So I thought that since I finally settled down, got married, bought a house and had a kid or two I should finally build a boat. Good idea, right? I mean, how hard can it be to raise two kids, keep a marriage alive, maintain a house, have a career (I’m an oceanographer), and build a boat?

It was hard.

Lot’s of other stuff happened.

But slowly, over the years I found snippets of time. This is one of the first stages: I built a building jig, and I’m laying out the bottom for a Welsford Navigator. Turns out John Welsford is an awesome guy. More on him later.

Using a flexible batton to make a smooth line for the bottom of the hull

Another shot of the bottom – made from two sheets of 9mm marine ply scarfed together:

The last time the shop was clean.

This shows the cut bottom board leaning against the wall behind the building jig, and the first two bulkheads cut out:

Two bulkheads cut: they will be attached to the bottom at a later stage.

This is one of the helpers at our house. The centerboard trunk is on the jig waiting for fiberglass sheathing (in the background behind the pumpkin-carver.