starboard side outer hull half mold

Here's a little progress running stringers over the starbord side mold forms....

When working on a multi year project, I find it helpful to knock out an occational smaller project just to give me a since of accomplishment and gain a feeling of completion..... the shark hanging up in the back ground is actually a gravity bike that I designed and built to compete in the IGSA ( International Gravity Sports Association ) "Marryhill festival of speed". I used some of my scrap triaxial glass, epoxy and some blue foam from home depot to make a 3/4 fairing gravity bike....won the race and then hung it from the shop roof so I could get back to the boat.

unapproved modifications

When working with a partner, it's a good idea to discuss any modifications or changes to the mold. While I was attaching battens over the stern mold forms, tang took it upon himself to modify the starboard side bow mold stringers without consulting the designer Ian Farrier.

If left alone, Tang could reduce the entire starboard side mold to a twisted pile of splinters in an afternoon.

Guide stick

I found it handy to make a guide stick that I could use to insure all of my forms were the same distance apart. I just cut a stick the proper spacing minus the 3/4 in. thickness of my forms. I pin the stick between the forms ;holding the loose form with my knee while I run a screw through a joining stringer and down into the edge of the form.

converting the mold

In order to free up a little shop space, I decided to re configure the mold by re-attaching the deck and cabin form sections back onto the strongback. Once complete, this will allow me to start laying the foam for the last hull half ( starboard outer ). Thank Ian Farrier for this clever use of materials and technique. (note: the lone stringer is there to prevent another domino disaster and once I have aligned and checked the forms for accuracy, I will attach smooth flowing battens to finish the mold )

fitting the port side hull halfs

Here's a picture taken of the bow bulkhead before the hull bonding process and obviously before the addition of the sacrificial hull foam end.

creating a hull

I've dropped the port side inner hull section down onto the outer hull half and I'm spending some time trimming, cutting and preparing for the joining process.