Unacceptable Stern Freeboard Ends Here!

After much conjecturing about how much of what force needs to be applied where (see below post), I arrived at the conclusion that making hull extension/swim platform things for each side of the boat would solve the stern heaviness issue. I worked out the exact torques and their net sum, and was able to calculate that they would "probably work ok" as long as they were "quite big." I was now completely convinced and set to make the modifications in accordance with this consummately specific brief.

The first step is always to make a template from wherever your modification will be affixed. I make a habit of doing this first part in a mad rush and with only partial concentration, so that the first piece is always completely useless and must be remade. By doing this I ensure that any excess enthusiasm is quashed, and the fact that I can't make things out of wood very well remains at the forefront of my mind until the project's completion. Once this is out the way things generally go much better. The second attempt at the first piece is on the left.

I nailed a bit of ply to the transom and traced around it, then popped it off again to cut. Its important for performance that there is a smooth transition between the hull bottom and the extension, so I deducted 12mm from these areas, so the ply that runs back from the transom should be close to the same level as the hull. This may not make sense now, but you'll see it in the other photos.

The vertical bits were then measured and cut. These had to fit closely since they form the gussets that hold the extensions rigid when their buoyancy is pushing upwards, or people's weight pushing downwards. Needless to say not all of them were perfect first time, but they were soon sorted, and I could start the longitudinal pieces.

The bottom piece needed careful lining up to ensure its angle was near identical to the hull's angle. I screwed the front end, then adjusted the back with a car jack, till both looked good against a straight edge. After screwing this rigid, I made the side piece, then the angled part that joins them. They had 20mm overlaps at this point, and cutting the shallow angles was a bit of a headache. In the end I used a handsaw, and by holding the blade against the upper piece of ply (in both cases) I was able to get the angle very nearly perfect, as seen in the photo to the left. Woo!

It took me two days to finish this first one, and I was very happy with the result. I figured it should take me like 4 hours to copy it and make the other side - just got to make careful measurements and cut the same thing reversed, right? Wrong!

Both sides nearing completion

It took the remaining three days of the week to make the other side; almost every piece required two attempts (or more), plus I was running out of 12mm ply and had to scavenge what I could from around the place. Hence my work bench is now missing 1/3 of its top surface, and one my mum's shelves in her office has mysteriously transfigured itself into 18mm ply (Shhh!).

Woodworking on boats is especially tricky. When making house modifications everything can be level, vertical or 45 degrees usually, whereas here there is no way to get a reliable level, and thus no way to get either of the other angles. Hence all the crucial measurements were made with a straight edge off the hull, and then a sliding bevel was used for any subsequent cuts. The starboard side took much longer, since as well as matching the hull, it also had to match the other side. Eventually both sides were within 5mm of each other, and most dimensions were within 2mm. It was the most mentally challenging part of this whole project thus far, but I'm sure the results will be worth it.

Next time: The Wee Guys get her glued, glassed and gorgeous - stay tuned!