck battens.
For the carlins, which run from the transom to the cabin bulkhead, I took one of the 13-foot planks of 1¼ pitch pine to Bells and had them saw out two lengths of 1½ inches wide. The plans say to use ¾ x 1¼, but again I felt this was too light so I am using 1½ x 1¼.
I notched out all the frame tops and transom and glued & screwed both carlins in place. At the bulkhead end I made another 2 marine ply sheer plates like those I had fitted to the hull some months ago and fitted these to 2x2 inch wooden blocks to the bulkhead with stainless steel bolts. These are to take the side decking beside the cabin and allow me to walk onto the foredeck. Onto these sheer plates are attached deck fastener plates to reinforce the side decks. I know it all sounds confusing but the plans are very good in this respect as it all falls into place as the build continues.
At the transom I began but looking through my off-cuts bin to find the 3 deck beams I needed to support the marine ply aft deck. The centre beam is 4-inch wide and the other two are 2-inch. I shied away from using the softer fir for this area on the boat and opted for much stronger oak. I cut out the notches as accurately as I could and achieved very tight and strong joints. I then secured these important beams in place using epoxy glue and 2½-inch brass screws.
20th July 2010
This week saw a re-kindling of interest in my boatbuilding after a lengthy summer lay-off. In truth it had less to do with a general lack of interest in the boat, but more to do with re-allocation of funds to other ‘more important’ jobs around the house and car. I also managed to fit in a week touring the South of Ireland in my campervan. Needless to say I made sure I was never too far away from busy harbours thereby fuelling my endless search for boating ideas.
Before I could safely work inside the boat I had to floor it. As it was, I was having to tread precariously on the floor beams, unable to safely build gunwales or the wheelhouse.
After buying 3 sheets of ½-inch marine ply I began by making paper templates for each floor piece required, this guaranteed I would be reasonably accurate before cutting into a £40 sheet! Having said that, I still allowed a reasonable margin for error by cutting slightly larger than required. I wasn’t too far out and all that was required was minor cutting and planing to ensure a very good fit.
As I said before, the plans dictated 3/8inch ext ply but, after trying an offcut across the beams, I was unhappy as to the strength this would provide, I needed the heavier 1/2inch marine for safety. Before I screw the floor decking in place I intend painting them thoroughly with wood preserver and epoxy paint. I will also glass and epoxy the whole bilge area and fit 2 bilge pumps, one either side of the inner keel. At the same time I will cut and make small hatches for servicing these pumps and drain holes into the bilge.
I also bought 2 x 13-foot lengths of 8-inch pitch pine for the carlins and gunwales.
25th June 2010
Sorry things have been a little slack of late but other financial commitments have largely put paid to my boat-building activities for a wee while. My car died a death and had to be replaced and other household bills just kept rolling in. Having said that, I still found plenty of small jobs to keep me busy. I continued drilling out drainage holes through the frames and floor beams in the bilge area. I will now cut out ‘V’ notches on the tops of the floor beams to aid bilge ventilation when I eventually secure the floor in place. The last thing I want in a wooden boat is under-floor condensation building up and causing rot.
I intend heading out next week to buy the 3 sheets of ½ inch marine ply for the floors and the 2-pack epoxy paint for the bilge, this should keep me in work for a few days.
6th June 2010
This week I started work again on the boat after a few weeks dithering around and not doing too much. In truth I was taking time out after all the hard work finishing and turning over the hull.
I started by looking at the internal floor beams. In the plans it tells me to build these up using ¼ inch ply standing on its edge and set into the pre-cut rabbet in the floor beams. The more I thought about it the more I disliked this idea. I mean, how can such an arrangement support the weight of me and maybe another hefty man standing alongside me?
Maybe when the boat is new and the wood is strong there would be no problem, but what about in a few years time and after many soakings? I decided to ditch this arrangement and used 1¼ pressure treated timber standing on its edge, the pre-cut ¼ rabbet being filled in to prevent any rot setting into the void.
It was tedious and time-consuming measuring and cutting the 12 beams but, with perseverance, I succeeded in obtaining good tight-fitting joints, these were then glued to the floor beams and frames.
