The final stages for the boat: everything is varnished and I have finally fixed the seats in place.I admit to a bit of nervousness because of the finality of this step and, although I know it should work, the idea of a boat held together by epoxy still doesn't feel right. On Harry's advice, I drilled extra pegs under each seat to ensure a good bond.
I keep thinking how little progress has been made since some very early pictures were taken, showing seats and knees in place, but the big difference is the deep shine from the many layers of varnish.
One of the remaining steps for the interior is to fix the mahogany strips that will support the foot stretchers. I have epoxied these in readiness. Ensuring they fit well was important, as they need to provide a snug slot for the foot stretcher boards, which sit across the boat, but also slope back towards the stern. At the same time, the hull also flares outwards. All this added up to mean that every one of the strips had to be shaped individually.
Luckily, Joe took the precaution of numbering them once they were right, so they should fit without any further work...I just don't know whether he numbered them from the stern or the bows.
I'll guess.
