October 9, 2024

PT11-6

Wednesday

After letting the epoxy set up overnight, my next step was to trim the fiberglass close to the plywood with a sharp knife, separating all the panels and removing the excess.  I also trimmed all the various bulkhead-alignment holes in the panels.  I kept the knife close to the plywood, but didn’t worry about a perfect cut as during later steps I’d sand or use a router to trim the overhangs perfectly flush.

With minimal time available, the final task I wanted to complete was to install the curved transom form to the transom panel.  This form would hold the transom in its appropriate curve during eventual hull assembly, and the manual suggested that it was best to install the form when the fiberglass was not completely cured (it takes several days for epoxy and fiberglass to reach its ultimate and final cure state).  As directed, I secured form to the panel with screws and plywood washers through the four slots in the transom, forcing it into the designed curve.

Total time billed on this job today: 1 hour