Having finished my degree and the furniture making course in Lyme Regis, my calendar is clear for an intensive nine-month burst of boatwork with the aim of getting afloat by May/June 2026. From the conception of my plans to the present day, they have consistently had to take second place to other commitments and responsibilities, so it feels amazing, and is a huge privilege to be finally able to dedicate my whole self to the project.
Since coming back from Lyme I’ve been spiling, cutting and fitting four bulkheads, positioning them square to everything else and grinding the last remnants of old gelcoat (so the bulkheads can be bonded to bare fibreglass).
Spiling aims to capture the imperfect curve of the hull side on a ply frame. This is then transferred to a solid ply template, and then to the final 12mm marine ply sheet which the bulkhead is cut out of.
When bonded in with fibreglass, the bulkheads form the structural skeleton of the boat and provide surfaces which the four sleeping berths can be bonded to; thus completing the rough interior installation. The job wasn’t particularly difficult but often required one thing to be held in place while measuring or adjusting something else. This was made much easier by an extra pair of hands; my friend Nick came to help for a week.
One unexpected job was to grind away a narrow channel of gelcoat on the coachroof where the forward bulkheads meet the ceiling. This required introducing the concept of precision to the angle grinder, which when added to working in a confined space with mask, goggles and headphones on, and above one’s head, turned out to be quite a job.
I’ve also been designing the rest of the interior to make the best use of space and have enough drawers and lockers so all my worldly possessions don’t fly across the cabin if the boat was to be knocked down…
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