Grey Seal

this project was started in about 2012. I'll post as many original photos as I can find, hopefully in chronological order.For commentary please provide your own 'cos Ive forgotten it. Once i catch up then talking will be attached again. Please forgive any pics not up the correct way.Stock made up of ply web beams from builders supply, available in really long straight lengths.Laminated frames held onto moulds with small blocks

For and Aft stems in position

Glue up of keelson, in position hence plastic. Later finished on bench and centre-board slot cut in.

Glue in of keelson. Planing of bevel to same, showing centreboard slot.

Planking b each made up from old kitchen cabinets and a platform in the dark background to cut ply sheets on. Small cordless circ saw was the best for cutting ply, note depth of blade and diameter was great for getting close to cut line and allowed cutting a curve, within reason.

Next pic shows my spiling plank made with “hinges” out of MDF strips. REason for two lines along bevel was to show when i was getting close to final width by “disappearing” first line. I never was very successful at getting out a plank straight from spiled, so i just roughed in the lower edge of plank from Spiling then held it in position, transferred bevel line across, marked underside for upper edge of planks. Iain Oughtred supplies planking layout lines on his plans.

This first photo shows where i applied some new edges to these planks to bring the edge into line and fair. Screwed-on Battens clamped temporarily. Making up 5” wide outer keel (this first member was two 5”x1 1/4” glassed inside for centreboard section then a 1” spacer at each end, this got around the task of cutting the slot and glassing it in convenient manner) and the flat planed on planks for it.

2” diameter epoxy plug for centreboard pivot in outer keel. Below waterline so a bronze screw in plate is let in to restrain pivot on both sides.

Hole for 20mm(3/4”) pin yet to be bored.

The red stuff is Cop-R-Bote anti fouling which is sprayed on and afterwards lightly sanded to “activate” copper particles so they are on surface ready to do their job. I’ll let you know in a few years if it works or not. Supposed to be good for TRailable boats because it doesn’t mind being out of water for a length of time.

These are the legs I made to support hull right side up and you can see the timber Gantry beam in roof which originally was used to lift outer keel into place but had many uses.

Gluing in inner gunwhale, didnt have enough clamps to do both sides at once!!!

Template and rudder being made with pattern following bit. Round dowel is prop shaft

Lazerette deck framing and painted. Blocking for cleats and mainsheet horse and knees to reinforce beams.

This shot shows extra half frames and frames3 and 4 in new positions because I had I.O. Draw up a new Gaff rig for me so this entailed moving the mast etc. its made a bit of a mess of framing in the fore part of the boat because some frames had to be left where they were so that ballast bolts could be let into them. Ballast wasn’t altered. Also here you can see the centreboard template in the raised position and the case (shown earlier encapsulates this part of it only, which is just inside companionway. Sorry pics are a bit out of order.

Here you can see what i mean about frames. Red log is mast step, 1/2of it goes on top of keelson as in next photo. To gain some much needed headroom in this boat i have let the sole rest down as low as possible between frames so stepping over the frames will have to be become habit, along with stubbed toes!!

Another shot of centrecase because this a complicated part of boat fitting case, centreboard, head-logs and bulkhead six (cabin aft bulkhead) in. In the end I have fitted aft end end of case through bulkhead to get it all in. This is not shown on plans at all well.

While we’re on the centrecase I found a couple more photos which show my interpretation of how things fit in.

The main problem is that the centreboard is so long that it only fits between frames 4 and 6 with a small amount of space in which has to fit the fore/aft headlogs and some room for swinging the board up and down. I cant remember much I left but its only perhaps a quarter inch (could be 1/2”??? ) at after end because fore end is governed by pivot position. The headlogs are only about 1/2” thick and as wide as slot. All is glassed as per earlier photos. That small piece at bottom of photos is the fore head Ledger!!

Here you you see how the sole fits between floors. The case cappinghas been fitted here and you can see the board pennant (dyneema) coming out, it will drop over the front of that cap onto winch which fits onto those screw holes on upright piece of capping. Small hole in front of pennant exit block is the board shove-down emergency!!!

Final centrecase shot of how it fits into bulkhead 6. This is just the template but you get the idea, photo taken from aft.

Well I’ve decided on cut layout for remaining sheets of ply and it looks like I might make it, barring any whoopsies. So all up I’ve used 20 sheets of 1/2” , 3 or 4 sheets of 3/8”(interior cabinets and bunks) , 4 sheets of 1/4” ( cabin roof).

Above are are all deck pieces layed out with scarf allowance, just for OCD satisfaction I’ve lapped the scarfs from bow to stern. In the end it doesn’t take much to cut each scarf just some noise and dust. At one stage I was considering butt joins but Ian Milne talked me out of it thankfully.

Hi there, well thankfully the fires didn’t come this way ...... yet anyway. In the heat things area bit slower than usual. But over the last week I’ve managed to get the rubbing strokes on. First layer is 45x16 tapering to 35x16 at the last 2 meters. Used Merbau decking which has turned out really well (halfway sensible price too) Steamed the last 3.5 meters to get it around the stern. I epoxied the flying surfaces and then stuck it on with Sika291 and screws. The second layer I used 35x14 tapered again at the ends with a bit of a round over. Once again epoxied the flying bits and used 291 again with screws. Nibbled scarfs facing aft at amidships for the joins. Finished off with Dekes Olje 1 which is a really easy to apply finish even if it takes a little time, each coat goes on quick, I think I put on five coats in about 1 1/2 hrs.

Got the chainplates permanently fixed too using some more of John Aquinan’s butyl tape.

Now it’s onto the next project, which I think I will make the sole because I’ve painted those in between time.

Cont....

Cont........

Got one of these on the way too..