Transom goes in and we got sole, well some

The transom was cut at the same time as the hull parts and has been laying around in the boat, under the boat on a shelf, you get the idea. When the time came to install it we found that a few twist and bends had found there way in. In order to get it straight for installing we simply screwed it to a 3” x ¾” piece of plywood to hold it flat. As you can see from the photos we then clamped it in place aligning the center with the hull center. There was a gap at each side of ¼”, a little larger on the port side. Using a strap we were able to bring both side panels up and in so that the gaps were filled. Then a few fillets and it was in place.


We prepped the hull one last time for installing the transom and sole by coating all the area under the line of the sole with two coats of epoxy and filling any leftover holes from temporary screws. We had decide not to paint this area as it is for the most part never to be seen again.

All the sole pieces are in except the aft both sides. This allows us to tape the transom in with two layers of biaxial 12 oz tape first. The plans show the sole installed in 3 pieces each side, however it is impossible to install the mid-section this way. It simply will not go in because the opening in frame “C” is to small. We made a seam at frame “C” and solved the problem. The only effect for adjusting this on the plans might be in nesting and saving a small amount of plywood but without running a nesting solution program it’s hard to say.

There are a lot of fillets to get finished and then a lot of taping around the hull to sole joints before anything else will take place.


Time this segment:
2 Coats of epoxy below sole line 1 hour
Fill any remaining holes below the sole line ½ hour
Install and fillet Transom:1 hour
Install Forward and mid-section soles 1 ½ hours
Total Project: 107 hours

Template for the sole

In order to make the sole installation as easy as possible we decide to first cut a template using corrugated cardboard. We purchased 4 sheets 4’ x 8’ from a local packaging supply company. This would prove much less expensive to make an error on than the plywood.

The plans clearly show all the required dimension to layout the panels and it is just a matter of transferring them onto the cardboard. Although you could just as easily work on one sheet at a time we tapped tow sheets plus 26” together end to end to give us a little over the required 18’. The dimension sheet shows 12” typical layouts. After getting all the measurements in place we simply bend a batten across the points using small paneling nails and a few clamps to help guide us. The material cuts easily with a razor knife.

It looked as if the aft section had more arch to it than would be required but after double checking all the measurements there was nothing much more to do than try it in the hull. Once the template was cut out we took measurements from the hull stating at the bow and marked the front of all the bulkheads on it. Next a notch is cutout to allow for the thickness of the bulkheads. There was a question as to rather we had frame “c” marked correctly because of the angle so we sliced the template just forward of the frame worked from there. As it turns out we were off by less than assumed. The template fit surprisingly well and made us fell good to know our hull was properly shaped. The aft end once laid in place became abundantly clear as to its odd shape. The sole doesn’t follow the chine in this area but flares into the aft section nicely.

Only minor adjustments will need to be made and then the plywood can be cut from the template. This should all take place in the next couple of days.

Time this segment: 1 ½ hours
Total Project: 103 hours

It took a long time to do nothing!

It’s been to long since I have updated the blog and I apologize to my loyal readers. It’s been tough the last few months. Loads of work one week nothing the next. My moral has been just as unstable. Then it got bad. With all the extra time on hand I should have had the project much further along, but motivation was hard to come by. The economy is officially in the toilet now and I have come to accept things I guess. No work means more time to finish up the boat, although it also means less money to work with.

Because not much has taken place on the build it won’t take long to bring everyone up to speed.

First to correct the keel error we wrapped it with another 5 rounds of 12 oz glass. I noted in the forum that this was the least pleasing part of the build so far. Just as the first 5 layers the glass/epoxy wants to float off if you turn the keel to soon to complete the other side. No solution was found and we just let it cure most of the way and then flipped it. It’s finished now though and my estimate is about 2 hours of actual work but it was spread over about 3 days.

The spinnaker pole tube is also now in place. The hole for this is pre set during the layout process on bulkhead “E”. We carried the line forward through the hull and drilled a small hole to check alignment. After a few adjustments the hole is enlarged to accept the 3” PVC tube. We ran this long so we could be certain it would be lined up and then cut it back after the epoxy had cured. To keep the tube in place while we tacked it we used wedges and as it happened a plastic cup that was setting empty on the work bench. By roughing up the PVC the epoxy held very well. This had be a concern from the start but the designer reassured me it would be fine. The time to complete this I estimate at less that 2 hours spread over 1 or 2 days to allow curing.

As you can see we have the keel box installed. Because it was so cold in the shop we found we could get the fillets smoothed out only after they have been warmed up and to rest for about an hour with the whole cabin area covered and warmed. I don’t run the heat when it gets below 55 in the shop because it never shuts off. By butting a small portable heater and a flood lamp in the cabin and covering I can raise the temperature well into the 80’s very quickly.

Lining up the box was fun. No less than 3 levels used at a time, wish I would have had some pictures. I was concerned that it would be out of square and plumb and the boat would just sail in circles. What I ended up doing was installing the three sections separately and allowing that to cure before setting the next in place. Checking for square and plumb each time. Took longer but I’m confident that the keel will run true.

You will notice the “extra” timber in the box. We had to add this to compensate for the error in sizing earlier. We could have cut the box down to fit but felt this would be fine. We decreased the size of the forward most support to maintain the center as designed.

The box it’s self contains a foam wedge for collision protect.




The time for all steps of the keel box construction and installation is 6 hours.

Next a layer of biaxial tape over all the fillets and unless we have overlooked something the sole can go in. I look for that to happen over the weekend.

Time: Additional 5 layers on keel including sanding 2 hours
Install Spinnaker Tube 2 Hours
Build and install Keel Box 6 Hours
Total this segment 10 hours Total Project 101 ½ hours