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By Jeffry Lord – Brisbane, Queensland - Australia

To Part One

To Part Three

Well things have moved along at a frightening rate, at least for Mark Bowdidge, (Bowdidge Marine Designs), the boat has progressed very quickly.

After the first month, the hull has been glued, turned over, and the internal joins glued and filleted, the seat boxes have been fabricated and floors cut and all panels pre-cut.

Precutting the panels speeds the building process, as you have everything on hand ready to use, with out stopping to cut the next panel.

The seat boxes are now fitted and coved in, and glassed, as well as the foredeck and front bulkhead, all the hatch openings were pre-cut and ring frames glued in before fitting.

The inside of the hull was given a saturation coat of epoxy (BoteCote), and I then started, with the fitting of the floors and quarter knees and transom support. The floors are supported by 18mm x 11mm stringers at 150mm centres, and are solid as a rock. The side pockets were fitted at this point extremely handy to hold, knives, measuring sticks and misc bits and pieces.

After getting the interior fitted and glassed, it was time to turn the hull back over, and start on the outside, the zippy ties were cut off and the hull sanded, glued and coved, this hull is a little more involved, with extra panels, in the reverse chines.

It makes for an interesting hull shape, with very good underwater lines.

The hull has now been filled sanded and filled again and sanded, then glassed with 200grm glass and BoteCote epoxy, I found that if the first coat of resin was broken down with TPRD at the recommended rate, the glass wets out very quickly, with minimum of air bubbles. Gunwales are now fitted, this proved to be interesting as they are 31 x 11mm hoop pine I found that it was necessary to laminate the bow sections, both inner and outer, due to the curve and angle of the panels.

A word of warning about resin and glue, it pays not to mix too much at a time (EXOTHERMIC REACTION), the resin is better off in a shallow tray than a deep container. The same applies with glue and filler.

To cut a long story short, the hull has now been glassed and faired, with two coats of undercoat applied, here I have used Norglass and will be using their marine enamel for the final finish.

My wife is happy with the result to date, which is a very necessary thing if the minister for finance is not happy, watch out as the purse strings suddenly become very tight.

Also this is an important point for this design, I can lift the bow or stern above my head, the design weight is 60kg, and I think that I am within cooee of this, (good design work Mark) with only some deck hardware to fit and the final painting to be done.

Builders plate has been acquired and engraved, rego papers filled out, we are go for launch on schedule, MR MURPHY KEEP AWAY, or I curse you with a BANSHEE.

Mangrove Jack design by Mark Bowdidge is available at Duckworks.

 

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