With all the planks fastened, it is time to clean up the excess! Using a small circular saw, I trimmed the excess planks right off at the chine. The overhangs then simply fell away as they were not attached to anything. The result was a very clean edge at the chine where the topsides will end and the bottom planking will join.
Now that the chines are trimmed up, the dinghy can be turned over.
The dinghy is starting to look more like a dinghy! The ends of the planks that do not terminate at a frame are flared out, but this will all be rectified when the second layer of planking goes on.
The light seeping in between the planks would make the dinghy leak like a sieve, but the second layer of planking will fill all these voids in. The black bedding compound will pour through the gaps when the second layer of planking is placed.
While the dinghy would hardly float at this point, it is nice to see it finally take shape. The topsides help define the lines of the dinghy, making it easier to visualize everything. The narrow entry of the bow can also be better visualized as the topside planks come down to the forefoot.
The next step will be to install the second layer of planking.
