110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Ashantee | Monday, March 30, 2015
Job one this week was to continue work on the coamings so they'd be ready for dodger patterning later in the week. So with the coaming block blanks now well-cured, I unclamped them and cleaned up the excess epoxy squeezeout as required so I could fit the blocks in place at the forward ends of the coamings for a final test-fit and reference marks.
On each side, with the blocks snugly in place, I marked the edge where they met the top of the coaming, and used a small square to strike lines on each end of the blocks perpendicular to the plane of the top of the coaming board.
Back down on the bench, I used these lines as a reference to strike a new set of marks 3/4" below. These new marks represented my cut lines: I planned to install a cap to hide the end grain of the laminate, and the 3/4" space would give me room to fit these blocks. Since I had 15/16" planed teak stock on hand, this also gave me some extra so I could shape the caps and blocks for a good fit later.
With the lines struck all the way 'round the blocks, I used a handsaw to carefully cut to the lines, removing the excess, first on the port side:
...and then the same thing on the starboard block.
There'd be no way to effectively clamp the blocks to the coaming boards, so to help secure them during gluing I marked, counterbored, and drilled for four screws on each side, keeping the forward set well aft of the corner to allow for the final shaping that would happen after I glued the blocks in place.
Keeping the blocks screwed in place for now, I removed the coamings down to the workbench for the next steps, where I prepared blanks for the top caps, which I'd glue and screw to the tops of the coaming blocks. I left these well oversized for now, for later trimming.
With all preparations complete, I removed the blocks, cleaned all surfaces, and installed the blocks and their caps permanently with epoxy thickened for adhesion, and with some teak dust for color. I bunged all the screw holes and left the assemblies to cure.
Meanwhile, at the tail ends of the coamings, I bored limber holes just aft of where the aft coaming would attach, which would allow water from the poop deck to drain off to the sides, and bored fastener holes where I'd eventually secure the aft coaming with screws during final installation.
Later, I worked in the cockpit to install two new deck plates to cover the holes over the fuel tank fittings and rudderpost.
I wrapped up the day with some preparations for the next day's work, when I'd be installing the deadlights with a helper.
Total Time Billed on This Job Today: 5.25
Hours
0600 Weather Report:
Mostly cloudy, 25°. Forecast for the day: cloudy, chance of rain and snow showers, 40°.
