In the week since my last post it would seem that not a lot has happened but a lot of fiddly jobs are going on under the hull. The rudder post bottom bearing is now well glassed into the hull and four plywood gussets have been glassed around it to make it strong enough for construction activity. After the hull is turned I will add five more layers of fibreglass to the plywood gussets which should make it very durable.
The stern tube through which the propeller shaft exits the boat is now glassed in and the propeller shaft is temporarily installed to ensure the everything stays straight while the glue sets. Similarly the P bracket which houses the bearing just in front of the propeller is glassed in place. I was not confident to do these tasks until Kevin came around for the afternoon and we could run a string line from the front of the engine centreline to the rear of the P bracked centreline to ensure all was aligned correctly.
While waiting for the glue on these tasks to set I have been back under the boat putting epoxy fillets between the frames and the hull skin and between the structural shelves and the hull skin. These frames and shelves can now be glassed to the hull for a very strong structure.
Not many of these tasks are worthy of a picture but I have been doing a bit more torture boarding and getting the finish on the hull closer to my target.
Using the sunlight to check how the hull fairing is progressing on our Didi 40 Cr.