This blog is devoted to my John Welsford designed 15' Navigator yawl Ellie. I built her in my garage over a period of 18 months and launched her in 2011. She sports a sliding gunter main, roller furled jib and sprit-boomed mizzen. Her construction is glued-lapstrake over permanent bulkheads and stringers. This blog is a record of her construction and her voyages here in the Puget Sound area and (hopefully) a useful resource for fellow Navigator builders.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Planking Complete!

We passed another major milestone this weekend - installation of the final plank - the sheer strake.
WoooHooo!



I decided to minimize the number of splices in this strake, because I am hoping it will look good enough to varnish. Since the Navigator is a 15' boat, I was just barely able to make the sheer strakes using one scarf joint in the middle. I figure one splice looks better than two.







I tried to do the best job I could with the scarf joints.  They look nice and clean but I won't know for sure until after they're faired and a coat of epoxy is applied. If it doesn't look good, I can always paint it or apply a vaneer.

But for now, time for a beer!