Getting around the inside of a bare boat hull is like walking around in a big salad bowl, everything tends to slide to the center. In the center of the hull all of those carefully wrought floor timbers become the work of an evil genius with a thing for sprained ankles. The first priorities are to make the boat easy to get in and out of and to provide flat places to walk as we move about the boat.  First a couple planks are temporarily fastened to the tops of the floor timbers then the cockpit sole beams are  fitted to provide the base for a work platform. As soon as possible a 14” bandsaw is moved into the boat to reduce the number of trips in and out of the boat as the interior progresses.

Physically the most demanding thing about making boats may be these innumerable trips in and out of that salad bowl. The staircase is worth every penny espescially on a project of Silent Maid’s size. As we move along any number of stationary tools will be set up in our shop within a shop to reduce the need to clamber in and out of the boat.  Before starting on the deck structure the ceiling and cabin sole will be finished. The ceiling in Silent Maid was an aesthetic feature of boats of her style and era more than a structural one. It is thin, 3/8”  and only found in the living space. We did overlap the cockpit so it would help  stiffen that part of the boat but it does end short of the mast