Chris' Glen-L Zip Build

Deck Refinish: Before and After

2011-10-29T21:53:00.009-05:00

The deck refinish went alright, its not perfect but most observers wont notice the mistakes unless they look at the boat for a while and the light is right. I couldnt even get them to show up in pictures so I am good with that. I am out of time and patience anyway. It took 7 coats to get a finish I was satisfied enough with. Half of them got sanded completely off leaving maybe 3-4 coats on the boat.
Here are the results, no more cloudy spots! The finish looks pretty good although it looks thinner than before. It will have to do, I could spend the rest of my life going crazy trying to make it perfect.
First are 2 "after" pictures. The "before" pictures are at the bottom for comparison.

Below are the before pictures....so glad those cloudy spots are gone!

Also, a lot less of this orange peel texture I had before which is good but other spots end up looking almost too thin.

Deck refinish cont'd. 1st epoxy coat

2011-09-27T14:56:00.003-05:00

Today I sanded the rest of the cockpit coaming area and around the perimeter of the deck up through 220 grit. I was pretty satisfied and the atmosphere was pretty good for applying the 1st epoxy coat and the time of day, mid afternoon=cooling temps for the rest of the day was perfect. So I quickly got the shop vac out and cleaned up.

When I applied the epoxy it was 3:45pm the temp was 68 in the garage and the humidity was 69%. Near pefect, so I can be sure the application wont be a problem this time. Only bad part was the wind was gusty but with epoxy coats I have not had problems with dust.

The best part, no more ugly milky spots on the deck! I only saw two sanding scratches that I didnt get out.

Deck Refinish Cont'd

2011-09-26T19:44:00.002-05:00

The deck is now sanded through 80 and 120 grit on the random orbit sander. I have started shaping the outside edge of the deck to put the soft round edge back on it as well as around the cockpit edges. My wife helped me tape off and hang plastic to protect the rest of the boat from drips.

A little more shaping then a couple passes with 220 grit and it will be ready for the first coat of epoxy hopefully in the next day, maybe two. I plan on doing two coats of epoxy then 3 or 4 coats of clear allowing a couple days between coats for cure then hand sanding between coats.

Maintenance: Deck Refinish continued

2011-09-23T16:10:00.004-05:00

Im glad my decking is 3/8" thick, I could refinish it many times if need be, but I hope this time it lasts 5 years or so and then only needs a scuff and a couple maintenance coats from now on.
The only issue I have run into is that I sanded a bung down to nothing. I was able to chip what was left of the bung out with my dremel tool then unscrew the screw and resink the hole for the bung and install a new screw and new bung.

Why I am at it I decided I would refinish the dash and carlings as well.

The entire deck was belt sanded with 80 and 120 to get back to bare wood. That took about 7 hours. Scuffing the dash and carlings with 120 on an RO sander took another hour. Im now RO sanding the deck with 120 then 220 before the first epoxy coat goes down.

Maintenance: Deck Refinishing

2011-09-23T15:57:00.004-05:00

I have had a trouble free 13 months of use with the finished Zip, other than a couple motor issues now and then.
I never was happy with the final clear coat on the deck though. It has a few rather large blemishes that I lived with so far.
I couldnt take it any longer, I walk past the largest blemish everytime I walk in our out my garage. So as soon as I got back from the Glen-L Gathering of boatbuilders I removed the entire interior and deck hardware then started sanding the deck back to bare wood.
I was riding in my boat in TN sunday morning, the above photo was taken monday evening back in IN.
Here are two of the 4 spots I have and hated. I dont know for sure what caused them, maybe epoxy blush, maybe the Duplicolor tack rags I used, maybe moisture during application? I wish I knew so I could avoid doing it again.

Above is the spot I walk past everyday, you can see I had already taken all the hardware off the deck.

Zip update, Kayak site update

2010-10-29T22:35:00.002-05:00

I've been chasing a miss in the motor ever since the last day of the Gathering in TN. The last time we had the Zip out it really ran terrible toward the end of the day. I took it home, spent a lot of time reading on the internet and the service manual for the motor.
I was checking the throttle link and sync to the carb and the sync with the timing advance stop and found it to be out of adjustment according to the manual. When I went to adjust the set screw on the throttle cam-link it broke off in my hand. This part is plastic and has plastic threads which the set-screw threads through. I believe the part was cracked around the threads allowing the adjustment to change due to vibration. I finally found a used part after 25 phone calls or so and have replaced it. I will take the boat out tomorrow and see if its fixed.

I have started the kayak build and have a blog for it at www.woodduckkayak.blogspot.com

New Build=Kayak

2010-10-09T16:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess I am now a repeat offender. I bought a Kayak kit while on a work trip to Annapolis last week. I stopped by Chesapeake Light Craft and a Wood Duck 10 CNC cut, pre-drilled kit came home with me. http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/kayak-kits/wood-duck-10-light-recreational-kayak-kit.html
I dont know when I will start on it but when I do I will link you to the build site. I wont do it on this site that I documented the Glen-L Zip build on, I will keep this for the covering the continued use of the Zip and make a new site for the Kayak build.

The Gathering 4

2010-09-27T21:59:00.002-05:00

We just returned from The Gathering of homebuilt boats. What a great time. 40 boats and over 100 people all enjoying 4 days of living on floating cabins with our boats right outside our doorstep at the dock.

Here is the link to my pictures of the event.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Gathering2010#

Build Video

2010-09-20T02:13:00.001-05:00

I compressed the entire build into a 3 minute video set to the music of Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson's "Boats to Build"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NloZdG4OMSQ

Launched!

2010-09-18T17:27:00.003-05:00

This morning we launched our "First Born". It was a very successful launch.
We need to use the next farther out hole on the motor tilt pin next time and I need to adjust the trailer bunks forward mounts to give the boat a higher pitch angle so it goes on and off the trailer easier.

Runs great, rides great. I'm very pleased with it.
Video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzY6QjOQcCA

Almost...

2010-09-15T19:52:00.002-05:00

Almost Launched today. By the time I got the registration numbers and name from the sign company then applied them, the wife was just getting home from work. We got everything loaded in the car then we couldnt find the adapter for the trailer lights for her Jeep. We finally got on the road at 5:40. Then 10 min later I realized I forgot the expiration/state sticker that goes next to the registration numbers. Went back home and realized we would only have about 20 min of good picture taking light by the time we got to the water, 40 min away. So we called my buddy Scott who was going to take the pictures and video for us and we canceled. Next try will be saturday morning. Weather forecast is good, the morning light will be great for pictures and we wont be rushed.

CONTSTRUCTION COMPLETE!

2010-09-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

Today I declare construction of the Zip complete. 732 hours, April 27, 2009--Sept 13, 2010.
For all the detailed photos go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/ChrisGlenLZipBuild?authkey=Gv1sRgCPX_t-O0x7SvsQE#

Registration complete!

2010-09-10T11:00:00.002-05:00

The boat registration/title paperwork is complete. The sign company is printing my boats name and registration numbers but likely wont finish before closing today.

By the end of the weekend I should be done with everything on the boat except the name/registration decals. If the numbers were printed today I would have rushed to get on the water this weekend. I'll just enjoy the weekend and get everything done nice and tidy.

2010-09-09T17:30:00.002-05:00

I received the HIN number from the BMV headquarters today. It now must be "engraved or embossed" to the exterior starboard transom and a police officer must certify it is applied in a "workman-like manner". Then I go pay my $63.02 in taxes they say are due and a 15$ title fee and I assume I will be done. With luck I might get this done tomorrow (friday) before the weekend.

I have re-installed the deck hardware and am going to install the seats, rubrail, etc this fri/sat. With luck I might be ready and legal by saturday but Im not so sure the legal part will be ready. Depends on if my cop buddy can make a stop by friday morning.

Its Alive!

