2nd Course of Planks done.

I got a lot of work done in the past 2 days: Starboard side 2nd course planks cut, installed, and filleted. About 6 hours work total.

One of my thoughts as I've been going about this process: I try to be really careful with my measurements and cutting. But MAN...it's amazing how when you finally put that piece on the boat, it can really be off. Then I sit in the moaning chair and ask if I really want to go through the work to do it over, or if "it will do"? I'm thankful for the forgiving nature of epoxy and its ability to cover over my myriad mistakes.

I have aspirations to one day build a traditional lap strake, clinker, or cold-molded boat. But my lack of woodworking skills gives me great pause. I don't know if it's because I'm naturally impatient, and I just say to myself, "that's good enough", or if I had the proper time and space and equipment, maybe I'd have a cleaner build? I do know I don't have proper sharpening tools to keep my edge tools keen. THAT's an issue. I also don't have the space to lay out boards properly so that I could be more accurate in my work. I also have become addicted to the jigsaw, which for me is like scissors for wood.

They say it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools. But the craftsman has to have tools to begin with, nest ce pas? My tool set basically consists of el-cheapo brand stuff from Home Depot, a few small planes that I bought on Ebay, A hand-me-down set of chisels with knicks and dings in the edges, a veritable boatload of clamps, and my trusty Bosch jigsaw. ;) Oh, and my brother in law has loaned me some nice belt sanders that I clamp upside down or sideways on my bench and use as grinders and spindle sanders.

Anyway...a couple more pix:

A stem that is looking more and more like a boat.

....and you can never have enough clamps. Note the stem to stern run of spring clamps. I do believe that's ALL the spring clamps I own holding those planks on.

Hey...a reasonably clean fillet! A little sanding and a coat of bilge paint  and you'll never know it was there!

ON TO THE 3RD COURSE!

2nd Course of planking

And progress continues. The second course is much easier than the first. Not sure if that's because I'm becoming more comfortable with the process, or the shapes are easier, or both?

Here are a few snaps from the garage this afternoon.

Been a while since I got a full view. Getting excited to see her final form.

Someone said I should fit the cockpit seat tops before finishing the planking and adding the sheer stringers.  I think that's good advice.

From sexy forefoot curve to sweet, firm bilges amidships. Nice! I'm interested to see how this actually works on the water: As drawn/built, the fine forefoot and swelling bilge will allow this boat to cut through waves and chop with relative ease, while providing rolling stability and good righting moment. We'll see!

So you can see the tips of screws protruding from the butted planks. The screws are holding the butt straps in place while the epoxy sets. They'll come out and the holes will get filled later.

You can see a pencil mark about 200mm long, 20mm from the top bow-side of the plank. That's the gain line. I don't trust my router skills, so I've marked where it should go, and I'll cut and plane it down to a nice ramp after the glue sets up.  The gain is a short bevel of sorts that allows the bottom edge of each plank to "feather" into the lap of the plank below. It's a pretty convention on lapstrake boats.  See below...

Note how on this canoe, the overlap of each of the planks at the bow of the boat disappears as they approach the stem, creating a nice, fair transition. That's what I'm trying to accomplish above. Hard to see right now, because well...just because.

So, it's hard to imagine how this assemblage of "matchsticks" will somehow come together to a) float, b) withstand the forces that sailing a boat through water will generate, c) carry 1 – not to mention as many as 4, – people in comfort and safety!