Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Do you still have a boat project? Well yes but...

What’s been going on you must be asking yourself. It’s hard to believe it was mid February the last time I posted any updates. There haven’t been any leaps and bounds made that's for sure.

We picked up the plywood we needed to get the last of the sole finished, traced the panel off, cut and installed it. After the panels are in place filets were made all around the sole at every intersection with bulkheads and sides. Then the sanding began. And then a little touchup of a filet. Now more sanding. All seams are taped with the same 12 oz. biaxial tape as the rest of the hull and the weave filled with epoxy. Everything always takes me longer than I think it will and I must admit I’ve let some other things take priority. Now that spring is here of course I wish I’d have pushed myself to get farther along. The possibility of taking this boat out for a sail should be enough. Every time I do get to working on it and stand back to take a look I see her screaming across the water, but alas it’s just a vision.

I’m going back and forth as to the level of finish the interior should receive. One side say just leave it the way it is and move on while the other says do it up nice and paint it. I think for me it should be at least painted a nice bright white even if the seams are left a little rough. It just seems it would make it easer to keep clean and easer to find anything stowed away when it’s needed. It certainly isn’t a space that much time will be spent in. Well, now you’re up to date and maybe by this weekend I will either paint or move on. I’ll post the results either way. Maybe even less that 2 ½ months from now.

Time this segment:
Cutout mid-section sole panel using templates 1/2 hour
Install mid-sole sole panel 1/2 hours
Filets 2 hours
Sanding Filets 2 hours
Touch up Filets and tape seams 3 hours
Total this segment 10 hours
Total Project: 114 hours