For the frame repairs, I decided on laminated frames fabricated of local Laurel wood, slightly lighter than the Naranjo, glued together with the alternative biobased Entropy Resins that I had chosen for all my repairs. I had learned about this epoxy product through Ed, who had successfully introduced it a few years earlier to the boat building in Sarteneja. Entropy Resins is formulated with Super Sap® Technology which reduces the environmental impact.
The first attempt of trying to build the frames in place was not successful and we proceeded with a system, that worked very well for us. Separated from the hull with a sheet of wax paper, we would glue together three cut to length strips of Laurel in place and screw them down to the hull with light galvanised screw. After the epoxy had cured, we would take the screws out, remove the frame “template” and, on the work bench, add four more strips of wood, so the frame had the desired thickness. We would then clean up and finish the shaping of the frame with a grinder, putting it in place and reshaping it until it would fit well.
This way, we made about 12 complete frames and more than 15 frame repairs. During the whole process, both Ed and Tom helped me immensely.
Read the next chapter The Planking