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Build log - SteveKos' Spindrift 11


SteveKos

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Hello all. I am in the very early stages of preparing to build my next boat, a Spindrift 11. When I built my last boat, (my first :rolleyes: ) a SOT fishing kayak/trimaran, I learned not far into the build how valuable was the help of experienced fellow builders in providing much needed assistance, advice and (when the going got tough) encouragement!

 

So I thought I'd start off on the right foot early and start this build log before I even get the plans (now ordered :)) to create a thorough and detailed record of my build on this forum, for not only my benefit, but for the benefit of anyone wanting to do likewise in the future.

 

I decided on the Spindrift 11 due to a few factors. I want a multi-purpose boat that does allot of things well:

 

  • Is light for it's size, for relatively easy handling by one, for car-topping, launching and retrieval.
  • Small enough for easy storage in a car garage, BUT - large enough for 2-3 in while fishing or sailing, and large enough for a decent payload for a multi-day camping/sailing trip.
  • Able to accommodate a 2-3 hp motor without major modification.
  • Must be a good nimble sailing boat but with enough size and stability to be safe in a wide range of conditions. Lots of built in buoyancy, ease of recovery in a knock-down, and able to be bailed speedily.
  • Able to be customized relatively easily by having a simple uncomplicated basic design.
  • Is a relatively popular and well-tested and tried design. (A large pool of experienced builders is a good hedge against big expensive mistakes!)
  • Looks good.

After spending LOTS of hours trawling the entire internet, I think that the Spindrift will fit the bill, at least according to everything I can find posted by existing users. (I've never seen one in the flesh, so there's a tiny risk I could be wrong :unsure:).

 

So now it's a matter of waiting for the mailman to arrive with that particular package, and starting to look at materials, fittings and thinking about my custom requirements.

 

I called into a local wooden boat building mob who have offered their assistance. They have offered to go through the plans with me (at no charge) when I get them and assist with any ideas and tips they can help with. In turn I think I'll buy most of my needs through them. A face-to-face relationship with experienced people is a valuable commodity, one I didn't have when I build my kayak. These guys are at Duck Flat Wooden Boats, Mt Barker, South Australia, for any South Aussies reading this.

 

Bye for now, and thanks in advance.

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First decision: which ply to use.

 

I have decided to build using Pacific Maple as my primary material. It isn't the most expensive product available, but is used extensively and successfully by lots of boat builders in this country and with correct treatment is durable and attractive. Duck Flat have agreed that if I give them a couple of weeks notice, they will try to hand select the best sheets available from their wholesaler. They claim that they often get very high quality product mixed in with some just passable stuff, but they know the difference, and know the supplier very well. So it's no rank hardware store for me.

 

Next decision: sail selection.

 

I know it's early days, but as I'm going to be sailing this boat mostly I want to get the sail selection right at the beginning, so I can prepare any design requirements well in advance.

 

I've decided on a leg-o-mutton sprit as my sail. I know most seem to prefer the cat rig for these boats, but I've used the LOM Sprit on my other boat and I love it. I like it's stability and lack of violent luffing if left to luff in a strong wind. It is also very easy to rig, and can be reefed easily with a little modification which is easy to install on the sail.

 

I built my own sprit for the other boat from a lightweight blue poly-tarp, which is still in great condition even though it wasn't the best sailmaking job in the world.

 

 

Photo of my trimaran on a multi-day trip to the Coorong in South Australia

Posted Image

 

I am using top quality 5.2 oz white poly tarp this time, which is an amazing and highly durable material for sails, while very low cost.

 

I am not sure whether to just go with a simple aluminium tube mast or to build a wooden one. But I'm leaning toward a 45mmx3mm aluminium mast with a lightweight dowell reinforcing down the middle. These masts are extremely strong and will float in a capsize, particularly with a mast-top float.

 

That's about it for now.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve.

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Able to accommodate a 2-3 hp motor without major modification.

