Stavrogin

Hello MSW, First off thanks for checking out my inaugural wooden kit build. I will do my best to document my experience bearing in mind that this kit has been discontinued by Constructo. For the record: these are completely uncharted waters for me so I will likely be asking lots of specific questions. I have read a number of build logs on MSW now and done a fair bit of research, but I am looking forward to finally engaging with the community. Without further ado, from Toronto where we have some proper arctic weather (feels like -27°C), here is The Gjøa. For those unfamiliar, The Gjøa was the ship with which Norwegian Explorer/Capt. Roald Amundsen first sailed the Northwest Passage. Below are photos from my first afternoon. The false keel/bulkhead board was thankfully (relatively) warp-free so I jumped right in. I was also happy to see that the false keel was 4mm thick, and rigged up a keel clamp using a couple of camera tripod ballheads, a 4mm thick piece of aluminum (used to offset camera flashes) on a 90° attachment, and some small clamps. Since this kit doesn't allow for a building board/groove this spot was a concern for me, but so far everything seems to have worked out to my eye. FYI I was actually working on an old tripod, and since gluing/taking the photos I have repositioned the clamps to provide more support. First feelings: relief. Constructo's english instructions aren't so bad. The wood seems to be a nice quality/tone (Sapele, Ayous, Manzonia, Mukaly, & Anatolia for masts), and I'm feeling pretty decently prepared for a beginner. I know the hard parts are yet to come. I look forward to feedback. Off to sand her down for the deck, Simon *edited for font size.

Thanks for responding John. I believe the kit does include the pieces to form the keel, and admittedly I'm not totally sure where the builder whose photo I referenced was at in his/her build. I suppose if I use lots of braces/clamps with the groove then the bulkhead form should keep the line of the keel while gluing. I am also assuming now that the planks are just going to meet underneath the bulkhead former, and that the keel piece will just cover up that line. Thanks again for clearing this up. It was a gap in my mental preparations but I will go forward with what you've suggested. Simon Edit: On my first read through of your post I didn't notice that you laid it all out for me. At least I feel like I'm learning.

Hello everyone, I am a beginner who will be starting his first build in a few days, and I have an elementary question about how to best manage my keel while forming the bulkheads. I'm aware that a building board/clamps will yield the proper results, but in the kit I will be building (The Gjøa - Constructo) the keel appears to be totally flush with the bulkheads during fitting/forming. I've attached a photo below from a log found on another forum. Again: my concern is that I won't be able to fit the bulkheads properly while keeping the form true in a typical board/groove set up (because the groove will interfere with the bottom of the bulkheads). I am considering a DIY keel clamp, but since everything is flush along the keel I will need to separate the clamping pressure. Will this be adequate to prevent the bulkhead former/keel from warping as I glue? I apologize if my terminology is inaccurate, or if my dilemma is premature. I am an absolute beginner, and hoping to get some thoughts on what the best course of action likely is. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Simon

Hi Rich, just finished your log (to this point). Your ingenuity gave lots of insight and inspiration to a beginner like me. I will be starting my first build/log in the coming weeks, and I am now slightly less daunted by it being a Constructo as well (The Gjøa). All the best on the home stretch, and thanks for sharing your experience so thoroughly! Simon