Second Coaming

Firstly, Thanks to Cee Dubbs for the title. 

Now, what's wrong with this picture? 

The eagle eyed will notice that I started to make the coaming before I'd fitted the deck, crazy I hear you say, why on earth would you do a daft thing like that?  The whole thing is hanging on sky hooks. 

 Well the answer is this; when you're first to do something or at least doing something for the first time, which from here is pretty much the same thing, you don't really know how things will work out. 

I could have fitted the deck, cut a great big oblong hole in it and then hoped I could bend the ply around the edge to fit. And what if it hadn't?

 Well there would have been egg from ear to ear and custard all down my overalls. 

So an alternative plan was required. Lets bend the ply to see how it will behave, and then make the hole to fit!

 Not so daft eh? 

So these first creations were by way of experimentation. And I have to tell you it was a close run thing. Once again I find myself suffering from the use of cheap materials. This £12,  4mm ply is 3mm of rubbish sandwiched by 1/2 mm of brown paper. and it doesn't like bending, especially into tight smooth curves.

It splits, spits, splinters, and leaves flat-spots where it's just to stubborn to bend. 

The result is that the forward section, the one I did first, has been designated unfit for public viewing. There are cracks and ripples where none should be and even my sleight of hand won't be able to disguise them. 

The second attempt, on the aft section went a bit better and it gets to stay, and we have at least established that given the right type of persuasion, the recalcitrant ply will go where its wanted.  which means that you dear reader now get to watch as I make a new forward section.

Fingers crossed and away we go. 

But first, to give you an idea where we're heading, a shot of the after section, mocked up with the natty side-pods, and the seat, which devotees of Port-na-storm will recognise as the re-cycled pillion from Polythene Pam.