Fussing

Putting glass tape on the chines:

The outside of the hull is now glassed and faired. The whole hull got one layer of 6-oz cloth; the bottom plank got another layer of 6-oz, and all the corners got two layers of glass tape, one 2½" and one 2". I sanded down all the edges of the tape and feathered them with thickened epoxy. The edges won't be noticed as steps now, but there will be a bump on each corner where the planks meet. The added glass and epoxy inside and outside the corners creates strengthening, stiffening lengthwise "stringers".

Today the bottom got two coats of epoxy, using a spreader and tipping with a brush. The second coat went on after the first was cured to "sticky", so no washing and sanding between coats.

The rest of the hull got two passes of thickened epoxy applied with a spreader (spatula) to fill in the weave of the cloth. Some light sanding and it's ready for paint.

For the skeg, I was going to use an off-cut from Godfrey's cedar rudder that I used for the Firefly—but I thought it was too thick. I liked the idea of it thick and shaped more, but it was out of proportion with the boat. So I used some nominal 1" cedar and stuck it on with thickened epoxy. I'll put fillets & glass between the hull and the skeg next, to support it.