 

Change this to:

 

Able to accommodate a 2-3 hp motor with no modification at all  (The plans come with the details for a transom that will accommodate that outboard.)

 

You have certainly considered the details of your use requirements carefully and I believe you have chosen wisely.

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I am not sure whether to just go with a simple aluminium tube mast or to build a wooden one. But I'm leaning toward a 45mmx3mm aluminium mast with a lightweight dowell reinforcing down the middle. These masts are extremely strong and will float in a capsize, particularly with a mast-top float.

 

I suggest you wait until you get your plans before you redesign something Graham has done a great job on already.  A cat rig relies on mast flex as an integral part of sail shape through increasing wind speeds and Graham has specced out materials accordingly.

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I am not sure whether to just go with a simple aluminium tube mast or to build a wooden one. But I'm leaning toward a 45mmx3mm aluminium mast with a lightweight dowell reinforcing down the middle. These masts are extremely strong and will float in a capsize, particularly with a mast-top float.

 

I suggest you wait until you get your plans before you redesign something Graham has done a great job on already.  A cat rig relies on mast flex as an integral part of sail shape through increasing wind speeds and Graham has specced out materials accordingly.

 

Yes, good point. I am going by what I've had experience with. While I am leaning towards the aluminium mast and the LOM sprit, that doesn't mean to say that I'm fixed on that. I do note though that there are builders of the Spindrift who are using all sorts of sails, and that everyone seems to have their favourite.

 

Re the motor-ready transom. That's a real bonus. But when I was searching around for a design I was initially prepared for some minor modification if necessary (strengthening etc.) for that. Nice that this won't be necessary.

 

I've got to say that I tend to like customizing things. When I built my kayak there was no built-in icebox in the plans, but I wanted one, so I modded it accordingly. I also built it to take outriggers and a sail, which isn't standard either. However I always do my research before making modifications like that. :rolleyes:.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm still waiting for my plans to arrive, but a few questions for the experienced in the mean time.

 

I want to set up my boat for coastal touring and fishing. For this I want to utilize at least some of the sealed sections in the boat for storage. I want to be able to take at least as much gear as I do for kayak touring. This list includes:

 

  • A 60lt waterproof duffel bag
  • A 20lt dry bag
  • 2-4 10lt dry bags
  • A small cooler box (15lt).
  • Some fishing gear (varies depending on the trip)
  • A couple of fishing rods.
  • Miscellaneous items like tarpaulins, portable folding toilet, trekking poles etc.
  • Various water containers varying from 10lt to 2ltrs.

The best detailed photos I have seen of the Spindrift are those posted by Alex. It looks like there should be ample available space for storing this amount of gear. What I would appreciate is some suggestions regarding the best way to set it all up.

 

For the large items like the duffel bag, the space under the rear seat at the stern appears to be the spot. How much space (approx in cu ft.) is there under here? And the space under the center seat is an obvious spot for storing things like water and items needed when on the go like fishing gear, snacks, navigation maps etc. ??

 

I am thinking that the space in the forward bulkhead would be ideal for lighter but bulkier items such as sleeping gear and clothing etc. and obviously the anchor(s). How big a hatch could be installed here for access to this space? And while on that subject, which types of hatches would be best here? I have a rectangular hinged twist-seal hatch on my kayak which is nice and large, but I do get a little water past the seals in wet conditions. Not enough to be a danger though. Fitting one of these on the top of the forward sealed section seems to be logical, but would a 12" threaded hatch might be better. The other option is to leave this space open and just use dry bags and waterproof boxes for storage, but then obviously any buoyancy in that area would be lost.

 

The side seats are obviously quite large, but also important for buoyancy. I am thinking of installing internal bulkheads in these to section them off, say 2-3 sections each with hatches on the vertical side walls. Thoughts?

 

These are just a few questions if anyone has any ideas on setting up a Spindrift for touring/camping trips.

