Getting there

I'm slowly getting the bottom together.  It's a dance to get the curve just right.  I think I nailed this one.  Hope the other side matches!!

 I had to beat the panel into submission.  It was like wack-a-mole.  I got one side down then the bumps just popped up some where else.    I got them all.  Going to be a nice boat.

Can never have enough clamps!

Got a bottom

I managed to fit one panel  to the bottom then I traced the outline on the other panel and to my wonderment it fit the other side...  Most of the time I try to do mirror images they come out backwards.  This  one made it!

                                     I have a lot of fine tuning to do but basically that's the bottom.

Progress

It's 93 degrees in the garage but I just had to get some work done.  It took about an hour to get the panel fitted.  It will take about another two hours to finish one panel.  Probably why we build mostly in the wintertime!

We're back!

I gave this a lot of thought and decided to bring the boat back to my shop.  The idea of working in Chestertown at Patterson's house was sound, however the execution lacked.    I just could not find the time to devote a full day to going over there and then working all day.  My boat work style is more patchwork.  I work for an hour, do something else etc.   Well, now we are back to doing that.  I should be able to knock this boat out in a few weeks.

 

Change of plans

I spent yesterday and today fitting the bottom to the boat.  I wanted to do 4 mil ocume ply on the bottom.  I had the bottom fitted but I'm not satisfied with how it turned out.  We're going to do this differently now.  I'm going to get some 3 mil ply and do it again.  I'll use the current ply for a stitch and glue boat.  No pix today...

Bottom panels

Back on track.  I got both bottom panels cut out and one fitted to the bottom.  It is a slow process.  The panel has to fit exactly before it gets glued down.  Hopefully I'll get that done tomorrow. The paper is the template taken from an original Shelley.  I made the cut exactly like the original.  I left both ends fat and  then finessed the bottom to fit.

The cut that makes the flair at the transom.  I cut both bottoms at the same time.

Inner parts

It's been some time since I worked on this boat.  The logistics for work are just a bit off.  We did have a productive day.  I got the transom, keelson, Stem and shear on the boat.   These parts are the "bones" of the boat.  Everything hangs off of these parts.   This  is going to be a fine boat.  The shear looks great and it went on with out too much fuss.  The paper template that I took off of Bob's Shelley fit like a glove.  The cut line for the hard chine fit the molds like it was made for it.  Next up is fitting one of the bottom panels.  Hopefully that will be sooner that later.