Building 'Sharpy' Part 49

I accomplished two things today: I prepared the keel for pieces of hardwood that will be screwed and glued to the leading and aft edges, and I faired the lead weights in preparation for adding some sort of fairing, possibly plastic padding as is used on car repairs.


Surprisingly, the most difficult task was removing a few spots of Evo-stik that had adhered to the outside surfaces of the keel. The best solution I found was to scrape the hardened Evo-stik with a credit card. I removed some of the glue with my fingernails, but the thinner, harder patches were nigh impossible to get off.


Derek’s keel fits pretty snugly into the keel box and to enable it to move easily he waxes the keel. I shall try to achieve a snug fit, but not too tight a fit. If there is too much slop in the box the keel could slam and I don’t want that to happen when the boat is on the run, or when there is very little wind, as can be the case if there is some movement of the sea.


I suppose I’m now able to build the keel box because I know the exact dimensions of the keel. In fact, it is as per plan, i.e., 15 mm thick and 10 inches wide. I could also build the leading and aft edges of the keel. I never finished the rudder, which requires its yoke. So there are a few small wooden parts to make before I get back building the hull.

P.S. If you are very observant you will notice that the keel weights are on the wrong sides of the keel. The thinner of the two, should be on the port side, but I have not yet attached them, or drilled holes through the weights for doing it.