Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

-11F for a high temp today. 5 days ago it was +40F. Yuck. My work on the boat has ground to a halt until early January. I have a wood fired heater in my shop that I will fire up then but there is just too much happening on the home front now (You know that Christmas thing that occurs this time of the year). Just have a stack of plywood parts waiting to go together. I understand that there might be a couple of fine gentlemen out there who are further along than I am. Sure would like to see some pictures to get some inspiration.

Hi Doug,
Sorry I can't post pics right now. My wife left camera at kid's house Thanksgiving. But I will be stitching hull this week. Had to re-learn FG skills. It's been 25 years since I've built a boat. And never a stitch and glue. I'm getting a lot better as I go. I'm ordering the outboard this week along with the fuel tank, water tank, and bilge pump. I had a mahogany clamping board cut and milled at a local boat yard. One butt block tried to migrate on me before I tied the 5 gal bucket weight off. But I caught it right away before glue kicked. I lock the weights in place so nothing can move. Read about that here. Hope to have hull painted and turned over by year end.
Making plans already to trailer boat up to Seattle area this summer. Put whole rig (truck, trailer and boat) on ferry to San Juan's. Launch there and do some cruising in protected water.
As soon as camera comes back I'll upload some shots to gallery. It's been fairly cold here also at night. Highs in fourty's and fifty's. Freezing at night.

Regards, Yoda

Just getting back at it again. Decision made to go with 25" shaft outboard. I had been trying to locate a used motor to save a few bucks (so I could spend it on something else for the boat!) but have found that just about all I came across were 20" shafts and needed remotes/conversion kits/cables etc. All of this makes a new one seem more reasonable and a lot less hassle. New might as well be 25". With that decision done, I was able to cut out my transom.
Mixed my first batch of epoxy this weekend for the bottom panel splices. I'm using system 3 with fast hardener. My shop is not really warm enough at this temp (-25C outside, +5C inside) to work with the epoxy. More like molasses. I had the epoxy stored in my basement but it could have been warmer. Probably a heated storage box in the shop would work better. Next weekend is supposed to be a lot warmer and I'll try again. I did get one bottom panel spliced and it looks good but was taking quite a while to gel and then harden.
Yoda, your pictures are much appreciated. Looks like you're having lots of fun with fairing. I can hardly wait ...
Doug

Glad to see you're getting started with the real fun stuff. And I think the motor decision is correct. As for the temp. you can get help with the resin by getting a couple of infrared flood lamps, the clipon kind. They will not heat the air, but will heat what they shine on including you. I was able to have my resin and glue joints set up in a normal time range, maybe a little faster. Don't get the lights too close. Just let the resin think it's out in the warm sun. If you will excuse me now, I have to do some sanding

Warmer in the shop this weekend and was able to do the splices on the remaining bottom panel and both side panels. I had a problem with one side panel, in that both splices on the initial 'bottom' side had areas that were white still and had to be taken out and redone. The process I was using was putting one layer of tape on the 'bottom' side and then 2 on the top. After this hardened I would flip the whole piece over and put a second layer over the single layer. I used plastic under the bottom and over the top of the joint and weighted it down with more plywood and wood blocks. Probably just didn't have enough epoxy in the tape. Oh, well easily fixed.
Next step is to mount the frames on the strong-back. I have been waiting impatiently to do this but I had to use the base of the strong-back to do my splicing of panels. I had sheeted it over with cheap plywood for a good working surface. I also used it as a base to cut out all of my frames and hull piecess. Worked well. Just used scraps under the ply I was cutting to keep from cutting the base. Most of the time...
Doug

Wow! One week later and I have a boat in my shop. Frames up on strongback, hull bottoms and sides in place. Tomorrow, I have to go back over my stitching to get a better fit but it actually looks like a boat. Amazing! No major oops either. Double amazing!
Doug

Now you're starting to have fun huh.
I bought a Porter Cable belt sander after wearing out my old belt sander.
WOW! What an improvement. Gonna speed things up here. I also bought a DeWalt sabre saw. 'Nother WOW! Tools do make a difference.
Need to get primed and the bottom painted before the bugs come out.
Once I flip it should become fun again.

