Boat Building - Yacht Emerald Undergoing Construction

Cut down engine beds and ground the bilge paint and wood down with the angle grinder. Really needs the propeller and shaft fitting, before final measurements and adjustments can be made.


Sanding down the cured Sikaflex	Cutting down, and grinding down the original Engine Beds	Wooden pattern of the engine bed used as a guide

Cut some 8mm ply and fitted (2 pieces) on the forward deck. Screwed in to place but not yet fixed.


Fitting Forward Peak covering Deck Ply	Fitting Forward Peak two pieces of covering Deck Ply	Covering Deck ply fitted on the Forward Peak

Tackled the half dovetail joints for seating the main beam, on the forward side of the main cabin front. This beam had already been laminated up for us. Cut the half dovetail joints on the main beam piece.


Making half dovetail joint starboard to accommodate main deck beam	The half dovetail joint portside, to accommodate main deck beam	The main deck beam half dovetail joints


Main deck beam offered to cabin side half dovetail joint portside	Portside end of main deck beam, showing the final joint

The tricky bit will be the 'Deck Wedge' shaped insert to complete the coach roof joint.

Spoke shaved the inside edge of the main saloon front in line with the beam just fitted. Could really do with a "curved" plane.


Used spoke shave on the main cabin front to bring in line with main beam just fitted

Cut three shaped pieces of Mahogany to form the 'Deck Wedge', and with Epoxy laminated them together with the main beam.

Planed down the forward cabin beams and bulkhead top edges and the cabin side top edges.


Three mahogany pieces, cut to the main beam shape, painted with epoxy..	... and clamped together with main beam.	Planed existing forward beams and bulk heads.

Cut and planed timbers with which to make up two side beams, on which the forward hatch will be seated.

By evening the Epoxy was dry. Spoke shave no use at all for planing the concave surface of the 'Deck Wedge' beam. Had to use the belt sander with coarse belt (6), on a high speed. Planed the side surface of the 'Deck Wedge'. Still not sure whether to have deck stepped mast or not!


Spoke shaving the underside of Deck Wedge Beam	Belt Sanding the top of the Deck Wedge Beam	Assessing positioning of Deck Wedge Beam - looking forward.

Cut out of the cabin sides and fitted the 'Deck Wedge' section that was laminated up yesterday. However we have had an idea. For added strength we will put this 'Deck Wedge' beam up against the main bulkhead. The original Mahogany fascia board cut to cover the maststep bolts will still be fitted, then the 'Deck Wedge' beam.


Cutting into Cabin side portside to accommodate the Deck Wedge Beam	note the fascia board in place covering the mast step bolts	eyeing up how much more to take the cabin side down.

Using some lattes of Mahogany, and with the jig, another beam was laminated up with Epoxy. In 2 hours it was firm, but tacky.


Note dry lattes on back - top of Jig	Painting epoxy on each latte in turn, and laying on top of Jig...	ensuring both sides coated well with epoxy....


then clamped them all together to the Jig.	Starting from the centre and working outwards with clamps.	Wiping up excess epoxy before it cures.

Got the boat books out, and still racking our brains over the mast - deck stepped or not? When is a deck strong enough? Can the mast drop forward or aft? We have been buying lots of books from various sources, new and secondhand. We can never seem to find the totally ideal book on any particular subject. Often too many sketches and not enough photographs, or not enough in depth detail, or colour.

Last night we had an idea of extending the raised section of the main cabin, in other words the companionway hatch. This could be extended the full length of the main cabin to give standing head room, and enable a forward porthole to be fitted. By the time the forward cabin is decked there will not be adequate space for portholes on the main cabin front.

Cut and fitted the two side beams for the forward corner joints on the forward cabin. The forward hatch frame will sit on these beams.


Cutting into Cabin Frontage to accommodate beams on which .....	....the forward hatch frame will sit.	Cutting joints on the forward most coachroof beam


Forward-most coachroof beam joints be completed.	Coachroof beam back in place. Joints ready to receive side beams	Side beams in place

Planed and sanded down the beam that was laminated last week. Electric problem. Blew the fuse and ended up with one light less. Old and new electric wiring and fittings do not mix. 1/2 hour wasted. Bulbs in the workshop can be a problem in the cold and damp. Often they would blow when switched on, which was useful having turned up late Friday evening and it was dark !.

Somewhere here we laminated this latest beam to the Deck Wedge beam. Have no photograph !.

