This being a long weekend and my wife being away to take care of her sick mother, I thought I'd try to make a lot of progress. So I am happy to report some. I put on the keelson and then beveled it to take the bottom pieces. I call them garboards, which is the common term for the first pieces (next to the keel) that go on when building a lapstrake boat upside down, but I wonder if that applies to a design with only four strakes per side. Beveling a 13 foot 1X4 board to an 8 degree angle takes a lot of planing and sanding, and as you can see the garage looks like a nest of pet rabbits from the shavings. Another look of the keelson and the centrerboard case on the right.
Then I took the plunge and cut the garboards (aka Strake 1). I did not trust the design program and/or my own measuring and cutting skills, so I decided not to join two 4X8 plywood sheets, then cut the pieces (not enough room anyway). So I cut the two halves separately, fit them (they were fine), then scarfed them. I have to say that sanding is very far from my favorite activity, so I did not enjoy the scarfing, nor was it a particularly good job, but it will do (see on left).
So today was the time to commit to glue and nails. First I had to cut a slot for the centerboard, which turned out surprisingly easy (even though I had to set the blade of the circular saw at 8 degrees). Then I coated surfaces with epoxy, mixed more epoxy with wood flour, slathered the goo on all the joints, and nailed on the garboards, using bronze ringshank nails. I will have to set the nails and putty the indentations, but for now let's admire the putative boat, which is looking more like a boat every day. See also the close-up of the bottom, with the off-center centerboard slot.
By the way, if I hadn't forgotten what a pain it is working with epoxy (sticky, messy, ruins brushes, coats tools, needs a respirator which is hot, sweaty and awkward, leaves black rings around fingernails, etc.) maybe I wouldn't have started. But now I am committed, so keep reading 176inches.
boatbuilder
Next came the test fitting of the second strake, and the beveling of the outer edge of the garboard. I ended up using a borrowed power planer. On this beveled edge I nailed and glued the second strake (third photo). The fit at the stem was not great, due to the problems with the height of the stem I mentioned earlier: it seems that the top of the stem moved back up about a centimeter as I was building the skeleton. I think that there is enough strake overlap to correct the problem as I put the other two strakes on. I will need to plane the upper edges of each strake (they are not perfect) and fill the lap angle with epoxy compound for strength.
