Steaming along

 After a lot of shilly shallying, I cut and scarfed  new pieces for the gunnels. I can use the other bits for the deck carlins.

When I came to clamp a new piece, it was clear it was not quite going to fit.

Clamped as hard as I dared, it was close but no cigar. So I tried a method both Gerard Van Drempt and  Chris Hurren suggested ... clamp one end and steam and fix small sections as you go. 

Anne has a nifty little hand held clothes steamer. Using a bit of plastic bag about a metre long, I steamed progressive sections for about 5 minutes each, then clamped that bit in place, then moved on to the next bit.  Slow but it worked nicely.  I have 9 gunnel and carlin pieces to fit so I hope I get a bit faster.

I can work on the gunnels while I wait for the epoxy and then the undercoat and paint on the cockpit sole sections to dry. After much indecision, I finally cut the circular holes for the Armstrong hatches in the sole pieces. I am not sure that having the large hatch into the water-ballast tank is such a great idea. 

I have put my centreboard pin on the water-ballast tank side, and if ever I need to get access to it I will be glad of that big hatch. That damm centreboard pin has consumed a disproportionate amount of time. I suspect the bushings are ever so slightly out of alignment. I could jiggle it home before but now thanks to my over cunning bolt system,  the darn thing is a few mill off sitting fflush. The good news is I managed to not epoxy the plug into the garboard drain fitting.

So, the project is still moving, and if I keep moving it has to get somewhere. There have been some lovely if chilly days this week, it would be really nice to get back on the water. 

I have finally settled on a name for the SCAMP: "Anjevi". In good Welsfordian tradition (look up "Joansa") it is an amalgam of my family's names: Anne, Jess and Vincent.  And it sounds a bit like Anchovy, which Wikipedia tells me is a small, blunt nosed fish, sort of appropriate for a small, blunt nosed boat.

Now, I have to decide on a colour scheme ....