Saturday, June 29th
Started the day out cleaning up the shop a tiny bit so I had room to mix epoxy. Then got all the tools together that I'd need to hang the final side panel. I'd already done the fairing at the transom, bow and mid hull, but still had the the top edge of the side panel to deal with. Since my friend Dick Slavens was on his way to help out I decided to wait and do that fairing while he was here.
After Dick and I had a luxurious breakfast, we got down to work. First we faired the edges of the top edge (actually the bottom chine) using a couple of block planes. We removed the panel for a final sanding and washing, let that dry and wiped down all the places we would be glueing on the hull.
Next we precoated all the connecting bits with unthickened glue, let that soak in for a minute or so and smeared on a little more. Then I made up a batch of thickened glue and liberally coated all the pieces and parts, including the transom edge, shelves, rear frames, and the bowstem. The bowstem got an extra liberal coating of putty since I had taken off a bit too much wood where it meets the bottom.
Then we picked up the longish 24' panel and hung it on the hull. Rear frames got stainless screws and the transom and bowstem got a healthy number of nails. Dick measured off the shelf line and I hammered in the last of the nails from bow to transom along this line. Only had to stitch a foot or so of the bottom to hold the side into place. After Dick took off I finished the day by filling the side/chine connection with a healthy and strong portion of putty.
It looks like a boat!