![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kM022XO6Y8/Tanxi-mQgpI/AAAAAAAADbc/ATQyuogUJYk/s320/slot.jpg)
I had an enjoyable day building ‘Sharpy’. My skills were tested because I had to cut out a slot in the keelson to exactly fit the keel box. I first drilled a line of fine holes through the keelson; then I chiselled away at them until I cut a hole through the wood for the blade of the jigsaw. Using the saw I cut one side of the slot. Similarly, I cut the other side. Finally I chiselled out the ends of the slot, ensuring they were cut at right angles to the other sides.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SnGjti0GRPY/TanxuZzdzoI/AAAAAAAADbk/Mheh3J9J_gg/s320/keel_test.jpg)
As I had already prepared the fore and aft deck beams, I glued them and the keel box to their respective parts. I tensioned everything together with pieces of string and left the epoxy to set. Meanwhile I screwed two jam cleats for the steering lines to the yoke of the rudder stock and I tested the rudder. I found that I shall have to add pieces to the rudder were it rotates in the stock, to make it fit better, with a minimum of slack.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_k-t8s6grA/TanxKhidVPI/AAAAAAAADbU/UjupBC89abE/s320/in_place.jpg)
I may find time tomorrow for a little more boat building – perhaps shaping the aft bottom panel.
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