by DanaDCole on Wed Apr 23, 2014 12:56 pm
All I can say is I have almost exactly the same width and length of gap you describe. It is almost equal on both sides as far as I can tell, so that gives me some small comfort. This is after using 2x4s and long bar clamps to pull the lower panels up as much as I dared.
If it will help, I can tell you that I put a 2x4 across the side panels just aft of bulkhead 1 and used two small clamps behind the bulkhead to keep the 2x4 from sliding forward. I put a second 2x4 under the bow, just forward of the steepest curve upward, with long bar clamps on each side. I slowly tightened the clamps, one side then the other, until the lower panels started to separate at the lower seam. That was the "far as I dared" point. If you were able to get the gap down by hand to as small as I did with clamps, then that might do the trick for you. Just don't put on too much pressure! I think if you can get the gap down pretty small, and it is even on both sides, you ought to be OK, but let's wait to see what others say.
I'm going to wait and hear what others say--have done some of the gluing but none up at the bow end yet. The thing about measuring from the bow to each side of the stern is it only tells you about the algnment at the top of the bow--which is not in the water. I don't know any way to measure the bottom of the bow, which is in the water where it matters most. One thing is that if the top of the bow is aligned and all the edges of the panels are touching (or have the exact same small gap on each side) then the bottom must also be in alignment (maybe).
If we don't get any brilliant insights from the posts that follow, the way I see it is the only choice I have is to go ahead with it. Any small misalgnment of the bow will be corrected with helm position. This does not help with speed, but I'm not planning on any racing. Upwind, speed lost on one tack should I think be partially made up on the opposite tack. I'm just hoping that if I have to glue it as is, those wide seams will hold.
Last edited by
DanaDCole on Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.