| Circe
| Tuesday, November 17, 2009 I continued work on the mast support system. Over a series of measurements, cuts, and fine-tuning, I fit the two vertical posts near the centerline, on either side of the passageway. |
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With the four posts cut to size, I milled a radius on the exposed corners and then sanded the posts through a variety of grits and sanding tools until they were smooth and ready for varnish. I planned to varnish all the posts and the mast beam before installation, so I began the process right away. |
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With the post locations determined, there was nothing holding me back from permanently installing the cherry plywood veneer on the main bulkhead. First, however, I trimmed the outboard corners of the two panels, where I'd marked earlier in order to provide room for the main chainplates. I installed the panels in epoxy adhesive and with a combination of permanent bronze screws (located in the areas to be hidden beneath the posts and mast beam) and temporary steel screws along the edges, which I'd remove and bung once the adhesive cured. |
 
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It was time to address the cabin sole. To begin, I created a template of the existing sole, using red paper cut slightly smaller than the sole and then tracing the outline of the hull on the paper with a compass. Then, I transferred the template to a sheet of 18mm Meranti plywood, and cut out the shape, using a sharply angled saw blade to create a bevel on the edges to accommodate the curvature of the hull. Later, once I'd cut out the old sole and prepared the area, I hoped the new piece would fit in with minimal additional trimming. |
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