Creation of Ribs

Here are the frames for the new boat.

All starting to accumulate.

There will be 31, and now we have 19.

So the rest are finished in about 1 month.

These frames are first of all measured on this board where the dimensions from the plans are marked onto the board.

You can see the thin pencil lines and then a framework is cut and this is then put onto a metal series of clamps which hold the shape.

Here is the here's one of the frames which has been lifted from the penciled lines and they are put onto this frame and then these these blockers here are positioned to follow the line of the curve.

And then the first thin wood is put on top the laminations and then gradually they are squeezed down with lots of epoxy to make a very very big sandwich.

Traditional way of doing things and very very strong.

The laminations are all strips 10 mm deep and they are all cut and laid along here ready to be coated with epoxy on both sides and then squeezed together on the metal frame.

If you look closely at these frames, you will see the individual pieces of timber which have been bent on the metal to hold this wonderful shape which is then fixed and and held by this wood which just keeps them together and makes them easy to handle.

Eventually, you're going to see these put onto a strong back and laid along the ground.

The cutout at the top there is for the keel, which is then epoxied and glued onto the top, but then the boat is built upside down and later it is turned over and the internal fitting work is done.

And of course, these common white timbers are taken out.