I now intend spraying the entire bilge area with the same clear Ronseal wood preserver I used for the exterior ply of the hull, (It does exactly what it says on the tin). I will then let it dry for a few weeks and fibreglass the entire bilge area then paint with 2-pack epoxy paint before fitting the ½ inch marine-ply floor. The plans specify 3/8 inch but, again for strength, I intend using the ½ inch. As you can see I have plenty of work to do over the coming weeks.
So until then, bye for now.
11th may 2010
This week saw me take the head-staggers and began thinking of turning over the hull. I feel this is where many folks get a bit uneasy at the possibility of seeing all their hard work come crashing to the shed floor. Overcome your trepidation and think it all out beforehand. I have had plenty of experience of handling and moving loads and know where many of the pitfalls are. It pays to always think ahead, think of the load you are placing on the boat and where she will go with each movement and how you can curtail such movement.
Having given it plenty of thought I decided to build a strong cradle around the boat at frames 2 and 4. I used 4x2 timber and bolted it tight to the hull and filled in gaps caused by the hull curvature. I used all the off-cuts I had kept since construction began and had plenty of wedge-shaped pieces of wood at my disposal. I also bolted 4x2 under the boat, again bolting these to the cradle.
I braced the roof -beams of the shed, but seeing that most of the weight of the boat will be resting on the cradle, I wasn’t too worried about the roof coming down. I attached an old curtain where the chain met the hull to prevent marking my paintwork. I also added an internal brace to frame 4. As you may remember, this frame has an open top with no bracing sheets of ply to add any additional strength.
With a deep breath I began lifting the hull. The chain winch was fantastic, the best £40 I have ever spent. There was neither creak from the roof, nor indeed the boat, everything went perfect. Before I knew it the boat was up on her side, all I had to do every now and again was push the cradle over towards the centre of the shed. At the balance point I just pushed her over and the chain took up the slack as I began lowering the hull to the ground. Again I had to push the cradle towards the centre of the shed. All I had to do now was to set her up on blocks in anticipation of building a trailer underneath.
There! I think I deserve a long cool beer tonight and toast a job well done. Check out pictures in my gallery.
5th May 2010
This week saw me repainting the hull. 'Yes I know I already had painted it in white 2-pack epoxy' but I have now decided to change back to my original colours of red and blue. White is a difficult colour and I felt it showed up a multitude of sins in the finished coat. Darker colours I feel will look much richer against the varnished wood I plan to use throughout the superstructure.
I began by marking out the position of the boot top, (waterline to all you landlubbers). I then applied 1-inch masking tape along this line. After sanding down the gloss of the white top coat I applied the red anti-foul paint to the bottom of the hull.
I then began applying the dark blue top coat enamel with a good broad brush. I have read many times not to use a new brush for painting as they shed bristles so I spent half an hour the day before working white paint into the bristles and letting it dry a little. I then cleaned the brush the best I could. Any residual paint in the base of the brush will hold the bristles firm. All my preparation worked and I only had 3 hairs to pick out of the paint as I went along the hull.
I was well pleased with the result, the enamel gave a fine gloss and a good thick coat, although I will have to sand out a few small runs and touch in a couple of spots where the white coat is showing through. Yes I know I should have used a darker undercoat but seeing there are now 5 coats of paint on the flippen thing, I actually want it to float!!! I think I have used enough paint thank you.
I am now having a few days off to rest my poor back.
This week saw the painting of the hull. I have decided to paint in Hempel, (formerly Blakes) 2-pack epoxy paint rather than just resin flow-coating for a number of reasons. With resin flow-coat I would be stuck with the applied colour and it will be harder to achieve a good (out-of-the-mould) finish. There will also be an issue with natural movement in the wooden hull, flow-coat will, over time, crack and graze. This problem is also seen in wholly fibreglass boats as well and is often the unseen cause of water ingress to the hull and the start of osmosis. With paint I will be free to add more coats as needed and even change colour.
I purchased 5lts of white 2-pack epoxy primer and 5ltrs of 2-pack epoxy white topcoat from the NIFPO chandlers in Portavogie. This store is to be highly recommended as they supply to the home fishing fleet and their prices are hard to beat. I began by mixing the white primer with the very pungent hardener. The fumes were very strong and even though I had as much ventilation as I could, they were still getting to me! By the time I had finished the whole hull I was intoxicated to say the least, I had to go for a walk down to the harbour to get some fresh air!
