Almost forgot to install the spray rails!!!

Well I was getting ready to start doing the final fairing on the hull today, and hopefully get ready for paint next when I remembered that I had not installed the spray rails yet.

So I started ripping down Meranti plywood at 3/4 and 1 1/2 wide to make the spray rails.  I used a simple 45 degree miter to join them together.

I decided just take the 8 foot long pieces of spray rail out to the boat and install then one at a time, instead of making one long piece.  I glued the first rail on and held it in place with screws and fender washers.  Then repeated the process.  No problem, as long at they dont fall off when I take the screws off!

I have to add an additional 3/8 piece tomorrow to finish the main spray rail.

Here are the pictures:

Boat hull trimmed and final fiberglassing begins

OK, there has been quite a bit of work since the last update.

We had rain in Florida everyday for about a month.   Tropical storm Isaac also came by and dumped torrential rains.  During this time I worked on the bait tank.

I started by getting some extra pieces of 3/8 and 3/4 Meranti I had leftover, and I glassed both sides with some 6 ounce cloth.  Doing this on workbenches is very easy and fast.

 Then I assembled the pieces to make a simple box.  I used epoxy glue and few 18 gauge brad nails to hold it together while the glue dried.  Then I taped the inside seams and gave the exterior corners a round over.

 Next I built the piece that will hold the lid in place.  I wanted a slight baffle to stop the water from sloshing out of the tank, so I made a curved piece to fit the lid by cutting saw kerfs every 1/8 inch or so, all the way to the fiberglass cloth.  This made the wood flexible enough to bend.  Then I filled in the saw kerfs with epoxy glue.  The lid / rim is solid.

Then the rain stopped so it was time to work on the hull again.

First I trimmed off the side panels with a 1/2" straight bit with a flush cut bearing in my router.  The guide bearing follow the boat pretty well, and it cut though the 3/8" side panels no problem.  Well, not exactly....after I was done trimming, the router bit had turned blue from overheating, but the boat was trimmed!  After that I filled in the seams and applied 3 layers of glass over all the joints.

 After trimming with the router.

 Now it is time to put the final glass sheathing over the entire hull.  I faired in the rough spots and got it ready for glassing.  Then we hung 1/2 of the fiberglass and epoxied it in.  Today, I am going to trim off the excess glass, and finish the other 1/2 of the hull.

 After glassing the other half today, I will be ready to paint the bottom.  I think I am going to buy automotive 2 part urethane paint.  The technical term is " single stage, two part urethane enamel".  This is basically the same two part poly paint that you can get for boats, but it is about 1/3 the price, and you can only spray it, not roll it.  I think I am going to paint the hull Green Bay Packer Green, and the topsides a light tan / cream color.