If you’ve been following the build of our Secret 20 in the pages of PBO, you’ll have seen some great progress as we chocked up the keel, trued and glued stem and sternpost, and installed frames and bulkheads to leave us with something most definitely boat-shaped!

The magazine is the place to read about our exploits, pick up tips and techniques and see how the build is progressing – but we will be posting snippets and extras on this blog as well.

First step was to set the keel up on the garage floor, straight, true and plumb in all directions.

That done, we could install the stem, which interlocked with the first frame to form a solid construction.

The first frame and stem post installed

Next up, the sternpost and keel deadwood were glued in.

Then, we could cut out all the frames from their sheets of plywood, before slotting them into place on the keel.

The frames had to be cut from 9mm sheets of plywood

Into these frames slotted the fore-and-aft sections – the bunk tops, cabin shelves, cockpit sides and cockpit seats – that give the structure some strength and keep everything aligned.

We set up a laser level to ensure all the frames and components were correctly aligned

Once all aligned (and two full days of alignment with spirit levels, chocks, wedges and temporary legs and screws) we could begin the long process of epoxying everything into place. That means about 50 epoxy fillets. We got the experts in to show us how to do this with the minimum mess and fuss – and you can read our five-page feature in the December issue of PBO, on sale this Thursday, 3rd November.

Looking boat-shaped at last!

Keep checking back here for snippets showing how we’re getting on – and read our full articles in PBO each month. Why not subscribe and make sure you never miss an issue?