Forward bunk flat...

The holding and water tanks are fitted before both sides of the forward bunk flat are glued.  The black flexible fresh water tank holds 15 gallons and is attached at all corners to pad eyes.  The pad eyes are made up of high strength Dyneemea braided line formed into loops that are fed through a hole in plywood disks.  The line is unbraided then sealed with epoxy.

The mounting bracket for the holding tank is on the left.

The large access hatch will allow room for final fitting of the tanks later.

The cockpit sole is being fitted here.  It slopes aft so water drains through the transom.  Because of this slope and the angle of the cockpit sides, the sole is tapered and will be installed by sliding it forward through the transom.

The area underneath the cockpit, the bunk fronts, and the head area have been painted white. The final finish inside the cabin will be a balance of semi-gloss white paint and varnish.  The idea is to avoid the dark appearance of an all-varnish finish.

New Parts...

Several months ago I ordered my lead keel bulb through Jim Betts in Anacortes.  He is building 2 Bieker boats which needed keel bulbs and he kindly let me piggy back on his order.  They turned out really well - mine weighs just shy of 1300 pounds.

The bottom of the keel makes a transition from curved to flat.  

I built a plywood box to hold the bulb securely while transporting it

Simon Miles built this beautiful bowsprit with carbon - very light and strong.  Simon is building a Bieker Rip Tide 25 which uses this same bowsprit.  Simon got his lead keel bulb from the same batch as mine. 

Meanwhile, back in the boat shop, I have installed the head flat.  Hole is for inspection port.  Work continues on the holding tank bracket and the forward bunk flat.

Mast Support & Ring Frames 3...

Paul Bieker supplied me with a tapered carbon fiber tube for the mast support.  It began life as a bow spirit for an International 14.  I used the top 5 feet or so for the support.

Two notches were cut in the lower end of the support to fit over its bulkhead.

The support was dry fit and the alignment was checked with the laser.  I took some extra time here to get it right.

The mast support is glued in and the starboard ring frame is attached.

Both ring frames are attached here.  The starboard forward bunk flat is checked for fit.

A view of the attached ring frame and mast support from aft.

Ring Frames 2...

The first ring frame is assembled and is ready to be installed.  Here it is aligned with the laser.

The first ring frame is glued into the boat.

Ring Frames 1...

There are 3 ring frames to help form the shape of the upper hull/deck.

Here is how the ring frames will look inside the boat.

Here the various ring frame parts are getting a fiberglass skin.

Two ring frame pieces are joined with a butt block on one side.

The parts are coated with thickened epoxy...

...and clamped.

The ring frames are strengthened with a laminated 10 x 50 mm cap.  I used 5 strips for each lamination.

The ring frame is clamped to the table with spacers underneath so that the ring lamination is centered on the frame

One frame with a ring and one without.

The side opposite the butt block gets a two layer glass reinforcement.

This ring frame goes completely across the boat.

I did the lamination of this full frame in 2 steps.  The nearer lamination is clamped but not yet glued to the frame.  It is isolated from the further lamination (which is being glued) with clear packing tape.

Keel Fin Tool...

The boat will be getting a pre-preg carbon laminated fin with douglas fir shear web.  It is important for the keel fin to fit accurately into the keel box.  Gabe Murphy made a one-off tool for the keel fin using a CNC milling machine.   The keel fin will be laminated in this tool.  The tool has a left and a right side.  Here are the two blanks on the milling machine table.

Almost done.

The two halves have been milled and are now sealed.  The near end is the top and will form a taper to fit tightly in the keel box.  The bottom has a tab that fits into a socket in the lead keel bulb.

All finished and ready for the lay up.

Hull Strake #3 Starboard...

 

 Here are a few views with both of the #3 hull strakes wired in.

Inside of bow