Mariahh 104 construction pics, Greg and all rest requesting 3D

[Maria CS20 104]

Here are pics from this weekend 95 plus degree heat, I am whooped and beaten and bruised but really happy.  Still have some of the centerline to pull in and we just kind of figured it out!  We are going to provide a little lift from underneath and pull in tight.  My beautiful bride figured this out when I told her not to loft the boat, IT's REALLY A BOAT NOW!  WOW!!!!  When Karen (wife) lifted the stern about 2 inches,the centerline really came in close, then the gap totally closed, caught me a little by suprise but it really worked and we now are fairly sure how to pull it in; we are within an 1/8th of an inch in some places and snug in about half the length.  A little loose on the forward end at the sides on the bow.  The bow itself tied in really close (cool and tight, Pat the son says it looks watertight, he's never been on a submarine).  Had problems with the inwalls and the scarfs began to separate.  Took them off and fiberglassed strips on both sides to strengthen, they are seting up as I write.  Noted that the seat stringers did not attach well even with thinnly tickened epoxy, guessed I squeezed a lot more out than I thought, I know we got good coverage, probably soaked into wood too much.  Had concerns about transom when it looked too small for the space.  When we pulled in, and allowed for a little more overlap of about 3/16ths where the sides are overlapped on top of the sides to the bottom of the hull it kind of snapped into place.  Wierd!  When we place the temp center bulkhead I think I fought it for two or four or six months (hours) but when the bottom pulled up everything fit and there are no gaps on the sides, and only a small gap at the centerline where we have not completely pulled in, fully expect that it will sit in place completely when bottom pulled up.  LEARNING A LOT (liked most of you have before us).  BUT WE ARE 3D!  AND IT IS A BOOOOAAAATTT!    It is sooooo cooool!  I do have a question or two if I remember them:  Question One:  What is the angle of the transom from top of the sides to the hull bottom, or do you base it on the "shape" of the rudder cheeks keeping the back of the cheeks square to ground at 90 degrees, or does it matter much?  Question two: (by the way it is still 93 degrees outside and I think 150% HUMIDITY, yuck), oh yeah the question, when is the right time to set the forward bulkhead, we still have an inch to pull in at the bottom of the hull, will it come in when the bottom comes in, or do I need to lift some and wire to the bottom of the hull?  Question three:  Does your back hurt as much as mine?  Question four:  Does the backache ever go away during building??????  ( I think not, no big deal, we are having a great deal of FUN, and we are spending great time together, is spite of my pondering and pondering and pondering.  ( I think I like pondering, it focuses my head on the next three or four steps and gets me in the groove of the boat, she has become a woman, OH LORD HELP ME (kinda, at least with the fitting in and fitting out and then the fitting round about).  My Thought for the day: If you participate, the dream does comes true!  (On the philisophical side:  One little teenyt tiny bit of action is better than any hope or unfulfilled intention!).

Lord keep us all safe on the lonely seas,

Here are pics, (I hope), Best and Blessing to ALL "ON THE MOVE FORWARD" in life's adventures!

Jim A

[Maria CS20 104]

...a few more...

[Maria CS20 104]

...still going...

[Maria CS20 104]

...nothing outlasts a woman with a camera (or phone)...

[Rod Thompson]

Good to hear that you are enjoying the process.  Soar back and all.

Sorry to hear about the inwales not holding together.  Have not had such a problem yet.  I make a point of wetting out both surfaces prior to putting on the thickened epoxy and then as you say be careful not to squeeze out too much in the clamping. In the test samples the wood failed before the joint.

I put the forward bulkhead in after the centre line was together.  Took some pushing but it worked into place.

[Randy C.]

Jim,

I'm building a Core Sound 17. When I first opened the butterfly joint(EXCITING) it had a gap(I left the wires loose as the directions state). I used a floor jack to lift the center as I tightened the wires, then I would move the jack along and do the next couple of wires. Some of the wires were a little tough to get tight enough to bring the gap together, but I just kept working up and down the center until I had it all pulled together. Everything worked out fine(this is my first attempt at building a boat).

I also had some trouble with my seat stringers coming loose. My problem was I mixed the epoxy wrong(my first attempt at using epoxy also). I was giving 2 pumps of part 'A' and 1 pump of part 'B'. I didn't notice that pump 'B' was only a 1/2 of a pump, so I had too much part 'A' and not enough hardener. I took the seat stringers off and reattached them with the right mixture of epoxy.

P.S. I'm going on vacation for 2 weeks in the morning, so I'm not ignoring you if you ask me a question, just out of touch.

[Greg Luckett]

Jim,

You are certainly making some real progress.  It won't be long if you keep up this pace to the splash.

Hope you have a good vacation!

[Maria CS20 104]

Hey Greg and all, we are back from vacation by a week and worked on inwalls and tying in the transom.  All went well until I started fitting the forward bulkhead.  Poop to say the least.  had to recut the inwall notch, and the seat notch along with the temporary bulkhead inwall notch, chiseled out about 3/16th and trimed the vertical edges.  Fitting much better.  Still trying how to deal with the forward bulkhead, I have a smile in the bottom of the boat and it has kicked my butt royally.  Grahams answer is to modify the bulkhead to fit if the hull is square and fair.  Hull is square and fair but it does not fit.  Smile is 1 and 3/8ths at center and tapers back about a foot or so, looks like a pumpkin grin learing at me saying "told you so". I actually climbed into the hull and bounced around in the forward compartment and it did help to curve out some but not enough to make a difference.  Sooooooo, Graham says to make it fit and I plan to cut a 1/4" plate on bottom curve and set/epoxy to forward bulkhead.  Plan on going into the hull and making paper or cardboard template to cut the add on plate rather than cutting a whole new bulkhead.  My bulkhead beam warped and looks like a snake, soaked in the pool for a few days and now is drying under home make press rig.  I've done this before and it works well if you fit and epoxy in place befor the heat getsto it again.  Live and learn.  Any ideas on the forward bulkhead will be greatly appreciated.

Jim