CRAFTSMANSHIP


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five new boats a year and they offer to cut one-off designs for customers determined to see their own ideas come to life. They also offer on-the- spot tuition courses, patiently guiding fledgeling boatbuilders through each step of their projects. Like me.


STARTING WORK: DAY ONE This is how I came to be standing in front of six panels of Lloyds- approved, BS1088, Ockoume plywood with double face veneers in a tiny village in the Lake District. And so we got to work. We started with the seats and a short lesson about epoxy resin and its use with silica and wood flour. Once the seats


were glued and laid down to dry we drilled the bottom panel and tied it to the side panels and the transom with tiny cable ties. Due to the shape of the sides this gave the bottom of the boat a satisfyingly curved rocker. Mixing the epoxy with the wood flour and silica to the consistency of mustard gives it a super strong structural bond which we filleted down all the sides of the panels so far. Before it had dried we placed strips of twill-weave glass fabric over it and painted epoxy resin on top. This makes the bond stronger than the boat itself. Handy if you live on shingly Hove beach. While we were working we discussed how I would


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“Although the kit is standard, the choices are endless, leaving room for bespoke invention”


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10


10 basic steps 1


Sanding the sides of the bottom panel


Cable tying the sides of the bottom panel to the topsides


Small pliers are really useful for pulling the cable ties through


Bending the topside panels around to make the shape


Measuring and twisting to get the right shape before gluing


Epoxy filleting with wood flour and silica mix into the edges


Keep all those yoghurt pots!


Measuring and laying out the glass tape fabic. (Note spacer for shape)


And painting it into place with the epoxy. This has the effect of making the tape disappear


Spacing and drilling the cable tie holes


use the boat. As I might be dragging it along the shingle, strakes were considered. We talked of possibly putting in two extra skegs or even a strip of metal along the central one. I would like to try a 5hp engine so Phil rustled up an extra mahogany engine plate for the outside of the transom. And maybe we should harden up the nose, for beaching. The first of many realisations dawned on me. Although the kit is standard, the choices and possibilities are endless, leaving room for constant bespoke invention. Next month: My boat


www.fyneboatkits.com CLASSIC BOAT JULY 2011 89


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