Before the boat went outside, when I wasn't working on the hull I was putting some parts together on the bench.
The mast is supported in two places. The base of the mast rests in the mast step.
The mast passes through hole in the mast thwart (shown below with the other thwarts).
The mast goes through the mast thwart and into the mast step. There's no 'standing rigging' (lines that support the mast), just the thwart and the step. That will rigging the boat easier when (if) I ever get to sail this thing.
All of these parts are being painted with epoxy and sanded before installation and then will be varnished with the rest of the boat.
The daggerboard goes through the hull and acts as the keel of the boat. This allows the boat to sail upwind without just being pushed around by the wind. Well, the goal is to be pushed around by the wind, but I'd like to have some say in where I go.
I know what you're thinking! You're thinking, "Jon, if there's a huge hole in the bottom of the boat, isn't that bad?"
Yes! That's very perceptive! It is bad! To keep water from flowing into the boat and to hold the daggerboard in place, I built a daggerboard trunk.
This will provide support for the daggerboard and keep the boat from filling with water (That's a goal by the way).
More to come!