Year End Recap

Does anyone know what happened to 2009?. It’s gone and I cant find it anywhere.

The Big Tuna is right on schedule and the 2009 goal was achieved.
- Frames built
- Keel set.
- Chine logs put in place

Very minimal fairing has been done due to lack of time and the need to proceed with the rest of the build.

Many thanks to Svein for his support, wisdom, inspiration, and technical tips.I also want to thank Gil, my neighbor, who was my third and fourth hand when I needed it. Both of you are welcome on the Big Tuna any day.Honorable mention to Luis and Riley who also helped with the boat. "Is it finished yet pop?"

Best wishes to everyone and a wonderful, healthy and happy New Year!

Now I leave you for 2009 with some updated pictures of the Big Tuna.

Placing the port side chine log on frame.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Starbord view from bow to stern. Uper and lower chine logs in place.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stern to bow veiw. with chine logs in place.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chine logs meet at the bow. Finally! This picture shows rough cuts for notches. The notch shown was all done with a hammer and wood chisel. Be patient. Chip away. Step back. Look. Rough fit. Chip away. Step back. Look. rough fit. And so on. If you get tired, take a break or call it a day but what ever you do, dont rush it.

And finally the chine logs meet. The exess piece will be trimmed off and sanded flush.
Again, best wishes for 2010!




More picturs and updates to follow in January 2010.

Quote of the Month

We're not exactly building a concert grand piano here but she's gotta look sweet inside and outside.
- Svein Kopfelt

Advice from Svein after a few email exchanges discussing the assembly of the chine logs.

The Big Tuna Skeleton

The end of October was productive. The keel was dropped in place and the starboard chine log was fitted with clamps. In addition the bow stem was also installed. Let's view it.

Keel dropped in place and secured with clamp. Note the notches on the right side (also one on the left side). This notch allows the water to drain to the back of the boat where the bilge pump will pump it out of the boat. Without those notches, the water will accumulate in each comportment making it more difficult, if not impossible, to drain.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the build so far has been fitting the chine log. To think that there are three more to go! Luckily a boat building friend, Svein, was able to assist me by providing some words of wisdom and encouragement via telephone.  This picture shows the transom with the chine log fit in place. It is currently held on using clamps while checking for a flush fit against the vertical frame. The best advice I can give anyone who gets to this phase can be summed up in one word. Patience. It will be tested. Speed here is not an option. As a matter of fact it will hurt you.

This was a very difficult notch to cut. It was mostly done by hand, like the old days, with a chisel and hammer. Note the bow stem in the front also has a notch to receive the chine log. That notch was also made with a chisel and hammer. The plank on the left side of the picture is the actual chine log. It will bend around to fit in both notches.

Side view of the Big Tuna with the chine and keel in place. The end of the chine log will be trimmed down flush to the transom.

It’s actually starting to look like a boat!

The next step is fit the port side chine log. Once the port side has been fitted, they will be screwed and glued in place. Keep  your chisels sharp!

Lost My Parking Spot

Now that Big Tuna’s frames are off the floor and on the strong back, I lost my parking spot in the garage. All in the name of progress.

Speaking of progress, let's take a look at what has been done.

KEELSON & DRAIN HOLES

Prior to cutting, I needed a guide for the keelson notch. I cut a small 1/4 inch think piece of the keelson to use as a template.

I lined it up in position and I traced the template on the frame.

Once the cut is made, I verified it with the template. Any small "imperfection" of the cut can be filled with epoxy and filler.

For the drain holes, I again used a small template to make my cuts.

Notches for keelson and drain holes have been cut on all frames. There is a gusset on every frame for additional support on the joint but only located on one side.

CHINE LOGS

To create the notches for the chine logs, I cut a small piece of the actual chine log so that I can use it as a template. I gave it a light coat of epoxy to prevent it from chipping while working with the template.

When I was ready to cut the notch, i would trace the template on the position that I wanted.

Carefully and patiently, I then cut the notch for the chine log. Note that the top edge (over the ruler) is on the very edge of the frame. You have to make sure that the outer corner of the chine log meets evenly with the edge of the frame. The remainder is sanded down flush.

SETTING UP THE FRAMES ON THE STRONG BACK.

The strong back helps in many ways. It is a must to build if you want to move forward with the project.

Here Gil and I are lining up each frame on the strong back to the exact spacing as indicated in the plans. I cut a block of 2x4 for the proper spacing needed (18inches). I then used a right triangle to assist in truing up the frames to ensure they were lined up properly. Unless you're an octopus, an extra set of hands can be very useful.

Gil man handling what appears to be Frame #5

Lou checking frames.

Frames Completed

Went to the Sea Aquarium this morning with the family. For some reason, I had a sudden urge to finish the last frame on the Big Tuna when I got home this afternoon. Well...the frame is finished. The most cumbersome part of the build appears to be over!

Next steps are:
Sanding the frames.
Cutting notches for the keelson
Cutting notches for the chine logs.

After this, it will start looking like a boat!

Should be on schedule for the February 2010 launching!

How's It Looking?

Front view looking to the stern.
It's not looking like much right now but that's part of the fun. Here is the layout of the transom and frames 1 through 3. As you can see, it's going to have a nice width which will be comfortable for fishing.

The wood is made of spruce and it's the common 2x4 found in your local home improvement store. They will have a coat of epoxy once the sides and floor are fitted.




Back view of the transom.
Right now the engine mount is set at a 15" height, however, that may be modified to a 20" motor mount. A self bailing compartment is in the works for the transom. Looking at the width, it appears that two people can sit in the stern comfortably.

The supervisor in the background is Uncle Gil. He's really my neighbor but we call him Uncle Gil. He's had a hand in this project and it's been very helpful thus earning his fishing spot on the dory.

Quote of the month....

From a fellow boat builder via email June 12, 2009:

"I believe that building a boat is an admirable avocation. Building a boat that you will launch and step into and run it into whatever seas are present takes an unusual leap of faith. Life is a journey and when you have taken that first ride in your boat you will be a different person." - Svein Kopfelt

That pretty much wraps it up.