Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #2-10A . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

After applying primer paint and some light sanding, I was ready to paint all the various pieces.
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I got so much cross-contamination on the different paint colors between the port light frames and the grate (I really am a Painting Slob!)    that  I banished the port lights to the garage.
Which is why they are missing from subsequent pics. 

And skipping ahead to the third coat (on this side).
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Epoxied these planks back in August and it was now time to wipe off all the dust . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . and give them a primer coat.
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So I could start applying top coats.
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Needed to build up the inside walls of the extended-height "SCAMP ramp" and was mildly impatient to get the pieces cut, fitted, epoxy triple-coated and then glued in place.
Seemed like a lot of delay for such a small task,    but it needed to be done before fiber-glassing the cabin roof. 
Then I had a thought.
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Hey! Remember THIS disaster, from last month?!? 
No? 
That's what you get,    for not reading all my posts!!   
There was just enough usable surface area to make ramp inserts and they were already epoxy coated!!
(And why you NEVER throw anything away on a Boat Project, until after the thing's in the water!)    
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I only had to cut one edge so the exposed side, I arranged to be facing up and I could get the requisite 3 coats of epoxy on the exposed edges, when I fiber-glassed the cabin roof. 

Cleaned up, sanded, and ready for fiberglass! 
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It was so windy, the day I was doing this, I had to clamp and tape the cloth, because it kept blowing off the roof.
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A wall paper brush works wonders for smoothing out the fabric.
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Even though it was 6oz. fiberglass, it was a very close weave and was a major PITA    to wet down, thoroughly.
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I was reduced to lifting a corner at a time and wetting down any "dry spots" and laying the fabric back down, again.
Also had issues with stubborn trapped air bubbles, that had to be squeegeed down to the nearest edge.
As usual, Persistence Conquers All! 

After trimming the unused fiberglass, while still "green".
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That tight fabric weave really paid off, when the  2nd coat of epoxy filled in the weave.
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Actually had to lightly sand the top to apply the third coat of epoxy , because I worried about it bonding sufficiently, to such a slick surface. 

While I was top coating the port light frames, I took the opportunity to touch up some dings in the rudder stock and the rudder blade.
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(I can tell, I'm going to have a really Bad Case of  "Newitis",    when I finally get this boat in the water).

Skipping ahead to the 3rd coat on the 2nd side.
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A bit of a problem here, with a flat-bottomed Nav light block mounted on a curved surface; wanted a closer fit.
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Solution? 
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Adhesive-backed sand paper, stuck on the roof! 

Rub the block back and forth, vigorously . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . for a MUCH better fit! 
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Having learned a bitter lesson recently,    I added some grease to the hole-alignment bolt; needed so that the block would not slide around on the roof, after gluing.
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And so that the bolt would not become a permanent piece of the boat! 

Added a lead dive weight until the glue started to squeeze out.
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Also glued up the grab rail to the roof.
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Not quite as flush as I had originally hoped for, but a belt sander should whip it into shape, pretty quickly.
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I generally judge my progress by the number of pieces/parts I am juggling, at any one time.
The 7 pieces at middle and left on the next pic down, are going to eventually be a main-sheet swivel-block thwart.
(Had to check, that I said that right!) 
Here's an example:
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The two blocks on the right, are another example of the difference between Planning and Reality.
Planned and planned and planned, to make SURE I had backing blocks for all the deck and cabin roof hardware and TOTALLY FORGOT!!    The anchor painter clam cleats.
Fortunately, where they go I can still reach under the now-completed deck, to glue them in place; all I had to do was bevel one side, to clear the hull-deck fillet.

On Urchin, I always had an anchor painter permanently lead from the bow to the cockpit and secured with a clam cleat, since I anchor exclusively from the cockpit.
(It's the cleat directly in front of the goal post, in the pic below.)
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To anchor, I remove the anchor and rode from the cockpit lazarette locker, tie the anchor painter to the end of the rode, snatch on a snatch block on a 20 foot line and toss the anchor overboard.
To retrieve the anchor, I pull on the line and use the block and line to bring the painter end back into the cockpit.
I needed two of them for the SCAMP, since I never know which side I am going to anchor from.

Needed to drill holes for the halyard cleat.
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Also needed to know where the halyard turning block was going to be mounted.
Pressed a scrap piece of mast and the upper mast partner into service, to get an idea of where to drill.
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After all the holes in the roof were drilled . . . . . . .
Let that sink in, for a minute. 
ONLY Sailors, would DELIBERATELY drill holes in a roof! 
And then I OVER-drilled the holes,    for filling in with thickened epoxy.

It's great to finally get out from under the tyranny of: wait until cured, or wait until dry, on these steps.
Now I can run concurrent tasks that are independent of cure/dry times. 
I can feel the Progress accelerating!! 

Charles Brennan

[Captain Kidd]

Great report! I feel the excitement/anticipation building.