Over the last week the boat got three aditional windows, which means they are all in place now. Our mentor Raivo said that we rushed the process, that Sikaflex would easily stick to the two component paint we will cover the boat with. Just sand it rough forehand. Plus he said that we sould have countersunk both sides of the polycarbonate boltholes, allowing space for expansion and contration of the sealant. Also, there was concern with UV radiation. Sika, though marked UV resistant, will, according to Raivo, go yellow after years. We’ll see. New interior fillets have been put onto the new planks and bulkhead intersections. Plus, the companionway is taking shape. A few photos:
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- Joosep tightening stainless steel acid resistant bolts. These keep the polycarbonate in place. A tight fit. The deck plate needs to shift forwards a few centimeters. That in itself is not a problem, but the bulkhead and arch should have a fillet. It is not there yet. We’ll figure it out.
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- A view of the boat as is.
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- This is what the companionway roughly looks like. Some details have been omitted from the picture. Mostly oak, except for the arched laminate, which is 2×4 mm plywood. Excessively strong.
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- The ridicculous lamination process of the companionway slide hatch. There was about 300 kg of lead involved, and lots of aditional tightening with clamps. It was actively bent until first sounds of cracking were heard. Then, pressure was slightly reduced.
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- The finest photo we have of our boatbuild so far. Jackson Pollock would have been proud.
