Since it is a nice day, the sun is shining, it is not too cold and with little wind, I decided to start a job that I have been putting off and that is the fitting for the bobstay. Ideally it should be a bronze fitting but I'm not sure how it will fit so I'll make it out of steel and if that works then next Winter I'll get a bronze one made using the steel one as a model.

So, two pieces of steel cut from a length of flat bar. The angle was taken from the stem using a gauge.

This angle was also taken from the stem also using a gauge. I tack welded the two pieces together and then, when they it cooled down, offered it up to the hull to check the fit. Both legs will have to be curved inwards a little to fit the curve of the hull, but I'll do that once the bracket is made. The two legs were then welded together, not very well but good enough. I threw the fitting onto the concrete as hard as I could and pounded it with a hammer on the anvil as well and it didn't come to pieces. I needed to grind the weld for then next stage and while it was all cooling down, I started on the tiller.

This was made round just like the spars and the thick end shaped to fit into the rudder stock.

I has come out quite well.

It fits the rudder stock neatly...

...and is held in position with a bolt. The hole also serves as a way of hanging the tiller for varnishing. A thin steel rod was inserted through the hole and used to suspend the tiller in the pain shop. The first coat of varnish was applied.

Time for lunch.

Work on the bobstay fitting continued after lunch and this is the result. It is strong enough, I hammered it again on the anvil, but I'm not really happy with it as it will leak rust everywhere. Still, it will have to do for now. I still have to bend the legs, trim the ends and drill the holes for the screws but not today.

I finished the day with an easy task, the flag mount. Not completely straightforward as it needed a backing pad under the aft deck, but fairly simple even so.