P R O V E E
17
Also coat half of the keel.
Brush epoxy onto the first 6 inches of the front of
the bottom sheet, to help the glue joint here. This
should be done on the side WITHOUT the strake
outline.
Make sure that the strake outline is facing out when
you glue the sheet in place.
Align your marks and put a couple of clamps along
the keel, clamping the sheeting firmly to the keel.
Check your center marks on bulkheads 4 and 5.
Wipe all excess glue off of the keel, as it will
interfere with the other side sheeting.
If everything looks good, start clamping the bottom
sheeting.
Bulkheads 3, 4 and 5 should have weight over
them.
Also put weight over the engine rail and shaft
support, to help hold it against the sheeting.
After the glue fully cures (at least 2 hours), remove
the weight and clamps. Check for any glue that may
have squeezed onto the keel. Use a sharp knife to
scrape any away.
Take
your time on the next step, it’s important.
Test fit the other bottom sheet, and make any
adjustments before you glue.
Make sure that both bottom sheets meet as
perfectly as possible.
Take your time here. Start from the rear. Put the
sheet in place, and note any areas that touch,
keeping the sheeting from meeting perfectly. Use
your block with 80 to sand these “high” spots.
Move forward and sand, fit, sand, fit, until it fits
perfectly. Be sure to sand a progressively sharper
bevel, so that the bottom sheets fit tightly together.
The goal is to have a nice, tight joint that is straight.
Try to keep the gap to less than 1/16 inch.
Glue the other side of the bottom sheeting on the
same way as the first, only this time you can’t use
as many clamps.