2010-09-05T15:30:00.004-05:00

Mounted the motor and ran it. It runs, steers and shifts. The motor is completely installed now.
Video of it running here... just copy and paste the link in a new window.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZoOoVNAk4U

Upholstery done

2010-09-04T21:29:00.003-05:00

Picked up the boat from the upholstery shop friday afternoon, The results speak for themselves. Bill at www.indycovers.com did a great job turning the idea in my head into reality, perfectly.

Getting there,

2010-09-02T15:28:00.003-05:00

Alrighty, its September and things need to come together fast if I am going to be running at the Gathering or else I'll be watching from the dock.
The boat registration paperwork is filed and paid. Just waiting on the numbers from the BMV headquarters which should take a week or so. The gal at the BMV wasnt sure so I called the DNR to see if I could use the registration paperwork and receipt as legal proof the boat has been registered. He said "technically no" I should have asked the punishment if I did run it. I got the feeling if I had my papers in hand they would be OK with that but the letter of the law says otherwise. Dont know if Ill risk it until I know the punishment. It shouldnt take but a week or so for the assigned numbers to come in.

I then stopped by the upholstery shop to see if there was a chance it would be ready early. It will be, it will be ready this friday by closing time

Here is a cell phone pic of the backseat so far only the bottom and side panels are done but the seat back is just foam at this point.
Hopefully, I can get the motor installed, steering and running by this weekend.

Back to Upholstery shop

2010-08-26T20:01:00.003-05:00

First of all. I cant believe this website has received over 10,000 hits!!! That just crazy. I hope it helped/inspired another builder like previous builders sites did for me.

The boat is out of my hands. The deadline Bill and I agreed on is Sept 6th and it looks like its quite possible it could be ready early. That's six days later than my schedule I set at the end of June. Cutting it close. I sure hope we dont run into any snags with the motor, or fuel system. IF things go smoothly the 12th is a possible tentative launch day. Knock on wooden boat.

When I dropped the boat off today another customer was picking his boat up and looking at the Zip said, "Thats an oldie but a goodie, isnt it?" I just said "Yep!" and left it at that. Made me smile. That was the first comment from someone outside my neighborhood or family.

Ill be heading to the BMV tomorrow with my stack of receipts to show I paid the required tax on materials and pictures to show I actually built this thing. That's all the IN BMV website says is required so I can get it registered and a hull ID number assigned. Then I will be heading to a local sign company to design and print the name that will be applied in vinyl lettering. Im thinking faux gold leaf and some elegant font thinly shadowed.
Any guess as to what the name will be????

Jewelry

2010-08-24T19:57:00.004-05:00

Mounted the cutwater and transom bands today. Also, ordered a new half-round rubber rub rail to get by for the rest of the season until I have more time to figure out what I am going to do with the stainless steel one. Ill get better pics when I take the boat into the driveway the next time. The cutwater really needs the rub rail to tie everything together. Without it, it just doesnt look right.I couldnt drill the bottom screw holes in the transom bands with the trailer frame in the way. I'll get to that next time I have some more muscle around here to help scoot the boat back on the trailerI also cut out the notch I needed for the steering cable to clear but I dont think I am going to have time for another test fit of the motor before the boat goes back to the upholstery guy Thursday.

Motor Install Logistics

2010-08-22T20:01:00.006-05:00

Today was another good, long day of boat work.
First, I finished up some tasks for the interior guy that he wanted done before I take the boat back to him late this week. (Set the gaps for the seat fabric, rounded corners, encapsulated ply)
Then Heather and I went to a local car show, it was a nice break.
After the car show my father in-law came by and we mounted the motor and marked and drilled most of the holes for the motor connections. We got the throttle and shift hooked up and working. Also, most of the steering is ready to hookup but I need to get a extension for my drill to remedy a clearance problem before I can see the motor steer with the steering wheel. We also planned for the electrical connections cutout. I need to shop for some more boots to cover the steering cutouts as well. So close but so much more to do.

Windshield and Deck Hardware

2010-08-21T16:39:00.005-05:00

Today I got to work installing the windshield. Then I decided to install all the deck hardware now while the deck is sanded down, prior to the final clear coat. I'll remove them again before the clear coat is applied but I like looking at it all installed for now.

Rub Rail Woes

2010-08-19T20:50:00.005-05:00

This morning my plan was to attach the rub rail and maybe even the cutwater and transom bands then remove them and clear coat the deck one last time.
Well the rub rail fought me from the start and never would fit right. It will not twist and i need it to twist in order to get the bottom edge to lay flat on against the hull. Here is a picture of the part I got mounted at the bow from a side view which looks okay then looking up from the bottom and you can see the HUGE gap.
A thinner rub rail like 1/2" or maybe 3/4" should help alleviate the problem but some guys say I still may have a little gap. I dont want to spend the money if Im still going to have a little bit of a gap. So frustrating.

Upholstery shop

2010-08-17T10:48:00.004-05:00

This morning the boat made another road trip. This time to the upholstery shop. Bill the upholstery guy was able to get the measurements he needed and a we talked ideas, picked material, and set the price. He cant actually start on it until the 26th so I brought the boat back home and I have a couple things I will do to save Bill some time when he does start and I will sand and re-coat the deck one last time. Then I will start installing the stainless exterior trim if I have time before I need to take the boat back to Bill's.

Stripe Painted

2010-08-11T17:14:00.004-05:00

Finished up painting the white stripe today. You can also see the cutwater on the ground in front of the boat. Some folks asked to see a picture of it taped in place but I dont want to put it in place until the paint is cured but there is a sneak peak at it.
I also have green paint for a 1/4" pinstripe between the blue and white but thats gonna wait. I only have 45 more days until the big Gathering in TN. So its necessary items only now then I can add little touches like that if I have time.

2010-08-09T19:39:00.002-05:00

The boat is safely back in my garage. The cutwater Mike made looks great and appears it will fit perfectly when I am ready to install it.
I got to work on the floor as soon as I got back home so I can get it re-installed soon. I also taped off the boot stripe and prepped it for paint. Ill try to get that done early tomorrow morning.

Im hoping I can get enough done to take the boat or at least some parts to the upholstery guy by the end of the week.

2010-08-07T16:49:00.003-05:00

Cutwater is done.

Got the call from Mike today, saying it would be done by this afternoon.
Mike and I's schedules dont match up for me to get the boat until monday though, no prob though I havent even got the floor boards cleared yet.

Leaving the nest

2010-08-04T07:04:00.003-05:00

The Zip is leaving the confines of the driveway and garage for the first time. Headed for the metal man 2 hours drive north. Neeerve Wraaacking

16th month now

2010-08-03T21:34:00.002-05:00

Another month flew past. Only 51 days left until the big Gathering of Glen-L boatbuilders in TN. So far 35 boats are registered and almost 100 people, gonna be a great time.

Anyway, I worked on the boat 77.5 hours in July. Bringing the grand total of hours spent working on the boat to 648. Funny, I originally estimated I could build this boat in less than 500 hours. I blew the budget estimate by about the same percentage too.

Insurance

2010-08-02T21:24:00.003-05:00

I am planning to drop the boat off for the cutwater and transom bands to be made this weds. I'll finalize the deck clear coat later.
This means the boat needs to be insured before I take it out of the shop for the 2 hour drive. I called Hagerty collector car/boat insurance and they set me up. They are one of the few that will insure homebuilt boats and are familiar with the Glen-L designs. Im quite pleased. They asked how much I wanted the boat to be valued at I told them 10,300. They agreed with that value, which does not depreciate over time and the premiums are $265/year. This covers the boat and trailer. We also agreed on a value for the restored motor of $900 and that is $20/year for a total of $285. The liablility coverage and details are very similar to my auto insurance, if you want the details email me. I am very pleased with that for a homebuilt boat since they only have pictures of your boat to go from its pretty risky for them since they dont know the integrity of your work.

