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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 top 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.

                                         Until the next time.

CHECK OUT OTHER PICTURES IN MY GALLERY

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.

                                    Until the next time.

16th August 2010

This week I took a few days off on holiday in my van to County Kerry and a 9-mile boat journey out the Skellig Rock to visit the old monastery on its summit.

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.

                                                                        Until the next time.

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.

                      Until the next time.

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.

                     Until the next time.

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 throughly 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.

                             Until next time.

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.

                                Until the next time.

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.

             Be in touch soon.

2nd May 2010

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 ingression into 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 where very strong and even though I had as much ventilation as I could, they were still getting to me! By the time I 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.

                Until the next time.

25th April 2010

5th April 2010

23rd March 2010

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 screwheads 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 Snugville Street, Belfast. McConnells are the main supplier for fibreglass products here in Northern Ireland and after a friendly consultation I walked out £230 lighter but armed with the bulk of the material needed to glass the hull. If the warmer weather continues I will start glassing soon.

14th March 2010

7th March 2010

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. Until the next time –

4th March 2010

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.

7th February 2010

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.

27th January 2010

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. 

15th December 2009

I am afraid to report that there has not been much work carried out lately. This is mainly due to the fact that it is so bloody cold here and the impending approach of xmas. The Paris Boat Show also stole me away from the shed for 5 days. Having said that, I still found plenty to do around the boat as she sits. I have 'faired' some more of the frame in preparation for the side sheets of ply. I also stole plenty of good ideas at the show, and as we speak, my mate James is re-drawing the superstructure in an effort at dragging her into the 21st century. I am trying to remain true to the 60s design of the boat, bearing in mind it was built for the sunny climes of the USA. Being built for use here in the Irish Sea, I feel some modernisation is required for shelter and protection. I will also have to bear in mind that any extra weight up top will have to be compensated for around the keel to keep her stable.

30th November 2009

Today I finished fitting the other side of the forward/lower ply planking. For some reason it was much easier to fit that the first side! Maybe it was because i again soaked it overnight, but this time, placed a 25kg bag of coal on its centre in an effort at creating a permanent bend in the middle - It worked.

Next morning, when i lifted the coal off, this pre-cut section had a nice curve exactly the shape i was after. When placed on the hull I had very little bending to do as I glued and screwed it in place.

Next day I trimmed this section off and fitted the central strip which goes between both sections. As mentioned in the plans, these 2 sections cannot meet satisfactorily in the middle due to the acute angles involved. They meet on the stem piece and a narrowing strip on ply goes between them onto which is screwed the steam-bent outer keel at a later date. The plans specify 1/4 inch ply but it didn't look right so I used 3/8 ply instead - much neater, and stronger.  Now this next bit is confusing unless you see it laid out in the plans. Because the first 48-inches of LOWER forward ply meets the UPPER forward ply in a near vertical plane they both have to be trimmed off to form a butt joint. The rest of the upper/lower join after this is a lap joint in that the upper sheets overlap the previously installed lower sections. All this is to ensure that lovely sharp chine line through the length of the boat as they merge towards the bow. All will be revealed when I fit the upper ply sections.

23rd November 2009

Today saw the fitting of the most difficult piece of the boat to date! I thought steaming the chines was difficult, but trying to bend a piece of marine ply into a shape it didn't want to be was hard work to say the least. I followed the plans and used a large piece of paper draped over the forward section then marked exactly the shape of ply I needed for this section. I then cut out this template and transferred it to the plywood and cut it out. Considering the bend involved I soaked this piece overnight in the garden. Thank goodness I did because it was relatively easy to bend but damn hard to clamp down due to the acute angles involved. It was a matter of clamping and screwing in one screw at a time! Still it was worth it, the section is now in place, fits perfectly and only needs trimmed off tomorrow. Following the plans I butt-joined all the sheets of ply with 4-inch wide 3/8 ply which will be reinforced tomorrow with other pieces of 3/8 ply glued & screwed on top giving an overall butt thickness of 3/4 inch creating a very strong joint, even before I strengthen again with glass fibre later on!!!

