I think I'll build a Point Comfort 23

[finkeel]

I thought I'd upgrade my Point Comfort 18 from last year to the 23' version this year.

Plans have arrived
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Transom set up, two layers of 3/4" marine ply.
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Inner keel sandwich epoxied up, two layers of doug fir, one center of 3/4" ply.
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Best addition to the shop, a 24' scarfing bench, straight and level, full clamping area.
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I have the best neighbour. Do you have a use for this? he asked.....Um yes I do!
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More next post.
Rob

[finkeel]

Inner stem trim
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Scarfing inner keel, outer layer, 1" doug fir. Will be epoxied to a layer of marine ply.
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Mold cutting
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Inner keel (hog)
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Inner stem trim
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Rob

[finkeel]

Basic fit, hog, inner keel.
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First chine bevel and scarf.
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Inner keel fairing has begun. This step is nerve wracking at first.
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[finkeel]

First chine bent on. 1"x 2" beveled doug fir, epoxied at both ends, screws are temporary. Lot of torsion in this part.
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Minor fairing at the very front required. I added a block inside to add more landing and gluing area.
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More later. Picking up more material to scarf up the other chine and sheer clamp tomorrow. rip to dimension and get glued up.

Rob

[timo4352]

You're not wasting any time getting right into it!
Good luck with the build.

[finkeel]

You're not wasting any time getting right into it!
Good luck with the build.

Thanks!
I had the ladder frame set up a couple weeks ago, and a bit of material on hand. I did a PC 18 last year, this is quite similar, saves a bit of time, as well as another thread on here I've view 50 times as a reference.

[Rich Jones]

Looking good! That's a big skiff. What will be it's use?

[finkeel]

Looking good! That's a big skiff. What will be it's use?

Yeah it's big! And thanks.
Mostly bumming around the bays of Nova Scotia, planning to do a little camping, just a fun run about. The 18' is great but not enough room for me. This one will have a one side console walk around as well, and I plan on a permanent hard top bimini that I can incorporate roll down shelter. Maybe.

[finkeel]

Spent the morning before going to work ripping a couple 12' pieces of douglas fir into 6 strips, 1" x 2" for the remaining chine and two shear clamps. Got them all beveled and one set scarfed and epoxied, to get bent on tomorrow morning. Tight quarters but is working out just fine.

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[Berniebac]

Very nice. Looking forward to following your progress.

[finkeel]

That's a really creative attachment you have on the plane for scarphing.

That's actually just a flat bar leaning on the plane, I was using that as it was close at hand to check for straightness.

[finkeel]

So today before work I went to install the port chine I scarfed up yesterday on the mold, knowing I still needed to cut the chine notches into Mold station 9 that I missed somehow. Laying up the paper plan to get the dimension, I realized something didn't line up. The mold was off. I had missed a point transfer, and connected a wrong point to the correct point cut the mold out, effectively losing a tapered inch of mold on the lower portion. It was a good catch, and proves the measure twice cut one rule. Very glad I didn't just estimate the notch required and remove it. I scabbed in a proper piece to the mold, and got the chine fastened and epoxied into place. Tomorrow I'll scarf the two sheer clamps that got molded yesterday.
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Thanks for looking
Rob

[finkeel]

Some progress.
Both chine logs and sheer clamps finally in, the outer stem cut epoxied and trimmed to shape, both topsides are complete minus one forward layer of the 3/8" doubler. One piece of bottom 3/4" is also on. The hog is beveled, and the pile of sawdust is cleaned up. It was a lot.
I decided to follow advice from another couple builders and go with two layers of 3/8" for the forward's topsides instead of trying to wrestle in a piece of 3/4". The extra epoxy was worth it. Easy to install.
Some advice I learned from others here and wall as some I learned from my last build: Tape everything exposed you don't want to sand later. This will save HOURS of dust making. When you build the ladder frame, make sure you have room to fit a big broom under the rails, there is a lot of cleanup. Get lots of clamps. Goes without saying I guess. Buy good tools the first time out. I blew up a crappy planer I bought last year.

Chines and clamps on.
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Hog beveled
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So much inner keel planed off.
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Scarfing topside piece
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Taped and ready to epoxy and flip into place.
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[finkeel]

Outer stem lay up.
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Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have enough clamps or that you don't need bigger ones. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life! haha
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Cut to basic shape
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Starboard topsides first layer in place.
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[finkeel]

First bottom piece taped epoxied and ready to flip into place.
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[bob barnett pe]

What was the other thread, I have just started the 18 and would like to read it. Thanks for sharing your photos.

[Breakaway]

Thanks for sharing, Finkeel.

bob barnett pe

forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?201809-Doug-Hylan-Point-Comfort-18-build-in-Florida

K

[bob barnett pe]

Thanks for the reply. I love your photos you posted.

[Larks]

Nice work, watching with interest.

