Turning Point!

Friday turned out to be productive. Last thing I did yesterday was to cut out all the planks for the last installment! I recall someone on the web saying he used his Japanese pull-saw to cut out his planks, so I tried it and was most impressed. The jig-saw cuts very wobbly compared to this pull-saw and I was done in jig time too! This morning I cut in the lap joint at the bow then cleaned up the planks. Once they were all ready, I pre drilled the holes for the screws, mixed a few batches of epoxy and by 2:00 this afternoon all the planks were on!

I took my buddy to town to pick up some boat hardware then came back to take some pictures.

At the start of today's job, I had to take out the supports that were keeping the sides of the boat spread apart. They were in the way of today's planking. I was so taken with the look of the boat without any braces, I had to show that off too. Now she looks like a real boat!

I still do not have the rudder hardware installed nor the woodwork done in the aft compartment either. I am thinking I may leave it like that while the boat gets turned over. That would make it much easier to install the skeg on the underside of the boat by allowing me to shoot screws through the hull and it may make varnishing the transom easier too with it laying more horizontal. In any case, it will all get done.