Getting Closer
March 6-7, 2015

If you remember from last week, the hull has most of it's essential parts. We still need to do fore and aft decking, but w have the essentials worked out. Now it is time for the detail work

This is the up-close pic of the mast step - the place the bottom of the mast fits into. 2 parallel pieces with a 3/8 bolt running through.

This is where the mast step will go (the square is where the mast will sit.) The step will be epoxied in place, then screwed to the bottom of the boat with some 3/4 screws.

and this is putting the groove in the bottom of the mast to fit over the bolt. This method is straight from the plans.

Since I had the drill out, I figured it was time to install the pivot for the leeboard. Originally, I had planned on not drilling through the hull, but figured the was was easier - I can deal with any leaks.

I am not gluing the pivot to the hull - I am just caulking it well and running 4 screws from the inside. Someday, I might want to go with an internal dagger or swinging leeboard.

There she is - the caulk should squish out nicely, creating a vacuum if someone tried to pull the pivot off. What I don't show is that I have reinforced the inside with a board running from sole to gunnel to help resist tearing the side out of the boat should we be running on a broad starboard reach

And since I had the drill out, might as well get the bow ready for it's pad eye. Holes, holes, holes, all over my beautiful boat.

I decided to go with 4mm ply for the seat tops, mostly because I had 4mm scraps from cutting out the sides. I ripped it into planks of the appropriate width, but made a crucial error when it comes to ripping scrap: I forgot to true up one edge.

You can see these seat tops have a little wow in them. It is not an insurmountable error, but it is regrettable.

That was it for Friday, there was a ton of other little things I did but forgot to record.

Saturday started with breakfast at the Eagles - they had a yard sale, too. Nice enough way to pass the morning.

Today I wanted to get the leeboard ready. I had done my best to estimate length and all. Now it was time to go from theory to practice. Side note" From the Puddle Duck world, we learned leeboards should have about 3' of wetted area and be 10-12" wide. The rudder is smaller, like 30" of wetted area, 10-12" wide.

Pivot for the leeboard - I hope I got it right.

Geoff came in and we took a look at how the seats would go on.

And then, Marge and Isiah showed up. Marge grew up on the water and she wanted her grandson to get some experience. I put them in the Tik Tak Too we have, a 12' version of the Tik Tak Kayak.

Off they go! I went to the local hardware store and picked up some paint for the Lazy Weekend canoes we have. Safety Yellow and Warning Orange are easy enough to get, that damn pink is a special mix, though.

Then Jay (city manager for Toledo,) his son, Jonah, and daughter Sophie, came and took advantage of the beautiful day as well.

Off they go. They made it up to the tide gates and back.

I decided to give everything one last coating of epoxy on the inside - it's getting pretty close in there.

The Tik Tak Too was coming apart at one of it's seams, so she got a little glue, and my lovely Goose is going to get her decks installed and interior painted next week. The Depoe Bay show is coming up soon!