Turn over day!

The day finally arrived where I could turn here over. After two coats of epoxy it was looking great and all that was required was a few more hands and a few bubbles of course.
Finally outside and looking great. This is the first time I could stand back and look at the boat and appreciate the length.
Now with that done it is time for a drink all round.

Rudder and Tiller

I built the rudder over Christmas in between too much food and beer. To build the rudder I diverted from the instructions a bit. First I created a board using some Fijian Kauri and Tasmanian Oak. Next I made a template from plywood from the dimensions on the plan. I used the template to mark out the rudder on the board and cut it close to the line with the bandsaw. I then used the template to trim the board to its final shape with the router.

Next I marked on the rudder the cutout for the tiller and the bottom edge of the cheeks. I then attached the cheeks to the rudder with screws above and below the tiller slot and then trimmed the cheeks to shape using the router. I then removed the cheeks and used the bandsaw to cut the rudder into its three peices.

Here is the end of my tiller. Probably a bit much for a small boat but it was a bit of fun doing it.

Deadwood and stem facing

To complete the deadwood required a 1 inch think plank about 7 inches wide and 12 foot long. This wouldn't have been a problem back in Auckland but being new to Melbourne it took a while to find a timber merchant that had Fijian Kauri. Eventually I found a great one that had all sorts of exotic woods. Very exciting for a boat builder, maybe a bit boring for others.

The deadwood was very easy to shape and attach to the boat, however it did expose a problem with the flat I had planned along the keel earlier. It wasn't quite straight near the stern which required a bit of filling.

The stem facing went on great. When I planned it down to the lines as per the plan it lined up beautiful with the planks. It ones of those parts of the boat that people cannot help touching when they see it.

Planking, planking, more planking

Well I haven't posted in a while but as you will see I have been busy. Busy planking that is. I must say that after a while this gets very boring but its good to see the boat growing.

Cleaning up excess glue is a painful job but now I've turned her over I appreciate the time taken to remove most of it while wet.

The scarfe joints have gone together well. They look better on the inside than the outside so its is good I am not finishing bright on the outside.

Here are a few more shots of the planking as it progresses.