Some Progress.

Last week we were tweaking things, trying to get everything to line up before applying the first gobs of epoxy.

We added a phony stem and string to try and line things up.


We fantasised about the bowsprit.....


We checked the hull for hollows and found the same as seemingly lots of others at frame 53.5, so we let the cable ties out and sistered on some contoured ply at the front. the gap is about half an inch wide at the middle.


We glued in the real stem, cut from Tasmanian Oak, on Friday and also tabbed frame 18 in place with 2"" glass tape.


This morning it had all set up nicely, so we filleted and taped the crash box between the stem and frame 18, tabbed the chines and transom and laminated up the keelbox sides. We have had real trouble finding Oregon for shear clamps, cleats etc. so I'm going to use 3/4'' quad Tasmanian oak for teh shear clamp and radiata pine for cleats.

We added a scrap of carbon just because we could and taped everything with 4" biaxial tape.


The plan tomorrow afternoon is to remove frame 110, leaving a beam clamped to the hull for reinforcement, then fillet and tape the centre cut and the chines.


Sails are going to be laminated string from Doyle Fraser, the mast will be a carbon Two spreader affair and we are going for Two rudders at an angle of 15 or 20 degrees and maximum bulb weight. Port Phillip is renowned for its short sharp chop and summer sea breezes around 17+ knots, so we are erring on the side of additional strength.