Rudder

After some wet sanding, the daggerboard, rudder, and spars got their final coat of varnish this morning. And then this evening, I installed the rudder hardware. The pintels went on the rudder head with a little effort and persuasion with a c-clamp to get the side straps tight and flat. I then marked the centerline of the stern transom and marked the rough position of the gudgeons. I drilled holes and installed the top one, then hung the rudder head to check the alignment. Then I marked, drilled and installed the lower gudgeon. Everything looks fairly close to being aligned. The stainless steel screws in the lower gudgeon go all the way through the transom (as opposed to the upper gudgeon screws, which have the double thickness and motor pad to go through). It shouldn't be too much of a problem that the lower screws penetrate the transom. Their position is rarely submersed, and a generous layer of silicone caulk was applied during installation. So I don't think there will be any leaking concerns. However, I may seal off the inside surface where the screws penetrate with caulk or a coating of epoxy, just to be safe.

So that's pretty much it. I have to lash the main sail to the boom and gunter yard, rig the main and jib sheets and halyards, and we are ready to sail. Weather forecasts for this Saturday look marginal, with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Hopefully we can get the first sailing cruise of Fuggles in then.

So, it looks like the estimate of 100 hours to build a sailing version Passagemaker was remarkably accurate. At least for this builder. Total Hours 99.50.