More back to the boat!

I took my sweet wife to her work just for a meeting thinking that I might get a few minutes of work in on some more boat parts. She was feeling well enough to hang out with the girls and stay for lunch so I actually got about four hours in. She is feeling better and getting around pretty well for her condition. I am glad to see it, thank God!!

So seeing as I left off with the centerboard case sides (well actually only one side at the time) I decided to start there. After cutting out the side I had drawn out the other day, I took my time making sure I was creating a mirror image of it for the other side. Once that was figured out a quick slice and dice with my dads old craftsman skill saw, weighing almost 15lbs(!), I was ready to move on to the next project.

I clamped the two sides with the outer faces together leaving the markings on the outside for ease of trimming them later

 

 

 

Next was the stem which I drew out the other day also. I then cut it out and cleaned it up using it as a template for the two doublers needed to make the full thickness stem.

The inner stem piece cut and trimmed.

The doublers drawn.

The doublers rough cut.

About this time I realized that I probably should close up shop and pick up my wife. Texting her to see how she was doing, she informed me that she was doing well and that I could pick her up in a couple of hours. So with assurances from the girls that they weren't letting her "do anything" but sit and talk, I turned my attention back to the boat again.

This time I started where I had left off with the frames,  with #4 today.

Port and Starboard parts of frame #4 roughed out.

Just roughing out the frame pieces today but will clean up and properly brace the pair when I start glueing the small bits of solid wood to all the frames and bulkheads. Speaking of bulkheads, they are where I will start next time. I must admit that the more time I spend working on the boat, the more time I want to spend working on the boat.

I am taking a cue from Joel Bergen and ELLIE, by stopping the seat front stringer at frame #5 instead of running it all the way up to the bow. He said that he had consulted with John Welsford and he had no problem with it. I also believe that it would be much more comfortable walking about the forward section of the cockpit floor especially if barefooted.

In an effort to simplify the rigging and reduce set up time, I am planning to build this as a balanced lug main with the sprit boomed mizzen,

Lucky Pierre by Ken Laxague in the Boston area. Great job Ken.

without the seat front stringer to complicate the keel area immediately in front of Bulkhead #2 where the mast step will be placed along with the "mast box".  The mast box is part of the mast partner system, is glued to the forward face of B2 and requires the keel and king plank widened to 140mm, also shortening the stem spine to accommodate the mast box.

I am contemplating some manner of allowing me to insert the mast at the forward thwart and just lean it forward into a gate of some sort rather than have to lift it fully above the foredeck then down through into the box. This will take some serious thought on bracing the foredeck and coming up with a reliable mast gate.

Until next time,

Geoff