Stareed

Finished dry-fit of both port and starboard sides, flush cut router-ed the panels, numbered and added ticks to each pair as witness marks to aid in replacing them after removing for epoxy. Started dry fit of second layer on starboard to make sure I had enough planking stock- I will, to better maximize the time in the day we removed the second layer and started gluing the first layer, we started 7 back from the bow on both port and starboard and worked toward the bow as I wanted to be able to go down either side with good starting courses and the stem pieces be epoxied together as one. Didn't get pics of the end of the day with the epoxied planks... more tomorrow.

Feb 19 Planking (1st layer) NOTE! Do not precut your planking to a set measurement. I made the mistake of measuring toward the bow, and got about 48" so we cut up several sheets ahead of time..... you know to be efficient..... if you start from the bow using 6" strips you will get approximately 11 on before you need a 49 1/2" one - which will continue to be more than 48" until you get about 7-8' from the stern ( about the break in the shear). I had two 4x20' panels of 1/4" I had made up to be the planking on a Coquina, the longer length would allow us to use more of the panels with less waste than an individual sheet. We did not use any 2' wide panels, due to the angle, you need to cut a 2' panel longer than a 1' piece in the same place, we used 1' to save waste. This is just the dryfit, will use fender washers when epoxy goes on

Feb 18, Spent the day shaping stringers with a plywood batten to get everything ready for side planking. Made a jig for the swim platform underside ( requires 2" filler between top and bottom) four 1/4 strips of plywood should do for the outside curve and SYP for the transom and bracket deadwood. I plan to attach the underside of the swim platform prior to glassing.

Feb 17 Started trimming the panels up with a flush cut router Attached the final piece of sheer and one of the upper stringers as well as the chine flats, the tip broke off one of them and they dont come to a paper edge anyway will glue small strip in front of them to plane down to match the planking rabbet and chine flat. Both bottom skins laminated and routered awaiting the chine flat Cool little trick for when you dont have another multitool blade, razor blade works real well!

Allen, I dont know... we made four 3/4" strips too for the port side as we had gone through our supply of 1"ers. I think grain orientation is more important now, The 3/4 strips all snapped, I think 3/4 is not big enough too not break but to big to bend easlly. If that make any sense..... I think it would have to be many thin (3/8) strips or stay with the 1" and be picky on selection of wood and grain orientation

Feb 14 cont. Stbd side framing complete, port side needs final sheer clamp 1" strip ( we glued them up one at the time, to keep from have to have clamps of before glued dried) and upper two stringers. You can see the flair now! Some hull planking pre cut ready for Monday- shaping/planning of stringers to prepare for planking on Sbrd, Finish sheerclamp and upper stingers on Port

Feb 14 One of the 2x12x20' center leftovers, cut about 3.5" off each side. Rough sized them to 1"1/8 square and then ran them through the planer, its to hard to put a 20' board thorough a table saw even with friends and have it come out perfect, the planner makes it perfect. Strd side second skin, you can see some of the squeeze out through the weep holes, you may notice that somebody got a little excited and neat epoxied the wrong side before glue up, we wrapped plastic around some cut plywood to make knee board for installing all the screws

Feb 12th continued Attaching the second hull skin. 3/8 battens every 6 to 8" with packing tape and fender washers. We drilled holes all over to be both a escape for air and excess epoxy, did not want to create a bubble of epoxy or air- plus it a good visual to let you know its tight on the first skin. We used a 3/16" v-notch trowl for flooring mastic, HD has el cheapos for 8 bucks. Coated the hull side and the underside of the second skin, four of us walked it over above our heads with a man standing on the keel, put the edge on the chime an eased it over to the keel man which lowered it into position, as there is so much bending and twisting and the second skin is pretty thin its hard to get it alined by the chime. Aline the edge of the panel on the keel centerline, its easier to see the straight edge on the keel than trying to line up the edge on the chine.

Feb 12 Side stringers and sheer clamp installation. Sheer clamp - 3, 1" strips, plan says they should be 16'9" they are just short of 19' by my tape. We cut them out of the nicest 2x12x20' SYP I could find, bring a friend to the lumber yard, they dont like it when you "rat f#ck" their stacks without putting everything back as it was. Lumber yard employees are usally very helpful but their helpfulness will disappear as you tell them " theres a good one on the bottom of this stack" We busted 5 of the strips before figuring out the deal, the grain needs to be vertical, at the turn of the bow they actually curve upwards and twist, the wood bends safely when you bend it perpendicular to the grain direction rather than parallel. We thought it was good, as you can see the next morning we arrived to find the outside one exploded in the night. every one that broke, broke while bending around temp frame one. the bottoms of the bracket are sitting in the pictures below, both pre coated with 1708 on the "inside"

Feb 10 Starboard side, Same, used battens and fender washers over the frames. Thats all for tonight... Long day, more pictures to come tomorrow.