18th November 2009

After many days sanding & shaving away excess wood from the frames and beams, I now think the hull is 'faired' as best as I can get it. I feel the critical areas are the meeting points between the frames and the battens. I used a long thin piece of wood and an old scrap of 3/8 ply to lay upon the frame and check for daylight between the surfaces. Having said that, I don't feel anyone could get the faces absolutely perfect but I feel I am pretty damn close. The only area I had to laminate was along the first 18-inches of both chines at the bow. They were out by about 1/2 inch but a laminating piece attached with epoxy did the trick as I sanded it back to a perfect profile as it met the stem piece.

Yesterday my mate Jimmy and I took the trailer to Ray Graham's and purchased my first four 8x4 sheets of 3/8 inch marine ply. I have another 8 sheets ordered but won't need them for a while yet. I spent a whole day preparing the first sheet by first marking out and cutting. From underneath I traced all the beams & frames. I lifted the sheet off and drilled out all the holes required & countersunk them. It was only a matter then of glue-ing up all the frames, positioning the sheet and screwing in 153 brass screws! I can't see me doing any more than 1 sheet a day at this rate, but then, I'm in no hurry.

11th November 2009

I have now finished all the building work on the hull frame. The last 2 pieces were the oak knees securing the forward deck beam No1. At the same time I re-made the other 2 knees attached to forward deck beam 2 as these were initially made out of fir. The plans were vague in this respect and on second thoughts I preferred the strength of oak in this area of the bow.

I am now in the process of "fairing" the framework. This means planing and sanding all beams and frames so they blend as smoothly as possible with each other. This is very important as the ply will need to fit as accurately as possible, especially in the bow section to retain the smart transition of the chine from the underside to the upper hull. I will also be sanding the inside of the frames & beams as these will be hard to reach once the hull is planked and will look better when they are painted. I envisage this sanding &  'fairing' to take at least another few weeks, then the time will be right to start fitting the marine ply planking. 

3rd November 2009

Yesterday I purchased 1 x 12-foot plank of 1" x 10" pitch pine to be used for the 4 floor beams. I was assured by McGregor's that pitch pine would be superior in strength to douglas fir and, seeing that the floor needs to be as strong as I can possibly make it, I heeded their advice. My confidence in this 'load bearing' area of the boat will also be boosted by the fact that the plans specify 3/4 inch beams where I have actually fitted 1" instead.

I delivered the plank to Bell's where a friend cut it on their giant saw into 2-inch beams. Before fitting to the boat though, I had to rabbet out a 1/4 inch grove along each of the 12-foot lengths for deck uprights to slot into at a later date. Once again I have to thank my mate James for the use of his router, sorry about the sawdust mess in your yard!

29th October 2009

I had a busy day today building and fitting the 2 curved sheer clamps. These form the final curved shape of the gunwale from the foredeck to the stern, the shape running alongside the cabin. These pieces had to be fitted before I start planking with the plywood as I have to cut round them at that time. The plans dictate that these 2 pieces of fir should come from a 6-inch plank but I managed to find off-cuts from previous beams thereby saving me having to buy more fir, (clever Ed). I also cut and fitted the 2 braces for the forward cabin beams, these will be secured after planking. Again these were made from off-cuts I had in stock.

28th October 2009

Over the past weeks I have been busy steaming and fitting the chines, side beams and clamps. While these terms may mean nothing to the layman they are very important to the overall strength and shape of the boat. I have to say the job was more difficult than i had envisaged. Bending wood to near its breaking point is a fraught process and one which I’m not afraid to say was carried out mainly with my eyes closed awaiting a mighty crack. No worries though, i used plenty of scalding water and gave it plenty of time to soften the wood. The side beams, where they meet at the bow, were supposed to be held by an rather flimsy looking aluminium bracket but I didn't like the idea of that so for ascetic reasons I made a wooden bracket like the one I used for the chines. Next I fitted the clamps, smaller lengths of wood which run from the transom to the first deck beam. These were quite easy but a lot of notch-cutting was required to get them as near perfect as I could. All in all I am well pleased with this week's work and am looking forward to planking her with m