# 17LT completion **URL:** \ **Category:** Builder's Forum\ **Created:** [May 3, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857 "2010-05-03T14:21:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![George\_Jensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9fc348/32.png) [@George\_Jensen](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/George_Jensen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/1 "2010-05-03T14:21:34Z")
I started on March 17th with plans and some 4x8 sheets of Okoume and on April 29th I went for a ride.  Thanks to everyone who has posted information to this forum as it was a great help. ![All done.]()   ![On the water.]()   ---
**Author:** ![George\_Jensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9fc348/32.png) [@George\_Jensen](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/George_Jensen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/2 "2010-05-03T14:35:59Z")
Here's a couple of pictures. ![Finaished.](http://forum.ontarioconditions.com/ipb/uploads/1266977139/gallery_19740_10_31877.jpg)   ![On the water.](http://forum.ontarioconditions.com/ipb/uploads/1266977139/gallery_19740_10_27151.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Schrimmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Mark\_Schrimmer](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Mark_Schrimmer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/3 "2010-05-03T21:10:32Z")
Looks good! I hope to finish mine soon, too. Mark ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Gralnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@Daniel\_Gralnick](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Daniel_Gralnick)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/4 "2010-05-03T22:07:18Z")
Hi, Looks great. Dan-Fl  ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Fall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b38774/32.png) [@Greg\_Fall](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Greg_Fall)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/5 "2010-05-04T18:31:50Z")
The idea of finishing one of these in six weeks is unfathomable to me.  I am impressed.  Of course, it’s supposed to take three, right?  Hm.  Mine took four years. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mcinnis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f17d59/32.png) [@Larry\_Mcinnis](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Larry_Mcinnis)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/6 "2010-05-04T20:29:37Z")
I started mine last August..., yesterday I taped it up for painting.  I figure I've got one month left to complete it; hope to have it on the water by June 1st at the latest.  Can't wait!!! Larry ---
**Author:** ![George\_Jensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9fc348/32.png) [@George\_Jensen](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/George_Jensen)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/17lt-completion/36857/7 "2010-05-04T22:29:54Z")
In early March I was invited to go on a paddling trip the first week of May ( I leave in the morning!) and at that point I though it would be neat to go in a kayak.  That gave me the motivation to take on the project and I figured I had enough spare hours each day to get it done.  I will say though, that every step took longer than I thought it would.   They key to getting it done was to prepare for the next step while the last step was curing/hardening/drying etc.  I would say I put in 100 to 120 hours. Here are a few of my trials and tribulations...most, if not all seemed to be common amongst the many builds I read about here.  That's the beauty of this site. -I tried a few scarfing jigs but wasn't satisfied with the outcome so I ended up doing them by hand with a plane.  As is documented, it really isn't that difficult and really doesn't take that long. -I thought that the fillets would take 3 or 4 hours but they took 9.  -I thought I could plane the sheer clamps in 3 or 4 hours but it took me 6. -I had to make a custom-sized aft bulkhead as the one in the plans was a little small. -I had a gap (like many others) between the forward bulkhead and the deck which I fixed with a thin slice of ply and a fillet. -My first deck beam sprung back too much so I had to change my jig  radius and make another beam.  -After installing the deck, the final radius of the foredeck was such that I had to make a second set of forward hatch frames that better matched the curvature of the deck.  - I used Schooner Gold varnish and after 5 coats I think I was just starting to get the right mix of thinners, flow agents and techniques to get a good coat.  (Thanks to Joey at CLC for some good tips)  I think if I did 2 or 3 more coats that I might be close to nailing it but I'd had enough punishment after 5.  (actually, 5 on the deck and bottom, 6 on one sheer and 7 on the other...but that's another story.) Like the pirate code in the Pirates of the Carribean,  the plans and instructions are more like guidelines rather than rules.  I found that the key to moving steadily along with the build was to adapt things along the way and not worry about them too much.  I kept telling myself that it would all work out in the end which it did.  It's a beautiful craft and I'll probably build another for my wife; likely a CH16 from a kit.  Cheers.