Thursday, June 24, 2010

Navigator planking begins


These planks went in without drama, held with cable ties to the bottom one. The forefoot planks took a bit more consideration as there is a huge flare in the shape as it transitions from near horizontal to near vertical, and stories are legion of the various things that can go wrong here, but even the worst of them can be rectified. As it happens, the shape seems OK, although I'll know more when the waste is removed and the curves at the turn of the stem are cleaned up. I think I've avoided the bulge that sometimes occurs just behind the stem. This seems to be the defining moment in many navigator builds- the 'rite of passage'. Well it can't be approached casually, but the thought of it should not put the prospective builder off, especially because this little transition of shapes pretty much defines the appearance of this particular design- and it is a very functional shape that cuts and spreads, and turns a wall of water into parted streams that will gurgle with calm enthusiasm as they make their way down the hull, hoping to join their friends from the other side again when they've said good-bye to the transom. And what a happy little transom it is...

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