Musings

I glued a couple of more parts yesterday and cut some stringer notches. I won't be cutting the lower ones on the frames until installation. Especially the bottom one where it meets the first plank. As you can see I have made some progress in the frame assembly. Seeing other sites and how this boat goes together, I'm not sweating the slight overhangs in the frame edges. As long as the frame is the width as per drawing and the chines in the right spot, thats what makes the rest of the boat work.

I have mused and considered making my centerboard of steel. 1/2" thick. This would make the centercase much thinner. (I have access to the cutting of a centerboard cheaply) This would save me time in making a wooden centerboard. However, I have not had any success in figuring out how to attach my centerboard lift line to the top of the centerboard without possibly chaffing the inside of the case. The other potential problem is if the pivot lifting strap broke that steel board would swind down with enough force to certainly do harm to the forward edge of the case. I would certainly have future problems with the centerboard hole edge chaffing through the stainless tube and letting water to enter the tube and out through the ends near the washers. I could design a new pivot set up... buuut, i changed my mind. The wooden centerboard does look nice and with its thickness is certainly strong enough. (I tend to let these seemingly fantastic ideas stew a while before I rashly go ahead and do it. And eventually enough scenarios come up that i make my decision one way or another.)