BBW Jumbo Challanger ( Lady Bug)

[bowgarguide]

Well Miss Stacie I hate to tell you this but you have two big holes in your boat.
Thanks Gerald
Ron

[bowgarguide]

[Texmullet]

Nice cuts! You really did it....

[Iwannagofishin]

I have to do this soon, and I'm not looking forward to it. Maybe I'll pay Bowgarguide to come make my cuts.

Nice work!!

[bowgarguide]

Had to do it
I always hate putting the saw to the decks.
Ron

[bowgarguide]

Got the bottom refinished and all the scratches out.


Final coat of epoxy on the bottom and sides.
Ron

[bowgarguide]

Flipped the bug over and started working on the hatches,

cut out the spacers and the lips



glued in the spacer ,you never have enough clamps



sanded it flush with the inside of the opening



then glued in the lip for the seal



hatches just need a gasket and bunjis now


Ron

[Texmullet]

Yessir! Lookin good! We are in the market for a good tent to stow in those compartments!

[bowgarguide]

Final coats of epoxy on decks and cockpit


We will let her cure for a few days the a light sanding and the spar varnish will be applied
Ron

[rodloos]

Sure is some pretty color in that boat!

So you give it a light sanding before applying the varnish? Is one coat of varnish sufficient or does it take more than one?

[bowgarguide]

Rod it will take several coats to get the uv protection.
I figured she was cured enough and sparayed the first coat of spar varnish on today ,few more days and she will be ready to pick up.
Ron

[neon14]

Ron, when you spray the varnish do you have to thin it?

[bowgarguide]

I am using the Benjime Moore marine spar varnish and shoot it right from the can ,no thining.
Ron

[bowgarguide]

Bought a new compressor and paint gum yesterday, dang I should have done this a long time ago for the varnish, shoots easy and smooth.
Ron

[rodloos]

Bought a new compressor and paint gum yesterdayRon

Are you saying it gummed up the paint gun?

I'm glad you clarified you were using a compressor and paint gun, at first I thought you were saying you could get the varnish in an aerosol can.

[Texmullet]

C'mon Ron,lets see some pics!!!!
She's gettin antsy!

[bowgarguide]

Tomorrow pics will be posted
Ron

[bowgarguide]

Last coat of varnish applied



Now I can start on the finishing up of hatches ,getting close now



Ron

[Texmullet]

I will be contacting you soon to hook up w/you Ron. She looks great!! Stacie is so excited....wants a carrier for her Avalon!!

[bowgarguide]

Wrapping the Lady bug up .
Gasket applied on hatch openings.



This Lady likes red so I made the soft pad eyes from red straps



Mounted them and put on the bunji cords



Mounted the seat . all I have left to do is clean her up now ,oh and red rope for the carry handles.
Ron

[bowgarguide]

Horaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I am finished ,she is ready to pick up.
Now for a little story to go with the boat.
No one sees the bad things that happen to a boat during the build and dont normally even hear about them.
Well here is my horror story for this boat.
I had the boat tacked up and rough sanded and before I put a coat of epoxy filler on it I wet it down so I could get a good ideal for the colors of my fillets.


She is looking pretty good and slick. After she dried I was going to move her inside my tunnel. Thats when the trouble started. I picked her up ,now I have a thumb that was blown off a few years ago ,they reattached it but my grip isnt as good in my left hand,Well gingerly I picked up the bug and as I started to go to the tunnel the dang wind jumped up high, took that hull right out of my hand, when it hit the ground it split every seam I had tacked , the only thing holding it together was the ends. It looked like a banana peel
That was a heart breaking sight, I just turned around and walked off. After a hour or so I went back and started looking at the wreck the next morning went back to work on her and here she is finished.
Not one piece of wood broke ,just the tacked seams.
Ron

[bowgarguide]

I would like to thank Gerald for a good set of plans and answering any questions I had quickly.
Was a pleasure to build this design.
As always happens I learned a lot on this build ,by the time I am an old man maybe I will be a decent builder.
Thanks for the support and comment on this thread also.
Ron

[LastHurrah]

Thanks for the ride! You are an amazing builder!

[Hirsch]

She is a beaut and those colors just accent everything!!!

[bowgarguide]

Here is a pick of the way I mounted the seat and using a small bunji cord to hold in the pins you adjust it with.


Ron