Getting in the Groove Again

I'm back at it now after my seven week interlude in Florida. It's amazing how disorganized things can become after even a short interruption of progress. It's not easy having tools and supplies as well as parts of the boat divided between two different workshops over an hour apart. I've spent much of my time since I've been back just reorganizing and planning for the next phases of the project. I've been shopping for tools and supplies, and making decisions about modifications and outfitting and equipment that will be needed for the finished boat.

The next major phases of the build will be the second (starboard) hull, which will come together in the boat shed next to the first hull, and the connecting beams, which I am building in the garage shop at my girlfriend's house. Despite the inconvenience of moving tools back and forth between two locations, the boat will be finished faster if I can work on something every day.

The crossbeams for the Tiki 26 consist of numerous Doug fir stringers that are laminated to the vertical webs and floor panels of the beams. It takes a lot of clamps to glue up these assemblies, and though I'm always adding more to my collection, I don't have enough to do all these at once, so like everything else in the project, it is a process.

In the boat shed I have the two complete hull panels for the starboard hull assembled and fitted with the lower stringers. These need sanding again and a second coat of epoxy and then they will be ready for assembly. Before I can put the hull together though, I need to tear out the 26' long work bench that is in the way. I don't want to get rid of it before I finish all the long hull parts, so today I cut the scarfs and joined the upper topside stringers. Next, I will assemble the topside panels for the second hull and glue on these stringers so that they will be ready to install when the lower hull is complete.

The port hull was sheathed with 6oz. fiberglass before I left to work in Florida, but there were areas where the weave was still not completely filled. I sanded the entire hull again today and applied another coat of epoxy to one side. It's really starting to look even and smooth now. Tomorrow I will flip it in the slings and coat the other side again. After this epoxy coat and more sanding, the first hull will be ready for the fairing and filling process.