Flooring on the cabin sole started!

 Another boat update... started the bow flooring... thanks to my dad for kerfing all the boards. I could never bend 3/4" white oak so they needed slight notches the width of a saw blade known as a kerf to make the bend in the bow. Maybe not a best practice... but 3/8" deep kerf on 3/4" still leaves a good 3/8" piece of meat on the bone which filled with thickened epoxy and with all the rest of my build.. I figure should be adequately strong..

The bow floor boards are epoxied in place with the spacers providing a 1/8 gap. Some are missing in picture but I placed them about 6-8 inches apart. I originally planned on clamps to apply pressure but bailed on the idea as I soon found myself in a thickened epoxy mess.

So to hell with it!! I went to tried and true small 18 guage galvanized finishing nails and my air-nailer to hold them down. I figured it would leave smaller holes then screws and then filling the holes when screws removed.. I will fill the gaps and the edges of kerfs half-way with epoxy for stength and then seal the gaps between the boards with Sikkaflex type deck caulking. The tops will be sanded and then divots filled. The edges filleted and possibly a molding applied.

Maybe not how everyone might do it.. but the end results so far has worked for me.

The flat boards will not need to be nailed and I will be able to apply clamping pressure..

Cabin Side Assembly

 Plan error.... egads..

So I started cutted out the facing for the sides but ran into a bit of an issue with the top of the window, the curve is about 1/2 inch to the left (front). The problem happened when I lost the original pre-cut template, and worked off the plan drawings - the template and the drawings are not quite the same. Which means by the third curve your curves don't align properly with the framing... It is "skewed" to the left by 1 1/2" and quite wonky. I think most people have been shifting the curve - that is instead of starting it right at 2 1/4, and then at 2 3/4" they align it between frames and cut 24"... I was trying to follow the plan layout.

For the life of me, I was having quite the trouble with it... I didn't see the pos tin a user forum from 2017 at the time... but I have seem to have resolved it. My solution was to shift the original ply piller over to the right 1/2" - So basically taking the first ply pillar from 2 1/4 inches wide, to 2 3/4" wide. So each of the ply pillars are the same width... In doing so, I was able to shift over the curve to align better with the framework. The length of the wood is the same... just the curve is moved over 1/2" from the starting point....

While it isn't perfect, it works reasonably well.

Had I seen the earlier posts, I would have lengthened each curve, anyhow. It basically lines up reasonably well, it still has a small flat point instead of meeting the sides of the back ply, since it still shifts a little.. but it is not as noticeable, and lines up considerably better on the second and third pillars.

Just putting it out there for anyone else doing the original plans, and drawing up a template from sheet 20. You may want to get the actual correct measurement for Template 1 or adjust accordingly. Overall it does not affect function as Roy has mentioned.

Well starboard outboard side is finished as best as I can do. I was originally planning on painting on ivory paint with darker trim.. but I like the look of the marine mahogany (meranti). I know there are a few flaws, in that where I filled the finishing nail holes and seams..the colour is slightly different. The missus helped as the original "Mahogany" filler was too red, so being a fine-arts grad she colour matched up a batch that was a little better. She also helped me getting the corners fit.. and pieces the right length. I left the spalting on the maple trim as I like the rustic look, although some might prefer a perfect piece... but I am pleased with the overall result and I guess that is all that matters. I have it protected with one coat of epoxy with four coats of semi-gloss helmsman spar varnish.