Daggerboard case install prep and bow web installed

I'm slowly marching closer to getting my two hull halves joined. The two big jobs that are left are installing the daggerboard case, and installing the bow web. I did most of the case install prep work this weekend, but I don't want to install it permanently until after I've finished the daggerboard itself and verified that it will work. (With the hull on its side in the form frames I won't be able to insert the board into the installed case because the tent walls are too close.)

Getting ready to install the daggerboard case is not too hard so I won't spend too many pictures on it. Here's the initial cut-outs, viewed from the keel side:

Case fit was excellent; was just the right length. Here's the dry-fitted case from the keel:

And from the deck:

I also got the bow web installed this weekend. I had rough-trimmed the bow area before, but now I needed the final precise cut. Here I'm getting ready to mark the cut line using the bow template:

After trimming both halves:

(In case you're wondering about that gap you see between the two halves; it's unfortunate, but I think I had some settling of the pier blocks under my strong back on the my first hull half (the upper one in the picture above). The gap runs aft to between form frames three and four; fortunately, the critical points (beam bulkheads) appear to have been unaffected. I have no choice at this point but to fill it in when I join the hull halves, and pray that my boat doesn't sail with a permanent lopsided tilt.)

After trimming the bow area back I then spent a lot of time staring at the bow web, being somewhat nervous about this important part. Like Menno I used a strip of foam between the web and the side of the bow, to help shim it up to the centerline of the boat. My foam strip needed to be much thicker than Menno's though; don't ask me why.

Here's a view from above:

Side view:

I tried to make sure the 3/8" rod (through the top of the bow web) was level, but most of my effort was spent making sure that the rod through the bow pole pivot was vertical and plumb. If that angle is wrong, the bow pole may point off at a weird angle and look funny.

Here's one more picture from the bottom:

Finally, this picture from inside shows my strategy for keeping the bow web in the right location; the 3/8" steel rod is stuck into a hole on the board, which is screwed to the top of the frames:

Well, that's that. Let's hope that I've installed it correctly.

In local news, I was happy to see that Fiberglass Supply moved their location from down near the Oregon border, to only about an hours drive north of me. I drove up there Friday morning to pick up some epoxy and carbon fiber; they seemed like nice folks. They did not have carbon uni in suitable weights unfortunately; I ended up ordering some from Soller Composites. I also had an impossible time trying to source PETP bushings online; I didn't try calling Johnson Composites (as suggested by Grant) but it turns out that Ian is selling them, so I'll just order some from him. The other item I'm trying to find is some Frontrunner fabric for the rudder case sleeve. I have not yet found a online retail supplier for Frontrunner; I might try calling Lockfast tomorrow to see if they'll sell me a yard or two.