January 2017

January 3,

I measured how much epoxy I have left and have decided that there is not enough to ensure full saturation of the cloth for even one side.  I'll have to save up my pennies and purchase another drum of epoxy.  I don't expect to have that kind of money for some time so in the mean time I'm choosing projects that can be accomplished with little or no money.  One big one is the construction of the skeg keel appendage.  I'm making the skeg out of laminations of 3/4" Meranti plywood ripped to 4 inch widths.  This will produce a strong and stable appendage.  I've been cleaning out the boat shop so naturally I have a large collection of scrap plywood from the bulkheads and keel stump construction.  I used every scrap I had and was able to collect enough for the entire skeg.  Keep your scrap, you never know what it might be useful for.  Now comes the task of lamination.  I've dry laid the entire skeg and bar clammed it together.  I lost 3 inches in the clamping process.  This means, I'll have to lay up the laminations in sections compensating for the lost length due to clamping as I go.  I figured as much and have a few extra pieces of lamination for that purpose.

I've detailed this process in the February section.