Joining the dots

My trip to Screwfix was a success - the Tyvek suit, goggles and respirator mask all seem great and the bonus was I found a tarpaulin the encases the boat completely for just over £11. That's been wrapped round her but it needs a bit more rope to stop it blowing around in today's strongish breeze so I'll have to do that before close of play today (for those in the US that is an expression from a game called cricket, which can last up to 5 days and still end in a draw!).

Almost tailored for her!

My father popped round early this evening to be introduced to the new member of the family. As is mentioned in an earlier post he spent many years sailing and still follows the sport avidly - he even still subscribes to Yachts and Yachting. So I think I may have whetted his appetite again and I expect he may be around to help occasionally.

Being a day for those of us still having to earn a crust I've only managed to jump aboard for a short time this evening. However I have measured up the cross brace that needs replacing. I'm not sure if it was the correct method but I used a batten, measured and marked out 3" spaces and then measured the drop from the top of the existing (though rotten) brace at each of those marks. It was very approximate but seemed to work OK.

3" spacings marked on to batten

Then I marked out the measurements on a piece of card, joined up the dots (I knew those books I did as a kid would come in handy) and cut out a template and back to the boat to see if it would fit. A little adjustment with the scissors and I had a reasonable fit. So I'm ready to rip out the old rotton wood and cut out some ply - it looks about 9mm thick. There are quite a few bits and pieces around the boat that could do with that sort of thickness so I may invest in a sheet. Alternatively I might be able to persuade Travis Perkins to cut some to rough size for me which would be simpler to transport.

Template pre-adjustment

Looking at the existing brace, it seems it was only glassed in where it attached to the hull bottom and to the centreboard box. It doesn't seem to have been attached to the side of the hull which seems odd. I think I'll be glassing there to build more rigidity to the hull unless anyone can think of a reason not to?

Finally I've been giving more thought to the layout design in the cabin. There's about 6' 6" from the rear wall of the forward buoyancy tank to the rear wall of the cabin. So it should be possible to build a full width bunk to sit on top of the centreboard box to make a reasonable bed. the trouble is what to do with the structure when not using it - maybe some clever folding mechanism? Clearly more thinking needed.