Chine bLog

Voila, the seats are ready. I have been working on them at night or during glue cures, and they have come along well. Here is the middle one. The plans specify cut-outs on the ends of the seats; I added my own flavor of these cut-outs.

I have also installed both chine logs, and last night the bow and stern stems on one side. Here is my handiwork on the bevel for the chine logs meeting the stems, since I moved them inboard. It wasn't too bad to cut and my joints are close enough. I am ready to begin the process of attaching the seats to one side panel and then the other. Stay tuned...

While I wait on the plywood I have been preparing the sheer clamps and chine logs, which I took out of 10' and 12' 1x. I thus have had to - and the write-up in Getting Started in Boats assumes this - scarf pieces together for these fore-and-aft members. I am not a very steady had with a hand-saw - though I finally bought a Japanese saw and am in heaven with it - so I developed this system where I find the angle, clamp a guide to the main piece, and cut along the guide. That has worked well.

I was worried about keeping the pieces of the joint from slipping around in the process. I decided I would reinforce the joint with nails anyway, so I decided to drive them just enough to provide a little bite to help hold the pieces. Bingo - pretty good joints, all.

I have begun gathering the lumber and hardware for the Peace Canoe project. It is, by the way, AMAZINGLY difficult to find appropriate plywood. Even specialty places around here - and while we are not a maritime center here in DC, we aren't land-locked, either - seemed to have a hard time once "marine grade" entered the equation. Then the quotes that came back suggested that multiple people didn't know what they were talking about. The designer, Chesapeake Light Craft, actually sells Okoume for a pretty reasonable price (though I just can't bring myself to go there for this boat). I hope I don't regret the decision...

I did have pretty good luck with the other material. I managed to find - in Home Depot, no less - some straight, pretty clear pine that I am some way through turning into sheer clamps and chine logs. I also have turned out the seat supports.