Costs

Just calculated that so far I have spent:
- materials and specific tools that I will not ever use elsewhere = LVL192 (EUR272, USD354)
- shop rent summer'11 = LVL120
- rest of the tools I do not count as either I already had them before this project or (like cordless drill) they are useful around the house and I would have those anyway.

The hours I estimate around 100 so far, with my current salary... that's a lot in money terms!!!

Bottom planking

Yesterday I realised that in order to shape a symmetric front on the boat I need to know how the bottom will look like, so I decided to start bottom planking as well. The fitting seems pretty easy, at least on the aft.

Bought some 9mm plywood for this. Also bought 200 pcs Torx head SS screws for bottom planking which I intend to leave in the boat contrary to the side plank screws.

By the way, Lithium

Thought I would blog it here... Recently my 5 yr old green Bosch cordless drill burned, was a good piece of equipment but its time had come. Not that I once bought it for the this boat project but still, it was much used here. So I was in the market for a new one.
Was looking for a nice deal with double NiCd or NiMH batteries but anything of brand was in the region of 50 lats anyway. Then I recalled trying a small-form LiON cordless drill-driver and being very impressed.

Looked at that segment, and, voila, there it was - cheapest of the brand things - the Skil 2321 AA 10.8V LiON, one battery only but comes with 1 hour charger, can be charged anytime, no memory effect, nothing. The torque is surprisingly good. You do not feel the absence of the "counterweight" at all! During the port front side planking drilled about 80 holes (in plywood), screwed about 80 screws (20mm), then few more longer screws here and there but the battery showed no sign of getting low. A very good investment, me like very much!
The expense of LVL 40 is added to this project expenses as much of this tool will be used up in the boat shop.

Finally, the port side panel is there!

Took about 4 hours today and finally jumped this hurdle! This side/front attachment has been holding me back for half a year or so. Now I expect the things to move ahead faster.

Fitting and sticking

So difficult to get the right shape. One could count about 5 layers of 6mm plywood on top just to adjust the final shape of chine up front.

Just before Christmas...

..spent about 3 hours on the boat with my kid. Still sanding, fitting, glueing some extra pieces, again sanding, etc. BUT it seems the next time I get a few hours there I will be finally able to attach the front part of the port side panel! Progress pics to come soon!

3 months have passed...

..and during those 3 months I have touched the boat maybe 5 times maximum, on average 1 hour each time. Getting the front end right has turned out quite disappointing. This is the point where I understand the real value of quality plans vs. "some drawings" form a 1960's magazine that do not go into much detail at all.