Just a bit of fancy

Work has slowed down quite a bit now. Epoxy is slow to set in the lower temperatures and I also have to stick to a monthly expenditure of about £150. To avoid the winter condensation in the workshop/polytunnel - heavy enough sometimes to make it look as though it had rained inside - I've lined the inside walls with bubblewrap and it seems to do the trick. The cold wet weather has also prompted me to clean the place up a bit so that I'm now not tripping over loose offcuts, cables, etc. Long ago, when I was trained as an engineer, leaving the workshop spotlessly organised at the end of each day was almost like a sacred commandment - every tool in its place and not a shaving in sight. Sadly, I have to report that the lesson didn't stick.

However, the framework towards the bow has progressed a little and I'm starting to think about the centreboard casing, the base for which needed to be widened on either side of the hog. I'll use a 10mm steel centreplate - weighing about 35kg - which will require a beefed up structure to hold it, especially the pivot bolt size and the doublers but that looks increasingly as though it won't happen until after Christmas.

The most pleasing stage though has been the completion of the gunnels complete with shaped spacers. These are totally unnecessary but I just like the look of them (of course, they hark back to the early boats where frequent ribs ended at the gunnels). In theory, this type of gunnel is a bit stronger and you could tip the boat on its side to drain it - yeah right! - it's getting heavier by the moment - about 125kg now. One lesson I've learned from past experience is to make the spacers thick enough (eg min. 15mm) so you can get a) a paint brush and b) one of your fingers between the inwale and the outwale.

Another bit of progress is that I've found a mobile crane operator who was confident of being able to lift the finished boat from the back to the front of the house. Now that was a relief! I plan to sell tickets for the performance!