Dont keep us waiting! You must have some pictures

Just set up a gallery for the boat. Nothing special but I know how much I have appreciated other's pictures.
Today, I removed the wire splices and finished filling the joints with epoxy/wood flour. I hope to shape (round) them next weekend and start taping.
Last week I was in Edmonton, Alberta for some training and was able to contact George in St. Albert who is building an HM 19. It was great to talk to him about his project. I think that this will work out well for both of us. I know that I may need some encouragement at times. Of course we may end up talking about the merits of planing vs displacement boats!
Doug

I Doug
Glad to see you made it back to La La Land ( just a little joke we have about BC )
I saw the latest pictures of your boat and it looks great !
Like I mentioned to you, when you'r ready to buy an outboard, give me a call and I'll give you my best shot.
I forgot to mention it but I also have contact with Riverside Yamaha next door if you wanted to go that way.
Keep up the good work.
Ive been looking over the plans and I can't seem to find the info regarding the skeg. Like when to install-before or after the glass etc.

George
On the HMD the skeg is added after the hull is glassed. I would think that it would be the same for the HM. The skeg is glued, filleted, and taped to the hull.
Doug.

Doug N wrote:George
On the HMD the skeg is added after the hull is glassed. I would think that it would be the same for the HM. The skeg is glued, filleted, and taped to the hull.
Doug.

That's correct Doug. And now you have a boat to work on. Looks good too.

Hi Doug,
You were right on with the skeg advice.
Actually, I found a new posting(Mar 3) on the tutoreal section under Building Methods called Stitch & Glue 101 by Ryan that is just great and answers this question and a whole lot more.
Please keep us posted on your progress with more pics.

George

George, one thing I have found. If I have a question I need a quick answer to, a forum search for the subject brings up a wealth of knowledge. Seems as if everyone building a boat has the same questions somewhere along the line. But, you may know this already. It's really starting to warm up down here now. I expect bugs in everything from resin to paint soon. I hope you guys up there get a little of it soon....
not the bugs though.

Hit a little bump in the road, in that I have started getting an allergic reaction to epoxy. More of a contact dermatitis problem than an actual allergy. I have been very careful with resin and hardner, but not quite so careful with sanding dust. I wear a respirator/organic/dusts and coveralls when sanding and use a shop-vac on my sanders... most of the time. Three days ago, I did some belt sanding on the splices of my bottom and side panels(epoxy applied over 1 month ago) without using the shop vac. The same evening, I used a RO sander(without the vac) on the panel joints that had epoxy that hadn't cured for more than a 4 days in cool temps. I don't know if it was the 'green epoxy' or just the epoxy dust that gave me a problem. The problem was rashes under my wrist watch on one hand and on the wrist of the other hand where my glove was rubbing. I also had smaller rashes around the respirator contact area on my face. This hadn't happened at all the previous evening when I had used my shop vac on the sanders.
You can imagine the feelings I had at this point. Just starting the project and already can't go near the epoxy. The rashes themselves weren't a big deal, but the thought of them getting progressively worse is.
I am probably pre-disposed for having difficulties with epoxy in that I have contact dermatitis problems with oil/gas etc. (Another hobby is mechanics- I've lived with the problem for 35 years since high school).
Not giving up at this point. I have just purchased tyvek sleeves that I will tape to my gloves when sanding. Definitely use the shop vac (it has a dust collection bag inside-for drywall dust-makes a tremendous difference and the sandpaper doesn't seem to clog as fast). I will try a barrier cream on my face. I think that the shop vac will have the most effect.
Doug

Wow...thats a major drag....that sanding dust is a pain though. I have to take a shower after a major sanding. I am able to get away with a paper mask - that seems to keep it out of my nose for the most part. But, I did have an episode last week of very itchy eyes.

