2005 February 22

Hey all, more boat progress shots:

SpliceBottom.jpg -- Fiberglass butt splicing 3 pieces of 9mm plywood to create the 12' long bottom panel. The larger aft section has been cut to shape, the forward continuation (2 off-cuts from the aft) will be laid out & cut after splicing, to avoid any misalignment.

SpliceSides1.jpg -- Similar for 2 pieces of 6mm ply for sides. Both sides come out of the resulting 4' x 12.5' sheet. Find the camouflaged cat.

SpliceSides2.jpg -- Ballast & parting film removed to show the completed joint (still needs to be sanded flush). After doing these taped butt joints that everybody says are real easy, I confirm my personal belief that glued scarfs are faster, easier, cheaper and bend fairer. I expect either kind is plenty strong.

BottomFlat.jpg -- The bottom panel cut out, including shaped slot on centerline that will form the v-bottom forward. Holes drilled for temporary lashings of this seam. curved 'ears' are left on at extreme bow to provide leverage for twisting the v; they will be cut away later after the joint is fiberglassed.

BottomPreBend1.jpg -- Temporary block & tackle rigged on ears: pulling on tackle twists the bottom ends together. Lashings are added along seam to hold it in alignment.

BottomPreBend2.jpg -- More twist

BottomPreBend3.jpg -- All twisted and lashed up tight, set up wuth blocking & ballast to hold fore & aft cuvature while fiberglassing inside of joint. Sorry, no photo of fiberglassing, danger of getting epoxy on camera. Will get Karen to take one when convenient. After inside fiberglass is hard, panel was flipped over, lashings cut off, and outside of joint was planed & sanded smooth and fiberglassed. Then block & tackle can be removed & 'ears' cut away to pencil line visible in PreBend2 photo.

More to follow when it happens.

Matt