The Utility Rough fitting the 1st forward panel

The aft port side panel is now attached. I followed exactly the same procedure as for the aft starboard panel, except this time I did remember the rag.

I decided to go ahead and rough-fit the forward panel on the starboard side. First, I marked and cut one of the Meranti panels in half lengthwise, giving me two 2 x 8 panels to use for the side planking.

Using one of these panels, I began to fit it to the starboard side. I had to go through several cycles of "Clamp, Mark, Remove, Cut, Repeat" in order to cut away extraneous material from the front of the panel. This was due to the low height of the construction form. For several attempts I could not bend the plywood all the way around to the bow without the floor getting in the way.

Finally, I got it roughly fit & it is now temporarily clamped into position. Once Im satisfied with the fitting, I will check the starboard panel against the port side. If everything looks like a suitable fit, I will then use this panel as a template to mark and cut the second panel from the other 2 x 8 piece of plywood.

So far, Im pretty pleased with the Meranti. It is a nicer-looking wood than I expected, and it seems to bend much easier than the Douglas Fir plywood.

Forward panel rough-fit & clamped into position on the starboard side.

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The Utility New motor First bottom panel cut

This first half of April has seen some progress on the Utility project, although not much that is visible on the actual boat itself. I ordered a new Nissan 8hp motor from onlineoutboards.com. The motor arrived very promptly... and I promptly realized I’d never operated a tiller-controlled boat before.

New 8hp Nissan Marine outboard

So, the kids and I fixed that by taking a weekend getaway at a nearby lake. I rented a 14 ft Jon boat fitted with a 9.9 hp Yamaha, and we ventured out on the water. There really is a lot to be said for the simple Jon boat. They may not be the prettiest things on the water, but it’s hard to imagine a more versatile boat in that size.

In any case, our little aluminum Jon boat was by no means a rocket on the water, but it did what it was supposed to. The Utility will have a shorter, and more streamlined hull, although somewhat heavier. I imagine performance with its 8hp motor will be similar to the 14’ Jon boat with the 9.9 Yamaha. Time will tell.

Over Easter weekend, I began the break-in period for the Nissan motor. The first two phases were to let it run at idle for 10 minutes, then to run at <50% throttle for two hours. That’s done. The next phase is to let it run at <75% throttle.

On the boat framework, I have faired down the side planking on the starboard side. I have not yet tried to fill in any of the low spots, or “hollows”, along the chine. Instead, I decided to go ahead and cut the panels for the bottom planking by cutting one sheet of Meranti in half lengthwise.

My plan is to begin dry-fitting the bottom panel into place, and to use that as a gauge to determine just how much I’ll need to fill in along the chine. It is possible that any gaps will be minor enough that thickened epoxy will do the job adequately.

Rough placement of the first bottom panel

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The Utility First planking panel attached

Over the weekend, I was finally able to attach the aft starboard side panel with epoxy and screws.

First, before I removed the panel from the boat’s framework, I traced the lines of the chines, sheers, and frame to the inner surface of the plywood. That way, I would have an easy visual reference for where to spread the epoxy. I also drew reference points on both the plywood and the chine to help align the panel when it was time to put it back on.

I removed the panel & set it aside, and staged all the items I’d need nearby: chip brush, extra latex gloves, awl, clamps, screwdriver, and the silicon bronze screws. I kept extra screws close at hand just in case I stripped any screw heads. This time, I put some old newspaper down on the floor to catch any drips of epoxy... right next to the earlier dried globs that I’m going to have to sand off of the concrete at some point.

Planking panel removed & waiting for epoxy.

Frame outlines made a great reference for spreading the epoxy.

Waiting for epoxy.

Some of my alignment was a bit off when I drilled into the sheer. Ill have to be more careful next time.

Same drilling alignment issue with the transom frame.

With everything ready to go, I mixed 6 oz of Silvertip Gel Magic epoxy. Gel Magic is a highly-viscous 2:1 mixture (2 parts resin to 1 part hardener). Its thickness makes it ideal for applying to vertical surfaces and for filling gaps. In this way it is very similar to Glen-L Poxy Grip.

The GelMagic components are color-coded.

Using the chip brush, I applied epoxy to both the plywood panel and the mating surfaces on the boat’s framework. At one point, I was concerned that 6 oz of epoxy would not be enough to do the job. Luckily, however, it was just about right, with a minimal amount of waste.

Wearing 2 layers of disposable latex gloves, I roughly aligned the panel with the reference marks I’d made earlier, and held it in place with one clamp. The Irwin spring clamps are great for this, as the springs in them are quite strong. Next, I used the awl to align the first holes, adjusting the clamp as necessary. I hand-threaded the first screw, then changed gloves to avoid getting too much epoxy onto my screwdriver.

After driving the first couple of screws, I clamped the rest of the panel into position. Hand-driving the screws went very smoothly. I found that using a ratcheting screwdriver with an oversized handle is just ideal for this task. I also found that I’d over-beveled some of the holes, as a few of the screw heads went slightly below the surface of the plywood. I’ll create less of a bevel next time.

With the panel fully “glued and screwed” into place, I used the putty knife to scrape away excess epoxy from the areas where I’ll need to join more wood: the chine and sheer where the forward planking panel will butt up against the aft panel; and the interior joints of the chine and sheer to the aft panel where the backing piece for the butt joint will be attached. I then used the putty knife to fill the screw holes with epoxy.

It was while using the putty knife that I realized the major component of this process that I’d forgotten: 

A rag. 

Thankfully, the laundry basket was nearby. 

There’s one less item I’ll have to wash, dry and fold. Hopefully, however, I will remember to get shop rags next time.

Alignment marks & filled screw holes along the chine.

Excess epoxy was scraped away from the chine so it wont interfere with fitting of the forward panel.

The small gap on the side of the transom is now filled.

Seam of cured epoxy against frame #1.

On the interior seams, I scraped away excess epoxy so it wont interfere with fitting of the backing block for the butt joint.

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hmmm not straight and little errors

I need to find out which bottom panel is incorrect.  The center station is either too wide on one, or too narrow on the other.  will measure the center frame to see where the error is.  I also cut the side seat stringers an inch too short.  It should not matter much.

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Scarfed panel

Finally!  One completed Bottom panel.  Its twin is in the background setting up.  I actually used packing tape to smooth out the fiberglass tape.  Things have sped up immensely since not doing the 8:1 scarfs and using 3" tape instead.  Apart from forgetting to clean two brushes (was having a contest as to how long I could get a cheapo chip brush to go).  The new yogurt containers for Greek yogurt work great for mixing small batches of epoxy.  they clean right out after the epoxy sets up.  

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