Here is a sketch of the concept I have in mind. Inspired by the conversion Kees Prins did with his own Fulmar. It will leave a cockpit about 7' long. The cabin is about 4' long with a sleeping flat area long enough for a 6' 2" guy to stretch out. Kees made seating that faces aft and the backs of the seats fold down to make up the rear half of the sleeping platform and this is what I intend to do as well. I will do some drawings of the interior arrangement soon.
I added the rest of the battens today and then started looking and correcting their positions. This is all done by eye and I try to look from as many positions as possible then do it all over again and move battens as the eye dictates. I think I have it pretty close now but I will stare at it for a week or so and try to nit-pic it till I'm sure it's right, besides I don't yet have the wood to plank it anyway.
These little strips of wood called batens, represent where the planks will go when thew time comes. They also allow you to see the shape of the boat and make sure everything is right and fair.
Also making the final shape of the transom as all the planks have to be let into it.
This shot shows the beveling of the inner stem, actually the stem as well as the keelson (the plank on the bottom actually on the top in this picture) has been beveled.
Well I need a bigger boat and one that I can take my family sailing in. Perhaps not all at the same time but at least a couple of them at once. Something to go out for the weekend and perhaps sleep aboard. Big enough for all that but small enough to tow behind the rig and travel to different bodies of water. That's what I'm talkin about!!
Here is some video for inspiration when I need it.
Here I am getting the forms together that will hold the shape of the boat while I add the planks.
A strong back is set up and leveled and the forms are attached to this at the proper intervals.
I am doing the hull outside this summer under a roof next to my shop. After the planking is done I will turn the boat over and probably move it inside the shop so I can work on it this winter as well.
Joining battens for use in fairing and lining off the boat for planking.
Here I am laminating the inner bow stem.
Making a scarf joint in the keelson, the backbone that runs from the stem to the stern. There will be two of these laminated together following the curve of the boat.
Reinforcing the transom, originally I was going to make the transom of solid doug fir but did not buy enough so I am doing it as per the instructions instead and using marine ply with fir reinforcement (can't hurt to follow the plans huh?).
