Oughtred Ian Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual

Sausalito Public Library
420 Litho St.

Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 289-4121
CLiinkkk FLVWOOD
MANUAL
IAIN OUGHTRED
Sausalito Public Library

Sausalito, California 94965
A WoodenBoat Book
Published by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc
Naskeag Road, PO Box 78
Brooklin, Maine 04616 PISA
www.woodenboat.com
ISBN: 0-937822-61-2
Copyright 2004
Iain Oughtred
Struan Cottage
Bernisdale, Isle of Skye
Scotland IV51 9NS
First published 1988 in Scotland
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any form without the written consent of
the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to:
WoodenBoat Books, PO Box 78, Brooklin, Maine
04616
Book Design: Posthouse Printing & Publishing,

Findhorn Bay, Scotland +44 (0)1309691640/1
Cover Design: Sally Elizabeth Bowen
Front cover image: Ness Yawl Jeanie Henderson
Printed in Canada by Friesens
THE AUTHOR
After a successful career in centreboard

racing dinghies, Iain Oughtred became one of
the leading lights of the British wooden boat
revival, designing, building and sailing many
remarkable craft. These boats have gained a
world-wide reputation for their elegance of
line, sound construction, and excellent sailing
performance. His perfectionist approach may
be unbusinesslike, but provides highly refined
designs and detailed plans. In this he hopes to
encourage a return to a deep appreciation of
traditional values of craftsmanship, believing
this is a vital part of the true education, and
thus helps to nourish the human spirit in an
impoverished age.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My grateful thanks are due to several

good friends, without whom this work would
have been less than it is:
Sveinung Skatun and Betsy got me tied

down in front of a computer and introduced
me to 20th century technology. Topher
Dawson, Brice Avery, and John Lowe read the
manuscript and helped to rationalize some of
the sillier ideas. Simon Bowen has done an
excellent job on the design and layout.
The work of several of our best boat-

builders is illustrated in these pages, including
Anton Fitzpatrick, Jamie Clay, Jack
Chippendale, Topher Dawson, David
Mitchell, Robert Angus with Martin, and Rae
Smith. Amateur builders who provided neces¬
sary photographs of their successful projects
include Ian Borthwick, Terry Pullen, Mike
Greenway, David Merryweather, and others
too numerous to mention.
The helpful hands of Mike Hall, Mary

F, Gandolf, and John Lowe also appear. /
bundin er batlaus madur

bound is boatless man
Viking proverb
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction 1
Why Clinker? Why Plywood? 2
Finding a Design 3
Simple Hulls 4
Prams - Joining the Planks 5
Adding a Keel 6
More Complex Boats 7
Day Boats and Cruisers 8
Larger Boats 9
Chapter 2: Tools Sc Materials
Hardwoods 10
Softwoods 11
Seasoning 12
Plywood 13
Glues 14
There are Other Glues 15
Tools 16
More Tools 17
Sharpening Tools 18
Fastenings 19
Fancy Finishing...or Not? 20
Chapter 3: Lining Off
Introduction to Lining Off 21

Widths of Strakes 22
Sheerstrake & Garboards 23
The Graph 24
The Bow 25
Looking Good 26
Plank Lands 27
Chapter 4: Setting Up
Introduction to Setting Lip 28