2010-07-30T19:11:00.002-05:00

This boatbuilding stuff sure can make a guy crazy. I just cant get my deck clear coat consistent. I thinned it too much on a previous coat and had to sand it smooth again. I just rolled on another coat and must not have thinned it enough because I had a couple dry spots. I just cant apply it consistently.
Now I dont think I have enough clear for another coat. I have a drop off date with Cutwater maker Mike for no later than the 9th. IF the new batch of clear I ordered gets here friday I can apply it friday night and give it two days to cure before the drive to Mikes.

If this coat tonight would have gone well I could have taken the boat to Mike this week, ahead of schedule.
I also picked up my windshields today. They are basically rough cut, not what I was expecting but he only charged me 20$. So I have to smooth the cuts and round the edges.

Frustrated.

2010-07-29T18:25:00.002-05:00

Still sanding.

I hate sanding.

Confirmed drop off dates for cutwater and interior guys. I've got till Aug 10th at the latest to get the boat to Mike the cutwater guy. After that and as soon as I re-install the floor it goes to interior.
Dropped off the windshield template to be cut out. The folks at the glass shop suggested they do it out of Lexan, fine by me, they are the experts.

2nd clear coat

2010-07-26T14:37:00.004-05:00

I spent 8 hours sanding the first clear coat from 320-800 grit on the entire hull. This morning I applied the second clear coat on the deck very thin and I had two blemishes the size of my hand that looked cloudy like some sort of surface contamination on the surface of the wood.

Amazingly, it totally vanished as the clear cured. I was stunned.
So I then put on another very light coat, it had been about 3-4 hours since the first but I thinned it too agressively. A couple areas crincled slightly too.

So I added some more clear to the mix to get the right ratio again that I had used before (under 10% thinner) and applied to the sides. I think the sides are DONE!

I'll lightly sand and do one more coat on the deck then Im calling that done as well. This SM1000 clear takes some getting used to but it has some amazing qualities and what I thought would take a month or more with varnish is going to be done in 1/3 the time.

Clear Coats Begin.

2010-07-22T20:17:00.003-05:00

OK, after lots of sanding of the encapsulation coats of epoxy I applied the first coat of the SM1000 clear today on the entire hull.
The deck has a few flaws that will need to be sanded out well before the next coat. The flaws are purely the result of my poor/inexperienced roller use. I tried to go back over a couple areas which just makes things worse. If you spot a flaw just go on and sand it out later.

The sides are nearly flawless and will just need a very light sanding before the next coat.

The interior parts are the ones I am not quite happy with. The side frames inside the boat will need to be sanded down to the epoxy. Just not good enough prep work on my part since its so hard to sand in those tight places.

2010-07-21T08:08:00.003-05:00

Before I start the clear coats I wanted to get the hardware that mounts through the transom in place and the holes drilled. So between sandings I mounted two U-bolts in the transom that will be used to hold the boat to the trailer and can also be used for tying up to a dock and possibly even pulling a skier.I also drilled and mounted tubes for the motor well drains. The only downside of all this is the best place to mount everything is right above the middle of the transom. So this doesnt leave much room for the boats name and and such on the back of the boat. I think the name will go on the rear of the sides of the boat then. In smaller letters I'll have the boats home port and the glen-l website http://www.glen-l.com/ on the transom.

2010-07-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

After giving the boat a day off for the epoxy to cure, I lightly sanded the epoxy coat on the deck today with 220 grit twice. I then built up the epoxy layer with a second coat. The second coat is quite a lot smoother and really looks great.

Hard to believe this is just epoxy coats over a 220 grit surface. Look at the reflection of the bicycle in the second picture. That will be the last epoxy coat. In a day I'll block sand through 220 and 320 grits and then start applying the clear to the deck and the sides.

Deck Encapsulated

2010-07-15T20:11:00.003-05:00

This evening I encapsulated the deck in epoxy. It sure gives a nice preview of what it will look like once the clear coat is applied. I'm very pleased with how its coming out. All that sanding from 150-220-320 with the random orbit sander then the long board sure paid off. Looking back in my log I spent 23 hours sanding the deck over 7 days time.

It was getting dark as I took these pics so they arent the best. I decided last minute tonight to go ahead and do this. I was planning on doing it tomorrow but I found out this morning that I have 12 hour day at work tomorrow so I wouldnt have time. Plus the temps and humidty tonight were the lowest forecast for the next 5 days.

Still Sanding

2010-07-11T18:27:00.003-05:00

Lots and lots of sanding. I started with a belt sander on the deck with 120 grit. I did one pass over the entire deck. Then I switced to a random orbit sander for about 3 passes with 120 grit. If doing this again I would skip the belt sander all together and go straight to the random orbit, it does a much better job. With the belt sander you put in as many humps and valleys as you take out no matter how good your belt sander is. Im glad someone told me to switch to the random orbit when they did.Then I random orbit sanded the hull sides to 120. Then I started block sanding with a 11x3" block with 150 grit over the entire boat. As of now the entire boat is sanded through 150 grit with the hand block. The hand block does a great job. I'll switch to 220 tomorrow and block out the entire boat a couple times.

2010-07-07T17:03:00.005-05:00

I finally got around to trimming the deck fair with the side of the boat. I should have got a picture of my method but forgot to. Anyway, I taped a very thin piece of aluminum sheet about 2 ft square against the side of the boat with the top edge fit just up to the bottom of the sub-deck. Then I ran the hand-held belt sander against edge of the decking using the side of the boat as a guide to shape the edge as a continuation of the shape of the boats side. The aluminum sheet protecting the side of the boat from getting sanded since I dont want to risk sanding into the fiberglass on the sides. A stainless steel rub rail will be fit along the seam of the decking and sides to finish it off. Which reminds me I need to get that ordered next week.

I also trimmed the deck around the cockpits and rounded the edges.

Now a side job I am doing is going to interrupt further progress until sunday. Darn it, gotta fund this thing somehow though.

King Plank Problem

2010-07-06T13:04:00.004-05:00

Had a minor set back over the weekend. The king plank popped out of position on one side. I believe this is due to the king planks rather wide width and thickness. Its not able to conform to the crest in the center of the deck, this left areas under the king plank that did not get enough glue or not enough clamping pressure and the joint popped up.
At first I wasnt sure how to fix it. I couldnt screw it from underneath, and I almost resorted to drilling countersunk holes and bolting it back down then plugging the countersunk holes just like the coverboards have. In the end the fellow builders on the glen-l builders forum gave me some great ideas and I was able to use a syrenge to get plenty of epoxy under the plank then using long boards braced against the ceiling I was able to apply plenty of clamping pressure to force the plank back into place.

All is well again but I lost two days worth of progress in the ordeal.

I did finish up the windshield template while fixing the king plank fiasco and ordered the windshield rubber gaskets. Ill test fit again with the gaskets then take the template to the plexiglass shop to have the actual windshields cut.

I also ordered the white paint for the boot stripe at the waterline as well as the clear coat from Supermarine. They gave me 100$ off since they used the photos of my bottom paint in their website gallery.

I spoke with Mike from "Cutwaters by Mike" http://www.cutwaters.com/ He confirmed I can just drive the entire boat to his place 2 hours north of Indy and he will make the cutwater and transom bands right on the boat which will save time and assure a perfect fit. Only problem is that I MUST get the boat to him in the first 1/3rd of August due to his schedule.

Sanding, Sanding, Sanding

2010-06-29T20:24:00.003-05:00

All the deck is installed and the sanding has begun. I've made one pass over the deck with 80 grit on the belt sander. Lightweight belt sanders with a dust collection bag are great for this. Im using a cheapo from Harbor Freight and its fantastic.
Next I need to sand around the inside cockpit edges to bring the plank ends flush with the sub-deck edge underneath. Then I will fill the few epoxy voids between some of the planks and then sand, sand, sand. I figure I have about 2 weeks worth of sanding to do.

If thats the case I can sand the next two weeks then apply clear for 2 weeks after that then all of August can be spent at the upholstery and stainless steel trim shops and the first week or two of September will be final details and test runs. Okay so theres the plan in a nutshell.

