Before I get any further on finishing the keel bands and the next phase on the hull I need to make two bilge runner supports for the trailer cradle. So that is today's task and depending on how far I get with that, I'll continue with the keel bands.

Six laminates were cut to the correct length, five were full length and the sixth was made up of the offcuts. Two of the full length laminates and the three offcuts were glued up, placed on the port bilge runner, weighted down at either end and then clamped together. 

The excess glues that squeezed out was brushed into the edges but left as drips where it had fallen on the hull. I'll scrape these off once the glue on the support has dried and the support removed

Unfortunately, I don't have enough clamps to make the other runner support at the same time, there is very little space between the support laminates and the hull so the normal G-cramps I use don't fit and I have used the few F-cramps I have. So the other support will have to wait until the first one has dried sufficiently for the cramps to be removed. In the meantime, I scrapped as much of the excess sealant off the keel bands as I could reach. I'll have to tidy some up when the glued up support is removed as well as finishing off the runner that is currently inaccessible due to the glue-up.

Most of it is looking really good. The next hull job once the starboard bilge runner support is completed is to remove any remaining organic matter from the hull, sand the  hull and then apply some more copper epoxy to replace that which has been damaged or removed during the hull work.

If all goes well I should be able to work on the next bilge runner in a couple of hours since the glue will have dried sufficiently by then to allow me to remove the cramps and weights.

In the meantime, tea break time.

The second runner support was a little easier to laminate since it was three single pieces which made applying and spreading the glue much easier.

For some reason it was also easier to clamp.

Still, this means that the Stem & Keel Reinforcement task is now completed and I can move on to the next phase of the hull work, the antifouling.

Time for a cup of tea.