 

I've got to do something while I'm waiting!! :(

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Hi Steve,

 

One thing you must remember is that the Spindrift 11 is a small boat. My Spindrift 12 is a great boat but wet. I don't care about it being a wet boat as our weather is beautiful all year round on the Gold Coast, Australia.

 

It also depends on what type of sailor you are. I love to sail on the edge, so therefore I do get quite a bit of water in her, which may make it hard to keep everything dry.

 

With my next boat being the Coresound 17, I wished when I built my Spindrift 12 that the plans included the same hatch style as the Coresounds. I too now look at my side seats and see how much storage there is being wasted, if only I could use to. I will probably make and install Coresound type hatches when the day comes to repaint her.

 

You may need to re=think the design you have chosen for the purpose you are intending to use it for. Maybe one of the Coresounds would better suit your needs.

 

Alex.

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Hi Steve,

 

One thing you must remember is that the Spindrift 11 is a small boat. My Spindrift 12 is a great boat but wet. I don't care about it being a wet boat as our weather is beautiful all year round on the Gold Coast, Australia.

 

It also depends on what type of sailor you are. I love to sail on the edge, so therefore I do get quite a bit of water in her, which may make it hard to keep everything dry.

 

With my next boat being the Coresound 17, I wished when I built my Spindrift 12 that the plans included the same hatch style as the Coresounds. I too now look at my side seats and see how much storage there is being wasted, if only I could use to. I will probably make and install Coresound type hatches when the day comes to repaint her.

 

You may need to re=think the design you have chosen for the purpose you are intending to use it for. Maybe one of the Coresounds would better suit your needs.

 

Alex.

 

I'm not so worried about it being a bit of a wet boat. Planing hull boats can tend to be a bit wet without reverse chines etc. but I can dress for that in not so good weather, and an Andersen bailer will take care of the bilge. I am used to sailing a kayak - trimaran. If you want wet, try that :P. I'm not into extreme sailing but I need to allow for unexpected weather turns if I'm away for a few days.

 

I know that the Spindrift 11 isn't a big boat, but it should do what I want it to. I could consider going to the 12, but I've already ordered the plans for the 11. I'll take a look at the plans when I get them and if I think the 12 would be the better option I'll see what I can work out with Graham.

 

I think I have found a suitable hatch with a dual twist-down seal rather than the single seal. The lid covers the rim totally, which is better than the ones with the lid that sits down inside the rim.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hatch-Deck-Plate-Door-White-for-Marine-Boat-Yacht-New-315mm-x-440mm-overall-siz-/151207832457?hash=item2334b06b89

 

If I install it on a plinth it should do the job. The side seats are another issue. I might just use 8" screw-out deck plates. They are waterproof (until the seals perish or get sand in them that is), and I might just install them on the vertical walls.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, my plans have arrived, and I have spent a couple of hours working my way through them, and I have got to say I'm impressed with the detail and wealth of visual and written hints and advice included. I really appreciate the tips and explanations for almost every aspect of the building process. I can understand why there are relatively few desperate 'help me please' posts in the build threads on this forum compared to some competitor's boat building forums. Everything is clear and easy to interpret, and for those that might not be clear from the plans or written guides, the huge number of photos makes these clear.

 

I'm looking forward to getting my supplies together now and getting started!

 

Only one issue to work through is finances. I have had a few recent unexpected expenses which might mean having to pace my purchases of materials, so it might take a bit longer to complete than I first thought. I can see myself visiting some second hand stores and recycling depots for the odd bargain here and there, particularly for things like clamps, a few extra woodworking tools, and timber offcuts! <_<

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Steve,

 

I learned a few things building my 11N. One surprise was how long it took to build all the stuff after the boat itself, like the rudder, centerboard and case, mast and boom, oars, etc. If I was on a tight budget and had time on my hands, I would devote some of my time towards these items. The amount of materials in them weren't much, but the time was significant. I also wouldn't scrimp on materials. You will love this boat!

