Fitting the bullwarks

With the split deck temporarily in place, I fitted the bulwarks, which were made of plywood. To be able to bend them around the hull, I soaked them in warm water. This however made the various layers of the plywood separate.

Using white glue, I re glued them, put them between two slabs of wood which I clamped together. I also put a layer of newspapers to make sure the bulwarks do not stick to the wood (that would be a real disaster).

The following day I bent them around the hull and the fit was excellent.

Due to the sharp bend at the top of the bulwarks, I pre-soaked the planks and used my favorite plank bender (photo below). The planks were left to dry on the tin for 24hours.

To ensure a good bend, I fitted the planks all around the bulwarks and cut them above the bow-spirit, in place, once the glue was dry. I am very pleased with the result.

I now plan to plank the bulwarks and trim planking around the portholes before planking the hull.