Peeps, Ahoy! - Fixing the Gap and Other Fillets

My neighbor works at Target and knows of my fondness for peeps. The result is, come Easter season, I can get pretty much as many as I want, and I often eat most of the ones I get. The only catch is I have to make a diorama of whatever little buggers get left over from the gorging. I haven't been very good about this the last couple years, but this year I committed to doing something. So, here it is: Peeps, Ahoy!

The boat is a little wooden replica of a fishing boat. My father in law picked it up somewhere in his travels. It's a cool little model. Rudder, oars, even some cleats. The photo is some tropical island somewhere on my laptop. A productive evening, indeed.

Alas, there's a much bigger wooden boat that needs tending to. I installed the inwales* today (the manual calls them "sheer clamps"). Now, a bit about these because I haven't seen much written up on them, though I tried. These are meant to provide some lateral stability, form a profile, and give a place for the cabin deck to fasten against. They look good in the anchor well and also run along the inside of the cabin, so it should be some of the best work. What isn't clear is how it fits into the notch in bulkhead 2 and how it's used as a connection point for the cabin deck.

I first assumed that the inwale should run even with the topsides. When it wouldn't fit in the notch, I thought I miscut something here, so I actually cut the notch in bulkhead 2 lower so the inwale could be even with the top of the topside panel, or about 1/2" lower than the notch in bulkhead 2.

I even glued up port that way and clamped it shut, then headed for the manual and the blogs to see what was next. Something, however, kept nagging at me. If this is meant to be the cleats for the cabin deck, how is that going to happen if the cleat isn't angled? Meaning, this bit of timber should actually sit above the topsides along the cabin area, shaved down to match the sloping profile of the bulkheads, and then even with the topside in the anchor well. Only then could it serve as a proper cleat for the cabin deck. Sure enough, I went back and studied the photos closely. Clearly, these sit above the topsides most of the way around and gently slope down towards the bow.

Starboard curing.

I was/am a little annoyed that this isn't very clear in the manual. I could be totally off base here but I don't think so. I pulled the port inwale out, raised them about 1/2" proud of the topsides, and reglued them.  That will be enough to shave down on the angle to mate with the cabin deck. Worst case, I can file them down, even them up with the topsides, and be no worse than I was before. After a couple days, I put the starboard ones down, too - correctly this time. I didn't quite get the right length to meet at the bow so will craft some scrap wood, blend it with some epoxy, and it'll be good as new up there. Once that's done, I'll sand it down and 'glass the anchor well. There will be lots of extra treatment where the tabernacle goes.

Speaking of good as new, I addressed the gap in the bridgedeck/aft cabin wall tonight. The plan was to cut a bit of scrap to match the profile of the gap, epoxy that in place, then epoxy over it again. worked pretty well.

Cut a bit of ash to fit the gap.

Dry fit.

Epoxy'd in place. Left to cure.

Cabin view.

Regular fillet goes over the spot some time later. Good as new.

It's still visible from inside the cabin as a 'sandwich' but it looks 100x better from the cockpit. I haven't decided if I want to address the cabin view now or wait until the flip.

Getting the fillets in the cockpit is slow going. I'm glad I'm using the drill to help me mix because my wrists would be cramped by now. The goal is to get the fillets done this weekend, take my usual break as the semester winds down, and get the seatbacks in by next week.

* I'm fairly up on boatbuilding lingo but had to look up "sheer clamp." Per Wikipedia, a sheer clamp is "the upper, inner longitudinal structural member of the hull, to which topside panels are fixed. Outside the US. these are called inwales." I know them as inwales so will call them that here. I also call policeman "bobbies," go to the "loo," and sing God Save the Queen in the shower every morning.