Aligning frames

The next step in the process is lining up all the frames along the centerline, and attaching all the frames to the building form. I checked this several different ways, with both a string, as well as a laser leveler.

The centerboard box

This is the big area where I took some liberty with the plans. My first sailboat, the Glen-L 15, is a similar boat with similar lines, albeit 2 feet shorter, with a wooden, weighted center board. It was rather tender, and from things I've read about this boat it is as well. In attempt to make it more stiff when sailing, I modified the centerboard and will make it out if 1" thick steel. To accommodate that, I modified the shape of the centerboard box, and beefed it up and made it out of three quarter-inch marine grade plywood, instead of the 3/8 inch thick plywood that the blueprint suggested.

I fiberglassed the inside, and put Kevlar on the lower third because of the heavier centerboard, so that will withstand the abrasions from the steel.

I went ahead and sealed and painted the box, and also put on some mahogany trim.

This is test fitting it into the area on the keel that I've alteady cut to receive it.

More work on forms

Stem, transom knee

The stem and the transom knee will attach to the front and rear ends of the keel, respectively. Both are made out of three-quarter inch marine grade plywood, double thickness.  I went ahead and sealed and painted them, except for the areas that will epoxy to the hull and the keel.

Building the stand

The hull is constructed upside down, with the frames resting on a stand. The frame is built out of 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 material.  It doesn't have to look nice, it just has to be sturdy, stable, and level with the ground.

More work on the forms

Transom

The transom was cut from three quarter-inch marine grade mahogany,  and has been sealed and painted. The mahogany trim has notches for the floor battens, sheer and chine.

Cutting the forms

Using the plans, the first step was cutting the forms and transom. I started with an old jigsaw, that was not very consistent, so bought a new  Bosch jigsaw that  has made a huge difference. I was tempted to splurge and get a bandsaw, but the Bosch jigsaw was doing fine.  Except for the surfaces of the forms that will be screwed in a proxy to the whole, I decided after my experience with the first boat it would be better to go ahead and stain and varnish the pieces as I went along.

This was the first jigsaw; not terribly consistent.

All of the Mahogoney got filler stain, then several coats of spar varnish.