Time to get a coat of varnish on the gunwales and inwales to seal the surface before carrying on with the other paint work on the inside and outside

It is always a sense of achievement when you get to the stage when you start to coat up the woodwork . 

We have to make up the two inside pieces for the transom and the pram bow section which have to be made out of plywood and glassed over. 

There are two more pieces to be made, one is the transom pad for the small outboard motor on the transom and the small pad for under the front gunwale piece where the bow eye ring goes through the pram bow.

 

The Pram dinghy getting its new mahogany gunwales and inwales, as normal at J-Star Marine Services the gunwales and inwales are fixed in position with copper nails and roves.

As best practice the gunwales and inwales are fixed in position with copper nails and roves and not just screw in position. 

Plenty of clamps in use to keep the gunwales and inwales in position while we clinch the nails over the roves.

The nailing completed and the inwale tight fitting up against the transom so to keep the tension through its length to stop the hull flexing 

The starboard finished, just the port side to finish off. the the end to have their trims made and fitted.

Just got to get the centre thwart made up.

 

Gunwales machined up and now steamed around the pram dinghy's gunwales.

Having routered the top and bottom edges of the gunwales it was time to get the steamer out and steam the new gunwales and inwales around the dinghy's gunwales

As always you need a lot of clamps on hand and speed to get the steamed wood round the gunwales before they go to cold to bend round the gunwales.

As always have the gunwales and inwales about face when steaming them round the gunwales so when it comes to fitting the gunwales and inwales the bend is already steamed into the pieces of wood making it easier to fit when they have cooled off overnight.

 

Work coming along on the Little Mai dinghy/Tender and the pram dinghy/Tender

Dry fitting the quarter knees in the back of the Little Mai dinghy after the transom trim has been fitted with copper nails and roves

Once both these knees are fixed in position the gunwales and inwales and other trim will be varnished.

The breasthook will be fitted and then a bow eyebolt will be fitted.

The Little Mai Dinghy centre thwart seat blocks being glued in position with thickened epoxy before being glassed in position.

The pram dinghy centre thwart pattern being made up and made to fit so it can be used to make the centre thwart to the finished size.

The gunwales and inwales machined up ready to steamed and nailed in position with copper nails and roves as are all our restoration dinghies.

 

Epoxying the inner transom pad and setting up the seat positions and the centre thwart seat blocks

Giving the back face of the inner transom pad a first coat of West System epoxy before setting it up for a coat on the forward face 

Getting the pram dinghy seat blocks and their positions in the boat set up ready to glue the mounting blocks in position with West System epoxy

Once all the blocks are in position then the hull will be stabile enough for the gunwales and inwales to be steamed round and then nailed in position with copper nails and roves  

Just got to do a few repairs on the edges of the seats before they go in, they will be varnished as will the gunwales and inwales. the whole boat will be repainted in either light blue or cream. It is not decide on which as present time.