Building Frame 29
Moulds 30
Dory Frames 31
The Stem 32
Stem Options 33
Laminating 34
Finishing the Stem 35
Raked Stems 36
Transom 37
Installing the Transom 38
Keelson 39
Fitting the Keelson 40
Dory Gunwales 41
Fairing 42
Ready for Planking 44
Contents
Chapter 5: Planking
Scarphing 45
Finishing the Scarph 48
Fastening the Laps 49
Stringers? 50
Plank Patterns 51
Shaping the Patterns 52
Flat Bottoms 53
Garboard Strakes 54
Fitting the Garboards 55
The Second Strake 56
Bevelling the Land 57
Bevelling 58
Fitting the Second Strake 59
Second Strake 60
Fillets 61
Completing the Planking 62
The Keel ' ' 63
Skeg & Stem 64
Outer Stem 65
Finishing the Stem 66
Gunwale Rubber 67
Bilge Rubbers 68
Finishing the Bottom 69
Right Way Lip! 70
Chapter 6: Interior
Gleaning Up 71
Gunwale Rubber 72
Gunwales 73
Breasthook 74
Finishing the Breasthook 76
Stemhead 77
Quarter Knees 78
Thwart Riser Cleats 79
Risers 81
Thwarts 82
Knees 83
Open Gunwales 84
Spacer Blocks 85
Gunwales 86
Finishing the Gunwales 87
Floors 88
Finishing the Floors 89
Dagger Board Case 90
Fitting the Case 91
Centreboard Case 92
Fitting the Case 93
Stringers? 94
Sternsheets 95
Backrest 96
Side Benches 97
Seating 98
Mast Step 99
Fitting the Step 100
Mizzen Step 101
Mast Partners 102
Partners 103
Partners 104
Contents
Bulkheads 105
Hatches 106
Deckbeams 107
Decks 108
Fitting the Decks 109
Gluing the Deck 110
Mast Stepping 111
Mast Box 112
Knees 113
More Decks 114
Outboard Wells 115
Outboard Motor Stowage 116
Motor Hatches 117
Partner Block 118
Bumkin 119
Bottom Boards 120
Stretchers 121
Cruising Boats 122
Fitting Out
Chapter 7:
What Finish? 124
Finishes 125
Preparation 126
Conventional Finishes 127
New Stuff - Old Stuff 128
Sheathing 129
Keel Band 130
Rowlocks 131
Oars 134
Centreboard & Rudder 136
Shaping 137
Dagger Board 138
Ballast 139
Centreplate 140
Centreplate Winch 141
Rudder Head 142
Rudder Bits 143
Lifting Rudder 144
Fixed Rudder 145
Laminated Filler 146
Spar Dimensions 147
Sparmaking 148
Spar Gauge 149
Shaping Lip 150
Finishing Spars 151
Boom Jaws 152
Gaff Jaws 153
Completion of Spars 154
Cleats 155
Lug Rig 156
Gunter Lug 157
Gunter Rig 158
Kicking Strap? 159
Sprit Rig 160
Reefing 161
Launching 162
Boat Designs & Prices 163
Chapter 8: Glossary 165

INTRO D
1-1
'Every journey begins with a single step’, and
boatbuilding is, after all, a matter of cutting
out pieces of wood and putting them together.
Time spent studying the plans before begin¬
ning is time well spent; the mists of confusion
will gradually clear.
For those who do find the prospect of

building and fitting out a whole boat is too
much to contemplate, or simply do not have
Introduction
the time available, compromises may be con¬
sidered. Professional boatbuilders can build a
bare hull, or a hull plus spars, or, as in the case
of this Ness Yawl, Fig 1-1, a shell with perhaps
centreboard case and bulkheads. (The finished
boat may be seen in Figs 6-167 and 168).
I have to confess that practically all of

