I just started assembling my NE Dory and have found stitching the transom to the bottom and No. 1 hull panels to be challenging. The No.1 hull panels do not seem to want to stay put in the notches on the transom. Have I done something wrong or will the issue rectify itself as I install hull panels 2, 3, and 4? I don't have a picture to post at the moment, sorry. Thank you.
Yeah, transom was a little fiddely. I added 2 extra holes on each side to keep things aligned.
I'll second Silver Salt. It's a tricky area, but I proceeded by lacing up the whole boat and gradually tightening the stitches, judiciously tapping on panels with a padded mallet to bring things into alignment. I, too, ended up drilling some additional holes as needed.
Thanks Silver Salt and Birch2. I figured that may be the case but thought I would ask before beginning to stitch the remaining panels. Great suggestion about drilling the extra holes and will do so as needed.
The transom is indeed tricky, and I made a major mistake there when building my NE Dory, clipping the wires when I shouldn't've. You can see photos and an explanation of my mistake here:
http://smittypaddler.com/dory/d140616p.htm