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I'm close to closing up the seat backs (if the weather doesn't get too cold) and, while fitting things, I ran into a couple of oddities:

1. I have two packs of blocking labelled "Blocking for Sheet Blocks" and "Blocking for Gallows Pole". I assume these are meant to be installed below the seat back tops between the stringers, but they are only 1.5" x 1.5" and the stringers are about 1.75" apart. I would think they really should extend to the hull topside and backrest, with cuts made to fit around the stringers. So are these something else? Also the plans call for the sheeting blocks to extend 10" fore AND aft of the bulkhead, so that implies 4 blocks, and the 'Sheet Block' pack only has two pieces (and they are, maybe, 6" long).

2. I placed the seat tops to see how the lined up and they are at least 1" too wide. I know some 'skin' parts are made a bit big, but this seems a lot. Just want to be sure I'm not missing anything.

We got a warm day here in Virginia, so I installed the transom skirt and put an electric blanket over it to guard against the coming cold while it cures.

I'm enjoying the build. Won't be as nice as the ones I see in the blogs, but I hope I'll learn how to do a decent job by the time I get to the 'show' parts of the finish. I received a CLC catalog the other day and I'm already thinking about my next build....

I had to widen those blocks with a piece of plywood in either side, carved down so that the blocks fit snugly between the stringers.
The official location for the spinnaker cleat is forward of the bulkhead, so I didn't see any reason to put blocking aft of the bulkhead.

And yes, the seat tops are wider than necessary, and you will have to trim off a significant amount. I think they wanted to be sure that a difference
in the curve of the hull would not prevent them from being fitted.

Looking more closely at the pictures it looks like the boards are only 3/4” thick, yet the parts in the kit are 1 1/2”. Maybe he had an ‘event’.

In any case I got some SYP and will fashion my own blocks.

Thanks for the input!

Another question:

I see no mention of supports along the transom for the seatbacks. It seems like a good thing to do. I’ll add them, but I’m curious if others did the same?

I added little strips of the 1/2x3/4" stringer mater to the transom to support the rear edge of the seatbacks.
They also helped deal with an unavoidable gap between the seatback edge and the transom. See this thread for more info:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=984#p4801

This photo explains it well: https://dougbraun.com/pocketship_blog/w ... aled-1.jpg

Thanks Doug,

I was going through the various blogs to see if anyone had a picture like that, but missed yours. And yes, I have a gap too. I made my cleats at the cabin end wider to help with that but may need to do the same at the transom when I do the final fit.

I’m embarrassed for my boat to see how clean your build is - no drips or spills! Looks good!

I wish I had caught the advice in that thread to check the cabin wall position against the seat backs, but I think it will all work out.