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Daggerboard Trunk Slot It's been a while since I've posted. I think the biggest thing I've done is given her 3 coats of Valspar's finest porch and Patio Paint. In truth, there's not a whole lot to do - I might get her in the water by the middle of next month.
Oh, that's a pretty shape.
The real joy is that she is still light enough for me to carry on my shoulders. Sadly, boats gain a LOT of weight in the finishing stages.
That lozenge -shaped protuberance is the bottom of the daggerboard trunk. I'm doing a short, wide daggerboard for the TX200 because most of the sailing will be downwind. The hard part will be the entrance to the Padre Island Yacht Club, but I usually get towed in, anyhow (I am a crappy sailor.)
Oh, crap, I don't like cutting the skin. I'm not sure I'll use Porch paint again, it seems kind of flaky instead of rubbery, like latex.
Per instructions from the designer, I gave her a healthy dosing of PL Premium under the cloth and over the frame. It was here I realized when I cut the slot, the fabric loosened up a bit. I didn't like that.
I grabbed a flat stick and smoothed out the PL under the cloth, making sure it went to the edge of the trunk.
I decided to see if I could pull the fabric tight again with some Frankenstein-esque stitching. I used waxed sail twine (from Duckworks, of course) because I thought I'd want the thread to pull free once the glue cured. Then I remembered I'm going to cut out the slot, so . . .
PL expands as it cures and I didn't want it lifting up the cloth rather than spreading out over the surface of the trunk, so I covered it with Saran Wrap (no waxed paper in the house)
laid a piece of scrap over it and piled on the weights. I sure am glad I tried to get into shape 20 years ago - it gave me a nice set of weights I can use for all kinds of things. Up Next: Install the Mast Step and Partner and maybe the foredeck. I also need to figure out my rudderhead. And some time, I need to make my skeg.
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