Southwester Dory deck stringers and cockpit well sides

Builder's Forum
1

I’m dry fitting the cockpit well sides and deck stringers while waiting for my polystyrene sheets to arrive. I’ve planed the bottom edge of the well sides to match the shape of the floor and touched up the tenons on each end so the well sides slot into the bulkheads. I’ve slipped the deck stringers snugly into the slots on all three bulkheads. I clamped the well side to the stringers along the length of the cockpit. The bulkhead, cockpit well side, and stringers have a flush fit on each end, but there is a considerable gap along the length of the cockpit well side amidship:

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IMG_05443024×4032 3.39 MB

This is with the stinger fit all the way down into the slot in the middle bulkhead, matching the curve of the other stringer and the top edge of plank #3 where the deck will sit. Is this expected? As far as I can tell the in the manual photos there shouldn’t be such a gap between the cockpit well side and the top edge of the stringer. I only planed the bottom edge of the well side, and I didn’t change the size of the mortice or tenon on either end.

2

Not sure if this helps. I didn’t plane anything off the sides. Maybe a slight touchup on the bottom but not much.

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IMG_46213024×4032 2.73 MB

3

Thanks so much! Your starboard side looks like what I expect to see, and indeed what I do see in all of the construction photos I’ve been able to find. I have fit everything together exactly as you have pictured aside from your custom work, and distinct lack of messy epoxy and fiberglass. Very nice. I would have been wise to start with a smaller, easier boat. But here I am.

I’ll contact CLC today and hopefully get to the bottom of it.