It's A Good Thing I Am Such A He-Man

I have installed the centerboard and well assembly into the boat. After spending more than a week hemming and hawing about how to get the 120-pound widowmaker up, across, and down into the precisely shaped slot in the bottom; after stripping three blocks off the Windmill on the other side of the garage; after several nights' testing and re-testing the lifting tackle with heavy pieces of scrap steel ... in the end I just lifted the soul-breaking monstrosity off the workbench, staggered over to the boat, and dropped 'er in! Thanks to my diligent regime of fingertip pullups, fat-guy throwing, and cinderblock-punching this was a piece of cake.

Ah, you say, but this is boatbuilding. Nothing is simple. Right! Here was the sequence.

First, take the 80-pound centerboard and place it on the inside of one of the sides of its well. Insert the pivot tube and make sure it can swing freely. This will probably take several evenings of belt standing and magical dimension-changing wood.

Then, place the other well side atop this assembly. You probably thought lining up the bolt holes would be possible since you pre-drilled them, right? Ha ha, what a comical fellow, of course they do not line up. Remember the magical size-changing wood? Somehow get everything together, slop with epoxy, bolt-screw-clamp, and let cure.

After a few days, remove clamps and sand off excess epoxy. Meanwhile insert screws in the boat bottom (from below).


Apply 3M 5200 (uber-goop, stickier 'n' roofing tar and more tenacious than a Pekingese dry-mounting a tennis ball) to contact surface.

Put centerboard and well assembly, now weighing in at 120 pounds, next to the slot cut for it.

Insert in slot. Tighten all screws. Wonder why there are so many screws. Decide screws should be banished from building project. Experience shooting pains in forearms and neck from lying under boat twisting screwdriver. Add screwdriver to list of items to banish. Wonder if you could survive 120-pound beast crashing through boat and landing on trachea.


Wrap in plastic and heat lamps and head inside for a cold one.