BUILDING A SKERRY |
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Offerings to the Spirit of "ET Bugaboo" Days 1 - 5 : Order, Instructions, Clean garage, Glue panel scarfs Days 6 - 10 : Glue outwale sections, Sand scarfs, Measure for frames, Drill wire holes, Sand & taper outwales Days 11 - 15 : Cut gains, More wire holes, Wire Panels, Insert frames Days 16 - 20 : Fix "gap" problem, Glue Mast Scarf, Sprit Scarf, Skeg Halves, and Centerboard Handles, "Tab" Glue Seams Days 21 - 25 : Remove Wires, Glue Seams, Clean up Seams, Shape Stem and Stern Days 26 - 30 : Glassing and coating the exterior Days 31 - 35 : Breast Hooks, Rails Days 36 - 40 : Rails (cont.), Skeg Days 41 - 45: More epoxy, Fiberglass & coat interior Days 46 - 50: Install Seats and Centerboard Box Days 51 - 55: Still doing the Seats and Centerboard Box Day 56: Making it rowable Day 57 - 60: Sanding the fillets, Making Spars, Figuring out the rudder Day 61 - 65: Rudder and Dagger Board Day 66 - 70: Rudder (cont.) Day 70 - 75: Dagger Board Slots, Partner "Adapter", Install Mast Step Day 76 - 80: Sewing the Sail, Adding Lead to Daggerboard, Floorboards Day 81 - 85: Floorboards (cont.) Day 86 - 90: Floorboards (cont.). Foot Braces, Sanding, sanding, sanding,... Day 91 - 95: Finishing Day 96 - 98: ...and more Finishing, Rigging
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I won't bore you with my tales of building rafts (that rarely floated) and model boats from 2x4's, as a kid. I won't tell of my childhood adventures paddling up and down the Satucket River, out back of my house, with my friends. I will just say that I love boats and have always dreamed of building one. My requirements were a boat that could be rowed or sailed. It had to be large enough to accommodate three adults, but light enough to be carried on top of a car. I wanted a design that was traditional looking, such as a dory, but built using more current methods. For my first building experience, I wanted a kit. The Skerry was the only design I found that met all of these requirements. Chesapeake Light Craft describes the Skerry as being "inspired by Nordic working craft, but ultimately is a cross between Norwegian Faering, New England Swampscott Dory, and Maine Peapod." The Skerry can be setup with a 60 square foot Sprit Sail that is similar to a type that was common on small sailing craft prior to 1900. The feature I like most is that it can be collapsed and laid in the boat. This provides for an easy switch between rowing and sailing. The pages that follow are a journal of my boat building experience. Although, I may include some of the procedures and any tips I discover, this is not meant to be instructional. I should also point out, that I have since learned some great techniques and ideas from the gang at the Skerry Builders Forum. If you are building a Skerry, yourself... CLC is the authority (I am definitely not!!).
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