: But in drilling through 2 meters of timber, even with all the
: jigging ... how do they keep the bit from wandering due to the
: wood grain?

: I think one of the things I like best about boat builders is ...
: they can pretty much figure out a way to do pretty much
: anything.

: KenB

This is not a small diameter bit, on the last runabout I did the shaft holes were as I remember 1 1/4" in diameter, the ones on that big schooner are likely 2 -2 1/2" diameter, it's a BIG bit and the drilling process is very slow. Can take several hours on a big boat to drill it.

You also remove it often to clear the chips and to check the progress, so you can adjust if need be. The opening inside the boat tends to grow a bit with the process, so if you need to shift the bit a little you've got the room. Btw, the hole is just a hole, has fittings on each end to hold the shaft and to keep it waterproof, it's got a fair amount of clearance around the shaft.

Bill H.