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Mini Tunnel (Redesigned Version) Boat Plans
Page Eleven
Trim and Finish

A bit of trim along the top edge of the coaming straightens and strengthens, and adds a finishing touch. The trim extends from the peak of the coaming to the extension behind the motorboard.

I used pine, 1/2" x 3/4", rounded over and tapered at the leading end. Or shape it as you see fit.

Although not a requirement, I have found it usefull to cover the ends of the tunnel extensions. This piece covers the edges of the tunnel and deck plywood.

3/4 inch pine is more than enough.

A similar piece at the leading edge of the hull serves much the same purpose, but also adds a much needed finishing touch to the bow of your boat.

Mine extends forward 1.5 inches. It is tapered to match the angles of the deck and tunnel plank, then rounded over.

The sponson tips and the front cowling tip need to be capped and rounded. I have chosen to use wood (pine) for my Laker, but foam is another option, and you can see a description of the process HERE in the Pro Tunnel building notes.

Here I am gluing up the block for the front cowling tip.

Note that the grain of the block is oriented fore-and-aft. This orientation suits me, but others may prefer another way.

Before attaching the blocks to the sponson tips, I cut the underside to match the angle of the sponson pad, since shaping the underside of the tip is going to be the most difficult (or at least inconvenient).

This sponson tip extends forward about 3.5 inches from the end of the sponson.

I also pre-cut the "facet" that corresponds to the lower side, since this one is also a bit difficult to work on.

After the block is glued on, it is a relatively straightforward task to establish the angles corresponding to the deck and upper side, and to clean up the joint between plwood and pine block. Now you are ready to shape the block.

I roughed out the shape somewhat with a drawknife and completed the job with spokeshave.

For those who prefer 21st century tools, a belt sander or disc sander will work quite nicely to get most of the work done, with a rasp and/or file to refine the shape.

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