Navigator · new build
A John Welsford Navigator being built by members of the Lake Macquarie Classic Boatshed at Rathmines, NSW, with Steve Price, John and Fred doing the work. Navigator is a glued-lap plywood day sailer and raid boat.The club started cutting parts in September 2026, tracing card templates twice onto each ply sheet to save material, then flush-trimming the paired bulkheads, frames and centreboard case sides to match before notching them for the chine logs and stringers.
The bulk of the Navigator structural components are now cut and finished to shape and now the slow meticulous process of cutting all the notches for the chine logs begins. Accuracy throughout the process so far is crucial to the boat taking shape correctly.
Another morning working on the Navigator and not an once of sawdust. I made a marking jig yesterday to ensure all the stringer notches were square to the apex of the frame angle. Marked all those out this morning then made a routing template so it's quick, easy and accurate to rout out the notches as well as a semicircle guide for routing the limber holes. Now enjoying the view from the boatshed.
Nobody else here is logging a Navigator yet. See the boat.