Building the Skoota Coach Launch

Separated from the strongback It was a really big evening at the Hack Factory!  We unbolted and flipped the starboard hull tonight.  I'm actually pretty pleased.  A few little gremlins, I've spotted a few spots that will need some putty or a mechanical fastener to reinforce a difficult spot, but overall, it's mostly shaped like a boat, and it will float! We've got a couple of weeks left on this hull, and will start on the second one at the same time we finish the first. Bit of a tight squeeze! And it's free!  Not bad - weight around 75-80lb, which is well within the 'all up' hull target of 150. First view as it rolls up Into the cradle And out into the light A few things to fix Time to cut away anything that doesn't look like a boat.

 A few details about the fiberglass work so far... The tape was stripped and two more 'fill coats' have been added to the hull to smooth out the texture of the cloth.  A few more 'gory details' about the process. We used 6oz cloth, one piece over the entire hull, plus additional bits to reinforce the seams at the stern, and a reinforcing panel over the entire bottom from stem knuckle to the end of the fore-keel (about 7').  The second coat filled most of the cloth texture, but not all spots.  I deliberately did not try to 'gob it on' to fill all the voids.  The resin sets slowly, and would almost certainly run/sag, which would leave drip marks *and* the cloth weave.   The third coat was mixed with about 20% of microballoons as a fairing compound.  This did fill most of the remaining fabric texture, and will be much easier to sand.   I found that the simplest (and least messy) way to load the surface with resin was to hold the s...

And we have glass on the starboard hull! Sorry for the delay in posting.  I was out of town on business most of the last week.  Work you get paid for has a way of getting in the way of work you do for enjoyment! It's been a busy week or so though.  Since the last post, we closed off the last two planks on the hull.  We didn't get great pictures of the last steps to closing.  suffice to say you can't use clamps on a plank that doesn't have exposed frames.  And to properly secure a plank with as much twist as the bow would require a *lot* of clamps!  So we used staples.  At first, we tried using rosin paper to provide a removal gap.  No dice.  Mahogany is too soft to stand up to mechanical extraction.  After that, we used scraps of 3-4mm planking which could be gouged to provide clearance for pliers.  I'll try to get photos when we do the other hull. My buddy Jonathan offered to help me do the glass work.  He'd not wor...