Starting assembly

 Well, assembly has started (finally).  This is the bow, laminated from two layers of 9mm (3/8 inch) plywood, and the two fore bulkheads.  They are nailed and glued (with some temporary screws) to a horizontal beam that will have the mainmast hole forward of the first bulkhead.  There is also a temporary brace to hold the two bulkheads together until the keelson and inwales go on.  You can see that each bulkhead has a cedar doubler for strength and for nailing the foredeck on (much later, when the hull is built and the boat is flipped right-side-up).  The tops of the bulkheads will be rounded before that, but for now it's convenient to have straight tops to keep everything square and level, especially since the centerline of the fore-end beam is designed to be exactly horizontal.  You can also see the square opening in the main bulkhead, which will have a sliding panel for access to a large locker. The bow is angular for now, but will be rounded after the hull is built, with the addition of oak pieces.

The fore-end assembly sits on the pallet that the plywood arrived in (see Pallets and Cowboys).  Unfortunately it is a little warped and I had to make adjustments.  This pallet is a convenient size for plywood cuts and minor assembly, but the fact that I have to use it is testament to my lack of space.  I also lack tabletop space (hard to fit a table of any kind amid the gardening supplies and equipment), so the tools are all over the place and I have to tidy up periodically. 

On the right you can see all the components of the centerboard (CB) case, ready to assemble (after a second coat of epoxy on the inside).  On top is the starboard panel seen from the outside.  You can see a cleat on the top edge for strength and to glue a plywood strip (with a slot for the CB).  The bottom doubler will attach to the hull--you  can see how it was curved to fit the curvature of the boat's bottom. It will be below the floorboards.  Of course these doublers and the panels themselves had to be cut to different sizes and glued at different heights to fit around the keelson and account for the v-shape of the boat's bottom.  Once again, thank heavens for trigonometry.

Below you see the inside of the port panel of the CB case, with 7/8-inch thick oak spacers to accommodate a 3/4-inch CB.  You can also see a mock CB for fitting purposes, cut out of corrugated cardboard (it held my wife's new laptop computer).  The extra-long spacer on the left will provide support for the rowing thwart/mizzen mast step, as well as a place to put hardware for CB haul line and mainsheet.  I cut it too long so I can adjust it as needed.

Today reminded me how messy epoxy is to work with, especially the mixture thickened with wood flour.  Gloves are of little help, and hands and tools have to be cleaned every time.  The boatbuilder's best friend, white distilled vinegar, works like a charm, BTW.  As for the inevitable spills, I'm not too worried since the garage floor is coated with epoxy anyway!

To see more progress and pictures, keep reading 176inches.

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