Feb 6 Fitting and glueing the Port hull skin, bent on with some effort but not bad considering the inside is covered in 1708, tried hard to get it perfect, but with all the curves its hard to tell where its going to end up exactly. the panel comes oversized, and there is notes on router-ing it flush with the chime, if its not exact. we used packing tape battens and fender washers over all the frames

Jan 18 chime, there is a LOT of twisting going on, first taste of what is to come, make sure to twist it all the way into the notches. we used clamps and handles, clamped onto the chime so we had a lever to use to twist it into position. We used GRK 3" deck screws with fender washers in the temporary frames as screwing into side grain of plywood is rough on holding power. After taking forever to get the first one right, you should be able to use the angles from it to get the other side really close.

Jan 13 Stringers and doubler plates in position and glued up, bracket transom installed. All doublers were coated with 1708 as well, trying to cut down on having to do glass work in a "hole", better to do it on a table. Had to widen the cnc slots for the glassed stringers. we made a simple router jig and widened them by about 3/16".

"Layed the keel" on New Years day with my son, thought that was pretty cool, so cool I have crazy eyes. We use LVL's for strongback material, and suggest you do as well. straight and dimensionally perfect, sure beats joining long large boards. Go to any "commercial" lumber yard and I bet they have two that somebody didnt need which they would love to help to purchase as they are usally long and very specific, but you can take a 16" wide one and cut it down the middle, use the cut side on the ground and the factory edge for your frames. We used a laser level and cedar shakes as shims on the floor.

Spent most the the fall doing this... We glassed all the frames with 10oz, the stringers with 1708, as well as the underside of the first layer of the hull planking. Peal Ply on everything.

We used the strongback from another boat to make a 24' table for glue up and panel assembly covered it with plastic and started making up the parts. Everything went well, was especially impressed with the cnc'ing of the keel parts, it went together great. Transom jig and glue up was strait forward

I have been reading this forum off and on for several years and have learned quite a bit about boat building and about the boat I wanted to build one day. Now that I am building a 256 I thought I should be obligated to share what I have learned with others, it may not be the best or most expansive knowledge but... this is my experience and maybe when you build yours you can look at my pictures. Ordered the kit and it was delivered in July to hot and to busy to mess with it to much. Took everything out of the boxes to look at it. As you read and look, you will see more than one person in the photos and me using the word "we" often; I own a Construction company as my real job, and when I can I work on the boat, but when it rains or we are waiting on material, or a permit ect. WE work on the boat, I dont like sending my guys home, they signed up to work 40 and I try to give it to them, even if its for my own ends. I may not make tons of daily posts but will try to keep ya'll updated when I can,

After sanding the first coat, shot the second. Now to fill and sand all the little pin holes and other little blemishes, longboard and sand it all over again, and spray it one more time with primer hopefully, then the Brightsides. Still working on the oars, got some sweet stainless oar locks at the world famous Sailers Exchange here in town for a smooth 40 bucks.

Kept raining off and on yesterday, so no paint. I did get the final coat of varnish on the mast, started making my oars, and sanded the prime coat on the boat so not a huge waste.

Finally got a coat of primer on the thing! right before the storm to boot. Interlux 404 Primecoat epoxy primer with 2316n reducer (i think) sprayed with a Fuji 3 stage turbine with a 1.8 needle in the gun, thinned to 25%.

Yes, I have......Super busy building a new business but I have all the hardware and just ordered the sail. I should start painting this week. I will post some pictures when I can.

Thank you Steve, Really did make me slow down a bit.

Dont know what happened above, I wrote it in Word and copied pasted it here, came out as a image

Congratulations, I have enjoyed watching along as you built it and enjoyed your humor as well. Whats the next build?

Walt, Understood, We (my brother and I) are going to build a small pole barn, about 12x24 and put some cheap metal roof on it and have tarp curtain sides to keep the rain out and the looky-lou's away, it will be semi permanent, we are going to just use 4x4 posts and a simple raked roof, no hip or gable. When we are done he'll use it for his landscaping business- which means he'll be pay for the materials haha. If it flys away, we most likely are going to have more serious things to worry about.