Monday, January 25, 2021

Redbird Progress


After some time moving and a variety of repairs to my new home, I am finally getting back to work on the Redbird. Moving the boat right after the first side was glassed was interesting and probably I should have rented a trailer and moved it while still on the mold.

There is a small bit of damage where the hull has a interesting deflection in the bottom that appears to be a crack along one of the joints near the whiskey strip. The third image should show this. Also worth noting is my use of monofilament line to locate the center line of the strongback.  Drawing a straight 16 foot line is a seriously advanced skill, and despite my years it's pretty much beyond me.  I adhered the line at 1 foot intervals with nail polish.    

Initially I thought the next step would be to flip it over and glass the inside, but now, I think I would like to try to restore the original form, but it seems a bit difficult a best. I am going to put it back on the form and strap it in place, then add a small football of glass to cover the bottom equally on each side of the centerline, assuming that I will be able to pull the form together once it's back on the mold. At that point I think I can proceed as expected.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I've included some shots of me rebuilding the strongback.