The Intrepid Boat Builder Surveying His Progress

[dasein668]

Tim's most recent update to the daysailor site just didn't do the thing justice. I mean, come on Tim! You can actually stand on deck now?for the first time in, what, 18 months?

[Tim]

See, this is why I have you around the shop. Otherwise, how would pictures like this ever happen?

Thanks for the picture. It does a great job showcasing the progress. Getting that first layer of the deck on was definitely a milestone.

[Figment]

Hey man, don't leave us hanging with just that little taste! You're walking around on the redesigned deck, for cryin out loud!

What do you think so far?
Is it materializing as you'd expected, or have there been a few little surprises as the beast has manifested itself?

How's it FEEL, man????

Vicarious lives want to know....

(Bear with me. I just watched "Kelly's Heroes". Donald Sutherland cracks me up.)

[Tim]

It's awesome! But I admit to being embarrassed about that cruddy, knot-filled, totally inappropriate plywood surface (the back side of the beadboard), and can't wait to cover it up with the "real" plywood that will form the true structure of the deck.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how the whole concept has translated to wood and 'glass. It's really coming together very nicely, and is true to my vision (that vision which only I have truly had, as it exists mostly in my head).

I have seen the completed boat, and enjoyed relaxing in her completed cockpit--all in my mind. To see the physical being beginning to actually manifest my mind's vision is heartening, to say the least.

I can't wait to really get back into the construction this winter.

Is that what you wanted, O vicarious one? hehe

[Figment]

Yeah, pretty much. Thanks. ;)

Foredeck feels right? Side decks feel right? Transition from one to the other, etc.... That's more of what I was fishing for, but obviously there's no wrong answer.

I forget, are you planning to install lifelines or no?

While off-topic.... In your writeup, you "hot coated" the back of the beadboard with a sealer coat of epoxy. I've always used the term "hot coat" to refer to a subsequent coat of resin applied while the first is still "green", but this doesn't appear to be what you're talking about. Am I misunderstanding something?

(not nitpicking use of language. just sponging up miscellaneous knowlege)

[Tim]

As far as the feel, I assume you mean the general layout, but maybe you mean the actual "feel".

General layout-wise, the various side and foredecks blend together well, and are nice and wide and/or roomy. The crown, while subtler than I thought, is more than sufficient. Sidedecks are comfortable for walking all the way to the transom, and are about twice as wide there as on the original Triton. With no coamings, cabin trunk, or rigging, there's not a lot to hold onto yet, so walking is done with care.

Actual feel-wise, the decks are not quite up to their final stiffness; the beadboard is pretty weak stuff, with all those routed lines in the thin plywood. Therefore, I pretty much walk only on the beam locations. There's some flex in the foredeck, with those wide beams, but with the second layer of ply laminated on top, that wil; disappear; when the fiberglass goes on over the top of that, the deck will be ready for a tribal dance ritual. The sidedecks are extremely rigid.

No lifelines or pulpits on this boat. I'll rely on a good toerail around the whole boat, and handrails on the trunk. Maybe a midships longitudinal foot brace on the foredeck, but I don't think it's wide enough to need one.

Hot coat: I think what it actually means depends on who's using it. It means whatever you want it to. I actually learned it in polyester context, when we would literally "hot coat" some part with polyester resin to which very large amounts of catalyst had been added, so that it would kick quickly. So it came to mean, for me, a simple resin coating. Your interpretation is also accurate. It's all semantics, as I don't think it's a technical term anyway--just slang.