Photos of "Rafael" under construction   Rafael is (or will be, when completed) a thirteen-and-a-half foot long by six foot beam sailing dinghy to John Welsford's "Houdini" design.   She will be a cat-rigged yawl - two unstayed masts, no jib, the mainsail a boomless standing lug, and the tiny mizzen similar but with a boom. She will have a 2.5hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboard in an outboard well which is not included in John's design.   Construction is of 9mm and 6mm marine ply and epoxy. Solid timber is, variously, oak, mahogany and (mostly) ordinary DIY-shop deal.     The purpose-built workbench later becomes a building-jig     The transom     The stem and frames     The transom again, with the scarf-jointed bottom plank     The centreboard case ready to be glued together     The bottom plank, transom, stem and frames erected on the jig     The bottom plank, transom, stem and frames erected on the jig     Temporary supports for the frames     The scarf-jointed stringers glued in place. They were split down the middle then glued back together in situ, for easier bending     The stringers glued in place     The stringers glued in place     Planking begun     The planking completed     The planking completed     The planking completed     Pinched this idea from a chap called Burton in Canada. Rather than torture the ply into the complex curve at the bow, fit narrow strips and tie them together from the rear with a couple of plywood straps. It'll all be covered with glass sheathing anyway!     The plywood straps behind the mast box. Temporary screws still in place     Filleting the inside of the major seams     Fitting supports for the cockpit sole     The outboard well under construction     The outboard well under construction     Click here for more pictures.     Copyright © 2005 PlainSite