Bob's Boat Experiment
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Model:  16' Freestone Skiff
Make: February 2008
Material:  Made from Marine Mahogany plywood from start to finish.
Goal: To have it fully finished by early spring.
This project is "unnofficially" sponsored by Summit Brewing Company, Bob's Volunteers, and future memories yet to come.

WEEK 1:
Raw materials arrive to Bob's Boat Shop (also known as his garage).

Beer break, it's cold out...

Tables for work area are constructed to lay the wood pieces down on that will form the boat..




Preparing the sharf joint for the boat bottom piece.

Joint is now prepared.


Aligning the joints together.


now that the joints are being glued together, you can see the extended width of the bottom of the boat.

Sheets being epoxied together to form floor and side walls...

Bob shown here measuring once and cutting twice.

Cuts made to shape the cureve of the floor of the boat.

First of several coats of epoxy being applied by locally recruited volunteers, Mark and Jack.


Discussion of how much more epoxy to make...

The face down sides have had thier first coat applied, so now the other side must also be coated with epoxy.
These two pieces will form the side walls of the boat.

Look at how the color of the Mahogany wood really comes out!

and now we wait overnight before applying another coat.

Sides getting sanded after 1st coat of epoxy

Applying more epoxy.  At far end of the table, you can see the two pieces that have also been cut and epoxied. 
These will form the for and aft walls of the boat. 

Sunday we get together to make these flat pieces come together to form a boat using a process called stitching.
Here we are taking down one of the temporary work stations that was set up for the application of epoxy on
all the pieces we will be using.

Below is the two epoxied side walls, the floor and the end peices (bow and transom).

The structure on the left is the form used to make what will be one of the seats on the right.

Stitching is a process of taking wire ties and tying the edges of the sheets together with holes that were drilled into them.

Jack is cutting up a bunch of 6" wire ties to be used in the stitching process here.

Here the first piece being attached, which is the transom.

A close up look at the seam and ties going through the sheets of wood.

Attaching the bow, yes it is much bigger than the transom....Bob says it is a backwards on this model of boat...kind of fits the owner that way.

Outside look of the wire tie.

Both ends are on and the first portion of the starboard side has been started.  Admiral Sandy performs a surprise
inspection of our crews progress in the boat shop and to make sure we have messed up too badly.

Working the ties towards the stern, note the bags of salt we used for weight to help add the curve to the floor and help with the stitching.

Ooops,  the saw horse collapsed!  Luckily nothing broke on the boat.

Go to Page 2 of pictures to continue our journey.