It's About the Boat, Lance...

Looking back, we've spent a lot of time talking about the preparation for the bit where we actually crack on and build something recognisable as a boat. Since Christmas, we have made considerable progress, so here, for the benefit of both the readers who give a stuff about the build, as opposed to Joe's therapy-by-blog, are some roughly sequential pictures of what's gone on since January.

You may recall that we spent a long time setting up the moulds on the strongback.







We then attached the stem and the inner keel, or hog, then the sternpost, which would later have the transom fixed to it...












At last, we got the first plank onto the keel. A very exciting moment, but despite appearances, we didn't have enough clamps!

The second garboard plank fitted perfectly alongside the first. Having made this start, each subsequent plank had to be carefully shaped, or 'faired', to receive the next. The tools of choice here were the plane and, now Joe knows what one is, the spokeshave.









Working from the bows to ensure a precise fit (the planks had useful pinholes to align with the moulds), the second plank on the Port side was shaped and fitted. Another milestone, since, in achieving this we had more or less encountered all the challenges that the planking would offer.



From this point forward, we should merely repeat a process until the hull is complete.


.
.Yesterday, we fitted the third plank to the starboard side, marking the halfway point in the great planking exercise. The transom has to be shaped to receive each plank as we go along, in case there is any deviation from the plan.

I am sure you will agree that it's beginning to look the biz....