Flats Stalker 18

1. The Strongback
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Bill of Materials
1. The Strongback
2. The Pencil
3. Wood Butchering
4. Transom
5. Joining Panels
6. Round Chine Option
7. Jig Assembly
8. Stitching it all together
9. Tabbing & Filleting
10. Fiberglassing the Seams
11. Glassing the Hull Bottom
12. Fiberglassing the Sides
13. Fairing Slurry
14. Fairing - A Strategy
15. Fairing the Outside (Cont'd)
16. Skeg
17: Rubrails
18. Primer
19. Hull Flip
20. Inside Taping
21. Inside Cloth
22. Stringers & Knees
23. Installing Frames
24. Sole
25. Rod Holders
Photo Album
Contact Me

The Strongback (~ 8 hours building time - one person)

I already had a "strongback" of sorts that I made for a strip canoe project. It has a 12" wide by 16 feet long surface that is flat, level, and straight. It's also elevated for my working height. Since I'm 6' 6" tall it's tedious and back breaking to work at normal bench heights, so this will provide a waist to chest height envelop for me to work at comfortably. On top of the base platform, I constructed the strongback for the FS18. It's basically a 16 foot long framed skeleton with an 18" internal span.

Click on the picture below to see a gallery of the strongback building process:

The Strongback
fs18_8.jpg
(Click on the picture far a Strongback gallery)

On Wed., Feb. 7th, I drove to the offices of E-Boat.com (a.k.a. Bateau.com) and purchased the supplies that would allow me to build the basic boat up to a primed hull. I was able to meet Jacques, Joel, & Robert. They took a lot of time discussing the project's finer points, and helped me load my truck with all the necessities. Thanks guys! 

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