Summer Breeze
The Back:
Now cut the triangles from the back sheet of ply. In spite of my careful drawings and models it seems the long leg will work better at 30" instead of 28" that I originally indicated. The short leg is still 12".
I use the Japanese pull saw
again for this.
Next I'll position these on the bow and mark them for gluing the butt blocks.
More true confessions. Part of the fun of boat building is being clever about fixing mistakes. I got a good opportunity for cleverness today.
As I began to piece the back together I realized it seemed smaller than it should be. It turned out I didn't make enough allowance for the external chine log. Also, I failed to realize that my slotted stem (as much as I love it) puts the theoretical apex of the sides a couple of inches out in space beyond the bow of the boat. Ain't boat design fun! This is why I don't just build by plans... I'd miss all this!
Today reminded me of a great Yogi Berra quote I got from Lew Clayman.
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." -Yogi Berra
On to the solution.
An internal chine log or a stitch and glue version of Summer Breeze would work with the current dimensions. However, even so, I was able to fudge it via the miracle of PL Premium "inlay."
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If you haven't glued up your sides and transom yet, here's what you do. To get the bottom to fully cover the external chine logs, the transom needs to
be moved forward 2 1/2". (This includes the original 3/4" I
moved mine previously.) The transom is so thick I was able to hold the bottom
back a 1/2" from the back edge of the transom. This still allowed
sufficient chine joint at the bow. It seems my obsession with getting the most
from the least made me dance a little close to the edge. Hey, what can I say...
it worked in theory! ;-)
After dry fitting the bow
sections, get under the boat and mark the inside perimeter. This will show how
much to back set the butt blocks during gluing.
The butt blocks are made from the trim pieces from the sides.
The gluing steps are identical to those of gluing the sides. Put down plastic -
dry fit & mark - spread glue with notched trowel - staple with 1/2"
staples.
I once again stapled over twine which works well. I did pre-bevel the butt blocks this time using my band saw and belt sander, which seems easier than sanding the taper after they're glued.
After the back is glued up,
it is dry fit and marked at chines. Make sure the boat is aligned before
you mark the back. A string pulled tight from stem to stern should cross the
center line of your frame. If it doesn't nudge the hull around until it
does.
The back is trimmed a little
outside the line with circular saw. How close you cut it depends on your
confidence and what tool you will do your final trim with. If you flush
route like I do, it's not too critical. If you'll take the overhang off with a
hand plane and sanding block, accuracy cutting this line can save work. Some
folks even tilt their saw blade for this.
This is a good time to fill
any blemishes in the back. It's easier to sand at bench level then after it is
the inside of the boat. Yes, that's Elmer's exterior filler I'm using.
The back is now dry clamped
in place.
I made this little marker
that makes it easy to mark where the nails will go in the chine log. It also has
a 5" piece of wood that determines the spacing.
Here it is in use. Mark with
a pencil or an awl.
I pre drilled for the nails
and tapped them all in their holes. The nails are spaced 3" apart along the
transom, 5" along the sides. These are the #14 by 7/8" bronze ring nails.
Half of the boat is
unclamped and propped open. Glue is applied and spread. The back is then closed
and clamps and nails are applied from the middle out.
Here is how I used PL to
fill the gap at the transom and bow. It should sand out fine.
I used a nail set to very
slightly countersink the nails then filled them.