“What did you do?”

Over the past two weeks,  we focused on priming the inside of the boat as well as starting to work on the deck beams. As a group we divide and conquer the priming process by splitting up into two groups to accomplish painting the first coat of primer. We also started to measure and figure out how to tackle the deck beams. We calculated some measurements of how wide we want the king or center plank to be to use a guide for the other planks to follow. After measuring and re-measuring, we were able to cut our planks to make sure that the cockpit is open before attaching. We were then able to measure how far apart we wanted the screws to be before screwing the planks into place. 

Also this week we decided on a name for our boat! The name for our duck boat is “SQUONK”! So exciting! Also Bonnie brought in cupcakes for us as a treat! It was like a mini-naming party occurred this past week! 

“What did you accomplish/contribute?”

Over these past two weeks, I personally contributed by working on cutting the planks out to the correct measurements alongside Theodora. We measured the first few planks onto one large plank to cut several planks out of one. It was a rather fun process to do since it was basically measuring everything out before just cutting several times using the miter saw. I also worked with Theodora to calculate the screw placements and attach the planks to the transom. Together we were able to attach three of the deck beams! 

I also used the japanese hand saw to saw off some excessive wood off of the transom alongside Zoe. Together we chopped off the excessive floor planks that went beyond the transom to help give our boat a more finished look. 

“What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?”

Some challenges we faced these past two weeks were trying to figure out how to space our deck beams. It took us a bit of time but we were able to decide on how we wanted to approach the deck beams with ease after some calculations and deliberation. 

For me personally, using the japanese saw on the planks near the transom was a bit difficult at times. The sikaflex made sawing a bit difficult and prevented me from getting a closer cut to the transom that I would’ve liked to get. But this is an easy fix that can be done through sanding, which I’ll most likely do next week. 

“What did you learn?”

I learned a lot about the process of installing deck beams and how to properly measure the layout for the beams along the transom. The transom is a bit thinner than the ribs so we had to precisely measure the halfway mark of the transom to gather the points to screw down. This process is beneficial to have someone eye and watch how you’re holding the drill to make sure you’re going straight down as opposed to a slant to prevent any mishaps and drilling through the transom at an angle.  

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