I've made loads of progress on the Corbie 5 since my last post. Most of it has gone well, but I've had a few not so good things happen too. I've finished the fin box and installed all the bulkhead work around it. It looks like a lot, but doesn't weigh toooo much. It should keep the fin in place though, and it includes a raked mast step slot, a rudder servo mounting plate, and a winch mounting plate. These two images show the deck just sitting on top. You can see how much access there is to the winch and rudder servos. Should be OK. This picture shows the shroud chain plates being epoxied in place. I'm a bit concerned that they won't be strong enough. I'm used to "locking" in the chain plates mechanically by slotting them into nearby frames. This seems to be the way it's done though. Gulp. I used a good amount of thickened epoxy, so fingers crossed they'll hold. When I installed the fin though, I noticed that it...

It begins! Yesterday I cut all the parts for the new, improved Vintage Marblehead "High Flyer" division, wooden Sun Wind II RC sailboat. Then last night I began assembly, starting with the servo tray. I'm still not entirely happy with it, even though it's now version 5 or 6. At this point, I think it will be a constant evolution. I'm torn between a simple board that mounts all the things, versus a board that tries to hide the cables and such. It's a balance that I haven't achieved yet. Today I've started to laminate some of the doubled-up frames. Will continue tomorrow. Peace!