Fairing - the icing on the cake

fairing epoxy has been applied - the deck is quite fair already so this is a really thin layer and will not take long to sand it fair, already thinking about paint and colours - 

 Final piece of "boat jewellery" done

The final piece of the boat jewellery is done and
all the A4 stainless fastenings have been sourced and arrived.

Still life of gudgeon and firewood 2024☺☺☺

 Deck glassed and fairing is in progress, rudder glassed, tiller in progress and stainless in progress

deck and cockpit has been glassed and peel plyed

the rim around the companionway has had glass epoxy reinforcing

glassed deck and cockpit before fairing

rudder ready for sanding of the filler coat and adding more glass and fairing

Mahogany and Afzelia laminated tiller  and stainless rudder cheeks in progress

and of course sorting out fastenings for the deck fittings mast fittings and lots of other things that are really not photograph-able

A lot has been happening, 
but nothing really interesting to photograph

a lot has been going on but nothing really interesting to photograph, here is a pic of the most interesting stainless steel item

the bow fitting for the twin forestays

 Chainplates complete

The chainplates were the most complicated of the stainless items, the rest will progress quicker as they are way simpler

 Stainless steel work begins chainplates and babystay

Began work on the stainless fittings, the baby stay is completed and the chainplates are in progress, used my 580 plans for the chainplate and babystay dimensions

 Prep for cockpit glassing

final low density cosmetic fillets have been laid over the structural fillets in the cockpit, these are easily sanded and will be super strong once the glass cloth is laid - also seat drains were cut

cockpit glassing can begin

 Deck glassing - from earlier this week

first layer on cabin side and hull joint

second hullside layer and single deck layer under peelply

the cabin side and hull joint got a double layer of glass,

easier to fair than a single layer (and adding fairing compound between the strengthening tapes) and stronger IMHO than fairing filler/microballoons and glass tape. 

Deck got single layer of glass.

deck is now completely glassed

 Deck glassing in progress

 Transom cap done

 Transom cap and final things before glassing

Today I added the hardwood cap on the transom, a good piece of Sapele, just needs some rounding over -pity it will be under the glass,

added the final parts of the filleting to the inside of the hatches so they can be glassed at the same time as the hull

and checked the hull for any little depressions that needed filling before the deck and cockpit glassing begins. If you catch these at the right stage in the epoxy cure cycle, they can be cut clean with a chisel, most requiring almost no sanding

 Hard Dodger and hatch idea finalised

The companionway and dodger concept has been finalised, it worked out extremely well, so well in fact that I can use my  original mock up as a final item with a slight modification,The hatch will be secured to the boat with a piece of dyneema and use a small low friction ring that I am not using somewhere else on the boat to allow  it to be tethered to the boat while still allowing it to move easily. The curved frame of the companionway entrance will allow a relatively comfortable seat with no sharp edges while I am sitting under the dodger, I am thinking of 2 eyes on the front of the dodger and also a skylight in the roof of the dodger that will allow light to pass thru the skylight, and through a portlight in the companionway hatch and thru portlight in the part of the deck (under the hatch) when the hatch is stowed under the dodger. When the companionway hatch is closed light will come into thebnoat thru the port on the hatch, and also thru the portlight in the deck (under the dodger). I am not going to put any openings for portlights in the hullsides, in fact I may not put the portlights in the deck and in the roof of the dodger - Originally my thinking was only a portlight in the companionway hatch and one in the front of the dodger - I may revert to this original idea - I do not like windows in boats as from experience they invariably leak, even when using the correct sika and the correct sika primers(, and also any window in a hullside or coachroof compromises strength).

The Dodger will have a hand grabrail that is the same profile as the companionway rim  -which has proved to be a really comfortable and secure handgrip

 Companionway hatch test fit

The hatches are in progress -there will be a separate infill washboard to close
the companionway to the cockpit seat level, to comply with SAC rules - I had thought about hinges, overlaps and other solutions to make the main hatch multi purpose but could not find an elegant solution - the integrity of the main hatch was most important and I did not want to compromise its features