Shaping the Stems

The stems are a very important visual aspect of the finished boat - that is at least the part that rises above the deck level. I didn't want to use the exact shape given in the plans, as the "handles" that are cut into the stem and stern posts are pretty useless on a hull that weighs over 400 pounds. These were useful on my Hitia 17, and to some extent on the Tiki 21, but they have been a source of problems as well, particularly as my 17 and 21 were built of Doug Fir marine ply. It's hard to glass around these handle openings, so on both of my other boats I had problems with checking of the surfaces. With the Okoume I'm using now this should be less of a problem, but I didn't want the handles anyway and decided to make these pieces solid, as on the Tik1 30, and with a bit of an upswept flare, as on the Tiki 38.

To get an exact match after glueing on the doublers, I clamped the two stems for each hull together on the workbench and used the ever-handy belt sander to shape them simultaneously so that they are an exact match. After getting them to a satisfying profile, I then radiused the edges with a roundover bit in my trim router. Now they are back in the house with the first coat of epoxy curing on one side, and hopefully I can flip them over later tonight or first thing in the morning to coat the other side. The screw holes made in the laminating process will be filled before the second sealing coat of epoxy, and of course after the hulls are built and the decks are installed, the protruding parts of the stems and sternposts will get a sheathing of glass cloth.

I'm working on a paying job all this week during the best hours of the day, but thanks to being able to do some of this epoxy work inside I'm still able to make progress.

Building up the Rudders

Like the stems and skegs, the upper one-third or so of the rudders are doubled by adding a 6mm ply laminate on each side. While working on other parts I glued all of these up, completing the last one this morning. It will be a long time before I need rudders, but the parts were already cut when I cut up the single sheet of 18mm ply, so these can be worked on at times when I'm in between stages of epoxy curing or whatever on other projects. This is one way to maximize available time and get ahead on all those little parts that have to be completed before the boat is complete. When I built my Hitia 17 I started with just the hulls and was dismayed at the amount of time it took to build crossbeams, rudders, tillers, mast, etc., before I could go sailing. This time around I'd like all those things to come together at about the right time, so when it's time to start painting, I can paint everything, then assemble, fit-out, rig and prepare to launch.

Trimming Bulkheads to Exact Size

Another power tool I use extensively in my woodworking is a small belt sander. It's incredibly handy for trimming parts for a precise fit in joiner work and in this case it's great for trimming cut plywood parts exactly to the line. When cutting the parts I cut to within a blade's width outside the marked lines and then use the belt sander to quickly and accurately finish the edges to the line. For this kind of trimming I use 50-grit belts for fast removal of material. This method does require care, however, as a belt sander is a powerful tool that can quickly ruin a piece of work if you let it slip or get out of control. That's why I prefer the smallest size belt sander, one that uses 3 x 18" belts. These are lightweight enough for one-hand use and for getting into tight spots a larger belt sander could not reach. I also frequently use it to shape small parts by holding or clamping it upside down to a work bench.

In the photo above, I'm using the belt sander to get an exact match on the bulkheads for each hull. First, I cut out and trimmed the one that was lofted from the plans, then used it to mark its counterpart in the second hull, and after cutting the second one, I clamped the two together along the centerlines and used belt sander to trim the second one to the exact size of the first. This only takes a few minutes for each bulkhead, and the result is six bulkheads for each hull, perfectly matched.

Cutting More Bulkheads

I finished cutting out the bulkheads for both hulls yesterday. Here I'm using the jigsaw to cut the stringer notches in the bulkhead sides. Just as I've done with the hull sides, I carefully lofted and cut all the bulkheads for one hull and then used those for patterns to cut the parts for the second hull. This saves a lot of time if you have the space to store all the parts until you get around to using them. When I start building the hull in my open shed, I'll have room to build both of them side by side, but I may not start the second one until the first is completed to bunk or sheer level.

