More progress on port float

 It was a productive weekend on the port float.  When working on the starboard float we had to make each of the bits to finish up the float, which took some extra time.  Smartly (okay, it was mostly Dawna's idea), we made two of everything so we would be ready to go on the port float without delay.  Here is a view looking forward of the bow compression member that we made months ago taped in place.  As with so many tasks on the float interiors, the compression member had to be taped in place working through a small access port.  Thankfully, Justus von Liebig invented the silver-backed mirror in 1835 so I could see what I was doing!  Now I can seal up the access port and be that much closer to a date with a fairing board.

 We are getting close to sealing up the bow of the float.  I trimmed the bow and prepped the edge for the bow end plate.  I just need to install the backing plate for the bow pad eye and we'll be ready to close her up.

 I also trimmed the stern and sealed it up.  Taping the inside stern seam is also an adventure in frustration.  Patience is a virtue, but cursing and throwing things makes me feel better ... okay it wasn't quite that bad.  But it does take some patience to reach in, make an adjustment, then move my arm out of the way to see if I did what I thought I did.  In the (stern) end, the tape was smooth and nicely laminated.  I still need to trim the plate to match the hull, but I'll wait until the tape is fully cured.  And we are ready to temporarily close up this access port as we prepare for fairing.

While waiting for tape to cure, I finished installing the high-density inserts that will later support rigging hardware.  As with the starboard float, I carved out the standard-density foam core to match the inserts, bent the inserts to match the hull form, applied a thin epoxy filler to fill any gaps and adhere the inserts in place, and applied pressure to force out any excess filler.  For the larger inserts on the deck I applied continuous pressure by balancing some weights on the inserts until they cured.  One more weekend and we should be all closed up and ready for "The Board!"

Port float inside keel seam (here we go again...)

 Well, here we go again with the final interior tasks on the port float this time.  You can see the completed starboard float on the storage rack.  Thanks to our neighbor Quinn for helping me lift it up there.  We estimate it weighs about 150 lbs, so a little much for Dawna to lift.  In any case, we   started finishing up the inside tasks on the port float beginning with taping and sealing the keel seam.

We followed the same basic steps to tape the keel seam.  First I mixed a thin epoxy putty with some cabosil for extra strength and low viscosity (150 mL epoxy + 1 cup microballoons + 1/4 cup cabosil).  I poured this mixture along the seam to form a fillet.  This went fairly smooth with less clean up than last time.  However, the higher temperatures of summer make the putty kick that much sooner, so I came close to disaster trying to finish cleaning up stray and excess putty.  After initial cure, Dawna and I laid in the glass tape (and boy are we itchy!).  We forgot how much fun it is to work through 6 inch holes on a seam we can only reach with brushes on sticks!  Then I went back and coated the tape with a second layer of epoxy to help ensure we have no leaks when the float goes in the water.  This is a view looking in the hatch opening of the finished seam in the midsection of the float.

Here is a view looking into the open stern.  If you look closely, you may notice the drain hole in the bottom of the aft bulkhead.  This hole is a real hassle when trying to get the tape on either side to pass through and overlap without blocking the opening.  With some patience, and trimming the ends of the tape to fit, I was able to fully glass the seam through the hole.  With the seam complete, I will now work on trimming the stern and closing it up with a plate I made earlier.  Feels like deja vu all over again!

Starboard float finished (for now)

 At last, the starboard float is complete and we are ready to work on the port float.  Actually, there are several more tasks for this float, but these tasks will have to wait until the beams are complete and we are ready for final assembly.  Specifically, we have the following short list to do later in the project:
- Install beams,
- Install chainplate,
- Drill vent holes in bulkheads to equalize pressure after beams are installed,
- Prepare holes for hardware installation,
- Paint.

Nonetheless, we are done for now.  Here is a nice shot of the completed float with the float-in-waiting in the background.  I'll have to bribe the neighbors to lend a hand in move the starboard float up to the storage rack.  Two people can generally handle it, but a third is good for a margin of safety ... certainly don't want to drop the float after all that sanding.

Here is the view from the bow.  Actually these photos aren't quite the finished product.  I had to add some light glass tape along the edges forward and aft of each port opening.  The original glass reinforcing wore too thin on these edges during the fairing, and the foam was exposed.  So I laminated some 6-oz tape to the edges for a hard protective shell.  This required a little sanding to blend.  The result looks identical to these shots from a few days prior.

In retrospect, this process would have been more efficient if I had removed the strongback and worked on both floats together.  There are several small jobs that only require a couple hours of effort but then need a day of cure time.  If I could have worked on both floats, I could have performed these tasks on each float and let them cure together.  In any case, hopefully I will be able to accelerate the overall process using the experience from the starboard float.  I'll add posts about new techniques that I try on the port float.