Here I begin to install the sides. I do not have enough room left in my shop to make the sides as one big piece, so I am making & installing them in sections. Besides, it's easier this way. It should not have any effect on strength (other than possibly making it stronger at the seams), and will add very little weight (less than a pound).
The stick you see here is being used to keep the side at a solid 90 degree angle while I fix it in place. The buckets in the right picture are holding the lower piece up, as it was slightly warped. When the side is glassed in place, these will no longer be necessary.
Pictures of the helm meeting the sides. The stick was being used to help hold the helm in place. The helm is glassed in at this point; I just haven't bothered to remove the stick.