Next day I studied the fully cured primer coat and noticed many blemishes showing through. Being the perfectionist I am, I sanded it all down again and gave it another coat. I must say it was time well spent; I achieved a much better finish.
Next day I sanded it lightly again and applied the white topcoat. By the time I finished the whole hull the first panel had cured so I went round again and gave it another coat. I am now well pleased with the result, but in an effort at achieving an even better finish, I will l go over it all with a good rubbing compound buffed off with my electric buffer.
At present I have the whole hull in white but I’m not sure this will be my final colour. I may do the sides a nice dark blue but will leave this decision until I turn the hull over – the next big challenge! Before I turn her over I will be painting on the red anti-foul paint to the bottom of the boat.
Sorry it has taken me so long to update you on my progress, I assure you, I have been very busy. As I am doing the fibre-glassing on my own, I didn’t have a free hand to hold the camera but took some pictures after it was all done.
Mixing the hardener with the resin instils a certain degree of panic in the soul and it was hell for leather till I applied resin and mat before it went off, having said that, I experimented with differing ratios of hardener in order to give me a longer working time. With such a large boat, it took nearly a full week to apply the mat and one coat of tissue followed by 3 good coats of resin. In all I used 3 x 20kg drums of resin and nearly a full roll of 450 gram cloth and 30yds of glass tissue - nearly 200lbs weight!!!
What I am left with now is a good thick coat of glass over the entire hull. I am now in the tedious process of sanding it all down prior to priming and painting. I found the 'mat overlaps' the hardest to sand down but, with the purchase of a belt sander, I had it done in no time at all. All that is required now is to fill some very minor indentations with filler and finish sanding off.
Thank goodness the weather has changed and I can start fibre-glassing in earnest. I began by applying a good thick coat of resin to the bare hull. I made this mix as weak as possible by using less hardener (10ml per 1kg) to give plenty of time for the resin to soak into the plywood. Next day it was tacky but curing well. The following day I measured and cut all the lengths of glass cloth needed for the port side. I laid these to one side and mixed up my first 2-kg tub of resin with hardener. Because the weather was now warmer, and I have now fully enclosed the boathouse, I decided to use 20ml of hardener per 1-kg of resin. This I was assured would give me a ‘slow mix’ and a good 30-mins of working time. I began with a basic 9-inch fur paint roller at the transom end and wrapped the first hull bottom sheet around onto the transom. From here it was then a matter of mixing other 2-kg batches of resin and soaking the other sheets extending to the bow. In all it took 2 hours of hard work and 10-kgs of resin for the port side alone!
After a short tea break I did the same for the starboard side, but slowed the mix down a bit by adding a touch less hardener as it was starting to go off in the heat of the shed. By the time I finished I was shattered and somewhat punch-drunk with the fumes and working in the heat but the job was done. Standing back I was somewhat pleased with my work. Bearing in mind the fibre-glass is only for water-proofing and not structural strength, and the fact that I have used quite heavy 450 gram per sq inch cloth, I feel this will suffice. Having said that, I still have to apply another 2 coats of resin and a layer of glass tissue to even out the weave of the cloth. By the time this all goes on I will have a thickness way beyond what is required in the original plans. All I have to do now is to finish off the transom with 2 good layers of cloth and apply some bi-axial glass cloth tape to the front stem where both starboard & port glass-cloth meet.
This week saw the finishing of the hull.
I checked all screws for tightness and replaced any that were loose, undersize or not countersunk enough. I then filled the screw heads with Isopon and sanded the hull to make them flush. A trip to my builders' suppliers was next on the agenda where I bought 1-gallon of Ronseal Eco wood-preserver. I then sprayed this onto the complete hull with a pump-action garden sprayer and let it dry in for a few days. I liked the Ronseal product as it is water-based and not oil-based like the Cuprinol sitting beside it on the shelf, I feel this is very important as I am glassing the hull and don't want an oily film on the plywood. The Ronseal was also £15 cheaper!
I took another day off to drive up to McConnell Bros, situated in
I just had another good week finishing off all those little jobs in preparation for fibre-glassing. I cut and fitted the 1-inch thick Fir aft deck beam and knees. Even though the plans did not require it, I laminated the aft beam & knees with 1/4 inch ply to strengthen this vital area. I feel the transom will be under great stress at speed and I want this area as strong as possible. Having screwed the knees in place through the hull and attached the beam with stainless steel bolts I now have a very strong beam to which the transom decking will be secured at a later date.
