Kayak Build, Day 5

Deck beams 5 and 6 are finished. This was actually quite a time consuming job, since they both had to be carved to shape. I'm quite happy with the result, especially beam 6, the masik. Once I'd nailed it in place, I thought I'd better try it for size before I went too far. The instructions say there's 5 1/2" between the bottom of the hull and the gunwales, so I put some blocks underneath and sat on the floor with the frame around me. It's quite uncomfortable sitting on a hard concrete floor with a windlass digging into you belly, but it all seems to fit, so I continued on and made the last deck beam.



That deck beam in the bottom of the next photo is the backrest, so you can imagine how much room I had. The temporary spreader was actually in the way of my legs which made it awkward, but the distance between beam 4, which will be the footrest, and the masik, was just right.

After trying it out for size I sat on the floor for a while, wondering how I was going to get out again without any help.



Once all the beams were in place, it was time to add some more windlasses and start tightening everything up, bit by bit. Every time I put another turn in a windlass there was a creaking sound coming from the boat. It made me wonder if it's really going to hold together once I undo the windlasses, or is it going to explode with me sitting in it in the middle of Moreton Bay. Bits of wood and nylon spread from here to Stradbroke Island.

As you can see from the next two pictures, tightening everything up has put a curve in the deck, as it should.





The gap between the deck beams and the gunwales has closed up too, well, in most places it has. The two forward-most beams have the biggest gaps, but I think they'll be alright.



I've drilled and pegged the masik in place, next job will be to drill and peg all the other beams, then to lash them in place. The instructions say to lash every other beam, unless you're cautious. I'm going to be cautious and lash them all after hearing all that creaking. But that's a job for another day, probably Sunday or Monday.

Time on the job today, four hours, taking the total to seventeen and a half hours.