Somes Sound - Midpoint of build?

Been busy lately on the internal fit out and getting to the stage where my boat is beginning to take shape. Some days I seem to make great progress, others you spend hours seemingly getting nowhere.

What does seem surprising is the amount of wood I still have left over - yet there doesn't seem to be that much more construction to be done.   Initially, I spent a good deal of time calculating the timber requirements, as I had to import it from the UK and didn't want to rack up unnecessary shipping fees by buying all at once.  I have lots of Sapele mahogany left over  - so maybe anther boat is on the horizon!

My next major step is to remove the decks which are dry fitted and seal the planking with epoxy, then turn the hull and finish the outside of the hull.  I'm thinking I will put on the primer coats and perhaps one top coat.  Also considering fitting the lead keel: drilling for the bolts and doing the final fairing, then removing it before right siding the hull again.

 I resawed a 45mm x 208mm Sapele board for the side decking.  Although the side deck is only about 2 1/2" wide, the curve on the hull demands quite a wide piece of stock to fit the curve.  By the time I resawed the 45mm board and planed it through the thicknesser, I ended up with only 3 slices of 12mm thick Sapele - plenty for what I needed, but nonetheless, 9mm lost in machining!  I debated on using some of the Sapele ply as it is such a good quality ply, but the rotary saw pattern isn't quite so authentic at the real board.

I experimented with some different bandsaw blades - trying a 1" blade which came with the saw (secondhand, but new spare blades)  The 1" blade was complete rubbish - smoke and squealing, so I switched for a new 1/2" blade I bought last year and the difference was night and day...

I also managed to rope in my friend Brendan to do another lead
smelt.  We fired up our old lead smelter, and poured about 20lbs of lead into the centreboard.  It went reasonably smoothly with no drama and the off cuts and left over scrap I had from the original keel or and now consolidated into nice shiny ingots...Thanks Bren!

I have to figure out the best way to carry the 16mm bronze rod which is used as a pivot pin for the centreboard.  I'm wondering if a piece of copper tube will suffice.




I have yet to make up Sapele trim for the lockers and shape up the hull rails, but I do think I have reached the  halfway stage of the build.

I am in the process of placing an order with Ballentine Boats in Cataumet, MA.  They are great people to deal with - very helpful and responsive.  Bronze hardware is very expensive so it's good to deal with people who are so genuinely helpful.  Thanks Tyler!

Here's a picture of the parts which should be coming my way soon: