Big time gut-check today...

Was able to set aside some time today to work on the Pelican. Sorry, no photos. My phone battery is dead.

Two things on the agenda: First, I got started making the mast step box. This is the little box that holds the bottom of the mast down inside the boat. Not a lot to it, other than having to cut some weird angles. Six pieces, now all epoxied together. After it sets I'll get out a rasp, clean it up, and get it installed in the boat.

The second thing was the scariest operation yet: Cutting the center slot. There is something about slicing a huge hole in the bottom of the hull that terrified me. I bet I've measured it a half dozen times over the last few months.

Anyway, its not going to wait forever, so I decided to get to it. Really went pretty easy. I used my circular saw with the rip guide running along the keelson, and it came out perfect.

One thing I wasn't counting on: The keelson is under a lot of tension from being bent. After I cut the sides, I drilled a big hole and used a jig saw to finish off the ends. When the first end came free BAM! The slug I was cutting out sprang back to more or less straight, and scared me to death!

After getting my heart re-started, the other end came off easy, and that was that!

This week we should be getting the deck beams on.

Edit:

Ok...phone is charged. Here are some snaps:

Here's the mast step box. Not much to this...

Here's the centerboard slot. I cut it wider than the plans call for. I have something special in mind for that. Details to follow...

I went ahead and got started fitting in the deck beams. 

Lots of trial and error involved in fitting those. I wish I knew a faster way, but I just kept nibbling away at the ends until they dropped in and fit properly.

Spring has sprung!

Well, its been a miserably long winter. Despite my best intentions (and my space heater), I found I just didn't have the gumption to work in a cold garage all winter.

Alas.

So "Seven Wonders" has sat idle for a few months. Well, not exactly idle. My family found that an empty boat made a very inviting storage area, so my first order of business today was to clean out three months worth of accumulated junk from inside her. I took the occasion to haul a bunch of scrap wood and other assorted junk down to the office to toss in the dumpster. The garage isn't exactly clean, but its at least workable.

I'm also trying to decide if there is any value to the flare forms from the jig. I guess I'll try putting them on Craigslist, but I don't have a lot of patience for having them around right now, so unless someone local happens to be planning a Pacific Pelican build this year, I'm guessing they are going into the dumpster this week.

That having been taken care of, I set myself to the task of finishing off the top edge of the sides, down to the sheer clamps. Pretty easy work with the jigsaw and a couple of sanders.

Came out really nice. 

Next step was to vacuum out all the sawdust that accumulated in the hull. Looks pretty decent, but I'm going to have to tackle the abundance of squeeze-out. I really blew that when I was gluing this together. I'd scrape the joints, but then after scraping them, more glue would ooze out, leaving me with a real chore. 

Oh well. One more thing to do. For now, its nice to have the project kicked off again!