Foreward deck planks installed

2010-06-26T21:59:00.003-05:00

All the forward deck planks are installed. The aft sections should be finished up in the next few days. My plan was to have all the planking installed by the end of the month. Looks like Ill just make it. Then its time to start sanding like crazy.
I also started working on the windshield template. Its going to be trimmed lower
in height at the center post and extend about an inch farther out on the side of the boat. Then I'll go to a local glass shop and have this cut from polycarbonate of some sort like plexiglass.

2010-06-23T20:37:00.002-05:00

More deck planking. I now have 4 deck planks on each side of the king plank and 2 per side on the aft sections installed. Here is a photo of the bow area after a quick sanding, still more gap filling and sanding to do but I think its going to turn out great.

2010-06-22T10:56:00.005-05:00

This week I began gluing the deck planks in place. I first glued one basswood filler strip to one side of each of the 2.75" wide mahogany planks. Then they install as one piece. The disadvantage to this is that you cannot hold the planks in place with screws and oversize washers where the filler strip is like you can with a caulked deck that is void of caulk at this step.

So to have a screw-less deck required some innovative clamping. Im clamping with large bar clamps across the deck to squeeze the planks up tight with the king plank in the center. Then long pinewood boards keep the deck planks flat and screws and oversize washers are screwed into the sub-deck on the outside edge of the outer most board at a 45 degree angle to hold the outside edge tight to the sub-deck.Its a bit messy but sanding later will clean it up. I also found african mahogany dowel rods online that I used to fill my coverboard screw holes, they match perfect.

Below, picture taken when gluing the first two boards. This is about halfway into fitting the clamps and boards and screws/washers. I end up using several more but then you cant hardly see the deck planks in the picture that way.

Chromed Parts Done

2010-06-19T13:53:00.004-05:00

I picked up the parts I had chrome plated from the plater this morning. Only a day later than they originally told me. The chrome isnt flawless but they certainly are nice.

The only flaws are a couple pin needle tip sized pits are visible. I dont know what causes this but the aluminum windshield parts have more of them than the steel bow handle. The bow handle has only one and each windshield part has 3 or 4. My step pad chrome parts came like that brand new out of the box as well so at least everything is of equal quality. Its supposed to look "vintage" anyway right.

2010-06-19T09:01:00.003-05:00

Here is a tip....When mixing epoxy dont put your stir stick in your mouth from the "wet" end when you suddenly need a hand free. Poxy-Grip tastes terrible, this is nothing like the glue you ate in kindergarten and isnt likely to become Baskin Robins 32nd flavor either.

2010-06-14T16:52:00.002-05:00

A messy shop means progress is being made. Lots going on here. I still manage to park a motorcycle and a Jeep in here every night too.

The picture is kinda blurry but here is whats going on this week. The seat bases are getting encapsulated on the far right. On the saw horses the 2.75" mahogany deck planks are having the 3/8" bass wood filler strips epoxied to a plank on one side. This will continue for every deck plank. I have all kinds of things sitting on the boat, a drink bottle, used epoxy mixing cups, clamps, drill, sander etc. On the far left of the boat the side cover board is being glued in and clamped, screwed and weights put on it while it cures.

All the king planks are glued in and I only have one coverboard piece left to glue. Once I get a few more bass wood strips epoxied to planks I will be ready to lay the first deck planks.

The chrome plater says my deck hardware and windshield brackets should be ready to pick up friday.

Congrats Todd!!!!!!

2010-06-12T17:13:00.004-05:00

Congrats to Todd B. fellow Zip builder in West Palm, FL. Todd launched his Zip "Gem" today. Hope mine comes out half as nice.
You can see all of Todd's build photos and photos from todays launch here. http://picasaweb.google.com/Buckeyesmith1/Gem#

Dave L. and Ray M. also launched their glen-l boats this week. Dave's is a Riviera http://sites.google.com/site/midnightcryproject/Home/day-musings

and Rays is a True Grit.
http://www.egyptian.net/~raymacke/TG/TG01.html

Its been a busy week in glen-l-boater-ville.

Deck Planking Cut

2010-06-11T12:34:00.005-05:00

This morning I went over to my work buddy James' house and we (he) ripped the mahogany planks and basswood filler strips to size on his very nice table saw.

I think I need to narrow the king plank an inch or two so that I have more than just a sliver of mahogany between the outermost plank and the coverboard inside edge. Or I could trim 1/4" from each plank.

2010-06-06T11:33:00.003-05:00

The chrome bits are at the chrome shop, the upholstery guy is on hold till the deck is done, the decking material is ready to be cut into planks BUT, I'm forced to take 5 days off of building due to work. Until then, have a great week.

2010-06-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

Im having a good building week, 5 hours tues, 4 weds, and 4 today. The sub-deck is glued on and the coverboards and king plank are back in place for now.

My father in-law had a great idea, he said I needed a radius transition in the aft end of the coverboards like the coverboard/king plank transition at the bow. So I made those this morning.

Then I started trimming the outside edge of the coverboards around the sheer. Im still afraid to use a router, since I have never used one so Im doing it the hard way. I trim with a saw as close as I dare and then sand the rest. Im within a couple 1/8ths all the way around now.

I think I'll go order the mahogany stock for my deck planking tomorrow. I also want to take my hardware that needs to be chrome plated to some plating shops tomorrow, there are 3 within 1 mile of each other on the east side of Indy and I'd like to get these done while Im working next week so at least something is getting done while I cant work on the boat myself.

Sub-deck Glued/Screwed in place

2010-06-02T13:45:00.002-05:00

I wanted to be sure the sub-deck wouldnt move on me before I kept going with the deck fitting so I removed the decking and glued and screwed the sub-deck permanently.

A little college on the subject...Unless you are as agile and flexible as an 8 year old, or have one on hand that is handy with a brush and roller, be sure to remember to encapsulate the underside of your sub-deck material before gluing it in place. On the first section of the bow sub-deck I forgot to and it made for an uncomfortable hour on my back, in a tiny, hot, space. On the other hand, with a little padding you could have a little berth under there for naps at sea. The wife found it amusing.
Before I took the decking off to attach the sub-deck I cut out two small inserts for the radius on each side of the king plank for a smooth curved transition from king plank to coverboards at the front of the deck. You might find the radius nearly identical to a SOLO plastic cup lip.
Now to re-install everything and get back to moving forward.

13th month

2010-05-31T21:41:00.003-05:00

I put in 40 hours of boatbuilding this month. That brings the total to 497 hours thus far. Breaking that down, if you are thinking that you dont have the time to build one of these boats yourself think about this. If you break my hours down by month its basically an hour per weekday and 2 hours each weekend day. Food for thought.
Im going to try to put in more hours on the boat in the next couple months and really strive to get finished soon. I still wont announce an official launch date, but the one in my head seems do-able. The last major decision I need to make is how to do the deck planks. Not sure if I want to do all mahogany or add some contrast by using a different species of wood for the individual deck planks. In the mean time I need to prep the sub-deck and permanently install it.

King Plank fitting begins

2010-05-27T20:02:00.003-05:00

Gotta love boat building days like this. It was 80F with a nice breeze blowing into the garage, I got lots of things done and didnt make any mistakes. (at least none that I have noticed yet) Today, I cut the inside curve on the port side. I also rough cut the outside edge of the coverboards on the port side. I left over 1/2" overhanging so I can fair the edge of the coverboards up at the same angle as the hull sides.I also cut the Vee angle into the front of the king plank where it matches with the coverboards. I couldnt resist clamping it in place for a picture. I will be trimming the king plank an inch or two narrower later on. The coverboards will be narrower when the outside edge is faired as well.
Next I'll continue working on the king plank in the aft two sections of the boat and figuring out how wide to make the king plank and deck planks.

Moving forward again

2010-05-26T09:41:00.005-05:00

I got a handle on the coverboards inside curve now. Starting at the center of the boat with the batten and working fore and aft was the ticket. Now the only problem I foresee is duplicating the other side as a mirror image but I dont expect that to be too difficult. Here is the first piece with the inside curve cut, you can see it line up with the line drawn on the second board.

