Primetime

 

Transom and outer gunwale gluing surface masked for painting

After sanding, filling, sanding and more sanding the hull is ready to be painted. The transom and the top edge of the sheerstrake, where the outer gunwale will be attached, are masked off. Two coats of primer are applied with roller and brush, white for the sheerstrake and dark grey for the rest.

Two coats of primer applied

One last job before turning the boat over is to attach the outer stem. The width of the forward face and the aft side of the stem, where it meets the planking, are scribed. The  stem can then be tapered on the bench before being glued, screwed and plugged.

Glued, screwed and plugged

The 5-Minute Clamp

West System G/5 epoxy

One advantage of epoxy is that it doesn’t require strong clamping pressure. On the down side, the parts being glued, can slip around if the pressure is not even. Fastening the skeg is one of those situations where traditional clamps cannot be used. Using screws driven from the inside is one answer but it is difficult with the boat upside down and the molds in the way.

A simple method is to apply the regular epoxy adhesive to the joint but leaving bare spots near each end for dabs of 5-minute epoxy. Hold the skeg in place for 5 minutes by hand until the epoxy hardens. Once the boat is turned over screws can then be added.

Skeg epoxied in position