Bulkheads

After running fillets and fiberglass tape on both chines it is time to install some bulkheads.

This is the aft bulkhead along with a nice assortment of my clamps.





Then I did bulkhead number 3 the lower cabin bulkhead.




In the lower cabin bulkhead you can see a slot on the left side. This slot will be enlarged later to accommodate the the center board trunk. The trickiest part of installing a bulkhead is getting the right shape to fit. The aft bulkheads have fairly straight lines so it is possible to take several measurements and come up with a close approximation of the required shape.


The forward bulkhead is a bit more complex. I used a different strategy.




I used a plumb bob to establish a line where the bulkhead will meet the hull.







Sally is checking out the pattern I have made. I installed a scrap piece of plywood in the location for bulkhead number 1. Then I stapled little scraps of plywood like fingers touching all the important points around the perimeter and some inbetween.









OK now what?







How did that cat cat up there without altering the precise position of any of my indicator strips?





I made a mark at the tip of each indicator strip, connected with some fair lines and cut out with a jig saw.

What do you do with a very large skiff?

Here are some photos taken just after the jig was removed.






I fitted some temporary thwarts to hold things together until some of the internal structure is installed












That is the stem sitting up there in the bow. I had some concern that something would spring loose when the jig was removed, but all the plywood acted like it had no intention of going anywhere.





What do you do with a very large skiff?


Why you fillet.

Pronounced fill it.





Thickened epoxy is placed in the chine and then shaped to a concave surface.














After the fillet sets up just a little, a layer of fiberglass tape is laid down. Then the glass cloth is saturated with unthickened epoxy.

Lets get her setting on her DWL

DWL is the design water line.

If a boat is sitting on a very still lake, the line around the boat that the surface of the water creates is right on the DWL. That is if the boat is loaded properly and everything went according to plan.




I wanted to do two things before I removed the building forms.



First is to level the boat fore and aft as well as side to side. It is easiest to do this before the jig is removed because the base of the jig lies in a straight line parallel to the DWL.



Sally is adjusting one of the straps that has the hull suspended so it can be leveled and a cradle fitted under.


Second is to build a cradle that will support the boat while I finish the interior.





This is the forward cradle. I wanted something to hug the hull and prevent the forward sections from spreading when the jig was removed.




This is a support for the hull about two feet forward of the transom.








My third support structure is a little less elaborate. Go figure.