Jahazi: Centreline (backbone) detail (2010)

Introduction

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea"
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

With that in mind one may think that anybody with a passion for the sea can build an ocean going yacht. But be warned! It is not something that can be taken lightly. It takes time and dedication.This project was started in 2004 with the purchase of plans for the Didi 34. Although almost finished, it is still ongoing.

Thursday, 30 December 2010

Centreline (backbone) detail (2010)

Next the centreline detail was done. The joint of the port and starboard bottom sheets are butt jointed on the centreline and must receive a capping strip to seal the joint. I first had to plane a flat surface onto the centreline of the hull to widths specified on the plans. Then, before the capping strip was applied, a hardwood keel shoe shaped to the keel top plate had to be prepared and temporarily placed in position. The capping strip was scarfed on the hull, shaped around the keel shoe and glued to the hull. The temporary keel shoe was removed before the epoxy was set. Then the capping strip was planed to reinstate the V-shape which existed before the flat was planed. Finally the hardwood keel shoe was glued into place.

I also placed a capping strip on the stem to seal the plywood joints on the stem. This stage took 72 hours of work.