Lewis Boat Works: Custom Boat building and Plans
Fisher10 - Page 7
4.23.2002
Mudding and taping
I had to lay on the ground to take this shot, but you can now see the correct shape in profile. I have a temporary spreader installed in the bow. The boat is braced level and square. It's kinda snubnosed but it is primarily designed for power as opposed to sail or row. I'm thinking of throwiing a sail onto it and seeing what it does. Maybe it would work as a rowing tender for a bigger boat, who knows.
All of the bottom seams, except the transom to sides, are filletted, taped and wetted out. A good fillet was put in the bows, but I want to build it up to about 1" depth before taping. A small glitch is the scalloping of the sides abaft the butt blocks.This should pull straight when the gunnels and inwales are installed. All in all, I am very pleased with the smoothness of assembly. You can see the 2x4 spreader up front. I just aligned it and drove a couple of screws in from the outside. What you can't see are the lovely "presents" the tree next door embedded into the nice, wet epoxy. Most will sand out but some are permanently encased. The wind came up a little and the tree started shedding, right into the boat. Most of the little specks you see are tiny green leaves and bud stuff. Looks like a job for some serious sand paper.
I will be taking a few days off as the weather is not going to co-operate and I am out of epoxy, FG tape and my back is killing me. I have spent about 5 hours in 2 days bent over the boat, stitching, gluing and F-Ging. I'll probably do a little work on Chugger and start on the list of honey-do's.
A different view. I spread some of the extra epoxy on the transom seams along the sides, just to use it up. I checked later at night and the epoxy had fired off and was hard. The spreader is actually centered, although it doesn't look like it. I usually get to go to work for 9-10 hours after playing, but it's better than getting to play after working all day!
