Interior geting closer....

Forward fillets/tape is done under foredeck and tape under cockpit is done.

Here are some shots of the compression post.

Bottom/base set-up:

Top end set-up:

Post ready for goo:

Base installed:

Top installed:

Aft end of cockpit taped:

Now, BRING ON THE LONGBOARD....aka the torture board....time to start faring!!!

In the belly of the beast

I took a deep breath and decided it was time to finish (most of) the interior. The forward stringers under the foredeck needed fillets and tape. The compression post needs to be installed. The chain plate gussets need to be taped to the deck. The cockpit needs taping. All of this is nasty, dark, cramped, dusty yucky work and I am just going to spend the week getting it done.



Not much to photograph, just use your "minds eye" to see me hunched over, dust mask on, trying to keep long lengths of epoxy infused cloth off of me and in the right places where one can almost reach. My butt has a random bruise from sitting on some stringer for too long last night, I have gobs of epoxy in what little hair I have left and my neck is most comfortable when I hold my head about 10 degrees to port.....maybe THIS is why I haven't chosen boat building as a profession.



It is all coming along nicely though, and my hope is that I will be ready to flip the boat over this weekend. I think I will get the topsides mostly fare, but not worry about primer and/or paint until I get the bottom done.

Since I have nothing to photograph myself, I will leave you with one of my favorite sailing pictures ever....courtesy of Sailing Anarchy:

The shape of things to come!

This is it!!!!! This is the shape of my boat. All major plywood construction is complete (accept for the added suger scoop for PHRF handicap racing).

There are some spots where I will be able to tape the underside, and I need to tape the hull to deck seem, but otherwise I am into "finish" mode. YAHOO!!!

cockpit in.....for good!

John P came by again and helped with the final install of the cockpit tonight. It went in nicely after a dry fit last night showed some "opportunities for improvement".

There is no turning back now. I just hope I can find all my backing plates when I need to!!!

I'll trim up the edges tomorrow and have a rough version of the finished product finally!!

Flip/Flop....

Pulled the cockpit out, marked spots for backing plates (traveler, center block behind traveler, spinnaker blocks on aft decks, foot strap tie downs on aft cockpit sole....I think that is it), cleaned up front end of cockpit where it meets the cabin and flipped it back over again.

Here it is mid flip:

And here is the bottom...done!

I also gave the inside of the aft section a quick sanding and am debating about one more layer of epoxy to seal it all. I also need to add the backing plates for the pintels and gudgeons and an outboard. Other than that, I am ready to put this bad boy in for good!

excellent weekend..minimal progress.....

Had a blast this weekend. Thanks Rob, I needed that.

I also shaved my head, but that is another story....



Cleaned up all the glass work from last week and started placing backing plates for the hardware in the cockpit. I laid some of the carbon/kevlar twill that I am so fond of over 1/4" ply. I am hoping that the carbon kevlar is a good surface for the underside washers and nuts.





Backers for the traveler are in. Need spin sheet blocks in the rear of the boat, hiking strap anchor points and the center main sheet block and I should be good to go!

Oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Soft White Underbelly.....

(2 points if you can name the referenced band's REAL name.....)

So the underbelly of the cockpit has all the glass it's gonna get.

A shot whole enchilada:

Fillets and tape on the stringers under the cockpit sole:

4" bi-axial at the junction of the sole to the coskpit sides:

Layer of 6 oz cloth under the foam for good measure:

A couple of notes. The biax WILL take an outside curve (remember that inside my cabin I wasn't real pleased w/ the way the biax wrapped around the deck to cabin side seem, inside the boat it was an outside bend...if that makes any sense). I used plastic carrier sheet to hold it down, and faired the wood into a nicer curve under the tape. The tape looks great tonight....we'll see tomorrow.

Also, it is AMAZING how stiff those 2" and 3" stringers are when beefed up with a fillet and tape....they are simply BOMBER.....and light. I say this now. I may be cursing those words when they start to pop as some 280 lb rail guerilla lands hard in the cockpit mid broach.....time will tell.

I'm off for a few days for a GUYS weekend....(white water rafting Class IV Saturday, meat and cigars Saturday night, mountain biking Sunday) with a group of old buddies. I'll be back, clean this mess up and maybe flip and trial fit on Sunday night.....if I'm not to gassed.