PocketShip.net

Hi everyone. Greetings from the UK.

I should have responded sooner but I have been busy ...

My PocketShip is nearing completion - I am finishing off the paintwork and varnishing at the moment. I had hoped to have her in the water by now but there is still a lot of work to do with fitting out etc, so the launch will be next spring.

Best wishes to all fellow builders!

Steve

Hi Guys,
John if you read this is it possible to call these threads "Milestones" and make the posts "Sticky" so they stay at the top similar to the "Photo Gallery & Blog" posts.
So, it's my turn to "chime in" sorry I took so long but I have been away with the Mrs. gallivanting around the country.
It's Terry from down under, post name "Hooky".
I started building by plan in Feb 2022 after falling in love with the boat, its beautiful design and watching Johns YouTube video about 500 times. I'm documenting my build in a blog which is very much a manual style of blog, plenty of pictures and lots of mods.
Currently I have completed the hull and sides up to around page 84 of the manual. I have almost completed an anchor locker mod which is built between the stem and BH 1. I have also constructed the centerboard ready for shaping, glassing and painting.
I am currently designing the electrical systems and about to mill the timber for the floorboards.
I always find it so interesting to read about the many challenges Pocket Ship builders experience. Ranging from where to build to sourcing materials but most challenging of all is the extremes of climates. Here in Australia its very hot (even in our Winter) which sets the epoxy so quickly whereas so many other builders are challenged by very low temperatures and snow and how to warm their workshops. It's great to share these challenges with you all from around the world.
Anyway, check out where I'm up to, click on the link below to my blog.
Cheers Terry from down under

https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com/

I finished the glue up of my keel this past weekend. Now working on getting it rounded and cleaned up for lead, which will be after New Year. Funny how it's so fun to just look at.

Oh yeah.
I got my topsides pretty much done and sanded. I’m stuck now until spring. But every time I go into the garage I can’t help but run my hand along the boat. Makes me smile.
You all understand.

Update from Down Under:
Floorboards installed.
I chose Queensland Hoop Pine for my floorboards, it is a heavy, dense softwood that has a beautiful grain and easy to work. I was lucky to find a local dealer that had a good stock of specialty timbers. I purchased six planks measuring 3600mm X 250mm X 25 mm which required a lot of milling. After considerable table saw and thicknesser work I created all the 76.2mm wide by 18mm thick floorboards plus two full bins of sawdust. The remaining off cuts will make great cleats for the remainder of the build so nothing was wasted. It took me two full days to install the floorboards, I wanted access to the whole bilge, so I decided to install six access hatches. I am still debating what finish to use, something that will enhance the beautiful grain in the timber.
Plenty of pics on the blog
Cheers Terry from Down Under

https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com

Well we have an unseasonably warm couple days in northern Virginia (highs in low 60s F), so I thought it would be a good opportunity to do something on the boat. One thing on my list to do before the flip is install the porthole trim. Not a big project, though it turned out to be a bit trickier than I thought.
Anyway, the real reason I'm posting (since this thread is mostly about milestones), I thought of a new milestone to celebrate. After parting the four trim rings from the plywood, I realized they were the last plywood parts to be installed! I think I 'm going to celebrate that.
Happy New Year to all!

Exactly one year ago I bought my first sheet of plywood and started making the first cuts. Unfortunately, I still haven't installed the floorboards yet. They are in the process of being varnished. It's amazing how much time can be wasted on things that seem easy at first.

Dmitriy wrote:Exactly one year ago I bought my first sheet of plywood and started making the first cuts. Unfortunately, I still haven't installed the floorboards yet. They are in the process of being varnished. It's amazing how much time can be wasted on things that seem easy at first.

I hear you Dmitriy. I started in May and just a couple of weeks ago poured my keel. I am already ready to varnish my spars but I still thought I'd be farther along in general. It's funny how you'll have someone visit your shop and they look at something that took you 8 hours and just say, "Neat." Or maybe someone looks at something like the rudder and asks, "So it shipped to you like that and you just paint it?".

Hi Guys, (small update)
Well, I just removed the floorboards again! and hopefully this will be the last time. For those that might be interested I thought I'd share the number of screws I used to fix the floorboards.
In total I used 178 X 30mm counter sunk SS screws to secure the floorboards. I shortened some of these screws down to 25mm for the outside boards where the frames merge into the hull bottom. I used 14 SS butt hinges that required 56 X 12mm counter sunk SS screws. The finger holes in the six inspection hatches were decorated with teak finger rings.
Now it's time to sand them all nice and smooth.
After sanding I will apply 2 coats of epoxy with a light sanding between, then several layers of gloss lacquer. This will bring out the beautiful grain.
Cheers Terry from down under.

https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com

Informative: I have provided a status update here .