Daggerboard Locker Spacers

Prior to epoxying / fairing the bottom of the hull it occurred to me that I better add the bottom spacers in the daggerboard locker that will keep the dagger board pointing true!

Originally my goal was to get the spacers built,  add 3 coats of epoxy and have them installed prior to this weekend. The thought was I could then finish the fine sanding on the hull and start the epoxy/fairing/primer process. Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes get waylaid and it occurred to me that I may not want to rush this process, since it is pretty critical that everything is lined up and true!

So, I had some poplar lying around in the shop and using my handy home made jig cut the spacers to size per plan. I then spent a fair amount time sanding/fitting them with the daggerboard installed in the boat, making sure that they were going to be a snug, yet not binding fit!

Once I ascertained that they were the correct size I rounded off the inside edges with the hopes that it will make installing the daggerboard in the boat  easier and guide them into the hole!

I added 3 coats of laminating epoxy

and installed them using some spare pieces of cedar as wedges to hold them in place.

Overall not too pretty, but once everything is epoxied, faired and primered it will look good!

My goal is now to finish sanding the hull with 220 grit paper and epoxy, fair, and primer the hull!

Let's get back to the Hull

Well when the weather is conducive to both sailing and building a boat.. well sometime sailing has to take first place! A fabulous week @ Lake Havasu sailing and a corresponding weekend of both preparing prior and the cleaning up afterwards means that the Paper Jet has been sitting still for the last 3 weeks!

Prior to going on vacation I got the mast put up on the ceiling to keep it out of harms way. I figured it would not be a good idea to keep it in the mast jig on the floor anymore since was pretty much in harms way!

This morning I took apart the mast jig and cut it down to size so that it could act as supports for the saw horses for when I have the boat turned upside down. I also stapled some carpet strips I had to one of them and threw a couple of rugs on the other one to prevent them from scuffing up the hull now that I am entering the finishing process.

Today's plan was pretty simple. Firstly I wanted to clean up the wing caps and add a quarter round to them using the router.

Secondly I wanted to clean up the bottom of the gunwales and also add a quarter round to them also!

Finally I wanted to start the sanding process on the hull. My goal is to get the hull prepped, sanded and 3 coats of epoxy added prior to flipping it over and doing the same with the deck.

I finished sanding half the hull today, tomorrow I will tackle the other half!