		This beam was then laminated to the Deck Wedge Beam
Beam laminated on the Jig	Beam laminated on the Jig

Really needed a circular plane. Spoke shaves gave 'flat' areas - no good. So we set out to find a good tool shop. Drove around to several Tool shops. The last one we found was not open but the chap who was there very kindly opened up and served us, and a circular plane was in stock. 'Compass' plane is the correct name for it. No sooner seen, we purchased it. Returned back to base, weather damp, cold and heavy rain. Had a cup of tea, and a nap. Early evening tried out the new 'Compass' plane on the laminated beam. Takes some getting used to, and it is prone to jam with shavings. Planed the underside of the Deck Wedge, and cut and fitted it in place.


Setting the Compass plane to the correct curvature	Planing the underside of the Deck Wedge beam	Cut the ends ready for fitting.

Then we pondered over removing the main cabin front corner sections ( which were made of Iroko ) , and replacing them with Mahogany ones. Especially since the starboard one had split at the joint and daylight could be seen from the inside. The cabin front board was split so would rather make another cabin front aswell. Positive action taken. We would not be happy otherwise. All screws removed complete. The two corner pieces came away without too much difficulty. Cascamite had been used originally. This does not last in exterior conditions. Then the idea materialized, of laminating up timber to make the cabin front, giving it a compound curve frontage. We could utilize the likes of the original main cabin coachroof beams. These were thinner than we would have liked. More beams would need to be made up for the Main Cabin coachroof, but we would then have the option of raising the camber. We were worried now about time scale. Can we finish it by next July? The weather is changing. Last night was the coldest this season.

The roof of shed is leaking now, and last week drips had penetrated the seams of the newly laid ply deck inserts on portside deck. Either have to plug the roof, or cover the boat each week.

Glues are a problem - which one to use?. Sikaflex is expensive. In fact anything for Marine is expensive. Ideally we would like to get hold of the French mono glue 3011 - it expands and is ideal for boats. We have never seen it in England.

Contemplated over with what and how best to make the main cabin frontage. With a view to having a keel mast maybe, decided to cut back the main cabin sides approx. 2"+. Then laminated together some of the existing main cabin coachroof beams to form the main cabin front. Then laminated up another beam - to fix to the Deck Wedge beam - to be positioned at the foot of the main cabin front.

Sanded and planed the coachroof beam recently laminated, and then laminated it to the Deck Wedge beam. Once the epoxy cured, the laminating jig cleaned up ready for the next beam.

The laminated beams, for the new Main Cabin frontage, had stuck OK and they had come away from the jig easily. Planed the inner side of the 'cabin' front, then belt sanded it, and finally used the orbital sander.


In the vice is the newly laminated beam. Stood up on the right is the Deck Wedge Beam, and on the left is the Main Cabin new Front,made up with some original Coach Roof beams laminated together.	The latest laminated beam, now laminated to the Deck Wedge Beam.	"I'm working really hard aswell, as you can see"


Planing the inside of Main Cabin Front	Further planing of Main Cabin Front	Cutting into Main Cabin Front to fit over the cabin sides at the bottom. Note storm brewing up here - it was raining and sleet all around us.


Eyeing up angles of Cabin side and Cabin Front.	Main Cabin Front - Note Deck Wedge Beam in position.	Taking Cabin Sides back a inch or so to accommodate new thickness of Cabin Front.

Storms brewed up last night. The boat cowlings we have got on the van roof for ventilation, do actually let drops of water through under very heavy rain. Worth remembering. Sheeting on the front of the shed came adrift, and the backside sheeting was wavering around. Repairs had to be done quickly amidst the wind and rain first thing in the morning.

Laminated some short pieces of Mahogany together i.e. two pieces x 2", to make strips to replace Mahogany chopped out when removing the main cabin front. Planed and sanded the exterior side of the forward cabin front. Cut out and planed the curved edge on the under side of the main cabin front. Main cabin front fitted into place.


Final adjustments to the Main Cabin Front ends.	Cutting the Main Cabin Front to follow the coachroof curvature	The new Main Cabin Front cut to shape.


"There you are! "	"Must take a look at what you've been doing"	Main Cabin Front in position


Underneath the 'Deck Wedge' and Main Cabin Front. Note the Gap which is next to be worked on.	Checking position of Main Cabin Front.	"I do like that Cabin Front !. It was well worth it!"

Continued with the main cabin frontage - how to make up the various joints etc. Cut, and epoxied into place the two short lengths of Mahogany laminated up yesterday. They were fixed on the cabin sides, aft of the main bulkhead. Should be dry for tomorrow.

A start was made on removing the bilge paint around where the sterntube fittings are to be laminated in. Easiest way was with old chisel, and small hammer, and with your legs wrapped around your neck !