I was very lucky, I had the tiniest place under my watchband but it never progressed and I was not very careful but stayed away from green epoxy and hardener. Not even sure it was from epoxy but it did vanish after the project? Wash well afterwards with vinegar. I think it helps kill the hardener and limits the reaction to it. It's very hard to take all the precautions in a garage that's 90 degrees. It begins to be a choice: heat stroke or a rash?

Thanks for the info on the vinegar. I have been doing some more sanding, using my shop vac faithfully and taping off sleeves of coveralls and everything has gone well.
I don't have quite the same problem with overheating due to all of the precautions... I hope to do some taping and possibly glass the bottom of the boat this weekend. The temperature has been dropping and could get down to a low of -25C. Gets real hard to keep my shop warm at that temp. The epoxy and me aren't warm enough. I cut all of the tape and fabric to size last night and I'm getting quite anxious to get the bottom covered.
Doug

Hull is taped, bottom and transom covered with biax as per plans, and a further layer of 6 oz woven fabric over complete hull for abrasion resistance (main reason) and ease of finishing.
The biaxial tape and cloth work went well with a steep learning curve but quite workable. The biax cloth on the bottom and transom took about 4 - 5 hours to complete working by myself. I used S3/fast hardner 24 oz batches/working at about 50 -55 deg F and had lots of time. Except when I had one batch go off with about 8 oz left when my shop got up to 65 deg F. Quite a difference and obvious when you think about it.
Now the woven cloth. This also has a steep learning curve but I kind of fell off somewhere else. Actually this part ended up ok but could have been much better. Think before doing! Repeat the think part! For efficient use (or so I thought) of the 60" cloth, I ran it from the sheerline up the side, past the chine to within 12" of the keel. The experienced people are shaking their heads already. Did I have a problem with puckers/wrinkles in the cloth? Nothing that a few slits in the cloth (done while epoxy is already mixed of course) couldn't fix. The slits were on the bottom of the hull and will be faired/sanded out of existence/out of sight under primer. Not a real problem but could have been avoided by a better layout of cloth (which would have used more lineal yards of cloth initially, but I would expect to use the leftovers elsewhere so the cost should be a wash). It is very good that the biax cloth (which is per design) provides the strength and the woven cloth that I put on as an addition is mainly cosmetic. I think that my brain took a day off when I was looking at the cloth layout!
Things I learned.
Store your cut out cloth on rolls to avoid wrinkles/creases (just look at woven cloth wrong and it has a permanent crease!) and to make it easier to lay it out on your hull.
Surform shaper is a great tool for taking down lumps and bumps from cloth edges.
Good lighting is a must to catch all of those runs and spots you may have missed getting all of the excess epoxy out before everything hardens.
I may have avoided some problems/gained fiberglass experience by building a smaller boat first but I don't really have use for one at this point and I am quite happy in going with this one as a first project.
Make and install skeg next. Sanding/fairing at the same time. Not quite so enthusiastic about the last part!
Doug

Doug, did you apply your woven cloth before the biaxial laminate had cured. i.e. "wet on wet?"

John, no, I wasn't able to put the cloth on wet on wet. I had wanted to, but I did all of the work by myself and was concerned with starting to pull the biax out of place when working with the woven cloth and ending up with a real disaster. I also could not have gotten the woven cloth on before the epoxy had gelled on the biax. Doing this work the next day, my epoxy was still slightly tacky which is one benefit of cooler working temps. No sanding necessary between layers. One other consideration is that this would be a lot of work in one go. Mixing and squeegee work all day and I think that my arms would have been protesting a lot.
Doug

Thanks for the reply. I'm looking foward to seeing pictures as you r boat takes shape. The HMD 18 is one of my favorite designs.

Skeg is on and just needs to be faired. I covered it with two layers biax for abrasion protection. I ended up going with a laminated fir skeg about 1 3/4" thick. Couldn't find quarter sawn fir anywhere close and so used flatsawn and cut into strips about 2" wide, stacked them together using thickened epoxy and lightly clamped. Worked out quite well as it was under 11" wide and could go through my planer and looked great. Seems a shame to cover it up but it will be painted. Soon I hope. Paint should be on it's way (S3 primer and Shaw blue for the bottom). Hopefully finish fairing/sanding of the hull in the next week or two, depending on how much time I have. Spring weather (22C or 72F today) brings out the yard work and so could delay things a bit. Patience is not something I have a lot of at times. Oh well. Every year at this time I tell myself that 3 acres of lawn is insanity. I could be a while. I hear some rumours of flower beds and stuff. I guess I can't complain as my wife has been very supportive of the boat project.
Doug
I'll try and remember to take pictures this weekend of the progress so far but not an awful lot different from the previous.