I also took the time to finish off the 4-inch butt-blocks under the boat where all the hull plankings meet. While under the boat I also took some interesting photos which I then inverted on the computer to give a rough idea as to how she will look when I eventually turn the boat over, I am well pleased If I do say so myself.
I also finished off the outer keel with oak. Where it had to join the section from the front stem, I joined both sections together with a clever double scarf joint which was then epoxied and screwed in place. All that is required now is to finish off sanding & planing and await warmer weather to start the fibreglass.
At long last, another milestone has been reached today. I have just fitted the last piece of hull planking, the hull is now completed and I should have a boat that floats. All I have to do now is fit a short section of oak outer keel and prepare the hull for the 2 layers of fibreglass. I am also taking this time to cut and fit the aft deck beam from the inside. I want to fit this first as the screws will go through the hull and then be glassed over. I must thank all at www.diy-wood-boat.com for all their help. My suppliers had run out of the 5-ply marine I was using but could get plenty of 3-ply marine. I asked wood-boat.com for their advice and got replies saying it was fine to use and go ahead, thanks again, if in doubt - ask! The new ply is a slightly different colour, being Redwood, but that won’t matter as it will all be covered soon anyhow.
I am experiencing an overwhelming sense of achievement at the present time, all my hard work has paid off handsomely and I feel I have a very strong hull that will stand up to any inspection. There is a lot to be said for taking your time and being as accurate as possible.
This week saw the start of work again after a spell of very cold weather.
I began by buying another 2 sheets of ply for the S/board hull sections to the transom. My supplier had run out of the same batch of ply I have used for the rest of the hull but had Malaysian redwood in stock so I bought it. Thankfully it has a red side and a white side which matched the rest of the hull, which doesn't really matter as I still intend fibreglassing the complete hull.
I began by clamping the first sheet up and tracing from inside with a pencil to show the frames and beams. After removal I again used these lines as a guide in drilling and countersinking the screw holes. After checking all the frames for fairness I glued up and fixed the forward sheet to the hull. I must say it was a pleasure attaching square sheets that required no stressful bending. Things went so well that I even had time to attach the aft sheet as well. That is the starboard side of the boat completed and at last I can see the graceful lines of the hull taking shape, I am very pleased. Tomorrow I will start on the port side.
This week saw the measuring & fitting of the port bow hull planking. Having learnt valuable lessons from fitting the starboard side, the fitting went really well and I achieved a good result. I have also cut and temporally fitted the bow stem piece. This had to be cut from a piece of 2-inch thick Douglas Fir which I had already accounted for when building the keel & stem. I will continue to plane away at this until I get a perfect fit with both bow hull planks. The next job will be to cut and fit the outer keel which has to be steam-bent and fits onto the bow stem piece. This then extends to the transom and will be plane and sanded to fit.
This week saw the start of work again after the winter lay-off. It was too cold and damp to do any constructive work as the glue requires a minimum temp to set properly. To tell the truth it was also so cold some days that no pleasure could be derived from standing with freezing cold tools in hand. I believe this could lead to diminishing interest in the whole project, better to take a few weeks rest and start afresh I think. My shed is more like a carport in that it has an earthen floor and as such attracts a lot of moisture on freezing mornings. This then dripped off the Perspex ceiling and the boat had to be covered in plastic for weeks on end. Thankfully things have now warmed up somewhat and it's all systems go once more. I started measuring the next sheet of 3/8 ply and clamped it to the frame for the starboard hull. Once clamped, I crawled inside the boat and marked each frame's location in pencil on the sheet and any cutting that had to be done. I removed the sheet, cut it and drilled & countersunk the 120 holes required. I then glued all the frames and clamped the sheet in place and fitted all the brass screws. As can be seen in the photographs, I seem to have the chine line transition point just about perfect. After I trimmed off the excess carefully I was left with a beautiful continuous chine line as it merges with the bow. I also left an extra inch of ply to the deck plate which will be trimmed off as and when required. I also fitted the butt blocks ready for the next sheet of hull planking.