-Week 27 Write Up- Fitting the bulkheads before varnish, on go corner posts and mast steps

This week was great.  We glued the last piece of trim on, and sanded the last bulkhead before fitting.  Now, it all depends on setting up our trusty jig to get a correct measurement of the location of the stringers to which the bulkheads "clip" into.  Then, we lay the jig on the bulkhead, adjust the old mylar lines, cut them out, and see how it fits.  It usually fits pretty well the first go, but does require a little bit of sanding here and there to get our 90 degree plum edge and a tight fit.  Then, we screw an oak block to each stringer which the bulkhead butts up to.  A hole is then bored through the bulkhead and the block where a bolt with a nut will eventually secure the bulkhead to the block.  Once this is all finished, the bulkhead is essentially ready to be installed for good, but first, they will get sealed with penetrating epoxy and get 4-5 coats of varnish.  Out of the finishing shed, they will just plop into place and get secured.

Brendan has been busy building corner posts and installing them onto the bulkheads which will be receiving more lateral force then the rest.  Also, he's built up a mast step for both the main and mizzen masts out of Locust, an extremely strong and tight grained wood.  Brendan said that a stone would wear away before this wood.  But it is also very heavy, so it is used sparingly, perfect for mast steps where a lot of load will be.