The Deck ...continued from June
Prior to fitting the deck pieces, I coated the undersides with 3 layers of epoxy resin. Once fitted it would be extremely difficult to crawl under and apply the resin. Good call out and timely reminder by fellow Merlin sailor and builder Jeremy Deacon.Later, I lightly sanded all surface areas to be glued.
A day later, I mixed West System epoxy resin with West System 206 slow hardener, added colloidal Silica and applied over the deck frame only where the forward piece goes.
Once over the deck frame, I aligned the forward deck to its final position and clamped it in place.
To ensure a flat and tight bond against the deck frame, I added several wood pieces to weight down the deck against the deck frame.
You really can't have enough clamps...
This cedar beam was used to hold down the forward deck over the king plank.
A day later, after the forward deck was fitted, I removed the clamps and weights on the forward deck and setup to fit the starboard and port forward side decks. Before applying the epoxy I tested the fitting of these pieces, especially where they join the forward deck.
To help align the edges on these plywood joints, I added a 1 inch wide strip of 4 mm plywood under the outer edges of the forward deck. Gluing only a half inch under the forward deck side, thus leaving a half inch lip to receive the forward side deck.
View of the starboard front deck piece after fitting.
View of the port side forward deck piece after fitting.
One day after the forward side decks were fitted, I setup to fit the starboard and port side decks. Again, proper pressure applied to the plywood to attain a tight joint.
Starboard deck view from the rear. Clamping at the transom was done relatively easy by placing a sacrificial strip of plywood on top of the deck and clamping against the plank landings below. The clamp pads have rubber covers to prevent damaging the wood.
Same process was followed on the port side. View from the port side deck from the transom.
Here too, proper pressure applied to the plywood to attain a tight joint.
Lastly, I cut a 40 mm wide strip to fit over the transom between the port and starboard deck pieces. I cut it just a millimeter longer and snapped it tightly in place with a healthy amount of epoxy resin and colloidal silica. 
This view shows how I clamped this piece over the transom.
The deck pieces had an extra half inch of material for margin of error at each side. I started to shave the excess off but it was going too slow. I decided to try my router on the outer edges of the deck. For this, I used a carbide tip trim bit.
Because of the gunwhales' angle, this special router bit with a bearing only trims the edge of the deck down to 2 mm from the gunwhale's upper edge.
I used this same router bit to trim the excess plank material at the transom so I knew what to expect. Nevertheless, I was extremely careful not to go too fast so the bit could do its job.
Very glad I used the router trim bit. It took me less than 1 hour to trim the inside and outside edges of the deck.
After routing the excess wood, I sanded down the edges of the decks flush with the gunwhales using 80 grit sandpaper.
View of the aft deck and around the transom. The finish is really smooth and a great base for rubbing strakes and carlins.
Very little is left to sand after the trimming the edges with the router.
Front view after fitting the decks.
For the chute opening I planned to make a 1 piece cap made of solid Mahogany. I placed the Mahogany stock over the chute area and traced the shape. Then added a half inch to the outer edges for margin of error and then cut the trapezoid shape piece.
I applied epoxy resin with colloidal silica to the deck frame, placed the cap on top and placed a little bit of downward pressure to ensure a tight fit.
The next day. I used the plunge router to make a hole at the center of the chute opening. Then, I ran the router with the trim bit to cut the opening. Well, big mistake.
As I routed the opening, wood shavings were falling down the chute. At some point while I was cutting the chute opening, the router bit got really hot and ignited the wood shavings that were falling. I ended up with a couple of embers on top of the wood shavings over the bow tank.
Fire in the hull!
Smoke started to come out of the chute opening. Fire images flashed through my mind as I grabbed a bottle of water next to me and dumped its contents down the chute opening.
Needles to say the cap was damaged and I had to remove it. Using a sharp chisel, I proceeded to chip away the old cap. 
Plan B was to use single pieces made from solid Mahogany stock.
Here's the finished cap. I still need to add a rounded Mahogany edge in front of the breasthook and round the corner of the chute opening to guide a smoother spinnaker launch.
And here she is today, ready for her rubbing strakes and carlins.
Naming The Boat
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do has been to figure a proper name for her. Not to be taken lightly, I believe the name must reflect a bit of the boat's character and personality, its ancestry and its destiny. So, after careful consideration and thinking Neptune and Aeolus will approve, I've decided to give her a Spanish name that means:
- Naughty
- Impish
- Cheeky
- Wicked
- Astute
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