The line marked down the aft section of the boat along the cockpit.

The inside cut complete on the starboard side. The outside edge is only rough cut.

Head Scratching

2010-05-26T00:13:00.002-05:00

These darn cover boards look so simple but have me scratching my head. I have marked the inside curve 3 times and finally have a fair curve but I dont like how the curve interacts with the front cockpit sides. The first two attempts werent even a fair curve, more snake like.

Im going to try a different approach in the morning by clamping the 10' batten I am using to mark the curve at the cockpit side first and then forward and aft from there. Up until this point I have been starting at the bow or transom and working from end to end. I'll try starting in the middle and see what happens. If that doesnt work I'll go back to my templates and experiment. Its quite annoying that this has been hanging me up for several days now.

Cover Board Joints Cut

2010-05-21T15:02:00.006-05:00

Weds and Friday this week I cut the joints in the coverboards and tacked them in place with brads. Im pretty pleased with the joints. I did simple joints with one elbow, i figured the less complex the joint the cleaner my joint lines would be. After the inside and outside radius is trimmed off these boards only the middle 6-8 inches of these 12" wide boards will remain.I cut these with the sabre saw and hit them with the belt sander and a file to finish the jointsI think I am going to be really happy with the way the coverboards come out. The grain in the back 2/3rd of the coverboards really looks awesome, the front 1/3 isnt quite as good since the more angled cuts mean the grain doesnt line up as well but its still very consistent. Getting these all from one board was a great stroke of luck and I'd rather be lucky than good anyday.

Im kinda stuck as to what to do next. Mark the inside radius or mark the outside radius or drill the holes for the screws. I think I will rough cut the outside radius then I can accurately mark and drill the outer screw holes then I can screw everything in place good before I mark the inside radius.
Unfotunately, whatever the next step, its not going to happen until after the weekend. The little Admiral of the boat has other plans for me.

The Lumber Mill

2010-05-18T11:05:00.002-05:00

I get a lot of questions about what all this costs. Well, here is 260$ worth of custom milled African Mahogany, enough to do the cover boards and king plank plus a little extra.

I had a great experience picking this out. I went to my normal lumber yard down the road, Northwest Lumber, with a couple pictures. We went back and picked out a 12" wide, 17 ft, 1" thick rough cut piece of mahogany. Then they let me go back in the milling area and watch as they cut the 17' board to the 10.5' and 6.5' pieces I need for the coverboards. Next they, re-sawed the 1" thick boards with a 30 horsepower band saw that sits sideways with a conveyer that pulls the wood through the saw and refinished it to two 3/8" thick pieces. This way I can do both sides of the boats cover boards from the same piece of lumber. We then picked out a 7" wide, 8' long 1" thick rough mahogany board that best matched the cover boards for the center king plank. They put straight edges on, re-sawed and finished it to get a 3/8" piece as well. It was really neat to be able to see this happen and way cool that we were able to get all the cover boards from one piece of lumber. Normally, I would have to come back to pick up the order a day later but they were slow today so I got to watch the process and take my order home right away.

I guess I have plenty of work to do now, I'm just afraid of making a mistake with this lumber we took all that time to mill.

Cover Board Templates

2010-05-17T13:57:00.004-05:00

The past week on the boat has been small items that dont show much progress. I counter-sunk the sub-deck screws. Did some filling of low spots under the sub-deck. Trimmed the sub deck around the cockpits, motor well and outside edge of the boat.

Now I am planning ahead for the next step, the cover boards. The cover boards will be 3/8" thick mahogany which is cut to cover the outside edge of the boat. The trick is to use as few pieces as possible so there are as few joints as possible. I made some templates out of 1/4" plywood I had left over. These template boards are 10" wide, I think I will make the real ones out of 12" wide material and I believe I will be able to have one less joint using the wider material. Once the real cover boards are fit the inside edges are trimmed to a nice radius similar to the outside edge of the boat.

I think I'll go ahead and order the material for the cover boards tuesday, that should mean it will be ready by weds.

Aft sub-deck rough cut

2010-05-10T13:23:00.003-05:00

I didnt get any work on the boat done on sunday since it was Mothers Day. Today, I rough cut the rest of the sub-deck on the aft portion of the boat.

I need to sand around the cockpits, motowell and all around the outside edge of the deck.

Forward Sub-Deck Rough Cut

2010-05-08T11:38:00.004-05:00

Early this week I faired the deck framework and sheer again. Then late in the week I started fitting the forward sub-decking. Its an exciting part of the build and makes the boat look bigger.

To get the curvature at the front of the cockpit corners I used a 5 gallon bucket bottom to trace the radius. The overhang is 1-1/4". Not sure if I will stick with that amount or trim it back a little more. I'll decide once the rest of the sub-deck is on. It appears I may be able to sub-deck the entire boat with just 2 4x8 sheets of ply.

Motor-well Fillet

2010-05-04T19:05:00.003-05:00

So far this week I have done the epoxy fillet in all the seams of the motor-well. I also started fairing for the sub-deck and bought a couple sheets of sub-deck material to get my started. 1/4" marine ply. A little more fairing is needed before I start fitting the sub deck.My plan is to finish fairing during the week and be ready to start fitting the sub-deck on saturday.

One Year

2010-05-02T11:53:00.005-05:00

Its now been 53 weeks since I started working on this project. I only worked on the boat 29 hours this month but looking back it was still a good month. Additionally, I spent a lot of time visiting two upholstery shops and the boat junkyard as well as several trips to West Marine almost an hour away.

I was able to get the steering link arm and the quick connectors for my throttle and shift cables to attach to my motor from the junkyard. I was amazed that in the mass of junk (4 acres and 3 barns worth) that the junkyard manager was able to go straight to and find the parts I needed.

In the month of April my boat went from a bare hull with seats and a floor to having a full electrical system with working lights and bildge pump, as well as plumbed for gas, steering and throttle cables. The motor-well is also installed and everything has been encapsulated in epoxy. Here are the finished electrical and encapsulation pictures you can see how the electrical and fuel lines go through the armrests, electrical on the port side and fuel on starboard side.

I also appear to have hired a upholstery guy. He cant get to my project until after Memorial day but thats fine with me. You can see his work on his website here. http://www.indycovers.com/ He works from a shop behind his home about 30 minutes south of here.Next up is filleting the motor well then begin fairing for the sub-deck installation to begin.

More Interior and Electrical work

2010-04-28T22:23:00.003-05:00

I'm chipping away at my list of tasks before the decking starts. I began encapsulating the interior this week. I was starting to see signs of wear from dropped tools, etc. So, I sanded and encapsulated those parts to help protect them. So far I only have the back seat area and the motorwell encapsulated. You can see the contrast of the Mahogany color and the Ash floor color. Thats exactly the look I was going for.

Also, I took some pictures of the electrical work so far. I still have some connections to make before I tidy-up the wires and clamp the looms in place but you can see the switch connections and the fuse/bus panel behind the dash. The wires from the battery to the fuse panel and back to the bildge pump and anchor light run inside the side cup-holder rests.

Thursday after work I am going to a local upholstery shop with pictures of my seats and other finished Zip seats to talk about getting my seats upholstered. I'm prepared for sticker shock but hoping for the best. I also will stop by the boat junkyard to see if they have a steering arm link for a mercury outboard and also the clips that hold the throttle/shift cables in place on the motor. Those are the only parts I still need for my motor to run and steer.

Let there be light!

2010-04-25T19:25:00.005-05:00

I had a great trip for work to central FL thurs-fri and I got to visit again with Glen-L Monte Carlo builder John Amundson and see his project, Its HUGE, I think 26ft.

Back at home this weekend and I've been fearing the electrical system for some time. I just didnt know what I was doing and couldnt find the information I needed in books or online. My electrical system is plain simple but I am pretty ignorant when it comes to electrical buses and switches. So I started out making my battery box a tray to hold it between the bottom battens in the floor of the boat.

