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A Month's Progress
![[image]](http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i266/PRGringo/Catboat%20Blog/100_3847.jpg)
It has been a while since I have posted anything regarding the boat construction. It was not because nothing was getting done, it was just that progress was tedious and slow.
Since the last post, Terri and I have managed to get the deck painted, the coamings varnished, the cabin floor made and in place. The rudder is hung on its
pintles but still lacks the tiller arm. The centerboard is in place and the trim for the centerboard trunk is in and varnished.
Today's project was to start making the mast. I have an 18 foot 4 x 4 that I wanted to make 3-1/2" round, 30" from the bottom and tapered to 2" over the las 3-5 feet (I have not decided yet.)
This is the result after 2 hours of planing:![[image]](http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i266/PRGringo/Catboat%20Blog/100_3848.jpg)
I will try to get it to its final dimensions tomorrow and then varnish it.
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She's looking great Steve! You're almost ready for endless hours of summer fun. This is similar to the boat I learned to sail in as a kid.
Are you going to have any floatation? I made some custom sized blocks for a small boat by gluing together layers of 2" styrofome cut to size. To keep it from getting beat up, I covered it with a very light fiberglass cloth and epoxy. It was held in place with a couple of straps so it wouldn't float out of the boat.
I'll have to look back in your posts and see where you got your plans. This looks like a great project.
;-) Paul
Thanks, Paul. I am relying on not needing flotation in that the wood should provide sufficient boyancy to keep her at least level with the decking should it get holed. I have always had flotation in any of my fiberglass sailboats that I owned in the past.
Many moons ago, when I was a teenager, I managed to capsize a wood pram. The pram flaoted upright and took a bit of bailing but she would have at least provided something to hold on to.
The design is By Edson Schock and the book containing his designs, including this one, was republished in the 1979 and can still be found in Amazon or barnes and Noble's Used or Out of Print sections."how to Build Small Boats" is the title.