How many clamps does it take to clamp a sheer strake?

Lots. Here they are in action.

The sheer strake is glued and clamped.

Last week began with ripping. Robbie and Trevor planed all the 1x6
from Westwind, and then Robbie ripped it all into 1x3s.

Last week began with ripping. First Robbie and Trevor planed all the 1x6 from Westwind. Then Robbie ripped it into 1x3s. 

He used his Festool guides and skill saw on the long workbench (in the right in this picture) to do the ripping, and it worked beautifully. 

I'll add a picture later -- it's an interesting system.






Next step is decking, and the sheer strake goes in first. 

You may be wondering, "What happened to the galley?" We have been threatening to mock up the galley for over a year! 

Well, so far nothing has happened to it. We do need to do a mockup, but to do a mockup we need to figure out exactly what we want it to include. We've been thinking a lot about the things we do not want. We don't want refrigeration, we don't want a sink with a through-hull, we don't want an oven at this point anyway... and while it's helpful to eliminate the things we don't want, we aren't quite there on what we do want yet.

I did suggest that we wouldn't need a galley if all we eat are Cliff bars, and while there was enthusiasm for that suggestion it has not yet won the day.

While we dither, construction on the deck is underway. Fortunately dithering can happen mostly during coffee breaks.

Clamps and more clamps. 

The weather has been consistently reasonable for gluing recently -- so different from struggling to build when the temperature is lower. 

Clamp foot missing? There's always something
that will work!

With the sheer strake in place, Trevor began work on the deck. You can see the decking dry fit over the forward berth in the picture below.

Next up? More decking, more gluing, then likely the cabin top. 

It's an interesting time in the project. With the other hull complete, it feels like we are moving closer to completion with every step. This is the last sheer strake. The last deck over the last forward berth. Of course it was always true that any successful step forward moves the project closer to launch, but with a catamaran there was a sense of going uphill on the first hull. Now we're over the hump and on the downhill side.

And yes, I haven't forgotten the deck. And the masts. And the rigging. And the sails. And the galley mockup!

Trevor installed the shelving at the end of the berth this week, too. And I (Mary) made a singular contribution to the project, finding the book on the shelf at GIRO for less than a buck. 

Anything Tiger wants...

... and in this case, Tiger wanted deck lumber.

We did think we had this already, but as it happened, we didn't. Or we'd used what we had originally for something else. In any case, off we went to visit the expensive dog.

Lucy works at Westwind Hardwood. She's a lovely, friendly girl
but by my reckoning we never get to visit her for less than $1200.

It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm and not windy, which is nice when we're making our good little Matrix haul yet another load of something large up the island. 

Our fir was waiting for us on the forklift. We also got a long piece of mahogany and
a piece of ipe.

The short pieces fit on the trailer beautifully, and the two longer pieces went on the roof rack.

We hastened home up the island, arriving just in time to see the ferry disappearing towards Gabriola -- but the rainbow was lovely.

Moving along

It is such a deep pleasure to see the boat progressing again. 

"It's all boat work," we say, and it is all boat work too -- the cleanup and the contract work and the making dinner and all the other things that happen to support the boatbuilding project -- but it feels different when the boat work results in visible changes.

The first visible change happened when Trevor sanded the interior. The boatshop is sound and free of drips, but this is the west coast after all, and it is certainly humid. There was a light but demoralizing coating of mold or some other fungally thing on the surface of the plywood. It's all gone now, and the boat is lighter and brighter.

Much improved!

That was Week 1. Since then, there have been berth flat supports installed, and some glue-up done. 

Berth flat supports in place

The glue bench is back in action

... as is every clamp on the property for this glue-up -- cabin sole boards.

What could be more satisfying than progress on such a wonderful project, with such congenial companions, and with spring really here?