I managed to stitch the lower hull panels together without soaking the front two feet with hot water but used halogen work lights to warm it up to get the last two stitches together. However when I went to position floorboard #4 at the front of the centerboard it didn't match the markings and stitch holes on the hull panels. The distance between floorboard 4 and bulkhead 7 on the hull was 43" but the centerboard was almost 43.75". I double checked my patterns and they were the same so I hadn't made an error in transferring the patterns or cutting. An email to Chesapeake Light Craft was answered in less than 24 hours and the designer explained that it seems the draftsperson didn't account for the thickness of the plywood; the centers of the floorboard and bulkhead ARE 43" apart in the CAD program to match the centerboard. Solution: just put the floorboard and bulkhead at the end of the centerboard. Now I have a few extra holes in the hull to fill.I'm redoing Floorboard #4 because I'm not satisfied with the fit to the hull bottom. I'm also not sure about Floorboard #3. I compared it to the pattern and it is identical but it just doesn't fit flat against the hull bottom. A test fit of other floorboards and bulkheads was fine except for maybe Bulkhead #1. It just seems that the front of the lower hull panels is not quite taking the shape it should. I hope when when I actually stitch them in that they pull closer together. Some of the photos show the current gap between the floorboards and hull. I'll take a closer look tomorrow after a good night's rest.
You can see where I experimented with using cable ties as I was having difficulty achieving success with twisting the wire pieces. It took a little practice and now I have a much better feel for how tight I can twist the wires without breaking them.
On a more positive note putting the cradle on appliance rollers has been great for moving the boat in the garage and creating more workspace when I need it.
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