Getting Started

For the record, no construction today. But I have been thinking about the flat dory bottom that will be the foundation of this boat, since the garage has been cleaned and the strongback is ready for a new mold.
~
Unlike the tender, the dory does not have rabbeted keel... it has a flat bottom that is rockered and 12 feet long.
~
The plans call for a lamination of two 3/8 pieces of marine plywood with a maximum width amidship of 21 inches. I'm thinking of using two 1x12 pine boards, joined in the middle with a strip of meranti mahogany, since it will be ecapsulated in epoxy/fiberglass anyway. The meranti will add a nice design element.
~
Maybe I'll toughen up the bottom by fastening 1/4" thick strips of aluminum.
~
Regardless of what material I choose, the absolute first step will be to construct a template of one quarter of the bottom from 1/4 inch luan plywood. This will be used to trace a perfect relica of the bottom curve at both ends of the bottom piece.
~
Thinking about building the Dory probably doesn't count in the actual construction process. I intend to keep a record of the time, methods and materials. If you factored in thinking, it would be way past budget.