Odds and Ends:
Got a shock, when I went to trial-fit the dead lights and discovered to my consternation, that 6 mm plywood and 3 coats of epoxy is STILL not the same thickness as .250" Plexiglass. :o
DOHHH!! :o
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Had to route out the inside of the dead lights; this pic was taken after routing, but before sanding.
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But at least, now they'll fit flush.
By about the 3rd coat of epoxy on the dead light flanges, things are starting to get just a little sloppy. :P
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It's OK though, I still got lots of 80 grit sanding discs! 8)
Chewed up most of a day, getting these coaming rail caps cut, shaped, and sanded.
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They will sit on top of the coamings when complete and will also help seal up the plywood edge of the coamings.
The rectangular piece in the center is for a seat to sit on, while hiking out if desired and also does double-duty, as an oar lock mount.
(The smaller the boat, the more things that have to do double-duty!) :P
These are the last 8 pieces of wood to attach to the hull, for the coaming cap rails and rail supports.
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So, why wasn't I happy?!? :(
Because I just didn't like the way they looked. >:(
I knew using a round-over bit was going to be problematic, I didn't like how fussy the adjacent angles were, to match up.
Those would have been a nightmare :o to keep in alignment, during glue-up.
It was just too many compromises all at once, in something that I felt was going to be at best, second rate in appearance.
For example, the curved ends next to the square inside corners were visually jarring, like the whole thing was just one big hasty afterthought. >:(
I hope to have this boat for a long time and I didn't want to have to think of my disappointment, every time I leaned on that railing. :(
So I hied me down to the local Big Box lumber store and got me a big honkin' 1" X 10" X 8 ft. hunk of New Zealand pine.
Shows you just how bad American lumber is; they have to import the Good Stuff from halfway around the world, in order to call it "Select" lumber.
Even then, I had to "select" half a dozen boards, ::) before I found one I liked.
At least, I made good use of the "mistakes", tracing them onto the new lumber and even sawed some ogee curves into the new coaming cap rails.
(My Engineering Drafting Professor would be So Proud: I never once drew an ogee curve in his class, that he liked.) :P
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It's sitting there at an odd angle, because the coaming tilts out and the rail is sitting on the flat top of the edge.
There are going to be some rail supports that will get beveled, parallel to the deck.
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Something like this:
Supports for the coaming cap rails, are glued down.
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MUCH Happier! ;D
Glad I bit the bullet and popped for a do-over.
This project has already cost me two years of my Life; what's another day, or two?!? ???
The last 4 pieces to glue onto the hull.
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Got the transom cap all trimmed and sanded in preparation for fiber-glassing, only to get rained out. >:(
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Reminds me, I better mask off the transom, before epoxy drips down my paint job. :o
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Man!! :P I have made a BUNCH of holes in this boat!! :-[
From the transom:
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To the cabin roof:
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To the decks:
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And to bulkhead #4:
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Starting to wonder, if maybe I should have named this boat, the Swiss Cheese. ???
Got a usable weather window and finally got the fiberglass down on the transom cap.
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And the coaming transitions.
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2nd coat.
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And on both coaming transitions.
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Foot well Grate, Part Two: Son of Grate. :'(
Had some 6mm Okoume handy, so I decided to cut it into three pieces, for lamination.
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Then glassed the two inside faces and coated the third face.
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I cut one panel at right angles to the other two panels, so I can alternate the grains of the plies for maximum lamination strength.
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Nothing like a massive structural failure, to sharpen the ole thinking-ahead skills!! >:(
Glued together:
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Next chore was to route holes for the oarlock mounts; the over-sized mounting holes will be epoxy-filled, natch.
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I wanted a support for the oar lock and to drain away any water that got into them.
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Some closet rod was exactly the right size.
A hole for water to run down, which I realized after I looked at it, was way too small since the inside bore needed to be coated in epoxy.
So I drilled it out larger, after this pic was taken.
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Why is the hole-off-center? ???
So I can position the cylinder as far back from the edge of the deck, as possible.
And once again: Why you NEVER throw ANYTHING out, until the project is completed! :D
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Those donut-looking support flanges were originally going to be Nav light mounts, but they were too small for the base and were promptly drilled out and re-purposed. 8)
This is the general concept:
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A weep hole at the base will be drilled in from the side, after it is installed on the deck.
Getting closer and closer, all the time!! ;D
Charles Brennan
"Last four pieces"!!!!!
"Getting closer and closer"!!!!!
Dale, Your comment:
Quote from: Captain Kidd on Oct 31, 2025, 09:50 AM"Last four pieces"!!!!!
Was before I got the Bright Idea, to support the coaming rails and deal with oar lock drainage.
We're back up to 6 pieces, rail, support, and flange, times 2, as this pic shows:
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But, yes indeedy, getting closer and closer!! ;D
Charles Brennan
Hey man, you've got a BOAT!!! You're doing a good job!