Hi Michael,

First of all welcome to the forum, hope you find your time with us positive and enjoyable....

I'm afraid the information MWG has provided is not quite right and as a result I have deleted the topic to avoid any further confusion. MWG method was of his own making and was not in keeping with the instructions or the official build. Fitting the garboard plank gets a lot of first time ship builders so you're not alone in this regard.

You have tapered and fitted the first row of planks so here is how to go about fitting the second row.

Take a strip and temporarily fit against the previous strip fitted. When fitting the second strip ensure you allow the plank to sit where it wants to go as it goes round the bow and over the keel, ie, do not apply any lateral movement up or down. You should then find the strip will want to climb over the top of the strip you have just fitted, this is the start of your taper and you should mark this point then taper to the end. The tapered edge goes against the first plank giving you a straight edge to work against for your next row of planks.

Once you are happy with the fit and you have the necessary curve to the plank then pin and glue into position. When dry you can then trim the plank where it crosses the keel to give you the 4mm gap you need.

Hope this helps, come back to me if you have any further queries.

Regards

Alan