In order to fasten the keel onto the boat, we had to place the keel that we had cut out and fitted to the bottom of the pram. I varnished the keel before we fastened it on. We marked a straight line on either side of the keel. Next we drilled a hole every seven inches along the center of those two lines using a drill that was the size of the screws we were going to use. It's hard to work so hard to make the boat water tight and then drill holes in the bottom, but we did it. Next, we turned the boat over and counter sunk the holes from the inside. At the bow end of the keel, the keel itself lands over the fore keel of the boat so those screws go in from the outside and are counter sunk into the keel. The stern end of the keel has a lag bolt that goes through the width of the keel and into the bottom of the boat. It is held in place by a washer and nut inside the boat. The outside end of the lag bolt is counter sunk into the keel. After all the screw holes were counter sunk, we turned the boat back over so it was bottom up. I placed the keel in position between our two guide lines and John drilled the screw holes into the keel from the inside of the boat. Next we put a bead of marine adhesive bedding between our two guide lines. Using the lag bolt as a guide, we placed the keel in position and tightened it from under the boat. From there, John put each of the screws into the keel from under the boat while I held it in position.
After the keel fastening operation, we went about placing the brass rub strip along the edge of the keel and along the bow. First, we bent the stern end of the strip so it fitted over the curve of the stern end of the keel. We set up our drill press and drilled all of the holes in the strip being careful not to make our holes so they were in the same spot as the fasteners holding the keel on the boat. Next we went through the same process to countersink the holes. Starting at the stern, we fastened the curved end of the strip onto the keel putting some silicone bedding adhesive on under the strip. We continued to fasten the strip onto the keel. We did our screw holes as we went along. This process went along quite rapidly and we liked the finished product.
Now we go on to plugging the holes on the inside, touching up the paint and fastening the seats. We also have to put the name on the stern and we will be ready for launch.
After the keel fastening operation, we went about placing the brass rub strip along the edge of the keel and along the bow. First, we bent the stern end of the strip so it fitted over the curve of the stern end of the keel. We set up our drill press and drilled all of the holes in the strip being careful not to make our holes so they were in the same spot as the fasteners holding the keel on the boat. Next we went through the same process to countersink the holes. Starting at the stern, we fastened the curved end of the strip onto the keel putting some silicone bedding adhesive on under the strip. We continued to fasten the strip onto the keel. We did our screw holes as we went along. This process went along quite rapidly and we liked the finished product.
Now we go on to plugging the holes on the inside, touching up the paint and fastening the seats. We also have to put the name on the stern and we will be ready for launch.
