Form progress !

Holdiay Monday makes Sunday this weekends Saturday, so the boys hit the shop and made a good push on the new form for the 11 footer.

 LVLs make a great backbone, nice and stable. Off to the orange menace, might as well get screws while we're there.

 Stations were cut and sanded, and needed to be reduced for pine strips, metal bands and the thickness of planks and ribs. 

 Final cut and sand to shape

 Cleats spaced to take stations

 Pre drilling mahogany cleats, waste from the Dory seats and rails

Stations ready to go on

Taking apart forms after shaping. Screwing together ensures boat is symmetrical

Stations going on 

 Up to the centre, half done half to go

 

Just about there

 

Nice shape! just what we were going for

Sighting down the top

Last station before the ends and stem forms go on

Heck of a lot of work for one afternoon, many hands make light work

 

Drill press time

Final cutting and shaping. 

Next is bracing, station doublers, then rip and strip the clear pine we sourced. Fair the form, gunwale backers and steel bands and we're building.

First Cruiser off the form!

 First boat is finally off. Build quality was important, but the objective was to pull a boat quicker than what would be normal in order to see if the form captured the shape of the boat. Material was not as selected, with mostly flat sawn planking but still well put together. Boat came out awesome and is correct. Form will need a few tweaks in some areas as expected, but its a success. 

It will be canvassed and seats are underway, launch should be in a few weeks. 

Below are some pics of its details. 

Cameras never seem to capture the shape and curves the way they appear, and even make it look warped , which its not.