Murray

Hey Ken - nice work. I love seeing shots of the boat sailing - many thanks for posting. Some are easy to 'off-fend' - but we all know what's right. Sails are indeed a wonderful colour and the mizzen looks easily managed. The main looks pretty full, especially at the head of the sail - right where it is a handful to manage. Your heeling angles suggest that if you don't want to hike on the side deck at all, then maybe a good pull on the snotter line could help flatten the main making it easier to mange in the puffs. A a stiffer top batten might help too. Although the Lapwing is quite a powerful shape (wide) she also carries quite a lot of sail area so the sails can be set reasonably flat and still give plenty of drive. And then the extra area can allow some fun downwind in a breeze. On the matter of controls I'm a total fittings Nazi - I need controls to fall naturally to hand - whereas it appears you are looking around a bit to find sheet cleats - especially the mizzen. I know some have led the mizzen sheet forward to a block near the mast base - I'll be doing that - after over 40 years of racing Lasers I'm too old to adapt. Just a thought. Meantime I'm still taking my orbital sander to bed with me 'cos my hand won't open properly after a day in the shed....

Quite a lot of pressure on the the mast blocks, probably unnecessary but I put tenon pins through from the bulkheads and cross bracing to prevent movement. A sheet of ply across the top is probably more than sufficient to tie it all together, but belt and braces...

Well the Stem is now looking good, so I ready do a little on the insides. I started with the stringers to support the seats attaching to the planking. I worried myself when trying to get the positioning right, but in the end found an easy solution; use the two fore and aft bulkheads and bridge across them with some battens which allow me to both put pressure against the stringer, and set the height. By screwing a small packer on the underside of each batten, and short of the batten length, I got a reasonable result. All the bulkheads have now been filleted and glass tape applied. Next the mizzen mast support, then I'll do three hot coats of resin before starting on the seats / thwarts. I've decided not to put the rather natty B&B designed hatches in - it will only ever be a day sailing boat, i think there will be plenty of storage for a day sail under the foredeck.

Well we have a centre case in now, very pleased that the pre-drilled hole for the centreboard is perfectly aligned on the two sides. But even more pleased that after far too long looking at the stem, I went out and got a $100 laser level. It showed the issue - and thus the solution immediately. So I'll work on that and post the result shortly...

Dave - I'm just embarking on installing the trunk - yes, I've started again. Not quite sure from your description, but did you have the truck projecting through the hull, then trim to fit (so the bottom of the trunk is flush with the bottom of the garboard plank, or is the trunk still fully inside the boat as shown in the plans? Your photos have been a source of much help to me - thanks!

Festool Tape??

I bought a new Ford Ranger Raptor to tow my boat. A little overkill perhaps, but as they say, you can take the boy out of the west, but you can't take the west out of the boy. And now they have launched a new one. So yes, I ordered one. Just in case. my wife just shook her head...

Ken you've done a great job - most impressive. I'm still making excuses, but I will re-start tomorrow with the centreboard case. I've found that I have much less spare time now I'm retired - seem to be busy doing things for other people. But that's OK too. I know that when I was young, I had plenty of time, but no money. Now I'm old, (or getting there) I find I no longer have plenty of time... Look forward to seeing some on-the-water pics...

That's outstanding. I've looked long and hard at these pics and I just can't fault the result.

20 coats. OK, Dave it's official, you are prepared to go the extra mile...

So true - those masts are a work of art. Quite inspiring really...

How about the other way around? Carbon tube (I have some prototype Laser/ILCA carbon tubes that I am considering covering in a veneer of Alaskan Cedar)

Tracksaws are the best thing. Ever.

Haven't even looked at the project for the last 3 months Peter. - well that's not quite true, I keep looking at the stem and I see it's not quite plumb. I should have glued up the lamination on a flat table rather than in situ. So I'm trying to decide how offended I am by the issue and if it's bad enough, what I'm going to do to correct it. Probably time I reached a decision, and got on with it...

I like the way you think @Don Silsbe....!

I was kinda interested to see the detail of the planking so I haven't done that yet. I probably will since my handiwork leaves a bit to be desired.... I haven't varnished the transom yet, just 3 coats of resin...

I recently made a couple of new workbenches with Valchromat tops. I had a bit of spare resin at one point so I rolled it on. The valchromat soaked it right up so I put a second coat on - then just for fun a third. By then it was a bit lumpy so I got my sander loaded with 240 grit, smoothed it out quite well. If something is good, more is better, so I raked through the sandpaper drawer and went to 320/500, then for even more fun 800/1200 and finally 1500 grit. it really does feel amazing. So then a mate popped over and suggested i try that on the hull. I did, and yes it's quite interesting; no sheen at all, but super smooth. Downside is it's no-where near as hard, so probably not practical.

So time to get her the right way up. Still another coat yet to go on the bottom, but time to add wood. I recall @Hirilonde's quote "now all I got to do is a whole lot more....".

Well.....! I have some carbon masts ready to go. but the further i get into it, I find i am more accepting that it's not a racing boat, and while carbon is light, it ain't traditional. I happen to have a couple of 6M lengths of yellow cedar that would shape up OK too - so still thinking about the Ken.

Dave is a craftsman...

Then a lick of paint... I've used a roller on 2 pot Perfection. I've not really done much painting before so I expected a few issues. Getting into the fillets was the tricky bit - and obviously a skill to be acquired. However by the time the recommended three coats are on, it will probably look acceptable. @Hirilonde - I took your advice Dave - if I don't like a varnished transom, I can paint it any old time.

A final quick sand...

A Tabernacle has the advantage that your mast is fixed in place so there’s not the same faff involved in tying it on when getting ready to trailer home, and it provides a secure ‘Centre’ pole if you are going to throw a tarpaulin over boat and trailer to protect from weather. That’s the good side. The downside? They look a bit agricultural? And there are simple ways to secure the mast to a jockey inserted in the mast step… I know your masts are light - AYC - what do you estimate the finished weight (and length) will be compared to your Flying Scot? Easier to manage? Not a fan of the tabernacle personally, but then not a fan of sprits messing sail shape either. So I’m going booms - or possibly a heavy bottom batten a la Hobie style. To put this in context, this is from a guy who has raced small dinghies since before the Crimean War and still needing to adapt to a different type of sailing…