Haven't been able to put a lot of time in on the boat but it is progressing. Finished fairing and put on one thin coat of epoxy to seal everything. Took 2 days to harden enough to sand as the weather turned cooler. I had just switched over to medium hardner from mix of fast/medium hardner. Had to fire up the wood heater in the shop to get the temp up to 70. Just about finished sanding today when company arrived. Hopefully finish tomorrow or the next evening.
Next on the agenda is the rubrail. I have ripped mahogany into 3/8" thick strips and it looks like it will bend quite well to the hull. A slight problem of not enough clamps by a big margin. I cut up a 4" pvc sewer pipe into 3" strips for additional clamps but it isn't quite strong enough when it is only on the first lamination. Spreading one apart to the 1 1/2" thickness of the hull + 3 layers should be plenty strong. Is this the same pvc pipe material that I have seen other people use? Probably stop at a local hardware store and pick up some more 2" spring clamps to get going on this.

One other thing that was done was to drill holes for the bow eye and then do the fiberglass work on the inside of the hull, including a wooden backing plate. The bow eye will be in the bottom painted area and I don't want to have to go back and redo it. The rest of the sides will be left in primer (once I get that far) until the boat is near done. I've seen me work before and I will probably mark up the sides at some point.

Perhaps painting next weekend. Getting anxious to see how the boat looks with paint on it. Mr Yoda's looks quite good and gives me incentive to keep at it.

Some folks are probably chuckling at the 'problem' of having to use a wood heater in mid-June. I am just as amazed as reading about people working with epoxy in 90 deg weather. I don't think that it would be much fun. It's great that we have epoxy that will work in the variety of conditions we encounter. It's also great that we can laugh about it. And that is a definite 'laugh with' and not 'at' other folks.
Doug

that's a *with*, not an *at*.

ks

I just put my hardner in the refrigerator in preparation of doing some filleting on my new canoe. 82 degrees and 74 percent humidity so far this morning, can you say small batches.

This is old stuff, but use a wide flat container to pour your mix in. Then keep it sitting on an ice bed. Helps keep it from going off prematurely.

Rub rails on. 3 layers of mahogany. You can never have enough clamps. I brought the rub rail past the bow until the 2 sides meet. Not sure what I will do in the future but I figure this leaves me a few options. I can always trim it back. 4 coats of system3 primer on. Used a roller. Thinned 20% but it still starts drying very quickly. This was at 65 F and about 50% humidity. Each coat took 1/3 gallon. Quite a difference in the appearance though. Wait until this cures then sand and put on the finish LPU on the bottom. Trying to get the LPU on the bottom fairly soon as I am going on vacation in 10 days and would like the paint to be cured so I can flip the boat when I get back.
Uploaded pics to the gallery. The resolution in some is terrible. Tried to go back in change some (delete/reload) but had problems doing this. Could be related to the server changes happening. I'll try again in the future.
Doug

Doug we're having 100F+ temps now. For the next week at least. I'm down to 1 1/2 oz cups at a time of resin now. Should order slow hardener
now. But I have too much medium left. $$$

When you start finish coats, if you can have at least one person to roll or tip, it will really help. Mine was drying too fast 2 mos. ago. And flood the shop or garage floor to add humidity. Two by two foot applications if you can stay out of each others way. I worked by myself. But I have enough paint for two more coats. When I have boat together the sides will be repainted on trailer. I WILL have my wife tipping for me. She's good with a paint brush. A foam brush should be no problem.

Going to look at pics now.

