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.

Flat planed on centreline.

The centreline capping strip planed to the V-shape of the hull.

Keel shoe

Capping on the stem.

Radius - second layer (2010)

The radius had to be done in two layers of 6 mm thickness. The first layer was done after the bottom skin and before the side skin. The second layer could only be done after both the bottom and side skins were installed. The second layer must overlap all joints in the first layer of the radius as well as the joints of the bottom and side skin. At the same time the second layer is laid, the joints in between the panels of the first layer had to be filled with epoxy. Quite a messy job as the epoxy constantly one wants to run out of the joints on the inside of the hull. I eventually used masking tape placed over the joints to keep the epoxy in. This worked quite well until I had to remove the tape. In some places the epoxy ran over the tape and I had to sand down to the wood to get rid of the tape. To avoid this, one can remove the tape and excess epoxy before the epoxy is fully set. The second layer of the radius took me 172 hour.

Applying the second layer at the bow section.

Overlap of all joints must be ensured.

Second layer halfway.

Second layer of radius finished.