Details details...

A boatbuilder said to me the other day:  "Why does the last 10% seem to take 50% of the time?"  So true!  Once the hull and major parts are done, it's a mad dash to the finish line.  The last few weeks seem to go on forever, as you get more and more anxious to see her in the water and take her for a sail.

 Lots of details left to do, here goes:

Here's the bronze centerboard pull in place.  I left it a bit long for final in-the-water testing.   I'll be able to notch the bar to allow a couple of intermediate centerboard settings, in addition to the usual all-the-way-up and all-the-way-down.

To test the centerboard pull mechanism, I lifted the boat up using a strap and an overhead chain hoist.   It checks out fine.

Here's a couple more bronze pieces ready for installation.  First, I fabricated a jam cleat for the mainsheet using a standard closed-base bronze cleat and some brass sheet (top piece).  Then, for the mast, I made a tang for the throat-halyard block with some leftover bronze half-oval, a short piece of copper tubing, a washer, and screws (bottom piece).  The throat-halyard block hangs from this tang, which holds it away from the mast.  A detail found on a lot of gaff-rigged boats.

The boom jaws are glued and screwed to the boom, with one copper rivet too.   Since this photo, I've completed the jaws for the gaff too, and sanded everything (locust "burns" easily as you can see) and started on the varnish.  The final touch will be to tack pieces of leather to the jaws (to protect the mast) once a couple of coats of varnish are dry.  I have some rugged dark-brown leather that should work well and look good various places on the boat that are prone to chafing.

I also used locust for all the cleats and reefing blocks (if that's what they're called) for the mast and boom.  All the cleats on the spars will be locust;  the cleats on deck will be bronze.  This picture shows the cleats just after bandsawing them to shape and just a bit of rough sanding.  The very top cleat is the first one ready for varnish.  Simple paper patterns as shown are used to mark the locust for cutting.

Next week I'm going to run the boat outside on the trailer, pop in the mast, and get various dimensions for the rigging.    I've also mailed out a couple of sail plans to local Maine sailmakers.  Once I hear back from them, I'll place the order for the sails.  I considered making the sails from a Sailrite kit, but I eventually decided to buy "ready made" sails.  I just don't think I have time to finish the boat AND make sails before the spring!  Until next time...