This is how it went down. I woke up about 5:00 am. Like always...I am sleepy and would love to just roll over. My back does not cooperate so I roll out and stagger through the early hours. Actually, I have started using energy drinks to help me get moving. That and wonderful coffee.
I use the energy drink mix body builders do for mental clarity and an energy boost. It works.
This morning was an oatmeal morning. Got squared away. Updated blog so I don't forget any dinghy build stuff along the way.
22 minutes on the mountain bike sees me staring at my project.
I need to touch up the pieces with a wood file for final fit and assembly. The file actually got to hot to hold on to the blade. Looks good. Time to get moving.
Center of bottom pieces drilled and stitched with tie wire.
Opened up and the very center tacked down with drywall screws
pick a side and work from the center out. A little tedious...but affective and fairly mundane. required very little thought
Will use less stitches on port side. See how it goes. First time doing this for me. Not sure how many it takes to keep plywood from warping as it is forced to bend.
Just about a third left to stitch on the stem. It is going well.
All stitched up and flipped over for faring seams with epoxy thickened with cabosil to about consistency of peanut butter so it stays where you put it.
Epoxied. I tried to get a picture of process but you could not tell much by pictures. I have to let this cure 24 hours before pulling wires and putting one more coat of thickened epoxy on inside seams.
Tomorrow is Saturday. I have company coming and I am exhausted. I am letting epoxy cure tomorrow. Sunday will pull wires. put another coat of epoxy on inside. Roll it over again and start putting fiberglass tape on outside seams.
At this point. Dinghy weighs about 35 pounds. Is 7 ft 6 in long and just shy of 4 feet at the beam. I am guessing she will weigh about 55 pounds when done. I am going to study it and see if it will make a good nesting dinghy. That will be a simple thing to accomplish if nothing is in the way once set up for sailing.
This is the first thing since I got hurt that I have had basically a clear mind to work with. It is not fixing broke stuff either. I am fully engaged in redesigning plans and building. The process is the utmost in simplicity. I am exhausted and hurt every day....but I love it... :-) I think I have about 12 hours of actual work in it now. Rest has been design and figuring ways around missing measurements. I think I should be able to completely build one of these with all accouterments in 4 days at 8 hours a day. We will see. Should have her painted and ready to float on Wednesday at latest. Then stringing new running rigging on Mary Lee. Sailing next weekend.
Life is so good....Is it not????
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