Canvas The Lightning!

Was this day ever going to arrive! Somehow it seems appropriate that we gave the Lightning new life today just as the smoke clears from Scott's ceremonial Viking Ship burning! Perhaps for all of us in the shop the "laying on" of the deck canvas has represented the great turning point in this restoration. No sweat from here on. Here's the morning in pictures...

A final sanding, cleaning and tacking..

Paper and taping all around...

Dry fit the canvas and rough cut...

Rolling out the first area for epoxy...

Many hands flatten the canvas into epoxy

next the side decks...

pull out and flatten the canvas...

cut-outs done, front deck laid, more epoxy!

Trim excess all around after stapeling...

There! Nothin to it! One Lightning deck!

WOW what an accomplishment for a bunch of beginners! I think we really will get this boat in the water this summer - stay tuned...