Finally, we have planked the lower port side of the main hull from bow to stern. When I actually put time in working on the boat, the process went fairly quickly, but we have had quite a few distractions lately. And it is a larger area than the float halves we built previously. Of course, this is only the lower part of the hull. There is still a whole lotta planking to do on the deck (to the left in the photo). But that will have to wait for the glass lamination of the lower hull. For now, I will enjoy the fleeting sense of accomplishment.
I know the hull is still pretty rough. I haven't done any trimming of the edges, and only minimal grooming of the planked surface. Nonetheless, you can really see the curves of the hull now. Keep in mind the hull is on its side with the keel to the left in the photo. The planks seams bonded together very cleanly and the hull form is flowing. I guess building two-and-a-half float hulls helped develop our skill (yes, -and-a-half, recall we tossed out the first half for better quality once we got the experience under our belt). Now we will go over the planked surface in detail cleaning the seams, filling the screw holes, and getting ready for glass. We will also install high density inserts where needed for hardware and other reinforcing. Lot's more work to come ...
