Gypsy progess - one week
Bought lumber, hardware and tools, built saw horses (4), laid out
hull panels, frames, molds, rudder parts, dagger board, and stem,
spliced hull panels, cut out all of the above, assembled transom and
stem, put hull together.
Notes:
I thought I measured and cut everything quite accurately but putting
the hull together was still quite a wrestling match. I ended
up "stitching" with wire to get everything to line up and stay that
way. This was quite simple and easy and I wonder why it gets such bad
press.
I did all the layout on the "A" side of the plywood and glued the
splices on that side without thinking. So the outside of the boat is
the "C" side. It will be glassed and painted so it doesn't make any
difference although I intended the "A" side to be out.
I am using ACX and am quite amazed at the quality. The surface plies
are quite good, there are almost no voids and those are on the order
of 1/8" maximum. The plywood is from Home Depot and is
labeled "Stimson".
I bought 2 @ 2X12X16" kiln dried Douglas Fir for everything that is
not plywood. One was average, but the other has only 3 or 4 knots. I
will laminate the mast from the better one of 1 5/16 square pieces.
I am going to move the aft-most frame back a foot and angle it 15
degrees, eliminate the next frame forward and the rowing thwart, deck
the boat aft of the aft-most frame, forward of the aft end of the
daggerboard case and about six inches in from the gunwales to make a
cockpit. I will add a frame at the forward end of the mast thwart.
The area forward of it and aft of the rear-most frame will be, if not
water tight, at least water resistant to provide flotation to ease
self-rescue. There will be a hatch fore and aft for stowage. I would
like to thank Garth Battista in particular as I am essentially
copying some of his modifications.
I drove up to South Thomaston to buy a sail from Harold Payson and
stayed and visited with him for a short while. It was a real
pleasure. He is a fine gentleman. He lives quite modestly, but I
don't know how you could ask for more - he has a nice home and
workshop and the bay is only a quarter of a mile away. Seemed like
paradise to me.
Paul
hull panels, frames, molds, rudder parts, dagger board, and stem,
spliced hull panels, cut out all of the above, assembled transom and
stem, put hull together.
Notes:
I thought I measured and cut everything quite accurately but putting
the hull together was still quite a wrestling match. I ended
up "stitching" with wire to get everything to line up and stay that
way. This was quite simple and easy and I wonder why it gets such bad
press.
I did all the layout on the "A" side of the plywood and glued the
splices on that side without thinking. So the outside of the boat is
the "C" side. It will be glassed and painted so it doesn't make any
difference although I intended the "A" side to be out.
I am using ACX and am quite amazed at the quality. The surface plies
are quite good, there are almost no voids and those are on the order
of 1/8" maximum. The plywood is from Home Depot and is
labeled "Stimson".
I bought 2 @ 2X12X16" kiln dried Douglas Fir for everything that is
not plywood. One was average, but the other has only 3 or 4 knots. I
will laminate the mast from the better one of 1 5/16 square pieces.
I am going to move the aft-most frame back a foot and angle it 15
degrees, eliminate the next frame forward and the rowing thwart, deck
the boat aft of the aft-most frame, forward of the aft end of the
daggerboard case and about six inches in from the gunwales to make a
cockpit. I will add a frame at the forward end of the mast thwart.
The area forward of it and aft of the rear-most frame will be, if not
water tight, at least water resistant to provide flotation to ease
self-rescue. There will be a hatch fore and aft for stowage. I would
like to thank Garth Battista in particular as I am essentially
copying some of his modifications.
I drove up to South Thomaston to buy a sail from Harold Payson and
stayed and visited with him for a short while. It was a real
pleasure. He is a fine gentleman. He lives quite modestly, but I
don't know how you could ask for more - he has a nice home and
workshop and the bay is only a quarter of a mile away. Seemed like
paradise to me.
Paul