JCH at CLC saves the day with his CNC

D'oh!
The first big goof in building the Mill Creek 16.5 became apparent yesterday as I test fit the side deck panels. After having tested them prior to permanently installing the bow deck, I now found that my haphazard placement of the bow deck left a gap between it and the aft deck panel that was too large to be spanned by the precut center/side panel. The precut parts are cut with excess material to allow trimming to an exact fit, but I used up all that buffer by moving the bow deck panel too far forward. The error left about a quarter inch gap that needed to be spanned. Since I plan to give the deck a bright, or varnished finish, filling the gap with an additional scrap of wood or even peanutbutter epoxy would have been unacceptably unsightly. I had first resolved to order another sheet of okoume plywood and cut replacement parts myself, making them just a bit longer. However, the fine folks at Chesapeake Light Craft helpfully offered to cut a custom panel with the needed extra length. This will be much cheaper than purchasing and shipping an entire sheet of plywood! Thanks CLC!

A little birdie tells me...

Word on the street is that a shipment of marine plywood parts, epoxy, and other materials is presently on its way from Annapolis, MD to a small "boat shop" in the Heart of Dixie. This will be just another step in a long journey for this boat-to-be. From trees grown in Guinea and other spots on western coastal Africa, marine-grade plywood was milled in France to quality standards set by Lloyd's of London, then shipped to a company on America's east coast. There, the plywood was cut by a huge, new computer-controlled machine to precise specifications. The collection of oddly shaped parts was then packaged up and loaded on a plane which is now on its way to Helena, Alabama, just south of Birmingham. Continue reading to see what happens next!

Commitment

At the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic, CT this past weekend, I handed a check to John C. Harris to cover the purchase of a Mill Creek 16.5 kit. The CEO of Chesapeake Light Craft graciously agreed to defer the delivery of the kit until late August. This will give me time to finish clearing out the boatbuilding shop, and attend to some other home improvement projects. By the first week in September, I should be able to turn my full attention to the job of creating my very own copy of the Mill Creek. Until then, the anticipation grows...