Attaching the bottom stringers to the stem

In my previous post, I mentioned that all the stringers were finally dry-fitted in place. That was almost true. There was still one important task left—one that deserves a post of its own: fitting the lower 5 cm stringers into the stem.

The hull outline finally appeared

This turned out to be one of the trickiest details of the entire framework. The two stringers approach the stem at an angle, forming a V shape, but the stem itself narrows considerably towards its forward end. There simply isn't enough width to accommodate both stringers at their full dimensions, so each one needs to be carefully trimmed while still preserving as much contact area as possible for the future epoxy bond.

The work required a patient cycle of measuring, cutting, testing and trimming. Looking back, I realised how much my woodworking skills have improved since starting this project. I certainly wouldn't call the final result professional-grade, but it is more than adequate for its purpose, and I'm not sure I could have achieved it a few months ago. I also have to thank the experienced boat builders at the yard, who regularly stop by to see how the project is progressing and always seem to have a useful piece of advice at exactly the right moment.

The first step was to mark the angle at which each stringer met the corner of the stem. I trimmed the end so that the maximum possible surface of the stringer would be in contact with the angled face of the stem.

Cutting the stem to hold the stringer

Even after that, the combined width of both stringers was still greater than the available width of the stem, so each one needed additional trimming. With the first stringer temporarily clamped in place, I used the laser level to project the boat's centreline onto it. That gave me the exact line where the excess material had to be removed. Using the multitool, I carefully made the cut directly on the installed stringer. It was one of those jobs where precision really mattered, and I could clearly see how much easier it had become after months of practicing similar techniques.

Projecting the center line to mark where to cut

One stringer almost ready

I then repeated the entire process on the opposite side. Once both stringers were back in position, there was still a noticeable gap where they met. Fortunately, this was one of those situations where experience counts for more than measurements. With a bit of careful eyeballing, followed by some patient work using the rasp and chisel, I gradually adjusted both pieces until they met with a much cleaner fit. The final result was more than satisfactory. Any tiny remaining imperfections will disappear once the thickened epoxy fills the joint during the permanent glue-up.

Adjusting the fit of both stringers

With everything finally fitting as intended, I pre-drilled all the fastening holes and secured the stringers to the stem. It was a surprisingly satisfying moment. After months of building frames, laminating beams, cutting notches, aligning the strongback, shaping the stem and wrestling the stringers into place, the complete outline of the hull was finally there in front of me. For the first time, the skeleton truly looked like a boat.