Looks like its coming on nicely. I\\\'m impressed that its only a months work. I\\\'ve just flipped my S17 back over and am now fitting the outer gunwales. Will be a delay though as I promised to decorate the hall before next weekend.

Update on my storm 15 build.  7 weeks in doesn\\\'t time fly.  I\\\'m glad I don\\\'t work fridays though.  Not sure what went wrong with my cboard.  The first problem was that the side pieces were 2 different sizes.  Fortunately the smaller one appeared to be correct.  Having assembled the case,  and starting to fit the keel and makeup pieces,  it was obvious that the slot was far too thin for the cboard case, even with my wonky eyesight.  I packed the slot with bits of wood the right size,  clamped it up and filled the gaps with epoxy, hopefully that will do.  A test fitting of the centreboard in the case showed the need to chop off about 1/2 inch otherwise it wouldn\\\'t fully retract,  plus another 1/2 inch off the rear face to let it fully retract when the top plank is fitted to the cboard case.

If I ever write a book,  it may be titled how I learned to stop worrying about the wood and to love epoxy!  (pinched from Dr Strangelove).

I\\\'m not complaining though,  I love a challenge.  The stern post templates were also interesting.

By this morning the seat side panels were in,  and coated, the king plank fitted and the outboard well in place.

Made a stab at the mast whilst the seat panels are glueing.  I had thought about the possibility of using a right angled adapter in the chuck of a pillar drill to make a spar lathe..... Nah!  too wobbly and potentially dangerous.  Seem to be making a good job of it with a box sander instead,  although it was always going to be too small for the pre-cut hole in the king plank.

Steve

A sort of penny has half dropped. Reading about your CB problems, it suddenly struck me that, if I remember correctly, you collected your kit from Swallow Boats and I arrived to collect mine later that same day? Meaning that our kits were put together at much the same time, over the previous week(s) or so.

I am having major problems with the fit (or rather failure to fit) of a number of parts - 3 pairs of seat supports and possibly also the three temporary spreading bulkheads to which the seat supports are screwed during fitting of the longitudinal bulkheads. I struggled to alter, modify and generally fiddle, but couldn\\\'t make anything work, so emailed Matt, who promptly suggested he send replacement parts, which I await (trouble is, Matt is currently jet-setting, or Easyjetting, around boat shows! - see website. My build meanwhile is totally stalled (well, except for things like daggerboard, rudder, spars etc).

Matt is perplexed by my problem, but suggested that \\\'something moved in the CNC machine perhaps\\\'. I\\\'m wondering whether, if our parts were CNCd at much the same time, we have both been victims of the \\\'glitch\\\', whatever it was, in your case with parts involved around your CB case? Just a thought. You got round your problems - well done. I didn\\\'t around mine, but not for lack of trying, I assure you!

I\\\'ll give a progress report when I get and can try the replacement parts. You\\\'re clearly making a beautiful job of your Storm15. Judging by what I have seen of the Crosses\\\' \\\'Iona\\\', she will sail beautifully, and like a witch in light airs.

Just given my storm 15,  its 2nd coat of primer.  Did a better job of it this time.

think I may have been sniffing the paint fumes too much.  Keep managing to post into the wrong thread.  Maybe it\\\'s just that I am in shock,  it is sunny today!  I will soon make it rain when I wheel the S15 out of the garage to put more paint on.

Latest pics are in the outboard for S17 thread....

Steve, a question about the wooden seat slats on your boat. I am thinking of fitting something similar to my boat to protect the paint work on the side benches. What are they made of? Are they solid wood or plywood? How are they fitted? Are they screwed, glued, screwed and glued? If screwed, do the screws go right through the bench plywood? I want to avoid that as I have a quarter berth underneath one side deck. If glued, what glue do you use? I am a bit reluctant to use epoxy as it is so permanent. I was thinking of Sikaflex, which sticks like anything, but there would be some chance of getting it all off if I ever wanted to. Any advice appreciated.

Looks good to me Steve.