December rolled in with piles of snow and relentless rain. Keeping the leaks in the carport roof diverted with tarps and spraying the bare wood with bleach to keep the mildew under control is all the winter boat building I am doing. I went the winter boat show and determined that the only boats I like start around $100K, so this Tolman Jumbo is looking like a great value. The economy has tanked and my job has all but disappeared as a result, and so the only boat building for a while will be with the materials that I have on hand. I am relieved that the Suzuki 140 is sitting in a crate fully paid for. If I end up collecting unemployment insurance, I hope that it coincides with the change of seasons so I can finish this boat in warm weather while looking for some new vocational options.

 

The hatches are placed just for the photos so one can get an idea of where I am headed. The 3” holes in the splash well will be fitted with louvered vents for the vent tubes running to the fuel tank compartments.

 

The 4” combing is 1/2” thick and stands proud of the deck by 1”. The curved section is 4 layers of 3mm okume ply that merge into a rabbited section of the splash well bulkhead. A drop in panel will cover the access notch in the bulkhead while the boat is under way. It is intended to allow entry and exit to a dinghy and swimming for the dog.

 

As soon as there is a dry spell combined with some moderate temperatures (February?), I will push to get all the remaining bare wood covered with glass and epoxy. The condensation at night is so intense that pools of water collect from the run off. And there is a spore for mildew that is happy to grow in this environment.