Our Build

 End of November, coldest night for eons and the Ullapool 1 Skiff group, subsequently christened ‘the A team’, started the build of the first St Ayles Skiff for Loch Broom. The build is going to be documented in snaps rather than produce acres of obfuscating text. To speed loading the pix the build will be spread over a number of pages. As progress is made the following page list will be expanded.  So - to the snaps starting with laminating the aprons and outer stems.  Oar making started after Christmas. Building Frame and Mould erection detail is here . Planking is covered here and we have the keel and outer stem fit here.  A major stage was the hull turnover  after which we started fitting out the interior with the fastibaands . Gunwales, kabes and rouths were a multihanded task.

Click on the thumbnails for the bigger picture.

After the first night

trying a laminate for ‘bendability’

Topher easing the laminations into place

General view of the working area,

The LBSC obervers seeking clarification

easing the stern apron into place

easing the stern apron into place

temporary nail in place

First clamp in place

Topher applying the glue

Mike spreading the glue

the blue hand gang in full flow

view of the curing laminate –

Bow apron laminate completed

Both laminates left to cure

Topher contemplating outer stem laminate stock

Oops – Damaged inner stem

Damaged inner stem

Topher and Richard ripping the outer stem laminate stock

Richard cross cutting

Making absolutely sure the stems can’t inadvertently stick to the jig again

Mike thicknessing the laminate stock

Easing the outer stem laminates into position

Adrian not quite sure about this?

Almost there

General relief all round

Heel end of the outer stem laminate

The Outer aft stem glue up once cured

outer bow stem glued up after cleaning up damaged inner stem.

outer bow stem glued up

removing parcel tape from aft inner stem before it gets too stuck.

Inner and outer aft stems after cleaning sides – pretty darned good!

The first cut in the Keelson timber

Adrian well into cutting the keelson laminates

thicknessing the keelson laminates

Topher preparing the Keelson laminate scarfs, initialy with the power plane then finishing by hand

Dry run assembly of the keelson laminate.

Clamping up the Keelson laminate

All the available clamps in use – memo to all, remember to bring all available clamps to the cowshed when we reach the gunnel assembly stage sometime next year!

We should perhaps issue a health warning – this is a record of how we did it – not necessarily how it should be done. Where we think we could have done better we will mention what we should have done to help others avoid our slipups. If the snaps leave uncertainty about how we got where we did then post a comment and somebody will be along shortly to amplify and clarify

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