Floors and second plank (almost)

Since last time I've gotten the floors in and also installed the second plank...well almost.  I need to 'glass the bottom first, but I went ahead and spiled and cut out the second plank (one of the broadstrakes) just to take a look.

I'm kind of liking this building upside-down thing. Sanding dust and such falls right out of the boat and, except for working on the bottom itself, everything is at a convenient working height. Normally I might quickly plank the boat, flip it over, and finish it off right-side up. But I think I might try installing a few bulkheads and such while the boat is still upside-down.

To fit the floors, I first temporarily clamped them in the correct location across the boat. This makes it easy to mark them for length and the various bevels.  In addition to providing additional stiffness to the bottom, the floors help support the joint between the garboard and the bottom plus they provide convenient beams on which to place the floorboards.

Here's a completed floor, glued and screwed in place.  Note multiple limber holes.

Repeating the same spiling process as for the garboard, I got out the next plank. The plank is left long (the full length of the scarfed plywood) just in case it needs some jiggering fore-and-aft which, in this case, it did not. This is the first of the 1/4"-thick planks--recall that the garboard was 3/8"--and it bends easily into place.  The bottom edge does not have any reverse curve up forward the way the garboard has.   Since I'm happy with the fit on the boat, I go ahead and make a second plank for the other side. 

 I'm spiling the planks so that there is a 1" lap, a bit wider than the more typical 3/4" lap used with 1/4" planking.  I figure it'll add some ruggedness with just a little cost in weight and material.  This plank, which has just been cut, still needs gains cut in, fore and aft, like the garboard.  With the gains done, the lap will "fade" into the stem and transom.

The shortest plank on the boat is the garboard;  the longest is the sheer plank. Note that there's just a little bit of overhang of this plank here at the stern and at the bow.  The plywood that I used to cut out this plank is about 15'10" long:  the length of the two 8ft sheets of plywood minus the 2" scarf.   I'll be scarfing on more plywood to make some of the longer planks, for sure, but I hope the next one won't need it...we'll see.

À bientôt...