After looking at your pics I decided to copy your bow cleat backer. Really like what you came up with. And boat is looking good. Enjoy vacation.

Uploaded pictures of bottom painted with S3 shaw blue. 4 coats with the last 2 cross linked. Happy with the paint. Looks good for being done in a shop with no dust/ventilation control using a roller and brush. I should have had a second person doing the tipping though. Better masking tape would be good as well. Will leave the sides in primer for a while.
The painting was done almost 4 weeks ago so it should be good and hard now. I have built a cradle and set it on the boat for leveling. There is a support under each frame member. The boat is quite strong at this point. I am amazed at how light it still is. I can pick up a corner of the transom fairly easily. Ok, I'm not going to take it very far mind you. Perhaps 4-500 # total at this point.
Waiting for friends/family to show up in a few hours and we'll flip the boat.
Looking at the cradle, it is somewhat of overkill in strength but I expect the boat will be sitting on it for another year before I'm done.
Doug

Looks great Doug. Wait 'till you get boat flipped. You may be shocked at how much bigger it gets. It's the flair that does it. Especially with no deck.

The deed is done. Took 5 - 10 minutes and it was all over. Five friends/family came to help and I'm sure we could have done it with less if necessary. We turned it over in my shop and used an engine lift on the bow eye to support one end. The eye is well supported with plywood backing and more tape than the design specified. Even so, we were very careful not to jar the bow eye as I'm sure that it is not designed for side loads and vertical lifting.
Yoda, you're right, the boat looks even bigger than before. Lots of work ahead. Of course since I have all of the plywood cut out, I just had to lay the cockpit sole in place, the berth tops, motorwell sides/bottom, deck pieces. Put the top pieces of frame D roughly in place to get an idea of the cabin size. I can almost hear the motor running now...
Doug

Doug, did you cut the upper frame "E" mold from scrap? It doesn't come with the kit does it?

O.K Doug, here are pics of sole install.
Now, here is what you do. Install sole in one piece. Get it in boat all by yourself, no ropes or pulleys. You heard me. This is now a contest. The rest of the day I will spend in traction.
I'm also rolling boat in and out of garage by myself. Everyone seems to disappear when I need them. Next I will glass sole in. Then the deck starts.
What was that? Did you hear it? Sounded like a motor starting........... Boy I wish. http://gallery.bateau2.comindex.php?cat=11804

Doug, do you understand this:

Upper "D" frame, foreward cabin entrance. Top of "door" opening would be
2 X 12 3/4 inches or 25 1/2 inches wide.

There is cut out at back of foreward cabin roof:

2 X 12 inches from center = 24 inches over all.

Mold at frame "E" has notches for 2 roof beams. :

2 X 12 inches from center to outside of notch = 24 inches over all.

Where do you think rear of beams should be supported ?

Beams will glue to front of cabin. Beams are 1 inch wide. Notch in mold put beams 22 inches apart inside measurement. Back of cabin roof opening is 24 inches clear opening ? That makes beams 24 inches apart at rear and 22 inches apart at mold ? Or do we not have them parallel ?
I can't get an answer to this so far. No one understands what I'm asking.
I want to know if prints are right. Or, are beams intended to not run parallel ?

Yoda
Understood. I will check my prints this evening. Just going out the door to work.
Doug

Yoda,

Sorry if you feel ignored about those forward cabin beams. I don't always check this section of the forum. Best to post a NEW message in the Power Boats section to get an answer if you are puzzling over something.

I checked the Rhino model and Autocad drawing this morning. There IS an error. I made the Frame D opening wider in Autocad after modelling the cabin and missed the fact that the beams don't line up with Frame D.

Two fixes: if the cabin is not constructed, then move the beams outboard so the inboard face of the beam is the same as the 1'-0-3/4" width of the opening in Frame D. Move the position on Frame C as well.

If the cabin is partly constructed, with Frame C notched for the beams, you can either relocate the beams outboard as per the first suggestion OR move them so they are not parallel and toe in at the forward end of the cabin.

Hope this helps clear up the mystery.

