Foredeck and side decks

I think I've cut up my last sheets of plywood for this project!  Two final sheets of 1/4" occume were consumed in making the top of the deck, with nice chunks left over to make things like locker fronts later on.  So here goes:

Here I'm test-fitting the small triangle of deck at the bow.  The edge where it butts to the next piece of deck is backed by an additional layer of 1/4" ply underneath.   I've let this into the deckbeams and inwales using a router bit to cut a 1/8" rabbet.

With the foredeck coming along, I made up the side deck support knees from 3/4" Douglas fir.  I could have made them from scrap 3/8" ply and filleted them in place, but I had some nice clear fir on hand and personally prefer the look of it.  These knees will support the side deck and coaming, and tie them into and provide support for the top two planks.

Here's the carlin being glued/screwed to the knees and bulkhead.  The coamings will be screwed to the inside of this carlin and come to a point on the foredeck about 18" forward of the bulkhead. Note that the carlin slants back about 10 degrees for more comfortable seating.

Here's a close up of the last "bay" between the carlin and the inwale, just forward of the transom.  You can just see the 1/8" rabbet routed along the edges.

A backing of 1/4" ply fits into the rabbet shown in the last photo.  It provides extra support for this corner of the boat and a good place for a stern mooring cleat. Basically it replaces a conventional quarter knee.  A similar backing block will also be made everywhere that the plywood deck pieces butt together. 

With the various deck pieces rough-cut, I  layed them out on the boat...just to take a look!  In my mind's eye I can see the coamings coming to a point forward of the bulkhead.  BELLE is really starting to come together.  Next step:  marking all  the carlins, deck beams, and knees underneath the deck pieces, flipping them over, and drilling for the various fastenings (a mix of #6 screws and nails) which, along with the inevitable glue, will hold the deck in place.  Once I've got every last piece cut and temporarily screwed to the boat, I'll take it all apart, label everything in sight, and start painting the undersides.  At that point, I'll get to start on the spars, hurrah!