The tray will be attached to the battens and the box will be have straps to secure it to the tray. With this done I couldnt procrastinate the electrical system any longer.

I went to West Marine and the guys were super helpful. I told them what I was doing and what I already had and they helped me get everything else I needed. I came home and wired my battery + and - terminals to a DC sub-panel fuse block. http://bluesea.com/products/5025 Then I wired the - from my bow light to the - ground side of the fuse block. Next I wired the + wire from the light to the switch. This is where my lack of knowledge hit and I didnt know which of the 3 terminals on the switch the power wires went to. The switch didnt come with instructions either and I didnt want to fry anything expensive. Luckily, a couple emails to fellow builders taught me some kollege. Thanks to them my bow light now lights up and I can continue on with the rest of the electrical items. I actually really enjoy wiring now that I sorta know what I am doing.

Motor Well

2010-04-21T09:40:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I took the motor back off the boat with the help of a buddy. This morning I finished constructing the motor well.

Work is going to interfere with any more progress until the weekend.

Ted's visit.

2010-04-18T20:15:00.003-05:00

Today fellow Glen-L Zip builder Ted Gauthier dropped in out of the sky for a visit. Ted and one of his many brothers were on thier way back to MI from TX in the homebuilt Vans RV-6 airplane Ted built and since Indy is on their way it made for a good time for a quick visit. You can see more at Teds blog. http://tedsbuild.blogspot.com/ Here are a couple pictures of Ted and his brother as they readied for the hop to MIIf Ted's boat is anything like the plane he built I'm sure it looks amazing. I hope his visit to my amatuer build was somehow beneficial. Ted was in a hurry to get home to MI but it was great to have a fellow Zip builder drop by even for only a few minutes.
Only building I did today was epoxy in the framework for the motorwell.

Engine Mounted!

2010-04-17T16:01:00.004-05:00

Today I had a r/c sailboat regatta near my house. http://www.indyadmirals.org/. Afterwards several of the sailboat skippers came over and we got the engine test mounted in place. Now I can get things hooked up in order to figure out the dimensions to finish the motor well and fit all the fuel lines and steering cables. The motor will then come off again.

Friday I installed the dash switches for the running lights and bilge pump. Install was as simple as drilling two holes and tightening the nuts.

I also did a little wood work. I made some corners to hold the fuel tank from sliding on the floor of the boat. I also made small triangle blocks to make the carlings a little stronger.

Lotsa' parts

2010-04-15T17:55:00.002-05:00

Shopping spree today. Got almost everything I need for the boat to run. Battery, battery box, fuel lines, fuel deck fill and hose, fuel vent and hose, engine fuel connector as well as the light and bildge pump switches. Im just missing the steering arm link for the outboard, the bildge pump and all the wiring.
Now I just gotta get back to working on the boat.

Throttle Control Bracket.

2010-04-09T22:31:00.003-05:00

Today I worked on a throttle control bracket. I dont really like what I came up with, its not real elegant. Its just a elbow of two pieces of 3/4" mahogany that would attach to the armrest. I just cant figure out a better way to get the throttle where I want it. This is the most comfortable position with full range of movement for the throttle and choke levers. If any of you have a better idea shoot me an email.

The throttle control box has 4 holes in it around the paremeter of the blue portion to bolt the throttle in place. The only other thought i had was to have a piece of mahogany come down from the carling above and bolt the throttle to it. I think that idea is just too cumbersome, it would take a pretty large piece of wood since the bolt holes are at the bottom of the throttle control box.

Thats all till next week, no boat work will happen over this weekend.

Steering wheel

2010-04-07T14:42:00.002-05:00

The steering wheel my wife got for me arrived today.
I also faired the carlings today.

Steering helm

2010-04-05T21:26:00.004-05:00

The Teleflex steering system and helm came today. Got it installed this evening.
I wanted to the wheel to be mounted with some tilt to it and not flat 90 degrees that it would be if you simply attached the helm directly to the dash. So I first made a circular wedge of 8 degrees which is the amount of tilt I decided I like. The the wedge gets a hole drilled in it for the steering wheel shaft to fit through.

Next the dash gets a hole sawn through it to fit the steering wheel shaft. Teleflex includes a template for this and the mounting bolts. Its a simple matter of bolting things in place after that. Pretty easy install but it is nerve wracking to drill a huge hole on the dashboard frame. The steering wheel should be in anyday.

Also pulled the boat outside and washed the sawdust off the hull and trailer. In the background you can see my buddy Bax opening the box for the steering system.

Motorwell Framework

2010-04-04T21:58:00.002-05:00

Friday I started on the motorwell framework. I then stopped with only the 3 frame pieces installed because I thought I should test fit the motor with the steering installed before I finalize the depth of the well. I have measured for the motor both upright and when tilted forward but since I dont have all the steering parts I dont know how much room I will really need for the steering to clear the sides of the well.

End of another month

2010-03-31T20:07:00.003-05:00

This is the end of the 11th month of the build. I put 56 hours labor into the build in March. For a total of 428 hours to date.

I bought some nice cupholder inserts for the boat on ebay for about 3$ each. They are stainless steel and are made for poker tables. I also ordered the complete steering system, a 12' Teleflex The Rack system. I still need the fuel lines but need to do some research to see what type I need for my vintage restored 1975 Merc engine.

Rear seat

2010-03-29T19:25:00.002-05:00

The aft seat is installed now.

Another mistake/Then first ride.

2010-03-26T21:56:00.005-05:00

I saw this on a wood boat picture today. It was a placard inside a classic wood boat. It stated,

"If God had intended for boats to be fiberglass he would have made fiberglass trees."

Funny stuff. Anyway, I took a little ride in the boat today.

Boatbuilding bliss is spending 40 minutes perfectly cutting and shaping a part then on the final cut, cutting on the wrong side of the line and ruining the entire part. D*&$ IT!! It was the top of the port rear armrest. Need another 2.5' x7" board.

I finished the starboard rear armrest though, here is a picture of the joint with the forward armrest and cut around frame 2. Also glued up the seat box for the rear seat base. Only worked on the boat 4 hours today.

Interior work begins

2010-03-25T19:42:00.005-05:00

Finally starting the interior work. I wasted 3 days looking at pictures online, sketching in my head then on paper and finally came up with a plan for the interior that I was satisfied would be easy enough for me and my lack of talent to build and still look good while being funtional. Here is 14 hours work over the last 2 days... basically 3 boxes. Sorry, the pictures are kind of yellowed out, I didnt have the flash on because all the dust in the air made it look like snow and it was dark outside so no natural light.

The side armrests will have cupholders mounted in them. If i decide to get fancy I can make them glove boxes too. The inside of the side planking will likely have thin upholstered panels in them so the inside grain of the boats exterior side planking is not visible. The throttle controls will be bolted on a mahogany plate extending down from the carling near the deck and the cables run aft under the deck. The front seat bottom will hinge up for storage under the seat. Once the seat cushion is installed the seat height will be slighly above the edge of the boxes on the side of the seat.
The seat looks low and it is, I dont like how in some Zips the people are seated up quite high. The front of the seat box is 4-1/2" above the floor and reclines to 3-1/2" at the rear. Its quite comfortable, I tested it. The recline angle makes the shallow area for your legs very comfortable. Your legs have plenty of room to stretch out. Your arm/elbow comfortably rest right at the deck height. Kinda like driving a pickup truck with your arm/elbow resting out the window sill. Cool. I

Above is the rear seat beginning to take shape. The vertical portion of the glove-box cup-holder thingy is cut to size just need to cut the top and shape it. The seat box is started, the rear seat is 1" lower than the front seat. The rear seat passengers' legs can exted all the way to the front seat box. The rear seat back will hinge forward to allow access to the battery and other electrical equipment as well as some extra storage. Again, I will likely have a thin upholstered piece on the side between the glove-box/cup-holder and the bottom of the deck.

Ready to move on.

