The air is electric around here.
I spent the last 8 days -- yes, eight. very. long. days -- spot-treating my leprous boat parts, mottled by unskilled sanding. Actually, the spot-treating, with epoxy and some foam brushes, was easy, but the sanding afterward has taken many hours.
Not THAT many hours. I just had to work and have a life, etc., etc. But as of 5 this afternoon I have re-coated, or spot-treated and re-sanded six strakes, three bulkheads, one seat and two transoms. I still have to finish up on the aft and for eward seats, er, thwarts, but I'll do that later. Right now I feel the need to make some visible progress.
So I'm getting ready to stitch together the hull panels -- the bottom panel and 8 strakes that form the sides of the craft. It's very exciting, but, naturally, I'm nervous, on account of there is drilling involved -- many holes, in the strakes and in the bottom panel, through which I will thread four-inch lengths of copper wire and thusly create a hull. Or at least part of a hull.
I sanded the bottom panel and #1 strakes before I quit, so they're ready for their fiberglass-and-epoxy layers later on. I also made a 4"-long stick. This was very challenging, as it involved measure an old stick and marking it at four inches, and then cutting it accurately with a saw. There's nothing I can't do once I set my mind to it.
The four-inch stick is a practical tool for drilling holes in the right spots. The holes are supposed to be four inches apart. Therefore, I made this stick. And then, when I go to drill the holes, see, I will use the stick ... oh never mind. It's too complicated to explain.
For me, anyway. But, oh, back to the electricity. It's just that, now, I have to drill holes in my boat parts. I mean I GET to drill holes. But it's in my nature to worry about it. I PAID for these boat parts, and now I must set about destroying them, or at least little 1/16" chunks of them. I hope I get this right.
Fortunately, I have a shadow builder, or a whole boatload of them, sort-of. I've joined the Passagemaker Dinghy Builders forum (there's a link to them at the right), wherein lie many tips, lessons learned, pictures, and more. And some of the participants, who are already finished building their boats, or are at least way ahead of me, are highly forthcoming with advice and encouragement. They're very kind, and knowledgeable, and I am going to owe them all a bunch of beers (or whatever) after I get the boat built.
Many of them are very far away. Road trip, dinghy in tow. Something else to look forward to.
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