October 18th, 2004
Do you ever have one of those days where everything you touch turns to *&$%#@! ? I started installing the webstringers on Sunday morning, but after I'd precoated the parts and the bottom of the Jumbo with epoxy it became apparent that my previous fitting chores were less than perfect. For some reason the starboard webstringer fit tighter than it was supposed to. And I just could not keep this thing in place. I cut out little nailers out of 1x1 pine, carefully predrilled them and as soon as I screwed them into place they split. Well this first webstringer install went like this until I had epoxy smeared from one end of the boat to the other and all over me. I finally decided I'd better take a break, and give my poor exasperated little brain a break.
It's amazing how well a regroup will work. After leaving the boat for a few hours, playing with Eleanor and doing other stuff around the house, I found the gumption to resume my work on the Jumbo. And boy did things get easier.
I refit the starboard webstringer, tacked it into place with nailers forward and aft, and then put little tabs of epoxy fillets every couple feet. Did the same for the port side, and all was good. Whew!
October 24th, 2004
It rained all day yesterday, and my favorite two girls and I went to a brunch hosted by long time good friends.� So no boat building yesterday.
But today, I got in a good amount of boat building. Spent the first hour just cleaning up around the webstringers I'd partially (tacked in) installed last week. Everything had a coating of moisture and for the first time in a long time a liberal coating of amine blush. I reckon the colder weather and slower epoxy cure times contributed to this layer of slime. Anyway, a wash down with some ammonia and water got the blush off, and a couple more passes with a clean wet rag got the ammonia off. Then the bottom and the webstringers got a good rub down with some Scotch Brite pads, another wipe down and finally an hour of a fan blowing on all surfaces gave me a clean, dry boat to work on.
Webstringers got filleted on each side, for a total of four long, long fillets. I must say, that they seemed to go on forever.� Then I glassed them with a single layer of glass tape. I'll give them another layer of tape once the epoxy is cured, and I've gotten the chance to scrape down the edges of the first layer of tape.� Looks good and straight and I'm getting closer to installing the fuel tank and finally the decks.
Went to Dick Slaven's house this evening with my lovely little girl Eleanor, and came back with a treasure chest full of good stuff. Dick had gutted the cuddy cabin on his Seaswirl Striper of the orginal Alcohol Stove, Stainless Steel Sink and water tank he'd never used.� Cool. I haven't a clue how or where I can install this stuff, but somehow I'm going to find a way. This way the family will be able to heat up some soup or make coffee or tea on board and make our boating trips even more enjoyable. Dick said he just couldn't see using the stuff, and it was taking up too much room in the cuddy cabin anyway. So I made out like a bandit.
Then it turns out that Dick had a Navman 3100 fuel meter system he'd never installed. Instead he'd bought a Yamaha system which perfectly matched his round gauges.� We'll I got it for a song. Now I'll be able to get an accurate measurement of my fuel mileage. Can't wait to get the boat on the water.
October 31st, 2004
Spent Saturday repairing my boat building shed set up. I'd added a portion to the main canopy, only to have it hold water during our last big rain. I heard it fall down with a giant CRACK! I had two 2x2 boards shatter, and the 1 1/4" electrical conduit got bent up pretty bad. I figured I'd made this add on piece with too little pitch of the roof. So the repair job involved lowering one end by about two feet to increase the slope of the roof. Hopefully this wil work
Glassed the second sides of the bulkheads that will mount along side the fuel tank, and on Sunday I installed them. Yep, the normal approach, pre coat, fillet, glass and fill the weave of the fiberglass. The fuel tank will not be going anywhere. Next weekend I hope to get a coat of epoxy primer on the tank, and get some holes drilled for ventilation, and perhaps get the fuel lines run. Whoooops, gotta order the fuel line.