Followup measurements. 

Centerline measurements: 

21 3/4" from back of frame #3 to tip of stern

26" from front of frame #1 to tip of bow

Also in the above post I mention problems with frames 2 and 3, I meant 1 and 3; frame 3 being the real fit issue, frame 1 would fit, the panel 1 would just go a bit above the curve that is to fit over it.

 Pat 

Pat,

I'm currently building my Skerry as well.  I had the very same issue with the bow and stern frame, especially with the stern frame.  The middle frame fit perfectly.  When I had the no. 2 panels stitched to the no. 1 panels I found that if I moved the stern frame forward 5/8 inch it would fit almost perfectly based on the length of the bottom facet of the frame and equivalent width of the bottom panel and the positions of the frame angles vs. the panel tops (I hope this makes sense).  I called the CLC help line and was told to try to stitch in the no. 3 panels to see if they would pull everything together and if not, it was OK to reposition the frame.  They didn't and I did.  The bow frame at the plan position had 1/8"+ of gap next to a couple of the frame facets, but the top of the frame fit the sheer well and the same with the facet angle points and the panel tops.  I've dealt with the gaps on this frame by laying in some additional wood dust thickened epoxy to close the gaps.  I made sure that the tops of all the frames end up at the measured distances along the sheer as shown in the plans.  I then checked with a plumb bob to see if the frames were plumb and they were.  I still had some gap issues in the stern stem and I built those up with thickened epoxy also.  

If you haven't called the technical line at CLC I urge you to do so.  They are very helpful and patient.  Hope this helps.

Byron 

Byron,

 Thanks for the response.

You moved the rear frame forward 5/8", that seemed to me the distance that would make it fit the panels and the facet corner better. Question, what about the seats? wouldnt moving the frame change the point where the seat fits in? I need to read further into the manual to get a sense of fitting the seats. I was unsure of moving the frame which dictates seat positioning...

I missed calling the help line today. They closed at 1:00. I will definitely call on Tuesday.  

Did you get puzzle joints in your kit? I am wondering if the length has changed slightly with a different joint that may necessitate a slightly different measurement on frame positions than the manual specifies. I couldnt bend the panel 1 together at all w/out breaking it in the current position. The top of the stern stem is at least 2 1/2" apart when it stiffens beyond wanting to come together.

For now I will let the boat rest, grab my surfboard and manual and relax at the beach for the weekend (wife and kids who are there for the week).

Check with CLC tuesday and go from there. I want to get as much done this week as possible while my family is at the beach.

Pat,

I assumed that when I was told I could move the frame that it would not affect the seat, or not in a way that I couldn't somehow deal with.  I looked over the plans and didn't see an issue there, but we'll see.  

 Yes, my kit has puzzle joints.  If they were properly cut, then the overall length of the bottom panel shouldn't change from the scarf cut kits.  I don't remember if there was a length published in the plans for the bottom panel against which you could check.  I noticed that the kit plans don't have enough info to cut the parts yourself.  The gaps I had in the stern stem were more in the order of 1/4 inch or so which was annoying but are easily dealt with.  Speak with the tech line guy but a 2-1/2" gap seems like a significant problem of some kind.  

I've come to realize lately that these boat projects are a journey, especially for the first time builder.

Byron 

The seats have cutouts made to fit on the frames. What I worried about was moving the seat forward and not fitting flush against the sides of the boat all the way forward and rearward.

It may be that the adjustment will be just fine. Hopefully CLC can tell me if its a needless concern.

If you put your seats in place let me know how they look...

With the many projects I do for the first time, I am always struck by the value of lessons learned. If only I kept doing the same project.

 thenks for the help, glad to know others are pondering the same type of parts.

 Pat

You might try dry fitting the seats before you tack the frames and tighten your stitches.  We just finished glassing the hull on our Skerry.  It looks great.  It may seem all wonky now but it all comes together in the end.  Best of luck!  Are we all having fun yet?

Jan

Jan and Byron,

I spoke with a couple folks at CLC. Ed told me to trust it would flex and the 3rd frame would fit the position. I applied a bit more force bending the panels and have gotten it into place in the CLC measurments called for. The rear still seemed a bit forced. The front frame seemed to far back also as the frame didnt line up just perfect with the panel tops for each facet corner. That will all certainly be irrelevant when I fillet the frames in place though. After securing the panels to the frames, the seats look to be a pretty good fit. 

 As of now, the boat is fully stitched together, I have filleted the panel 1s to the gunwale and glued all the laps in the bottom of the boat.

Due to my somewhat messy first attempt at the epoxy work, I will be sanding quite a bit today and tomorrow. I still have not filled the laps fully flush. I need to sand so the squeege can make a clean angle on the chine. 

I cannot wait to fillet the stems and frames and get the last of the wire out. Will be very exciting to have a basically glued together hull. 

I found this part getting a "boat" take shape very satisfying. I was worried about twist and the stem fit so hopefully thats all good once I flip it over and I have not incurred any twist after flipping it over and epoxying it together. I am working pretty much by myself. A bit unweildy at times. I had to suspend the panel 3 ends from the ceiling to do my stitching.

Byron, have you fitted your seats yet?

Jan, how was the glassing on the chines, they suggest a small rounding to allow the fiberglass to change direction more gradually? Was the chine easy to get glass epoxyied too. Any lesson learned?

thanks,

pat

Hi Pat,

I've been following this thread with interest. Congratulations on all your progress so far. I'm sure your Skerry will be a real gem.

As for filleting the laps, I remember doing these. I made my mix a little too runny and ended up with many runs to clean on the inside of the hull. If it were a little thicker (kinda like mayo) it won't run so much. It's good to check periodically for the first hour or two.

I used a plastic spoon (the back) instead of a spatula to level off the laps. This makes a slightly rounded surface and not too square to the hull.

Good luck with the rest of the build!

Jean.

http://picasaweb.google.com/pbjsndwch/BuildingTheSkerry#

Jean,

 I mixed mine more like mayo, it would hang but not drip. Problem was, it took awhile to get it into the joint. I mixed in small yogurt cups because they are tall enough to suck up with the syringe. problem was, in the 90+ degree heat in VA, it sets up fast. It got thicker as I went.

If I were to do that stage again, I would make the first run across the chines with a thicker blend and go fast across, then followup after it turns to gel with a thinner mix that sits on top of the first. I only had one set of runs and cleaned it up on the inside after it ran.

Due to it setting up quickly in the cup, the outside got messy. Also I would clean the lap better before cure to make sure not sanding removal would be necessary. Much quicker to add a layer than to sand it off

Jean, I really like all the pics. You have a ton of room to work. I like the clamp idea on the breasthook. I have scrap for that. I have been wondering about my sander, Its a random orbit sander. I think the square version would do more even work on the outside of panels.

Thanks,

Pat

Pat,

I haven't looked at the forum for some time, so I'm glad to see that there's been some action in this topic.  

No, I haven't fit the seats yet.  I'll be back up at the cabin where the Skerry is later this week, I think, so it will be interesting to see how that goes.  I tried to force the third plank around the stern support in the plan position  but it absolutely wouldn't go without noticeably warping the support.

I've finished fiber glassing the bottom and garboard plank, which went a lot better than I expected.  The second and third coats of epoxy on the entire hull seemed to fill the weave on the glass adequately.  Smoothing out the wet epoxy with a foam brush seemed to work really well along with a little sanding between the second and third coat. 

I've also installed the breast hooks and have started to glue the rail pieces together.

You can see what I've done on my blog:  www.skerrystory.blogspot.com.

Hope your project continues to go well.

Byron