2010-03-21T17:30:00.003-05:00

Finally, the sole is encapsulated in epoxy and going back into the boat. I'm more than ready to move on, this process with the floor has taken quite some time. I also have applied the masking tape for my boot stripe. Once I decide if I like the placement I will prime the stripe.

I'll work on gluing the carlings and seat back framework in place tomorrow and get ready to start building the seat boxes for the bench seats. I need to keep from walking on the sole of the boat until it is completely cured.

Floor grain and color.

2010-03-17T21:14:00.003-05:00

Tonight after work I started encapsulating the Sole boards in epoxy. You can now see the color they will be when varnished clear and the grain patterns really look nice to me. I think this will look great with the mahogany surrounding it. I only have enough room to do a handful of boards at a time and the wife still get her car in the garage and still be able to get into her car. I think this process will take a bit of time because it will take two coats to get even coverage. I could start on the side kick panels or seats in the interior but I am afraid of making dust that will stick on the wet epoxy of the boards. Plus the boards kinda need to be in the boat for accurate measurements for those next parts. So I'll most likely goof off with some other hobby while waiting for coats to dry.

2010-03-15T21:50:00.004-05:00

S-L-O-W-L-Y getting there on the floor. The aft section of floor is going in.

Never ending floor

2010-03-12T21:20:00.003-06:00

Seems like the floor is taking forever. Ive got all but the rear seat area done. 6 more planks to go. Then I to build the brace that helps support the wieght evenly among the planks and transfers the load to the keel.

I do need to replace one plank in the forward cockpit. I snapped off a bronze screw head in the plank and while trying to remove the shank from within the board I goobered it up so its not pretty anymore around the countersunk screw head. Thats only a 15$ mistake so not bad. If it werent a custom cut board I could just flip it over to the not goobered up side but this one is cut to fit around the frame gusset.

The boatbuilding budget got a boost today. I sold my Precision 13 sailboat. No need for 2 boats.

Here is a picture of it from last summer.

Sole continued...

2010-03-07T19:56:00.002-06:00

Just a few more pics of the Sole progress today. I worked another 7 hours on it today. As expected I got distracted by my motorcycle and the nice weather and rode to where my Precision 13 sailboat is stored in my buddies hangar and put the new registration and license plate on it. Then rode the long way home. ;)

As far as the Sole goes I got most of the front two areas finished. Both compartments still need the outer most boards. These take quite a bit of fitting and sanding and fitting and sanding. Im being extra careful not to accidently make a part too small and waste wood, so it takes a while. I havent even started on the rear passenger compartment's Sole yet. I'll run short of wood back there by a couple pieces so I'll have to get another 8ft Ash board to cut to size.

Sole (floor)

2010-03-06T21:09:00.007-06:00

I learned a new term in my Boatbuilding with Plywood book this week. Its not called a floor, its called the Sole. Whatever you call it, it takes a lot of time to install. Ive been at it 8 hours and dont have much to show for it.

I started by making a bunch of blocks to support the ends of the sole planks. I could have saved time with one long piece but I didnt want to be able to see the support between the planks. Also had I used the bottom frame member as the support I could have saved even more time but I wanted the floor lower so I have the blocks sunk down so the planks are flush with the bottom frame members and butt against them. This gives me an inch lower seating position and I like the look. I will also have some bracing directly under the seat that will spread the load of the passengers evenly amoung the planks and to the keel.

I have the planks spaced 3/4". I like the look. I dont normally carry loose change or other small items when I go in a boat so I am not worried about stuff falling in the gaps. If something does get lost between the planks the seats will be easily removable with 4 screws and the sole will only be screwed to the blocks, not glued. Everything can be removed in just a couple minutes for access and cleaning. This is something Todd B told me when I visited his boat. Everything in his interior looks great but is easy to remove quickly as well.

The planks themselves are Ash and I am excited to see how these turn out varnished in contrast to the rest of the interior which will be varnished mahogany. I think the contrast will look nice...I hope. They do have some interesting grain. If I dont like it I can always put marine carpet over the entire floor.

You can see my 8 hours of work didnt get me far. I only have the middle of one section so far.

I have most of the planks for the forward storage/fuel tank section cut to size also but not pictured. I glued up the blocks for the forward planks before calling it a night. More of the same work tomorrow. The weather is warming up here so I might get distracted by r/c planes for a couple hours like I did today or maybe a motorcycle ride, if it doesnt rain.

Ordered Floor Material

2010-03-03T12:57:00.002-06:00

I've been agonizing over the floor material and method of installation for days. I priced a mahogany plank floor and it would be very expensive, more than I want to pay for the floor of the boat. I had mostly ruled out a plywood floor because I dont really know if I want to carpet the floor which would be required to cover the ugly plywood grain. So I looked for a cheaper material for a planked floor which could also be carpeted if I choose later on. I settled on an Ash planked floor for price and durability. Its only 100$ more than plywood. I pick up the order on friday. The goal is that the lighter color Ash floor contrasts nicely with the mahogany on the rest of the boats interior and exterior.
I plan to install the floor even with the height of the bottom of the frames. Which will allow the floor to lay about an inch lower than normal in the boat.

2010-02-28T16:35:00.007-06:00

This weekend I finished up the deck framing. I cant believe how fast this has gone. I only flipped two weeks ago.

None of the new parts aft of the dashboard are permanantly glued/screwed yet. They fit so well they are all just wedged in place. I need to glue/screw them and then fair the top edges even with the contour of the deck. Its neat to see the basic layout.

I put in 56 hours of build time in during Feb. Dad put in 16.

Next I will be building the splashwell just in front of where the engine mounts.

2010-02-26T20:00:00.004-06:00

I have only worked about 3 hours on the boat since the last post. I started cutting out the front seat back frame yesterday but then my new r/c helicopter arrived. So I played with that the rest of the afternoon. I might have too many hobbies and an undiagnosed attention disorder. This afternoon I finished up cutting it out and sanding the part. I almost forgot to recline it. At first I installed it with no recline. That might be uncomfortable. Its not glued in yet, I am waiting until I make the side carling that butts up to this.

Deck Battens finished. Fuel tank arrives.

2010-02-24T20:22:00.004-06:00

Today I attached the aft end of the forward deck battens to the blocks behind the dash. Im a little concerned the steering mechanism might interfere with the starboard most block, cross that bridge when I come to it. Also faired the forward end of the forward deck battens to the sheer at the bow of the boat. The final task tonight I measured and marked for the seat backs and carlings. I should be able to get to Northwest Lumber to get the material for those tomorrow and work on them on thursday.

The 12 gallon fuel tank also has arrived. A nice place to store it for the mean time is right up in the front of the boat where it will go to even out weight distribution. This tank comes with a fuel guage sending unit, a fuel fill neck, vent fitting and supply fitting already installed.
I also took my plans to a r/c modeling friend that works for an architecture firm and we blew up the 1:12 plans 202% to 1:6 scale. We both plan to build r/c models of the Zip at 28.8" in length powered with electric outboard motors.

Long Weekend

2010-02-22T13:34:00.005-06:00

This weekend was a 4 day marathon of boats. My Dad came down from Chicago friday to help on the boat and visit my brother who lives nearby for his birthday. We started off by going to Northwest Lumber and getting the lumber for the forward deck framing. They had a beautiful strip canoe they have been working on for 2 years getting its varnish coats put on.

We measured and cut the notches in frame 5-1/2 for the deck frame members. Then we made blocks for the front and back of the members to sit on and attach to. The blocks prevent you from having these members notched in the dashboard/frame 4 and showing through the dash.

Before we fit the deck frame members we faired the Sheer all around the boat. This gives a level surface for the deck to attach to with the same contour of the to of each frame. This process took a lot of time, around 10 hours using a electric hand planer and elec hand belt sander.

We took a break from the boat work to go to the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show. The highlights for us were the Michiana Outboard Boaters display of vintage outboards and wooden boats, including a Chris Craft Cobra. As well as the Indy Admirals R/C boat display. http://www.indyadmirals.org/

Sunday we watched the race, worked on fairing some more and fitting of the forward deck frame members. Also had to take a break to go buy and install a new battery in the wifes Jeep. She was leaving to go to the store and it finally gave up and wouldnt crank. After dinner we epoxied the forward portion of the forward deck frame members in place and clamped them overnight.

