Louis is building a Sabre dinghy from scratch here in our workshop. Feel free to drop by and have a look.
Pics below are from 7/7/10 where the hull panels are stitched together on the building jig. The rudder box is also complete.
21/7/10 Mast and centreboard bulkeads are in place and glued as well as the centreboard case and side tank frames. Next the boat will be rolled over and the rocker set before glueing the keelson in.
10/08/10 Keel, floor battens and gunnels have now been glued in place. A timber stringer was set up underneath the keel with bolts standing upright at the required rocker measurement heights and then weight applied to the centreboard case and keel to get the correct rocker.
Gunnels are 19mm x 19mm Cedar and the top will be planned flat after the glue has gone off.
16/8/10 Gunnels are now in place and planned flat. All seams have been filleted, cable ties removed and then glass taped. Seat sides and stringers are also in and glued so next step will be to get the decks and seat tops on.
25/8/10 Starting to really look like a a boat now!!! Foredeck is on, note in the last pic a bolt was glued in before the decks went on for the forestay fitting. Also a breather hole was drilled between the foredeck tank and side tanks. Thwart is currently being glued up using Ceder, Oregan and Tassie Oak which will give a nice contrast.
30/8/10 Getting close now!! Tank lids glued in place. Screws were used into the floor fillet (easy to fill afterwards) and the lids were left slightly oversize so timber could be screwed along their inner edge. String was then run over the timber to the screws the get the curve into the lids.
Been busy in the shop so updates have been slow, my apologies.
14-9/10 Boat decks and cockpit epoxy sealed and then 3 coats of varnish. Gunwales glued in place, these were made from Tassie Oak. Boat was then flipped and seams fibreglass taped from the outside then epoxy filler (green!) used to fair up all seams and chines.
If all goes to plan the boat should be sprayed in the next two weeks.
11/10/10 Business has been busy at work so that has meant progress on the boat has been slow!!! The Sabre has been transported home for final fair and then spray where there is also help at hand for those boring jobs like sanding!!
3/11/10 Boat is finally finished and looking a million dollars!!! Has been out racing a couple of times now and finished 2nd in its first ever race!! Not bad seeing Louis had only sailed a Sabre once before!!
