November 19, 2016

In this month’s update for Schooner Huron Jewel, I will summarize what has been done so far. Just over a year ago in the fall of 2015, we poured concrete and built the building in which we would build the schooner.
Then over the winter I built a full-size mock-up of the boat from the waterline up, in order to establish overall dimensions and interior spaces, including bulkhead spacing.

This done, I measured carefully and drew the lines of the boat full size on the concrete floor after removing the mocked-up construct.

In early spring 2016, we started erecting bulkheads upside down and bending the lumber around them that was to become the sheer clamps and chine logs. In May, when the structure was the right dimension, I started taking things down one at a time so that I could then glue the components together and reassemble the framework for the hull.

During the first week of July came the planking of tongue and groove Douglas fir board with plenty of help, then sheathing with marine-grade plywood. After a lot of sanding and smoothing, more helpers came to put on the fiberglass cloth with epoxy. A long period of fairing (making smooth by filling in the low places) the hull ensued along with building the box keel and rudder. More fiberglass cloth was put on those and then more fairing happneded.

This month’s big news is that the fairing is done and paint has been applied (bottom paint and topsides primer) and now the work of turning the hull over can begin. I’ve already set up one post to bear the weight of the hull on the chain fall (chain hoist) as we roll it over on two big “square” wheels built around the hull.

– Captain Hugh