Mawrob's FS14 build

[Mawrob]

Thought I would share my first time building experience. My plans arrived last week and I collected my Okume from Boulter Thursday. Thanks to my loving wife and with a little help from the kids I was able to cut most of the panels over the weekend and assemble the strongback. My epoxy arrived yesterday and last night I did some gluing. The epoxy seemed set this morning so far so good. My biggest challenge so far has been the lack of detailed BOM for materials not listed in the plans. Tough to know what quantities to get. How much primer, topcoat, sandpaper, cups, etc.

[comfyoldshoe]

Congratulations on starting your build! Be prepared to make dozens of trips to the local HD or Lowes for things like chip brushes, sandpaper or that extra clamp or odd sized drill bit.

Mike

[Lower]

Off to a great start. Looking good! I fish down your way quite a bit. One of these day's I'll actually have a FS17 to tow down there!

[Mawrob]

Thanks for the encouragement folks. Apparently the first stage goes fast. Here are some updated pictures. There is a real sense of satisfaction seeing her come together.

[donk]

Looks like a boat. Ain't it something how quickly you get to this point. I remember when mine looked like that.

Welcome.

don

[Mawrob]

Thanks Don!

Slowly starting to get a hang of this and am putting in more hours that I expected. I have done the skeg and the rub rails and glassed the outside and the inside - both wet on wet and got up early this morning to tack in the stringers so I can epoxy them tonight. I was pleased to see your post about the fit because I have some frame gaps too - fortunately they seem symmetrical.

There is no way that this is going to take me 40 hours and I am quite amazed that this boat can be built by pros in less time than that. I am learning the trick is to do a little every evening and then wait for the epoxy to set. Hate to admit that I went really thin on the hull epoxy (after reading that first timers use too much) and then used all the kit’s Quickfair in one coat to fill in the weave( even though I also used the plastic sheeting trick). I can see that the fairing is going to be the b**ch but I am still having a blast.

Will see if I can add pictures soon.

Rob

[Mawrob]

Some pictures as promised:

Hull glassed, rubrails on, and some fairing:


Inside ready for glassing:


Inside glassed, stringers in and fitting the seat frames:

[donk]

Mawrob,

You have charged ahead of me. I keep forgetting to order supplies, ran out of EZ Fillet putting in the stringers so had to wait.

I think I have my frame gaps figured out. I will drill limber holes and fill with fillet stuff so that I can redrill them. Then I will start putting the frames back in.

Looking good.


don

[Mawrob]

Thanks Don,

I think I am going to take a little short cut with the limber holes and seal them with epoxy. I will save the double drilling for the bilge hole seeing that it will be underwater during the summer. Trying to decide if I should add small limber holes for the chine side of the stringers that I plan to foam and cover with plywood.

I am trying to get done by early July so that I can use it this summer. Lots to do on the boat of course and then a kit trailer to assemble and register, HIN number inspection and boat registration, capacity sign to get made etc etc. Must be crazy.

Rob

[Mawrob]

Little update for those fellow FS14 builders. Spent evenings this week and a fair bit of time this weekend. The seat frames are glued and the cleats are setting. I am thinking of building a fish cooler in the back seat, placing the gas tank in the middle, placing my 71 lb AGM battery up front for weight distribution, and also building an anchor locker. Of course I want to get this done by mid July at least before the summer is over