...and boat building. Although the fairness here refers not to any kind of equanimity but much more importantly to the boat builder's aesthetic of a nice smooth curve without any bumps or deviations. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
A trip today to Seattle's Fisheries Supply served to empty my wallet of another $150. What did I get for my investment? A gallon of epoxy resin and hardener, and 100 bronze screws. Who ever said building your own boat was cheap?! Ouch...
The sail arrived for the Punt this week. Much sooner than anticipated so many thanks to Intensity Sails for the quick turnaround. Damn, I better get busy and build a boat! The sail looks well constructed and I am really looking forward to trying out the sprit rig. It has a great reputation for providing a lot of drive and power without excessive heeling which is important in a boat with no ballast other than a "solidly built" skipper.
Now, before you think after looking at the pictures below that nothing much has happened, let me say that if I had any hair on my head before, it would be all gone anyway from all the head scratching I have been doing getting to this point. Remember, "first-time boat builder." They say the most important tool in the boat builders shop should be a comfy chair and I could not agree more because, believe me, you are going to be spending an inordinate amount of time sitting in it looking at you work. This is not because you are admiring what you have done, but more because you are wondering how in the hell you are going to figure out how to do what you need to do next. Now, take a look below at that little triangle shaped piece at the stern of the jig. Essentially, I am having to modify the design to accommodate the fact I am using 6mm ply for planking and therefore some fidgeting went on creating that little piece. The Punts in Mersea are much heavier built and I want to keep this one light enough to be car-toppable, hence the head scratching up to this point creating that little triangle. Thanks again to Stan for his advice on this tricky little bit. I eventually just went for it and I will hope for the best. Damn, I AM becoming a boat builder!
Now to get back to "fairness." Below you will see what is called a "batten," essentially a long, straight, flexible piece of wood which, when gently bent over the frames of the boat, throws into sharp relief the amount of adjusting and readjusting which must be done to get that coveted "fairness." The bow and stern posts must be angled to match the pitch of the batten as it comes down to meet them and the frames must be raised or lowered until each one just barely kisses the batten as it passes over them. Once this is accomplished you know the curve is gentle and most importantly...
...fair!
The next step is another big learning opportunity...the "scarf joint." I am excited because once I do that, I will be able to plank the sides and it will start actually looking like a boat! Stay tuned for more to come and wish me luck...
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