Salish Sea Pocketship

   I want to get the boom gallows setup while the seatbacks are off.  I'm following the install done by a number of others where a block is used at the bottom of the poles and and the stainless flange sits on the top edge. After some careful measurements I used my drill guide to make the initial holes.  These were over-sized, filled with epoxy and finally drilled to the correct size.  I used wood dowels in place of the stainless for making the alignments and epoxying the blocks in place.  A final test with the Gallows showed everything was square and true. 

Resawing the timbers had a purpose.  I made the gallows from 1/2-inch western red cedar for the sides with 1/2-inch pine in the middle.  I used solid pine at the ends and in the middle, but the rest of the gallows is hollow.  This has made it pretty light.  Here it is waiting for a final sanding and then multiple coats of varnish.      

 I'm getting close to installing the seatbacks, but before I do that there are a few other things to take care of - like the gallows.  Getting the bases installed will be alot easier without the seatbacks in place.  First step for me is to make the gallows.  I'm going to use western red cedar - it's nice and lights and I just so happen to have a few clear planks laying around.  The planks are 3" by 14" so I need to do some milling.  I started by cutting out a 6" by 64" blank.  Now for the fun part - cutting 1" planks out of that.  My table saw will only cut up to 3" and my band saw will not handle an 8" width.  So it's hand work.  I started by using a skil saw to make a cut on both sides.   Then it was a hand saw to finish the cut.   Finally I ran it thru my planer to get 1/2" planks.  I'll sandwich 1/2" pine between the 2 cedar planks to get my end dimension of 1-1/2 inch thick.  

 Ok, so it's been quite a while since I've last posted.  I have done quite a bit of work on the boats, but I've also been out playing! Anyway, now I'm working hard on the boat again.  Here is where I'm at now. Right now I'm working on the electrical setup.  I will have a USB outlet in the stern to support phones, tablets, etc.  I created a panel that mounts just inside of the seatback opening, the outlet is weatherproof, but this will give it additional protection.   I also decided to install blocking along the entire seatback area.  This will give me options for later adding things like oar locks.