August 2015

During August, I have continued to work on the port side adding the second layer of hull strips.

You can see the completed scaffolding in this picture along with the latest strips.

The second layer is finished out to the tramsom.  I still need to remove the screws and pads and sand.

A slightly larger image of the bow.  I've made all the strips necessary to complete this side.

The entire port side now has two full layers.  A big step.  Pictures coming soon:

The finished second layer on the port side of the bow.  Sanded and ready to trim the gunwale.

The upper part still needs a bit of sanding.  

Another shot of the bow.   You can see the scaffolding wrapping around the bow. There is a 2X4 that connects the scaffolding to the building for lateral support.

The long view of the almost finished second layer of the port side.

This weekend, I will officially start the third layer on the port side.

On August 29, I've trimmed up the gunwales and bow, completed the rough sanding of the second layer and installed the first strip of the third layer on the port side.  I've run out of the colloidal silica that I use to thicken the epoxy so further strips will have to wait until the end of the week.  I left enough of the thickener to make a good stock pile of strips so I won't be just waiting around.  The thickener is very important for this application to ensure that there are no gaps in the panels especially on the vertical sides where the un-thickened epoxy would just run off.

The very first strip on the third layer of the port side.  I started near the bow and will work toward the stern so each additional strip will rest on the top of the previous.  This is a lot easier than trying to bring them underneath.