The Dentists Strike, And Trying to Fly Without Epoxy

In a stunning turn of coincidence we had no fewer than 5 dentist appointments and 2 orthodontist appointments this week. The way my usual schedule works, if I have to do one extra thing, then I'm reduced to 30 minutes of boat time. Anything more and I can forget about the boat for the day.  Today I actually did get out to the boat shed for a while. I've got a lot of random stuff to cover so this post is going to be a bit scattered.

Disaster struck when I broke one of my epoxy pumps.  A new one is on order but I'm without epoxy until it arrives.  I ordered from RAKA (my epoxy supplier). I am very happy with RAKA except since they are in Florida it takes awhile for their shipments to reach me.  I had thought to myself that this was a single point failure point in my process, and told myself I would order a backup pump at my next order. I just didn't follow through on my good intentions (as usual).

Update on straightness, per plan on previous post I laid out the as built centerline and am pleased to report that my hull is almost straight.  Over it's entire length it is less than 0.375" (9.5 mm for metric speakers) out of straight. This is much better than I thought. Here is a picture of that measurement (notice the bulkhead cutout?).

Also a picture of my high-tech transit I used to fixture the laser. If I were a professional boatbuilder I would have a real transit.

I'm happy this is not worse, however issues are plentiful. I spent some time with the drawings and found that the entire clearance for the beam in its recess is 5mm (each). This is scary, I did the trig and this works out to an angular tolerance of nothing degrees (actually 0.78).  So this really means that I have to build at least part of the cabin in the presence of both amas. That way I can build the cabin to the as-built beams. I think my jig idea for the amas will still work, so I can build the amas separately. Also I will have to be careful to account for fiberglass thickness in the beam recess. I may open the beam recess a little, or alot.  

I fit the deck stringers today as well. I did not scarf them into a single stringer since they are interrupted quite a bit by hatches, beams and mast. I'm really not sure if this is a mistake or not. Except for the aft section the stringers follow the shear lines very well.  For the aft section I may grow the stringer with some 4mm plywood and then fair it into line with the shear.  I say I don't know if this is a mistake because even if I made this one piece and then cut it, it would still relieve its bend where cut. The fool proof way, I suppose, would be to build the entire deck first and then start cutting holes. But that cuts down my access too much. I'm too big to be able fit inside and do work from inside the ama. So I have to make sure I don't need to engage in that sort of thing.  Here is how I left the stringers.

The only other item for the day was that I started building the tapered standoff for the forward nav light.  The stand off is needed so that the light will point straight forward even though it is mounted near the bow where the curve of the hull would make it point across to the other side of the boat.  I'll do what I can with this but will need epoxy to continue.

Since I'm without epoxy, I am trying to focus on the wood cutting jobs. Tomorrow I will start in on making the trampoline rails.  Also I really am at the point where I need to make an electrical schematic.