dry fitting gunwales

click images to enlarge

Here the two gunwales have been glued aft of the CB case, but are just 'waiting' at the bow end due to lack of a good stretch of time. I found it more useful to glue half of each rather than one complete side because I want to bring the bow ends together at the same time to avoid asymmetric tension or twist.

The forward ends are mainly stressed along the horizontal plane whereas the aft ends are mainly stressed in the vertical plane. There is a significant and sudden rise near the transom which is bending against the thickest (and therefore stiffest) dimension. To alleviate this I used a handsaw to cut down the middle of the gunwales back to B7 (about 900mm) so that the top and bottom sections of the gunwale could slide against each other to take up the sheer curve comfortably. It wasn't necessary to pull any similar tricks on the remainder of the 20 x 40 strip.

The cut surfaces were obviously wet out with unthinned epoxy before thickened goo was brushed in and then the clamps applied.

Considering the shear

There is a hint of 'powderhorn' shape as the sheerline broadens on its way forward, and I've noticed this in many previous builds. I would prefer to minimise this if I can, and when it is time to 'nuance' (I know it's not supposed to be a verb) the gunwale shape we will see if it can be adjusted with the hand plane.

It is impossible to capture in a single picture the sweetness of some of these curves as you walk around them. In this picture, for instance she looks very long and thin, but the impression from above the centre board is of a broad, beamy and voluminous shape. I only hope I can do these lines the justice they deserve. I do love drawing, and this is just 3D drawing with stringers.

The interior suddenly looks much more spacious than I had expected too, since the gunwales went on.

beveling the bottom stringer

mocking up a tabernacle

tabernacle development

These are the oversized compression post pieces that will also form angled mast stops within the tabernacle. They are housed within the king plank.

Oversized top pieces overlap the lower unit providing strength and gluing surface area.

using plank as template for its opposite number

Having cut the first planks, I used them as templates. Now in a perfect world, the boat will be identical on both sides...a thoroughly symmetrical shape. But don't assume this will always be true! My starboard bottom plank needed to be about 2mm higher as it went past B#3 to be flush with the top of the stringer. Actually I was quite pleased with that.

This is Joubert Marine ply, supplied by Denman Marine in Tasmania. Very nice stuff it is too.

Not particularly proud of this shot...work far from precision craft, but epoxy is a very sculptural medium, and form can be handled quite sculpturally with it. The stem shape will remain pretty rough until the boat is turned. Same with the edge of the plank and the gain itself. Incidentally the gains are being cut in the normal way, first with a handsaw cut along the bottom plank position, then a tapered rebate with a rebate plane, in this design John suggests 200mm from the forward edge.

Note at the top of the plank there is a scribed line 20mm from the top edge. For this you can use a variety of scratch or pencil depth gauges, or if you are careful, a pair of dividers. For this method to work the top edge of the plank has to be flat and flush with the top of the stringer, and you need to be happy with the line of the stringer too.

This plank has been offered up, clamped, drawn, and its bottom edge extended by 20mm, faired with a batten, cut and then planed to preliminary fairness. The top edge is still a little oversized to allow for any loss of height in planing and fairing.

This plank was then used as a template for its partner on the starboard side. That board is cut to the fair bottom line and set aside for the moment. Clamps are still on the other side and so it remains un-angled and trimmed. Also, before gluing these boards I'll use them temporarily attached, finally to accurately dry fit the seat bases.

more planking

I have found it best to use temporary bugle headed screws along the bottom of the planks, and clamps closely spaced along the top. You could easily use screws on top too if you were short of clamps, but then there will be more holes to fill carefully...

For a better initial finish, especially on the strongest curves, a scrap of ply along the line will even out the compression of the screws and leave a flatter edge.

top plank

all planked

deck template

Here I'm using thin MDF sheet (came free as a cover sheet for some ply) as a template to work out the best use of my remaining ply. The template can be put onto a full sheet and moved around for most economical placement. The two foredeck pieces are nasty wasteful types of things, but can be nested up against each other for economy.

I did have a worry that this bow curve may end up assymetrical, given that I couldn't get a long view of the starboard side, but as it turns out, the template fits both sides and the symmetry is fine.

outer stem laminations

dry fitting outer stem

preliminary shaping of stem