Thread: Building the BMD Flat Chat 16

I have read and studied, designed and redesigned the Flat Chat 16 over and over again and i think i am finally ready to start it...lol


Picked up some timber for my strongback and commenced construction. The strongback is what i built the hull on, keel up, then flipped it to work on the insides and deck


Still need to add some cross supports but it is square and level, and mobile.

20181201_152351_e.jpg 20181201_152130_e.jpg 20181201_165945_e.jpg 20181201_180840_e.jpg 20181201_180827_e.jpg

Finishing touches to the strongback... Cross braces are on... :lol:


20181211_203522_e.jpg

Picked up some good quality ply. Travelled over to Plyco at Fairfield (about an hour for me) and can't recommend them enough. David, the boss, took me through all the ply options from cheap CD non structural (great quality for CD) to the AA Marine Hoop Ply and everything in between... He was interested in what I am going to do and will be looking at the Bowdidge Marine Designs website.


Ended up with 6mm BB Marine Hoop, 9mm & 12mm Pacific Maple Marine and very happy with the face quality as well as the individual layers.


Whilst in Fairfield i dropped into C.H. Smith Marine and had a look at the seats that i have had my eye on and they are very comfortable, just need to make room for three of them!!




Photo 1: I finally have a boat on a trailer!!
Photo 2: 6mm BB Marine Hoop Ply...
Photo 3: 9mm & 12mm Pacific Maple Marine Ply
Photo 4: i don't think the shed will stay this neat... (and no it didn't!!)

20190202_094927 e.jpg 20190202_121247 e.jpg 20190202_122115 e.jpg 20190202_123222 e.jpg

Wasting no time... bulkheads 4 & 5 marked out and cut... we've got a looooong way to go


Photo 1: Marking out of Bulkhead 4... to scale drawing, transfer paper and a little spiky wheel thing from spotlight and its really easy!!
Photo 2: Bulkhead 4 cut out...
Photo 3: Bulkheads 4 & 5 done


20190202_171831 e.jpg 20190202_181857 e.jpg 20190202_191832 e.jpg

that will do for tonight... i'll continue the posting tomorrow!!

Cut out more bulkheads

20190203_193054 e.jpg 20190203_193943 e.jpg

and more bulkheads and the transom

20190205_210537 e.jpg 20190205_211805 e.jpg

marking out, and cutting out the stringers (K1 & K2 longitudinals)

20190205_210502 e.jpg 20190205_210454 e.jpg 20190207_181555 e.jpg 20190207_202902 e.jpg

got the last few things cut and now ready to be joined and glassed

20190209_192114 e.jpg 20190209_215907 e.jpg 20190210_210605 e.jpg

the joining has begun...


resin cured and trimmed

20190212_213136 e.jpg 20190212_213143 e.jpg 20190213_165900 e.jpg 20190213_165933 e.jpg

then flipped after 24 hours and other side glassed...

20190213_173915 e.jpg 20190213_173924 e.jpg

got the bottom & topside plates joined together and then the fuel tank turned up... its huge, 2.1m long & 130 litres!!

20190214_230551 e.jpg 20190214_230602 e.jpg 20190214_231241 e.jpg 20190215_162835 e.jpg

this particular saturday saw us throwing it all onto the strongback frame and it started to look like a boat... a waffle boat, but a boat none the less!!


i think i'm going to need a bigger shed!!

20190216_120932 e.jpg 20190216_125047 e.jpg 20190216_125058 e.jpg 20190216_125107 e.jpg 20190216_131215 e.jpg

let the stitching begin... cable ties are awesome!!

20190216_155720 e.jpg 20190216_172256 e.jpg 20190216_175255 e.jpg 20190216_170426 e.jpg 20190216_181438 e.jpg

one side of the topside plates are stitched...

20190216_183943 e.jpg 20190216_190031 e.jpg 20190216_190620 e.jpg