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Hello,
I'm just about done stitching up a skerry, and I've run into two issues - some photos below.
1. Where the #1 panels meet the bottom panel, in the stern behind the frame, I can't seem to get rid of a substantial gap. I tried tightening the stiches but that didn't really work. I've now tried undoing the stitches on the bottom panel up to about the center frame, thinking that they were too tight and not allowing the rear part of the panel to come together. That's not really working either.
I'm thinking of perhaps using zip ties for the stern section of the #1, because I think I can get them tighter than the copper wire. Other than this area, the panels have come together nicely (I think), so I don't think it's an issue of the panels being misaliged elsewhere.
2. When fiddling with the stern regarding issue 1, I pulled a little too hard on the pointed end of the bottom panel rabbet broke off. (see photo). I'm thinking of just epoxying it back on unless someone tells me this is a bad idea. And, yes, I'll be painting!
Many thanks in advance.
4 replies:
RE: Skerry Help
Yeah I can see how that would be confusing. This photo was taken during an attempt to restitch. But the gap isn't much different when it's stitched. Maybe I can try pliers to help get the stitches as tight as possible, which is why I was thinking zip ties. I was a little concerned going with a brute force method at this stage, given how easy it was to put the stern and middle sections together.
RE: Skerry Help
If that is the case, I'd stitch those two places as tightly as possible. Then I'd ease (or even remove) the stitches behind them at the stern. Tighten up the two stitches to remove the gap. And drill holes as necessary to stitch together the stern. You may even need to plane off a bit of material to bring the two sections of panel #1 together tightly.
Mind you, my only experience is with the Northeaster Dory, not the Skerry, so you'd be safer relying on adivice from someone with direct experience building the boat.
Good luck.
RE: Skerry Help
Depending on how old your skerry kit is, I found with mine purchased some 2 years ago that there had been a flip/flop of the length of the two bottom panel sections. The pictures and instructions had the longer piece being the bow and mine had the longer piece to the stern, or vice versa, don't recall. Anyway, it showed up when I started putting the bulkheads in the notches and stuff didn't line up. A quick email directly to CLC cleared it up (there'd been an update to the CNC data files that caused the change) and everything proceeded OK.
Anyway, I found that the stern is harder to get stitched down because the bend in the garboard plank is more severe than at the bow. I drilled extra stitch holes because there's only so much tension you can put on the wire before it snaps. And yes, I used pliers to finish the twists. But before that, I had to loosen the stitches all the way to the center bulkhead to line stuff up, then draw everything down a twist at a time.
And yes, I'd just epoxy the broken bits back in when I did the seams. I had a bit of gap, maybe 1/16" inch, maybe a bit more, right at the joint in the stern. I just used extra "putty" thickened epoxy there, scraped it to shape when green and sanded it down. It will have fiberglass sheathing inside and out, so I wouldn't worry.
RE: Skerry Help
» Submitted by Birch2 - Sat, 10/22/16 » 6:56 PM
I'm a bit confused, Dave. I assume that the third picture is showing the gap that you can't close. But in that picture it is obvious that two stitches are missing. If you put wire in those stitch holes and tighten things up, what happens to the gap? Can you do that and then post a picture of the result?