[finkeel]

What was the other thread, I have just started the 18 and would like to read it. Thanks for sharing your photos.

jim_cricket has an amazing thread on a PC 23 build, search 'Point Comfort 23 in Brooklyn'. I used it extensively for my PC 18 build, along with the thread 'Point Comfort 18 in Florida'.
The hulls are very similar, both great resources. I tried documenting my 18 build, but had photo posting issues.
Rob

[jim_cricket]

Hey, that all looks familiar! Good work, Finkeel. I haven't spent much time on the forum lately. Nice to see another one going together. It's a great boat, and you'll love it.
Cricket

[finkeel]

All is going well. Now completely planked, the shape looks great, it sitting where it should. The outer stem is on, epoxied and attached with bronze threaded rod, washers and nuts. The keel is shaped but not bedded yet.
Two layers of 3/8" on the forward topside was super easy compared to what I expect one layer of 3/4" would be. The forward bottom eight+ feet are two layers of 3/8".

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[finkeel]

I built the stem post one day recently. Its an oak center orange osage middles and padouk outers. There has since been a 1/2" bronze rod added. The black piece is an ebony piano key. One front and one rear. I used a lot of my mom's old piano in other projects, a lot went into my PC18 last year. She passed away years ago. The other ebony key was from a family friends piano, she knew what I'd done with the first piano, she offered hers to me to disassemble and use. She suddenly passed away the morning I was building this stem, so it was fitting to add a piece of her to it.
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[finkeel]

Last for the day, just a shot of all the bow planking trimmed (but not faired), the outer stem almost shaped to its finish and the keel in place. Thanks for watching, and for all the encouraging comments. Still a long way to go. I could not have done this with out the PC 23 build threads from members on here jim_cricket and GTC, Thanks guys, for answering my many email questions.

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[Breakaway]

Looks good!

K

[bob barnett pe]

What angle did you bevel the chines. I am building the 18 and it looks like around 20 degrees.
Thanks for the help

[Berniebac]

Great progress. Very nice work.

[finkeel]

What angle did you bevel the chines. I am building the 18 and it looks like around 20 degrees.
Thanks for the help

Sorry but I can't remember. And my boat is covered for the winter so can't even access it. You should be able to pull the angle off the molds no?
Rob

[bob barnett pe]

I just found it in the written instructions. It is 24 degrees.
I hate you have stopped for the winter. I was enjoying your photos.
I will start sharing mine in about a week.
The reason i asked to start with i had pulled several different different angles from 22 to 25 degrees.

[finkeel]

I just found it in the written instructions. It is 24 degrees.
I hate you have stopped for the winter. I was enjoying your photos.
I will start sharing mine in about a week.
The reason i asked to start with i had pulled several different different angles from 22 to 25 degrees.

Oh no I think I misunderstood. I built a PC 18 last year, launched Spring 2020. That's the one that is covered for the winter. I'll be continuing with the 23. I thought you were asking about the 18 footer.
Rob

[finkeel]

5 and a half hard days in this week. Got the Keel bedded and filletted, and two layers of glass on it. Got the entire hull faired and glassed, including the transom. I decided to do something different than the plans, and bond on a layer of purpleheart to the transom, with a maple motor mount 'plate'. The transom will get coats of west clear epoxy then Epifanes UV varnish. With the hull glassed, the spray rails are complete on the port side and half on the stbd. The port side hull needs a quick sand then it'll get primed. 3-4 days work and I think it'll get flipped, once the paint is on below the water line and keel bronze half round is added.

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[finkeel]

Couple more. Lots of sanding, tweaking, hole filling and the like. The photos don't do it much justice.


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[finkeel]

I can never get the photo additions correct.
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[bob barnett pe]

If you have time for a couple of quick questions.
What did you use to power your 18 ft boat?
What type of plywood are you using on this build?

[finkeel]

If you have time for a couple of quick questions.
What did you use to power your 18 ft boat?
What type of plywood are you using on this build?

Hello
I used a 25hp Yamaha 4 stroke on the 18 footer, love the motor, its light at 125 lb. and is great on fuel.

The 23 footer is a mix of plywood. I know there will be comments about it but, the forward half of the boat, topside and bottom, is two layers of 1088 3/8". The aft section top and bottom is marine fir ply, 3/4" single layer. The prices of materials here is off the charts, the 3/4" 1088 was going for over 230$ per sheet plus 15% tax. $270 bucks.That was too much. I got the marine fir ply at 130$ a sheet. I figured it was going to be entirely encapsulated with glass and epoxy outside, epoxy primer and paint inside, and there is no glue, all thickened epoxy for joints anyway. Its still a marine ply and there are guys building lumber yard skiffs out there that have great results. I know it has voids here and there but I had great luck scarfing, epoxy is a great filler.
The decks and washboard on the 23 will be 1088.
Rob