20. 2016 Time to get a wiggle on!

We arrived back in the UK at the end of March and I, being re-inspired, went straight up to the studio.

The first thing to do was lift the boat off the ground. At 67 I find the bending and stretching difficult, not to mention the scrabbling around on the ground and trying to sand or cut a bit.  So, Michael (pictured) who usually paints cars, came along with his car jack and some axle stands and we lifted the whole boat up about a metre and it is brilliant. It has meant that I could cover the sides with ease  …  see pictures.

The result is that I have finished the first layer of ply on the whole boat with the exception of the transom (that’s for next week).  It all looks a bit messy as I have only rough sanded it, but the profiles are looking good. The sharp bit was a challenge and I had to go down to 50mm widths to be able to get the curves to sit properly, but I think the rear end is going to be more difficult.  I made a mess of two points which I shall have to correct later. One is at the bow where I did not follow the profile well and the epoxy dried as I was trying to straighten it out, (you can see it on the LHS of the 4th picture) and at the stern I shall have to fill a dip were it just does not feel right.  The next layer should be easier for the fact that the shape has been made by the first layer. I shall finish the sides first, then do the bottom.

My Kiwi friend, Sam, told me I needed yet another sander so I added to the Festool Rotex 125mm. I know, Sam, but the 150mm was very heavy so I opted for the 125. I already have the 90mm Rotex as well and between them they are excellent at profiling and so they should be at £375 a piece!!!!!

I have had a look at some of the other boat build pictures on the Glen-L site and they are all so clean, not quite sure how they achieved that, but I do know that mine is well stuck together with so much epoxy. The clean up on the inside is going to be fun!