Garboard

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