Wiring the Hull Together

The fourth strake was laid out on the two outside edges of the remaining sheets of plywood. Only enough fiberglass was used to cover what will be cut out. The remaining material will be used for bulkheads, the decking, and deck supports.

Each pair of strakes was clamped together, and small holes were drilled 6" (150 mm) apart, 1/4" (6 mm) from the edge. These holes were used to wire the strakes together.

Here are the first two strakes wired together in the basket mold. I used the green steel wire used in gardening to tie back plants. The steel wire is stronger than copper and can take more tightening before it breaks.



Another view, showing the wires twisted together to secure the strakes.

View from the side with all four strakes on each side wired together. Like magic, all the strakes fit together. Starting to look more like a Yakaboo! Note the rounded lower front corner of the bow.

No epoxy has been applied yet. All the strakes must fit properly when wired together since errors can't be corrected easily later on. Fortunately, everything fit together tightly and lined up with the mold.

Cutting out the fourth strake, planing all the strakes for proper fit, drilling the wire holes, and wiring all the hull panels together in the mold consumed seven hours.