Cordless Saws Great for Cutting Parts

These are the two saws I'm using the most to cut out the Tiki 26 parts from the plywood sheets: a jigsaw and a small 5 1/2" circular saw. These are 18-volt battery powered Ryobi saws, which are inexpensive but surprisingly powerful and efficient. I use a lot of power tools in my work on other people's boats and in cabinet making and other residential carpentry. I've come to realize most hand-held power tools are going to need replacing in a few years or even less, so I don't often buy the most expensive brands, but there are definately some cheap consumer grade brands I stay away from. I've found most Ryobi tools are a good buy for very little money and are far better than the competition in their price range. I've been using the circular saw in the photo above for more than two years now, any time the convenience of a cordless saw outweighs the need for the extra power and heft of my Makita 7 1/4" saw. I've only had the jigsaw about 6 months, but I've found it incredibly handy. The key to any saw is the blade anyway. Before starting this project I stocked up on new blades for each: Marathon for the circular saw and Bosche for the jigsaw.

In the Wharram plans a jigsaw is recommended for cutting out all the parts. This is much too slow and inaccurate, and I only use the jigsaw in tight curves and for cutting such notches as those found in the bulkhead sides. A small circular saw with the blade set to minimum depth will cut most of the curves in these boat parts, such as the hullsides, bulkhead sides, etc. It's much faster and more accurate as well. Of course there are a lot of other tools that are handy to have as well and speed things up if you have them. I can't imagine being without a table saw, for example. I used mine to quickly rip the 1-foot wide plywood panels for the hull topsides. And it will be essential for making the stringers, bearers, braces, mast and beam parts and other solid wood parts.

Glueing on the Stem and Skeg Doublers

It was still too cold to do epoxy work out in the garage this morning, so in order to keep things moving I brought the stems and skegs inside. I wanted to get started glueing on the 6mm doublers that go on each side, so I put them on some card tables covered with plastic sheeting to keep from glueing them to the work surface and used temporary drywall screws to assemble the parts. I use a lot of these drywall screws in my boatbuilding, as they are easy to shoot in with a power driver, requiring no pilot hole, and they are just as easy to remove once the epoxy cures by reversing the driver. The holes they leave are not an issue as these surfaces will be epoxy coated and glassed (on the outside parts) and the holes are easily filled with thickened epoxy. It's faster than clamping and is especially useful for glueing parts that have to be kept flat or straight until the glue sets, as you can simply use long enough screws to go right into the work bench - providing of course you don't forget the plastic sheeting between the part and the work surface, and that you don't do this when using your girlfriend's card tables! In this case I used short, 3/4" screws that were just long enough to hold the parts to the main 18mm plywood stems and skegs. These will be cured overnight, then I can flip them over tomorrow and glue the remaining doublers on the other side. This operation only took about a half hour to set up and complete. I spent several more hours out in the garage and finished cutting out all the bulkheads. I have more photos from that job that I will post in the morning.

Layout and Cutting of Bulkheads

I've had only short blocks of time yesterday and today to work on the project, and I've spent most of that time carefully measuring and drawing out the bulkheads. These are a bit more time consuming than some of the simpler parts like hull panels. It's critical to get all the measurements correct on the bulkheads, as the hull shape will not come together correctly otherwise and imperfections in the layout or cutting can cause unfair curves in the hull sides. The bulkheads are lofted out based on a centerline and sheer line, and the sides are sprung to a slight curve that varies with bulkhead position. In addition to these critical lines, there are bunk levels and floor levels, notches for the topside stringers, and inspection plate cutouts as well as the bunk openings in the main cabin bulkheads. I started with bulkheads 1, 5, and 6, as these are all deck level and do not include cabin lines in their measurements as do bulkheads 2, 3, and 4. After lofting and cutting out the first set, then carefully trimming and shaping them to the marked lines using a belt sander, I used this set as a pattern to make the bulkheads for the second hull. Shown above are both sets of bulkheads 1, 5, and 6. After all these are cut out, I'll make and install the bunk and floor bearers and epoxy coat both sides in preparation for hull assembly. So far it's been too cold for epoxy coating this week, with lows at night ranging from 21F to about 30F, and the highs in the daytime 50F or less. Tomorrow it's supposed to be a bit warmer.