My pile of wood and parts became a hull today! I now have what I can honestly say is a Goat Island Skiff. Oh sure, today was just a dry-fit (glue-up tomorrow), and the bottom isn't ready to go on (so it won't float as a boat just yet), but what I've got sitting at my daughter's house is recognizable as a Goat Island Skiff!
Things did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. I do not know how this boat could be built by one person working alone. My oldest son, Scott, was a huge help today - and we could have used at least one more helper.
The sequence went something like this:
Checked yesterday's glue-up of the chine logs - they seemed fine.
Set things up with the side panels on the correct sides, stem, dry-wall screws with pads, and driver. One thing we could have done differently - and I may change things around tomorrow - is to have the panels turned 180* (so the "pointy" end is at the front of the space where the double doors are located. May not make any difference but it might.)
Screwed the starboard side panel to the stem (this was actually the absolutely easiest part of the process).
Tried to screw the port side panel to the stem... wouldn't match up. We had to rearrange the space so we could "open up" the side panels. Got it figured out
Bulkhead 1 did not fit. We rearranged things again so we could manipulate the side panels, we used a strap to pull the sides in, we wrestled it and muscled it , we tried using a bar clamp to pull in the bottom edges of the side panels, but nothing we did worked. I was discouraged - to the point of thinking about walking away to face it tomorrow. Scott suggested using a trucker's hitch as a come-along but we didn't have a way to attach the line to the panels.
We went to the hardware store to buy an eye screw, a hook and some small line.
Back at the shed, we set things up but the line (strong string really) snapped. I got a length of 1/4" Stay-Set from the back of the Jeep. Scott set up the trucker's hitch come-along - and it worked! Bulkhead 1 was fit (needs some trimming for a better fit).
We moved the eye and hook, set up the come-along, and had an easier time with Bulkheads 2 and 3.
Moved the hardware again and set up. Bulkhead 4 went into place - but I ran out of dry-wall screw pads. I used a 2-1/2" deck screw for the last screw in Bulkhead 4.
By this time we wanted to complete the task and install the transom... so we did. Using more of those 2-1/2" screws we got the transom in place. We didn't snug the transom in place but even so, the diagonals from BH2 to the transom are within 5mm.
So, there it is, my Goat Island Skiff hull actually looking like a Goat Island Skiff!
Tomorrow I'll trim some of the bevels for a better fit and then we'll glue it all together! I'll also get better pictures to show off this lovely shape.
Seeing these photos reminds me I forgot to clamp the gunwales to the sheer. I will do that tomorrow.
I am very pleased with today's progress and results. I have a boat HULL!
2 comments:
WAAAHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Great work Bob!!
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