Living Vicariously

These are a few pictures that Rolland sent me via email.  Their last trip on the NW passage they lost their really good dingy in really bad weather.  So Rolland is making a new one this week for their 200 mile trip to Russia this Saturday.  After getting Precipice ready after a cold winter and a long wait from the Russian government for the papers the Trowbridges are ready and off they go.  They have worked hard to get ready now they get to go have fun.  I haven't had any sailing adventures for a long time so this is the closest thing to for me right now.  This will be the third Continent that they visit. 

The first guess cut.  I extended the stern and increased the freeboard. Tricky.

Cutting the frames.  These will become the seats and give the hull stiffness.

Attaching the sides to the frame.  I tried screwing it together and ended up using stainless wire to "stitch" it together.

Setting the bottom pieces on.  At this point I didn't know if I could bend the wood this hard.  I had increased the freeboard, which meant a greater curve in the front. I had also used thicker plywood than the plans called for.
It bent hard.

Here are the boards bent.  The wire ties are barely holding.  The whole thing is under great tension.

Here it is from the front.  I didn't get the front or the rear transom pieces right on the first try. Second time worked.

Here is the completed boat, ready for epoxy.

Here it is upright.

This is the dingy after the first coat of epoxy, and the corners fiberglassed.  Tomorrow I will paint it and then fiberglass the inside.

Have A Good Trip!