 

Take Care,

Steve

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Steve,

 

I learned a few things building my 11N. One surprise was how long it took to build all the stuff after the boat itself, like the rudder, centerboard and case, mast and boom, oars, etc. If I was on a tight budget and had time on my hands, I would devote some of my time towards these items. The amount of materials in them weren't much, but the time was significant. I also wouldn't scrimp on materials. You will love this boat!

 

Take Care,

Steve

Yes I can imagine that these items would be time consuming to build. Thanks for the heads-up though. I remember from my last build, impatience kept snapping at my heels and I think in retrospect I could have done some things better by taking just a bit more time. In the end a few extra hours is nothing when you are looking at a product that will last a lifetime and more. All the same, now that I'm committed I can't wait to get started! I hear so many positives about this boat it's almost hurting not to be able to go play in it with the weather being ideal for sailing around here.

 

I just ordered my ply from a local supplier. I was going to go with Pacific Maple marine ply all through, but in the end I have gone with Gaboon for the hull sheets and PM for the rest. I am on a budget but I don't want to be retro-repairing flaws for the sake of a couple of hundred dollars. But the PM I'm getting is as good quality as it gets, and will be quite fine for the rest.

 

I have sold an old plastic kayak to boost the budget and can now afford to purchase most items up to test-float stage, so I expect to be commencing building in a few weeks. It's very hot in my part of the country at the moment (Adelaide, Australia), so I wouldn't want to be fighting with epoxy set-up times that could be challenging. I'll start marking out and cutting and have all the sheets cut and ready for when the weather eases, most likely in March. I mighe even do some smaller jobs like setting up the work space and shopping for timber for the dagger board, rudder and mast. That'll be interesting and will fight off the impatience somewhat.

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I'd certainly also recommend an hour or 2 of thought into the best building sequence. I built a CS 17 between 2006-2009. I had a small garage in which to build it - length 19.5 ft. You can see why I didn't build a CS20 :)

I also realised that when I had a hull in the garage that I would have little or  no space to build all the other stuff- wooden topmasts, rudders, rudder box/tiller, centreboard, hatches etc.

I decided to make a decent table out of a couple of sheets of exterior half inch ply to do the lofting and scarfing of the hull panels on and then build the cb/rudder etc on it. When that was done I used some of the half inch ply sheets to build the mobile cradle which held the hull until completion. I remember that a good table and work area was great for the little stuff and it was also a good feeling to pull all the pre-prepared stuff out of a corner and just fit on the hull when it was ready.

I know a spindrift 11 is a much smaller project and maybe you have oodles of workspace but I'm sure a bit of careful thought will save some time/energy and frustration (why didn't I do that before!)

Have fun with the build...I love the finished product but really enjoyed the journey.

Cheers

Peter HK 

 

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post-425-0-73517800-1391061684_thumb.jpg

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I'd certainly also recommend an hour or 2 of thought into the best building sequence. I built a CS 17 between 2006-2009. I had a small garage in which to build it - length 19.5 ft. You can see why I didn't build a CS20 :)

I also realised that when I had a hull in the garage that I would have little or  no space to build all the other stuff- wooden topmasts, rudders, rudder box/tiller, centreboard, hatches etc.

I decided to make a decent table out of a couple of sheets of exterior half inch ply to do the lofting and scarfing of the hull panels on and then build the cb/rudder etc on it. When that was done I used some of the half inch ply sheets to build the mobile cradle which held the hull until completion. I remember that a good table and work area was great for the little stuff and it was also a good feeling to pull all the pre-prepared stuff out of a corner and just fit on the hull when it was ready.

I know a spindrift 11 is a much smaller project and maybe you have oodles of workspace but I'm sure a bit of careful thought will save some time/energy and frustration (why didn't I do that before!)

Have fun with the build...I love the finished product but really enjoyed the journey.

Cheers

Peter HK 

My carport looks spacious compared to that Peter!