I assume moving notches are for mold "E" and not frame "C".
That's pretty much what I had come up with as a work around that wouldn't
mess up anything. So would I now increase cut above frame "D" in cabin roof (or dash) to 1'-0-3/4" that would have it line up with beam also ? I probably didn't have to ask this one. I know the answer.

Thanks Evan. I should have included your name in header also to get your attention. I'm just getting close to building cabin.

Sorry Mold E is correct not C. Some of my boats start with ABC forward, some with ABC from the aft...

For Frame D, I should have shown a notch for the beam to land on, rather than have the beam butt into Frame D. So notch Frame D for the beam, and increase the cutout opening in the Fwd. Cabin Roof.

O.K. notch frame "D" for landing. That should about do it.
Thanks Evan, how's your project coming ?
We'll be cruising past Sept. 1st on our way up the inside from Seattle.
Boat shop will be closed for about 12 days.

Catamaran Project:

http://www.maiaaboard.blogspot.com

We're back in the water; still need to tape some cabin seams though and adjust the feathering propeller pitch (read the blog for the story)

Great to get that straightened out. A different question has arisen for me on the side deck dimensions. When I 'just had to' put panels in place to see how they looked after flipping the boat a few days ago, I noticed that the side decks beside the forward cabin are pretty skinny. I'm already planning on putting a toe-rail on, which should help, but it is still a concern with going forward in anything other than perfect weather with anchor in hand etc. Not being the most coordinated individual at times, I could see swimming in my future. Any thoughts on this. I am considering a possible bow rail, mounting the anchor on the deck (pretty small foredeck though), anchor well or just leaving it as is. Going forward with nothing in your hands shouldn't be a problem as there will be solid handholds on the cabin top. This is still a long ways in the future for me. I have plenty of plywood to redo the side decks wider/cabin top narrower if necessary but I really don't to mess with the lines as drawn. Would also prefer to keep the anchor weight low in the boat. That said, safety on the bow, and getting there, is very important for me. Perhaps this question should be in the 'power boat' section but I'm looking forward to info from all sources, especially people who have had this same problem.
Doug

The side decks are skinny to make the cabin bigger. No different than many power boats, both large and small. I've seen Bayliner type 30' express cruisers with sidedecks that are less than the 4" shown on the narrow part of the HMD18.

I'd suggest anchoring from the cockpit, then walking the anchor line only up to the foredeck to cleat it off.

Or put in a big enough hatch (20"x20") in the forward cabin to go through the cabin.

I noticed the same thing a while back. Good deck shoes and non skid in the paint will help. Maybe a fluke anchor will be good enough. They're not too heavy. Also I was thinking a couple of bow chocks up front. Lower anchor from back deck and run rode forward and into chock. Then back down and control scope from back. Someone could push rode to someone already up front with a boat hook. They could place it in chock. Or get good at it and place rode in chock with boat hook. I want some chain too for setting and holding.

Hey Evan. This is an edit. I saw your post after I submited mine...

Dropping the anchor from the stern sounds like a good way to go. Keeps the weight low as well. Great. Much appreciated.
Doug

Wow, a year since I last posted on my progress. Not an awful lot got done but work has started again.
Tonight, I glued the cockpit sole down and it seems like a major step. Hopefully get it filleted and taped in the next week or so. Planning on putting down some 6 oz woven cloth on the sole for protection.
I installed a water tank under the floor but not a fuel tank. I will use portable gas tanks as I don't expect fuel consumption to be very much from a 10 hp 4 stroke. Where the fuel tank would have gone, I made up a reinforced area to hold spare anchors etc. Not sure how much this will get used.
Installed a couple of cleats in the area of the bilge pumps, so the pumps can be installed on a piece of plywood and then bolted in place in the bilge. Should make maintenance on the pumps easier. The plywood is 6"x 12" and so it will fit through the hatch in the sole.
Speaking of hatches, I bought one (tempress 13x23) for one of the compartments in the stern beside the outboard well. Not having too many marine stores in northern BC, I waited until I was vacationing on Vancouver Island a few weeks ago to get my hands on one to see how they were made and how they would work out. Looks good and I have ordered several more 13x17 hatches for bilge pump/water tank access and anchor storage area access.
For buoyancy foam, I partitioned the area between frames A and D so that the there was an open area 48" wide down the centre and outside of it was filled with foam. I also put in another partition 12" out from frame A to give a calculated total volume of 16 cu ft. I was quite relieved to find that I used slightly more than 4 gal of liquid to do this. I was worried that I had calculated exactly but out by a factor of 2. I have another couple of gallons to use under the v-berth.
Will try and post pictures in the next few days. Tomorrow is the first day back to work after 3 weeks off so I could be quite busy for a while and not want to look at a computer.
Doug

