Building the Chuckanu - Continued
September 4/5, 2015

When last we left the Chuckanu build, we'd attached the wales to the stems with screws and expanding, gap-filling glue (PL Premium.) Our first step this week was to scrape off the excess glue.

Then we took to tying the stringers to the frames. Dave and Rick happened to be wandering by, so I enlisted them in the process.

Here's a detail of the lashing: Start with an Eskimo Knot, wrap at least five times (pulling tight as you go), finish with several half-hitches.

Geoff has a very good eye for trimming the ends -I can never get them to match.

Glue-n-screw.

After the bottom stringers were in, we did a little prototyping of the floorboards. There's a trick, you see: The floorboards have to cover enough space to be useful, be stiff enough to support someone walking on them, and still not add too much weight. We'll be using cedar fence boards planed to 1/2" thick and a little reinforcement.

On Saturday, Rick and Dave dropped by to say Hi again, and knowing they had "real work" to do, I asked if they wanted to tie a couple knots - just for fun.

Kristina and her mom, Tina, were staying in Rick's Canal Boat, the Gypsy Rose and came down to see what the noise was all about. That Viking hat really get people's attention.

I, of course, tossed them into a canoe and sent them up the slough.

Back at the Chuckanu, we had attaches all the stringers, now it was time for the cockpit coaming. I should have drilled lashing holes when I cut out the frames, but . . .

Where the coaming comes together at Frame 1 is kind of problematic. The gap I had made originally wasn't wide enough, so a little modification was in order.

Here's what the join ended up as. You'll see more next week.

Tami and her granddaughter, Kristen, popped in, wanting to go for a paddle.

Fortuitous timing - Tina and Kristina were just returning.

Two out, two in, that's the way you run a canoe livery.

Here's the coaming detail at Frame 6. Skinning will be interesting.

All stringers in, just waiting for floorboards and a few other details. This is the view from the stern.

View from the bow. This is what I love most about Skin on Frame building: I can stop right now, hang this on the ceiling, and have a great piece of art.