 

When I built my kayak (15ft) It took up the full length available in my carport. It wasn't wide but the project took up all of my half of the space and my car had to live outside for 4 months. This boat will be shorter but is wider so having enough room to work on it all around is going to make things a bit squeezy. I like the idea of working on the small things first and storing them out of the way for when there isn't going to be room to to it later with the half finished hull there. I sold an old plastic kayak that was taking up space tonight, so not only do I have a bit of extra cash for the project, but I have created just a bit more room as well. 

 

Maybe I could sell the wife's car! :)

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I went and purchased my ply and most of my other materials to get things started this morning. I took my plans along so that the guy in the shop could make some recommendations etc. I was all prepared to buy the top quality gaboon ply for the hull and PM for the rest, but after he showed me a wooden 'tinny' he was building from pacific maple which was a very similar design to the spindrift I decided to go with PM throughout. It's very unusual to be 'down sold' by a retailer, but after looking at the PM sheets I was quite impressed with the quality at half the price! There are a few minor imperfections on the 'B' side on some of the sheets but I think I will be able to avoid them for the most part when cutting out the pieces.

 

So I was able to buy my epoxy, glass tape, copper and a few other bits and pieces for a few extra dollars above what I was going to spend on ply alone. :) :)

 

I decided to go with West Systems for my epoxy this time after a good discussion around the relative pros and cons compared with Bote Cote, which I used for my last build.

 

Also, I am pretty settled on the cat rig now. I was leaning toward a leg-o-mutton sprit or lug, but he suggested that I go with the sail recommended by Graham. He knows of B & B and has alot of respect for Graham's design know-how. So I'll go with Graham's recommendations, particularly after the positive reports on the performance of the cat rig on these boats from other members here.

 

So now it's on to getting the work area set up and starting to mark out the sheets.

 

Cheers for now.

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Some advice please.

 

Looking at the CD received with the plans, I notice that none of the boats shown are glassed fully on the outside of the hull. I was planning to do this, but obviously it will add weight and expense to do this.  An alternative is to glass the bottom of the hull only to just above the chine.

 

I would appreciate others' views on whether this is recommended or not?? :unsure:

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I glassed my CS 17 on the outside.

I spoke to the designer about this when he was here in Brisbane in about 2006 and I was about to start the build. His comment was that about 50% of boats were glassed, that it added a little weight but that the abrasion resistance was much better. Make your own decision based on expected usage. If it's not going to be hauled up beaches and only go from water to trailer then glass is probably unnecessary. If you take it to a rocky beach then glass it. As to weight- it's not that much. Assuming 6 oz (close to 200gsm) then a spindrift 11 wouldn't use much more than 5 sq metres of glass, which at 200gsm equals 1 kg. As hand layups can't really exceed a 50/50 resin to glass ratio the weight of the resin is also about 1 kg...so 2 kg overall. If you only glass the bottom you're at about 2/3rds of these figures on weight. Overall it's not much- might be important for racing but not so much in a homemade boat.

Cheers

Peter HK

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I glassed my CS 17 on the outside.

I spoke to the designer about this when he was here in Brisbane in about 2006 and I was about to start the build. His comment was that about 50% of boats were glassed, that it added a little weight but that the abrasion resistance was much better. Make your own decision based on expected usage. If it's not going to be hauled up beaches and only go from water to trailer then glass is probably unnecessary. If you take it to a rocky beach then glass it. As to weight- it's not that much. Assuming 6 oz (close to 200gsm) then a spindrift 11 wouldn't use much more than 5 sq metres of glass, which at 200gsm equals 1 kg. As hand layups can't really exceed a 50/50 resin to glass ratio the weight of the resin is also about 1 kg...so 2 kg overall. If you only glass the bottom you're at about 2/3rds of these figures on weight. Overall it's not much- might be important for racing but not so much in a homemade boat.

Cheers

Peter HK

 

Thanks for that Peter. I will be launching from beaches mostly, at least until I get a trailer. I will be car topping the boat but I'll be building a loader for that so the weight won't be that critical. I was thinking of glassing the bottom only to the chines for abrasion resistance as you mentioned, so I think a couple of kilos at most will be worth the extra protection.

