Skol deconstruction, part III: the finale

Today we had a rare, way above average temperature for January, day in Maryland.  It's  63 degrees as I assemble this post.  The ten day forecast however looks like this anomaly will be short lived and by tomorrow we'll be back to temperatures which makes it hard to hold metal tools with bare hands.  With that in mind I decided to do the last major job of deconstruction on the Skol hull before work can go the other way; namely cutting off the winglets and bringing the hull into compliance with CMBA measurement rules.  I called Tweezerman to see if he wanted to come play but he and his wife were on their way to Bombay Hook (a bird refuge in Delaware).  Perhaps he remembered to take his camera and if so, will have some pix of odd looking, long necked birds to share on his blogspot.

Measure a bazillion times 'cause you only get one shot with the jig saw.  That curve looks fair on the port side.  Can I duplicate it on the stbd side and have a symmetrical boat when I'm done?  It's hard holding the fairing batten with one hand and a knee while drawing the curve with your free hand...

The wings came off easier than I expected.  I was able to trim off both sides with the same saw blade.  Old fiberglass can be hell on saw  blades.

Well, the pieces from both sides sorta look alike.  Close enough since I cut on the conservative side of the curves.  I figure I can make required adjustments with a power sander.

More or less symmetrical!  With the rolled lip of the deck removed (along with the wings) the hull is now quite floppy and easily damaged. Care is essential when turning the hull over.

Aft of the leading edge of the centerboard trunk slot, the hull must pass the CMBA's string test.  The test requires that if a string is placed around the hull, the maximum depth of the cord where a taunt string does not touch the hull can not exceed one inch.  This rule prevents hiking wings and extreme bottom hulls shapes   I've still got about a 1/4" to remove from each side to squeak inside the rule.

Remember that old damaged area on the starboard side?  With the lip removed I now have better access to repair it.

There are a couple more small holes like this one which I'll fill with thickened epoxy since the day is warm.

 

 

Since I don't have room to bring this hull indoors, work on installing new bulkheads, beams, a centerboard trunk and decks will probably have to be put off until spring.  But with global warming you never know--I just might get another warm day to play!  Stay tuned.