Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

Looking good Ross.

To day I have cut and machined the timber to go on top of the deck stringers and across the back , then fitted them and screwed and glued them in place.
These are cut from the house decking spare boards , its Mirboo for some dark timber edge.
Have cut some white ash to make the bridge beam trims and have had to glue two pieces together to get the width I need .
Working again next week so that will slow things a bit.

Over the last few days I managed to sand the jointed boards flush and cut them to shape ready to fit to the hull.
Frustrating having to work isn't it !!! , Just not enough time at night to get in the swing of things.

In the last few days I have flushed the ply around the cockpits / engine bay and tonight have sealed the ply edges with varnish.
The timber strip down the middle of the deck was removed so the edges of the ply and the strip that will be inserted , have been sealed on the edges too. Don't want water seeping in any where.
A little more work on the shaped timber edging and they can be fitted also .
The gunnel has not been trimmed flush yet just encase It gets damaged while climbing in and out of the hull, The ordinal gunnel timber will go back on the hull after the deck has got a few coats on it.

Over the weekend I have fitted and glued the trims.
Tonight I have flushed all the trims off and rounded them off
Centre timber strip will get glued and fitted and sanded flush next before a coat to seal it goes on.

Centre strips have been glued tonight , all is looking good for sanding on the weekend some time. The steering shaft support bar needs to be plated or a new one made from S/Steel . The bearer's still need to be bolted in but that's a two person job and It can wait a week or two , Xmas is going to get in the way and trying to get the little skiff going over the next few weeks.
I will have to get the z- drive box out and give it a going over as this will be the only thing stopping it running,
I have a spare SB chev if I don't get the good motor completed.

I did manage to get the first coat on Sunday morning and looking good but much of the thinned coat has soaked in to the timber and I will try and get a second coat on Monday night.

It now has three coats and had been left for over a week to harden,
Tonight I have puttied up the hole in the deck and will let that dry for a few days before sanding trimming the outer edge and then another coat to seal again.
Next will be to refit the gunwale timbers.

Have since put another coat on over the putty and is looking nice
Ross

Ok its not that cold out in the shed ," Ratbag" the skiff is now complete and going but still waiting for the good motor so its back to work on " INVADER" .
The Tassie boy's work in this temperature so we should be able too!!
I have now sanded the gunwales ready for fitting and the rear trim has been glued on tonight and I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow to pick up some screws to refit the gunwales .
Have to work out how the s/s steel plate was fitted under the cav. plate as it has been removed a long time ago.
It appears to have been roved every inch around the cav. plate, and held under the skeg by the rear mounting bolts. Does any body know if that is how Lewis done it ?
Ross