One more note. Thanks to the folks who have posted on how to install a depth sounder transducer to work through the hull. I cut away a 3" x 3.5" section of the hull, a few inches off centreline, just leaving the fibreglass on the outside intact. Used a router to get most of the way there and then a very sharp chisel. Wasn't a problem at all but still nerve-wracking. Seems like the plywood has a hundred plies in it... I filled in the hole with biaxial cloth/epoxy and doesn't look like any bubbles formed. I have a bit more to add to get a level surface (made a dam and epoxied it in place) but I will wait for the transducer before I do that. Haven't 100% decided on what to get yet.
Thanks again for the advice. Can't remember who posted it but it is appreciated.
Doug

Hi Doug, glad to see you pop back up. I'm still sanding and some fairing in between interruptions. All structual is complete. Think I will go with spraying the cabin and pilot house interior. Will probably roll and tip the outside. Need cooler weather to paint with boat outside. So have plenty of time for other stuff. Mounted the cabin portlights to get holes drilled. Used the flush barrel nuts. Need to cut instrument holes. All holes being drilled before paint.

If you haven't check out Copro's Baja trip.

Just posted a few pictures. Old ones showing the foam locations and storage under the sole were done some time ago. Those showing the laminating of frame C were done this past weekend. The seat boxes were built a few weeks ago. And modified a few days ago... I remember thinking, at one point, that I should check the seats I was going to use against the installed height. Didn't. Until the boxes were all glued and good and solid. Way too high for me. The seats I bought look to be a little taller that what is recommended in the plans (perhaps 2" taller?).
The only reasonable way to lower the seat height, without having to redo the whole box, was to cut the seat section out in a vertical line, directly behind the seat, and then modify and re-attach it. My 40 year old handsaw (not sharpened in the last 30 that I've had it of course) wouldn't do it. The new one I bought did and more. I have a little more epoxying to do than I had planned! The second seat box that I modified, I used scrap arborite to protect the plywood that I didn't want to cut. The blemish that shows in the picture is the minor one. There is a reason for the camera angle on the picture of seat. Filler will hide everything. Cosmetic damage mainly. I found that even when I removed 4 1/2", the seats could be just a little too high still. After all that, the seats don't seem to be that great anyhow. I need something with decent back support and these ones seem somewhat flexible. Seemed ok in the store of course. We'll see.

Having fun now that I've gotten back at it. Lots of sanding ahead. Have to epoxy the seat boxes on the outside. Just got some 6 oz biax tape from bateau. Looking forward to trying it. The boxes aren't epoxied to the floor yet. I'll glue the upper section of frame C in place, make sure that the boxes fit ok, and then cut out floor hatch openings. Then glue the boxes down and start sanding again. Never stops, does it?

Any suggestions on bow chock locations? The centre of the 6" bow cleat that I'm using, is going to be about 8" from the inside of the bow. Do you place the chocks at a 45 degree angle forward of the cleat or something like that? I can move the location of the cleat back if necessary to make the chocks work out better, as I can still modify my cleat support as necessary.
Doug

Chocks can be anywhere that make sense to you. They can be directly abeam of the cleat or further forward. Make sure you mount them as far outboard as possible (so the rope doesn't chafe on the rail too much) and use a good backing plate of plywood.

Was happy to see the photo's. Like what you're doing. I hope one of us can get the darn thing in the water soon. I'm so curious about how she floats and performs.