Final varnishing done, ready for the water (3 hours total build time about 37 hours)

She will be ready to float as soon as the inner varnish has dried. I still need a paddle and some warm weather, but I hope to get her on the water in the next couple of weeks at the most.
At a rough count it has taken 37 hours to build. Quite a lot of that time spent pondering. So quite a quick project. It would have gone much faster if I had been working in a warm time of the year. The resin as slow to spread because it was so cold. But I have still to see if she is water tight. And I still need that proverbial paddle before I risk going up any creeks.

Good sailing day but so much fog (15.6nm. 44.4nm total))

Fog blowing in over Brownsea Island

 Lovely sailing day down at Poole, but so much fog about. The sea is still so cold that fog is just forming over it. Brownsea Island was invisible from 100m away, and then suddenly it was clear and bathed in sun. I set out for Old Harry rocks and Studland, but half a mile out of the harbour, I couldn't see the entrance behind me. Well out of my comfort zone, so I turned around and followed my GPS track back. By the afternoon it was glorious, but I think fog will carry on being a problem until the  sea warms.

Spent some time sailing just jib and mizzen, just for the peace and quiet. The motor well blanking plate does work, but it is such a fiddle to get it in place I think I will revert to the plastic strips again next year. Spent the last hour tacking against wind and tide. Made steady progress, but you can't risk missing a single tack, you are right back where yo started if you do.

Save for the varnishing, she is finished (2 hours)

I have fitted the spray decks at each end, which was tricky. The linen is very difficult to cut, particularly on the bias. The resin clogs blades very quickly. I was also at the very end of my resin, so one deck will be largely treated with varnish, but that should do. I was over generous with resin on the outside of the hull, so I think the right amount was included. Softwood gunwales screwed on and the first coat of Tonkinoise varnish applied to the outside. I want three coats on the outside and two on the inside I think, if the varnish goes far enough. After that I just need to get a paddle and find a small, warm pond...

Getting near the end on the canoe (3 hours)

Fully fixed the keel and bilge rubbing strips. Carefully screwing through the skin, with a layer of sealant around each screw hole. Left for a few hours before final tightening of the screws, so the sealant didn't get squished out. Then applied a thin layer of resin on the inside, which cured quickly in the sunlight.



Outside I cut and fitted the supports for one end deck and then cut and stapled some linen over the end. Applied one coat of resin, of which I have very little left. Trimmed the cloth around the stem, but very hard to cut it neatly. I just need to complete the other deck, screw on the gunwale strips and the building is finished. But quite a lot of varnishing then needed inside and out to protect the resin and hopefully make it fully watertight.

Keel and bilge rubbing strips cut to length and drilled (1/2 hr)

As always, it is the little fiddly bits which take so much unexpected time. The canoe hull has three rubbing strips fitted underneath to give some abrasion resistance. These need to be carefully drilled, with countersinks both sides, before they can be fitted. The screws will go through the fabric into the timbers underneath, and the holes are waterproofed with Sikaflex mastic. The countersinks underneath are there to allow a full grommet of mastic to form around each screw hole. The keel also needs to be bent slightly into place. The instructions recommend bending and holding, but I have used a heat gun to put a little permanent bend in, to relieve any strain on the fixings. Need a clear period to do the drilling and screwing, so not just now. Gave a final coat of resin around each stem, which needs to be sunned still.

The resin has set very hard. I have used too much in some areas, where the weave is completely filled and there are a few dribble marks. But it should be water tight, I hope...