First layer complete

Way behind schedule buts its done. The process got a little tedious towards the end, got tired of climbing inside the hull to scrap excess glue; but this was balanced by the ever more "boat" looking appearance as more planks went on.

As a round up of the process; it's pretty easy to do, my problems were that I didn't switch to narrower planks early enough on the aft end. The once straight edge of a plank becomes convex as they are bent in, and you need to make the next one concave so that I didn't have big gaps top and bottom. This is really only a problem from about frame 6 forward.

I also put a bevel on the planks to make a channel for the glue to sit in, that mostly worked.

I am glad I used the raptor brads, would have gone nuts using staples, I shot over 6000 on the first layer. My poor brad gun is encased in epoxy.

So now I am on to fairing again, so far I have only started on the bottom on one side, and things look pretty good, a portion of plank here and there is high or low but nothing major. I guess given the demands on my time it will take a couple of weeks before I am ready to start the next layer.

I went and looked at the schedule I published at the beginning of last year, based on that I am two layers behind. So time for another rough timetable.

Mid Feb, second layer on bottom complete

Mid March, second layer on sides and third on bottom complete

Starts getting colder

End of April, manufacture all the veneer strip complete

Next bit will depend on temp

End of August final layer on

End of October, fairing complete

End of November, fibre glass layer complete

Early December fit rudder, prop shaft, strut etc.

Xmas holidays, painting the bottom.