Drifter 17 Main Hull 2

Glue blocking onto stem.




Shape blocking, and cut rabbet for side panels in the bottom planking.




Make a pattern for the side panels with 1/8" plywood strips, and a hot glue gun.








Cut out side panels, and final fit in the planking rabbet. Scribe the panel at the deck stringer, bow, and stern. Cut out the panel, and glass the inside with one layer of 4 oz cloth. Glue panel onto hull, using strips of 1/8" plywood and staples to hold the panel in place until the glue dries.




Smooth out the joint where the sides meet the bottom planking, and fair out any hard spots.



Fiberglass the hull with two layers of 4 oz glass on the bottom, and one layer on the sides. You can use 50" wide glass, and do one layer from each side to the bottom planking on the other side, which will give you two layers on the bottom and corner planking.









Sand all the seams, and put on two more coats of epoxy.








Turn over hull, and cut the frames off at deck level.








Cut out the hull at the wing deck stringer aft of frame 2, to the aft beam location.




Fair out the inside of the strip planking, and glass the bilge with 6 oz cloth up to the top of the chine stringer.





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Drifter 17 Main Hull 1

Setting up the frames and stem.









Install bow stringer





Installing the bottom panel









Installing the stringers. Install the centerboard trunk in the slots in frame 4 and 5.








Fitting the stringers to the stem. Taper the stem to a sharp edge, so the planking will be flush with the plywood sides.




Fitting stringers to the transom









Planking the main hull. Fair the planking with a plane and sanding block.











Plank around the centerboard trunk, and cut the trunk flush with the hull.











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Drifter 17 Amas 2

After the planking is faired out, cut a 1/8" x 3/8" rabbet in the edge of the planking for the side panels.

Using strips of 1/8" plywood and a glue gun, make a pattern of the side panel. Cut out the panel, and test fit it on the hull. Trim it so it fit accurately in the rabbet. Scribe the deck, bow, and transom. Remove the panel and cut the rest of the panel.









Glass the inside of the panel with 4 oz. cloth and epoxy, and sand lightly before installing. Glue the panel in place with thickened epoxy. Staple through strips of 1/8" ply to hold the panel until the glue drys, then remove the staples.





- Unscrew the ama from the bench, and turn over. Cut off the frames at deck level, and fair out the sheer stringer. Cut out the inner transom so you can glass the inside of the strip planking. Scrap off any excess glue, and sand the inside of the planking. Glass the planking with 4 oz. cloth up to the top of the chine stringer.








Deck Structure

Make patterns for the second beam frames and install 4 1/8" in front of the aft frame, and behind the forward frame. The beam frames should be glassed in place to the hull





Install deck stringer and other blocking, including hatch framing.




Hatch frame





Add an extra stringer on the inboard side for attaching track for the tramps.







Shroud attachment for epoxy bonding high strength eye strap with 1/4" bolts




Fair out the deck, and install the 1/4" deck plywood. Put coat of epoxy on the underside of the deck before you install it. Install the 1/8" ply transom. Round off all the corners, and fiberglass the deck first, then the hull with 4 oz. fiberglass. Put and extra layer of tape on the keel first, and some extra layers in the bow for protection when beaching.

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Drifter 17 Amas

Here are the construction photos for building the Drifter 17 amas.

Cut out the ama frames. You need two sets.



Set up the ama frames and stem. Measure the location of the frames from the bow.




Set up the inner transom. It will be cut out later so you can glass the inside of the strip planking.




Support piece for transom angle.




Installing the stringers.







Planking the hull. Bevel the planks on one side to follow curve of the hull. Start the planking on the center of the frames. I used #4 screws to temporarily fasten the planks to the frames. The planking was edge glued with Titebond 3. I used small scraps of wood, and a hot glue gun, to align the planks in between the frames, until the glue dries.











Rough cut the last plank so it overlaps the chine stringer, then trim the plank with a router, guiding the router on the chine stringer.


Remove all the temporary screws and alignment blocks, and fair out the planking, using a plane and sanding block.







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