an infrequent repository of mostly new stuff
building a pair of 19th century gunning skiffs
Coquina Beach
Seems like ages since I’ve done any more on the boats. Life kind of took over for a while. Last week at least I got to take time off to do a little boat research and recognizance – er, reconnaissance – which is sort of like working on the boats, plus some sailing (Bonus!). Continue reading “Cortez”
North hull ready for framing
Flipped both hulls this weekend, and added braces to the strongbacks to hold everything steady for framing and decking. Scraping glue drips off the insides went pretty quick, as there was minimal glue squeeze out, and what was there just popped right off. I’m changing the order of things a bit, so won’t do the final sanding and glassing of the interiors for a while yet. Continue reading “Flipped & Scraped”
Draping 6oz Fiberglass Cloth
A Metamorphisis
The process of glassing a hull is like riding a roller coaster – there’s a long, slow buildup, but once you start there’s no turning back, no matter what, until it’s all over. If you make a mistake, too bad, cuz anything you can’t fix quickly you pretty much can’t fix. You just have to suck it up and keep going. Continue reading “Glassing”
Skeg scribed for cutting
The instructions on the plans for making the skegs consist of the words “Make skegs.” The Barto plans do actually indicate a taper from 1 1/2” down to 1” but that’s about it, leaving quite a bit to the imagination. Took me several days of thinking, and looking at pictures of what others have done, to come with something I thought would work. Continue reading “Skegs”
Twilight, Blue Ridge & Barns
Spring is finally here. A full season, plus a bit, has now passed since the boat project began. I’m about a month behind the optimistic schedule, but still fairly close to the more realistic one. No worries, yet. I expect to use several three day weekends sprinkled through Spring and Summer, and a couple of those should catch me up pretty quick. Ignoring other house projects of course helps, but those are piling up – painting, repairs, yard work, and on and on – none of it getting done. We’re going for shabby chic this year, and succeeding wonderfully. Continue reading “A Season Passes”
Blogging has been light lately. Between doing taxes, family obligations, etc., boat progress has been a little sparse. On top of that, there are no dramatic changes during this phase. You just kind of sand and smooth ‘til you’re tired of it, then quit for a few days and start again. At this point, though, the fairing is essentially done.
The next step will be adding skegs, and from here on out the boat will take on weight quickly, so flipping will not be so flippant. Because of the way I’m doing the transoms I need to visualize how the skeg, transom, rudder and hull parts will come together before committing. Hard to do that upside down, so gave me an excuse to turn one up again. Just walking into the room is nice – the smell of cedar, the gentle curves, smooth surfaces – but turning them over is a sensation like the humming of a gong. You just can’t help but go “wow . . .” Continue reading “Final Fairing”
Staple Holes Filled
Some people really hate this part, but I love sanding and smoothing. It’s slow work, but the wood goes through a pleasing transformation, both visual and tactile.
Before sanding and fairing, the staple holes, sloppy joints, and other imperfections are filled with a mixture of glue and sawdust. The first trick to filling the staple holes, and making them less prominent, is to make them smaller. You do this by soaking the wood well with a wet sponge. This causes the wood to swell and the holes to close up. In some cases, almost completely. Since the outside of the hulls will probably be painted, this is not so important now, but getting the technique right here will help later on the inside. Continue reading “Filling and Fairing”