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To read the previous posts in this series, click the links below:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Still trying to figure out how to regift my Zip (see Forum for details), but in the meantime I have installed the aft deck sections, coamings, the top of frame 3, and the strongback. Once everything was faired up nicely and the forward deck sections were fitting properly, I cleaned everything up and finished encapsulating the hull interior and the bottoms sides of the forward deck pieces.

Side shot of the boat showing the coamings and strongback.

Aft side decks are in place and the coamings. I removed the screws that held the coamings to the transom during curing and drilled out the holes and epoxied in hardwood dowels. There will also be a knee installed between the coamings and in front of the transom for additional support.

Another shot of the interior looking foward. Hopefully I will be setting the forward deck pieces tomorrow.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Today I was able to trim up and install the starboard side decking and started trimming up the port side. The aft end was trimmed to fit to the aft deck piece and the front was trimmed to fit along the strongback. It was also trimmed to fit at frame 3. I clamped it in place to mark along the sides where the mounting screws would go.

I opted out of using screws along the forward portion of the bow. The bow is so thin there that the screws would probably penetrate the hull bottom. Since the glues we use are so strong and the gluing area so wide, this should be just fine I also just glued and clamped the joint along the strongback and frame 3. Once the areas where I would be placing screws were marked, I drill holes in the decking for them. No screws were placed basically forward of frame 3.

Tomorrow I will install the port side and maybe start on the cockpit and cowl.

Here the starboard decking is on. Excess will be trimmed off once all the decking is on. I will bullnose the edges and install stainless steel rub rails along the sheers and the bow.

Front view of the decking and the clamping used along the bow and strongback. I won't be able to clamp the port side along the strongback, so screws will be used here. You can see how wide the bow is and the large suface that the glue will have to adhere everything together.

Starting to look sleek now!!!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Yesterday I finished the decking and today I plucked all the green eyelashes and sanded down the excess. I used my grinder with a 50 grit disc to hog down the majority of the excess. A belt sander and sanding block was used to smooth things out. I used my Weber Grill ash tray to draw the radius on the deck behind the sponsons and cut them with a dremel and a cutoff wheel. I will be radiusing the edges along the shears for rub rail. The edges are looking nice and I will try to get the smallest rail possible. Tomorrow I will be working on the dash and cowl and maybe the transom knee.