The black polysulfide bedding compound has had plenty of time to cure, now we are ready to make the stem and bow look like a composed boat instead of a pile of wood.
The top of the stem is sloped down, while the bow slopes up. Then the port and starboard sheer strakes are far from even. All of this needs to be evened out to make the bow look presentable as well as functional.
The first step is to take a handsaw and cut the top of the stem flush with the breasthook. The sheers are then planed down until they become flush with the breasthook. At this point, the bow looks a lot more presentable! Running over everything with sand paper helps to blend all the different boards together and make the bow look like a single unit rather than a hodgepodge.
The sheers and shelf clamps were also rounded as they approached the bow to take away any harsh steps that would otherwise be present.
After a fair amount of sanding, the bow of the boat looks much better and smoother with the lines of the dinghy.
The breasthook is set angled slightly inboard so that if something were set on the top of the board and were to fall or roll, it would hopefully fall into the dinghy rather than overboard. Also, if someone were to sit on the breasthook, they would have a flatter seat to rest on as the dinghy pitches forward.
Lighter sanding will be done when the rest of the boat is ready and before the planking goes on. It is always easier to clean and prepare the wood before the planking is placed as you have much better access to all the "open" nooks and crannies of the hull.