Today, after I got back from a quick early morning flight for work we cleaned out the boat and put on a 3rd boat of encapsulation epoxy to seal the interior wood. (no pic) Then Dad heading back to Chicago

Tomorrow I'll bend down the other end of the forward deck frame logs and attach them.
Overall Dad and I logged 16 hours working on the boat this weekend.

Encapsulation

2010-02-16T15:03:00.003-06:00

Since the flip on saturday I have been busy on the boat but it doesnt appear so. I removed the building form and the 2x6 block spacers at the breasthook in the front of the boat. Then I removed most of the epoxy runs in the inside of the boat with a chisel.

The last couple days I have been encapsulating the interior of the boat with epoxy resin to waterproof the wood. I have one coat on the entire boat now.

I still need to do a second coat. I roll the big areas but to get in the corners I have to use a small brush and it takes a while. Then it takes a long time to cure in these cool temps. Since I took down the plastic enclosure I am now heating the entire garage and the warmest I can get it on a 25F day is about 55-60F.

The FLIP!!!

2010-02-13T15:24:00.004-06:00

Couldnt have asked for a nicer day around here for the Flip. The snow gave us a really soft spot to roll the boat over in the grass. I rented some muscles with pizza for payment. Those that helped were my father in-law and a college/flying buddy, as well as two buddies from the local r/c boat club. Im in the grey coat and black pants.

This photo is now my desktop photo and shows all the muscle that made it possible. More photos below.

I spent a little time adjusting the bunks first. Then took down the plastic structure that enclosed one half of my garage, where I work on the boat. I added two wood spacers between each 2x6 of the building form where they meet the transom. The spacers fit between the 2x6 and the transom frame so that when you you pick up the aft end of the boat the hull does not try to lift off the form. It kept everything sturdy.

After that it went over in just a couple minutes. I cleaned out the garage and am ready to fill my days working on the boat next week. Lots to do now but I better spend a little time with the sweetie this weekend too

Trailer is here!

2010-02-12T17:57:00.002-06:00

The trailer arrived just in time for the weekend. By the time I got it home it was dark so no pictures. Rounding up some troops for the flip tomorrow.

Hurry up and wait.

2010-02-11T05:33:00.002-06:00

Nothing new happening on the boat. Just some small odd tasks while I wait for the trailer to arrive. It should be here early next week but I may need to wait until next weekend to flip the boat when more helpers are available.
Also ordering more screws and epoxy while its on sale.

Bottom paint finished

2010-02-04T20:46:00.003-06:00

Finished the bottom paint today, 4 coats, sanded between every coat working up to 400 grit.
Its not perfect but its the best I can do. Its got a little lint in it but most of that should buff out. Its hard to get a flat surface in a garage to not attract any dust.

Now its going to cure for a couple weeks before the trailer arrives which is perfect. It's going to be slow going unless I can come up with some more ways to progress while watching paint dry. There will be lots to do after the flip. I will be able to multi-task again and I need to make sure I have the materials ready.

3rd bottom paint coat.

2010-02-02T16:20:00.002-06:00

I sanded with 400 grit and painted the 3rd coat today. It really looks great. I got a chance to check it out with the garage open today and it looks even better with the natural light on it. I did not tip it this time and I ended up with some tiny pin-hole sized bubbles. So after cure I'll knock those off, re-coat and tip as usual.

I also got a couple thin spots in the paint again so I'll have a chance to fix those also, even though I'm the only one that would ever notice them. You can see in the photos I took the tape off. I was getting worried about having a ridge at the tape line with all these coats. I'll sand the edge and apply tape again before I re-coat and pull the tape about 1 hour after the final coat.

I worked on the boat for 41 hours last month. Pretty good progress for January.

Trailer ordered.

2010-02-01T14:15:00.002-06:00

Today I ordered a brand new trailer for the Zip. It's a Shorelandr SLV15, black, with 13" wheels/tires instead of the standard 12".
http://www.shorelandr.com/pages/t_specs.aspx?type=boat&productID=193
Its a 2009 leftover so I got it for a pretty good deal. I pick it up in 2 weeks, its coming from another location. My bottom paint should be finished and cured enough to flip the boat and put it on the trailer by then so the timing is perfect.
I looked at a lot of used trailers for sale online and by the time I fixed them up to look presentable and function correctly the difference in price would only be a few hundred dollars.

A little more cure time and i'll be able to sand the boat for the next coat of paint.

2nd paint coat

2010-01-30T20:43:00.005-06:00

I sanded and applied the second paint coat. Its thin in some areas and I still got a run or two. I think one more coat outta do it. I'll sand with a even finer grit paper and see if I can get a smoother finish. I gotta do something while I wait for the trailer.

Bottom Paint

2010-01-28T21:50:00.004-06:00

Tuesday morning I painted the first coat of blue. Thanks to Dave's advice I painted the first coat within 24 hours so that the blue chemically bonds to the primer for a durable finish. I used the roll and tip method which consists of rolling the paint on with a foam roller then sliding a 4" foam brush in straight, even, single strokes from the middle of the boat outward to knock down the high spots and help the paint lay down flat and glossy. You get as good a finish as spraying the paint with this method without the equipment and mess.

The blue matches the trim stripes on the Mercury engine perfectly. Its bright, but you have to remember you only see a little bit of the blue when the boat is right side up.

Today, I sanded the first coat of blue to knock down the runs and scuff up the surface for the second coat. I'll lay the second coat on saturday. Depending how it comes out that may be the final coat.

Primer

2010-01-25T17:41:00.003-06:00

Busy day in the boat department today.

UPS and Fedex brought me packages. UPS brought me the new Michigan Wheel Vortex XHS 13P prop. Its mounted on the motor now, just need a new lock nut next time I am at the hardware store and torque it down.

FedEx brought my paint order from Supermarine. Supermarine paint is on the Queen Mary and many US Navy ships and recently became available to the public. On the suggestion of the tech department at Supermarine I used the 664D one part primer. Its very simple to use and applies with a foam roller. They say its very easy to sand, I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm excited, this process goes lightning fast compared to the fiberglass process. Should have the color coats on by the end of the week.

Marking the Waterline

2010-01-24T15:45:00.003-06:00

Today I marked the waterline. I wanted a waterline that sticks up a couple inches out of the water when the boat sits at the dock. I noticed that most Zips sit fairly low at the stern when sitting in the water and the waterline ends up submerged. To correct this I angled mine to be high in the stern and its just my best guess at how high to make it. I hope I didnt over do it.

In the front I had the waterline follow fairly close to the chine and up to the stem. I did this so the paint will cover up the flaws where the side and bottom planking meet towards the bow.

Someone once said Craftsmanship is just how good you hide your mistakes.

Prop Swap

2010-01-21T16:51:00.005-06:00

Looking for things to do until the primer and paint arrive. I took the prop off the motor. I always planned on replacing it since the prop that came on the motor is for pushing a heavy pontoon boat and wont be so good for a runabout. I ordered a prop with less diameter and more pitch, a 10-3/8"X13" . As far as I can tell in my research that is the best all around prop for my purpose. The new prop should arrive monday, so Fedex and UPS should be visiting me that day.

Maybe tomorrow I will start on those transom bands. I found 3 chrome shops in Indy today so I could get those done and get all my parts to chrome soon.

2010-01-20T13:47:00.002-06:00

Fedex tracking indicates the paint and primer wont arrive until monday the 25th. I'll do the final sanding this weekend so I am ready.

Also been looking at trailers. I decided not to use my sailboat trailer, its just too small. The sailboat and trailer are for sale by the way. http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/boa/1557454438.html

I should make the transom guards while I am waiting for the paint. Then I will have all the parts that need to be sent out for chrome finished.