WELCOME to the Website of Yacht 'EMERALD' 
Website started 24th February 2000

Lots and lots of thought, measuring, re-thinking, cups of tea, and finally setting to work sawing, chiselling, routering, drilling and loads of sanding, the cockpit coamings are really taking shape. Not one right angle in sight. The long length of Iroko just needs a little coaching to close the gap forward, and aft a very slight bend inwards, so the gap is on the inner side, to take the battening of the cockpit side - next job to do. The very aft end will need some improvisation and laminating to continue the same edging around the aft edge of the cockpit side, which is a right angled curve. No problem ?!

Very encouraging to see more of the final finishes of wood taking shape - looking forward to starting varnishing. Also in consideration at this point is the location of the aft winches whether to build frame, or box. Lots of variations being contemplated and looking at other boats for ideas.

Gaps are closing up nicely. Will be a relief when time comes to glue in place, but  lots more to happen first.

Great clamps, the Pony clamps - just the job here.  Next, as I have been planning to batten out the inner sides of the cockpit sides. Needs to be done to prevent the sides splitting as could happen with a slab of mahogany, and indeed this has happened with the cabin (what does one call them) aft sides each side of the companionway entranceway, hence the battening of these to be done.

First though, need to do the lower edging iroko mouldings, all made recently by myself, to accommodate the flexiteek decking on the cockpit seating area eventually.

mouldings all done, and now to cut and fit to shape the iroko battenings.

All progressing well, and then in the corner battening vertical as a contrast. Should look nice all varnished.

Then battening either side of the companionway entrance. Then to fit back in place the Iroko cockpit coaming pieces. Considering its early 2011, by time spring arrives should be ready for lots and lots of glueing and screwing, and plugging.

All progressing as planned, here the cockpit coaming offered in place, and tackling the aft end of the coaming, which is a very nice curve. I regret not taking a photo of how I epoxied the curved construction, then had it clamped whilst cured, and only getting epoxy on the wood! Its amazing what ingenuity can achieve.

Predictions were right, warmer weather and things have been moving along with speed now. Lots of sanding taping up, acetone to de-grease of prepared wood, irooko plugs at the ready, with screws etc Jobs like this on ones own are quite fast moving, and care is needed not to get epoxy anywhere except where it should go. The weather at one point was a touch tooo warm, and the epoxy was a bit too runny. Perservered though, Taping up around the area to be expoxied with masking tape and newspaper, saves lots of sanding time later. Also just before putting the plugs in, scrape up excess epoxy, and wipe the surface with expoy. Eopxy is a devil to sand so the more you can clean up before cured pays dividends.

All the lats now glued & screwed in place except starboard corner. So that was next, and then to complete the rounding of the edges of the cockpit coaming lengths with the router.

The corner lats now glued and screwed. Screwholes prepared in the cockpit coaming lengths, and then

after machining up more beading, to match the rest, this time for both sides of the cockpit back, and on deck. Both these pieces glued and nailed in place (silicon grip fast). Because there are no lats the beading is narrower in width thus screws not an option.

Now all is setup to finally glue and screw in place the cockpit coaming lengths, and the forward corner pieces. At long last, after months of hard work, the finished coaming is about to be revealed.

Lots of newpaper and masking tape to protect existing wood. Pays dividends afterwards in cleaning up.This is the final time I need to use the pony clamps on this section.

And so to complete fitting of my masterpiece aft ends of the coamings. And so on to glueing & screwing in place the starboard cockpit coaming lengths & corner piece.

Then to glue & screw in place the aft ends of the coaming.

All going really well, and now attention turns to completing the main cabin edgings whcih can now be glued in place. Lots more taping up and then another glueing & screwing operation.

Finished areas are now materialising and it really gives me a much needed ego boost. After completing the remaining deck edgings, then next job is to batten out the cockpit well area, fit the cockpit hatches. Getting closer to being ready for laying the flexiteek decking.

Still needs further portlights fitting, but working in the cockpit at moment, progressing on battening the cockpit well area.

Thought black hatches will look better than white.

With over 70 battens, its tedious work, but will be worth the effort once done.

Cockpit well battens glued and screwed in place.

On the left, the original aperture for a hand made hatch followed the line of the deck beams so was 'slanted'. Needed to make inner frame to square up the aperture to accommodate the black hatch,

Glueing and screwing in place the starboard main cabin edgings.

update to follow soon .....things coming along nicely

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This page was last  updated on 31 May 2008