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Well, I'm finally getting my hands on some timber. Finished marking out the main hull sections tonight and have cut some out already. Actually I made my first booboo on the build. I don't know how I did it but I measured the port-aft side hull section too narrow at the 1220 station (from stern). Then I went and cut it out before eyeballing it against the other marked-up part on the other sheet, only to find it didn't line up. It was only about 5mm out but I didn't want to risk having a mis-shapen line at the top, so I spent half an hour and worked out how to juggle enough pieces from other sheets to create enough space to re-cut that piece from another sheet. A couple of parts from the other sheet will fit into the mis-sized section. (That's the beauty of not having to follow a strict lofting plan. If things go wrong it can be very hard to play around with the 'jigsaw' so much).

 

Actually I'm the world's worst measurer. I catch myself out at least a dozen times mis-measuring things. I now follow the maxim - "measure a hundred times, cut (usually) only once". Anyway I re-cut the part tonight and it matches perfectly now. So I'll finish cutting out the main sections for 3D'ing the hull by the end of this week. (I can't believe that there are only 11 parts to cut out to form the hull on this boat - including the temporary frame!).

 

I didn't join the half-sheets and full sheets for the hull sections before measuring and cutting. I will butt-joint them after they are cut. I don't really know why I didn't, I just did it that way on my kayak and it seemed to work well so I'll go that way again. (Actually, I do know. I will be working on this build alone, and lifting and manipuating 1 1/2 size sheets after butt-jointing seems a bit onerous, but handling 12ft long cut sections should be easier - I think). Either way, it means a simpler lay-up for the sections being joined rather than for full-width sheets (to me anyway).

 

Here you can see my work area. the sheet that I 'robbed' the replaced bit from is leaning against the roller door.

 

Posted Image

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Well, this weekend has seen some real progress. I finished cutting out the hull panels, the forward bulkhead and transom, as well as the temporary frame, joined the hull panels, sanded the panels fair and uniform side to side, taped the side panels to the hull sections, wired then butterflied the hull, and stitched the seams, forward bulkhead, centre temp frame and transom in place. 

 

Almost.

 

I noticed that the last bit of stitching of the transom didn't go quite as easily as expected. It just wasn't square. I sighted it up and the stern was just twisted, and I couldn't work out why. So I did some measurements, and found that the centre temporary frame was not symmetrical. The starboard top corner was 5 cm wider than the port side (as I said, I'm the world's worst measurer). I looked again and sure enough, the angle on that side was sharper than on the other side. The bottom measurements were fine, but the discrepancy caused a twist that affected the whole boat. Funny it didn't show up until I came to finish stitching the transom, but thank goodness it did.

 

Just as well I found that out before taking to it with epoxy and tape! So tomorrow I'll remove the temp frame and trip off the excess and reinstall it, and it should be ok.

 

Sizing the side panels.

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Ready to 3D.

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No cracking or splitting!

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Nice and straight.

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The strap helped 'tame' the wings while I stitched them.

Posted Image

 

The middle temp frame not symmetrical! I didn't see that until I tried to tighten up all the stitches on the transom, then it mis-behaved badly.

Posted Image

 

At least the bow is nice and straight

 

Posted Image

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Well I'm making good progress. Tonight I finished stitching and tacking the seams. I hope to have finished filleting and taping the main hull by the end of the week.

 

Some questions for someone.... I can't work out the sequence for a couple of steps in the build. When is the best time to remove the temporary centre frame, and when does the gunwale go on? I see pictures with the gunwale installed early on some builds and later on others. I guess the centre frame could come out after the seams are tacked, with a spreader bar temporary-screwed in place for insurance if I thought it necessary...??

 

Also, is it best to fillet and tape the bow before the reinforcing block goes in, or is it embedded in filleting material and then filleted/taped afterward?

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