Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 84

Doing the infill

Whatever you build, it will require components, and my boat is no exception. She’s really simple by comparison with some. Perhaps the most complicated part is her keel, with its various bits and pieces. To finish making the keel I had to scoot around this afternoon to find two 140 millimetre stainless steel bolts with their nuts and washers, and while I was in the suppliers I bought a brand new metal 10.00 millimetre bit for drilling holes through the removable keel weight to suit the bolts.


The photographs illustrate how I fixed the weights and made a plywood infill between both of them. I’ve deliberately left a small gap between the infill and the aft edge of the keel, because I may need to take the thing apart at some later date. To improve the shape for minimizing drag, I shall fill the gap with flexible putty that can easily be removed if necessary.


Unlike the original keel design I have simplified it by having continuous threaded round-headed bolts that keep the fixed weight attached to the port side. These bolts also support the removable weight on the starboard side, and they are retained by nuts and washers. To minimize wear to the holes in the movable weight I shall attempt to fill the threads of the bolts with epoxy – that’s apart from the very ends to which the nuts are screwed. Then, after the keel weights have been painted, the keel will be finished.

Both Keel Weights

While I was buying the bolts for the keel I also bought a small one for the keel hoist ball bearing bracket.



A little more work will be required around the cockpit area, and I’m still trying to resolve how to make the best seat for the boat.


Next time I visit the chandlers I’ll check out their small pintles and gudgeons to see if I can use them for attaching the rudder - more properly the rudder stock which houses the kick-up rudder.