Many of the functions of small craft the boats illustrated are designs from my own
have changed little over time, and their shapes catalogue of stock plans. My excuses for this
and proportions have gradually evolved. As for are: nearly all the photographs I have to work
construction methods, however, the last fifty with are of these boats. Most of the construc¬
years have seen changes more revolutionary tion methods and details have been worked out
than had occurred for many centuries. Using and refined in the building of them, and they
contemporary technology, designers of recre¬ represent ‘state of the art’ construction.
ational craft are aiming for lighter hulls, easier Finally, the range of designs covers the whole
handling, better windward performance, and spectrum of hull types, from simple flat-bot¬
lower maintenance than their predecessors tom prams, through dories and the three-
were generally able to achieve. These qualities strake-a-side double-enders, up to full round-
are more relevant to recreational sailors than bilge hulls and even small cruising yachts. We
they were to fishermen. will be taking a look at the different basic hull
types a little later.
Glued-lap plywood is one of the most
attractive, efficient, and economical methods of The methods shown may generally be
boatbuilding. It lends itself to a wide range of applied to boats by other designers, although
designs - traditional and modern, simple and they should be consulted before significant
sophisticated - and builders of all levels of skill changes are made. Other designs found in
and experience. As the name implies, the books and magazines may be built this way,
method relies not on mechanical fastenings, provided that a contemporary designer’s copy¬
but rather glued plank seams. right does not apply. You may need to do some
research however before deciding on scantlings
The intention of this book is to etc.
describe and to illustrate in detail the proce¬
dures involved in building clinker plywood
boats of varying types and sizes. I am well
aware that many first-time boatbuilders must
find it an intimidating experience to unfold a
set of plans - or even perhaps to skim through
this book. It can all look very complicated. But
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 1

Why Clinker? Why Plywood?
1-2 WHY CLINKER? frames. The result is essentially a strong, mono-

coque, single-skinned hull with a pleasing tradi¬
tional appearance. The interior structure is
simpler, and thus easier to build and to main¬
tain. Fig 1-3.
For some purposes, solid clinker plank¬

ing fastened with copper rivets may still be
best. For example, some builders feel that the
substantial planks of a heavier clinker boat
that will be hauled up and down a gravelly
beach stand abuse better than thin plywood
veneers (although hardwood strips glued over
the plywood edges can offer protection).
However, a hire fleet owner reports that
The stiffness of wood along its grain although he has had to replace practically
makes it difficult for the builder to force it into every part of many of his boats’ hulls, includ¬
extreme bends; with no rigid frames to create ing stems, keels and transoms, the plywood
hard spots, the hull can hardly help but come planking remains sound after over thirty years
out fair. One of the beauties, aesthetically and of service.
functionally, of clinker boats is the way the
strakes closely follow the lines of water flow Some builders may like to build a tradi¬
along the hull. It may be that the water is tional boat for the challenge of doing it the
encouraged by these ridges along the hull to old-fashioned way. For most purposes, howev¬
conform to these easy flow lines, thereby er, the substitution of plywood and glue for
steadying the hull in its forward motion. solid planks, frames and rivets is well worth
Fig 1-2. consideration.
Compared with a smooth-skinned hull,

lapstrake boats have an obvious increase in The advantages are:
wetted surface and some turbulence along the
laps, but these do not seem to have a notice¬
ably negative effect on performance, even in - Marine plywood is readily available.
light racing boats, where it would quickly be - Plywood is consistent and dependable in
apparent. The laps also help to knock down quality, and even in thickness.
spray, so the boat will be drier; they inhibit - Plywood is easier to find than planking
rolling, and they slightly increase lateral resis¬ stock, and comes ready for use.
tance and directional stability. The clinker boat - When glued, the plywood planking will
is better behaved. not work, split or leak.
- Plywood is far less affected than solid
planking by variations in temperature and
1-3 WHY PLYWOOD? humidity; a lapstrake plywood boat can be
transported overland in hot weather with¬
out opening up.
- The clean interior of a lapstrake ply¬
wood hull is far easier to maintain than
that of a framed-out hull.
- Lapstrake plywood hulls are, usually,
considerably lighter in weight than tradi¬
tional clinker boats.
- Plywood construction is an economical
choice.
- Many of the traditional skills and spe¬
cialized equipment of the old-time boat-
shop are not necessary. (It is wonderfully
encouraging that many people are now
learning and using these skills, but for
many amateurs with limited time and
Also, the inherent strength of lapstrake resources it is hardly feasible).
construction, when combined with plywood - It makes a good-looking boat, with a
and modern adhesives, eliminates the need for traditional style.
2
Finding a Design
DESIGN generally built as recreational boats.

Traditional scantlings may be close to ideal,
except that the steamed ribs may be eliminat¬
1-4 ed, and generally the thickness of the planking
stock may be reduced.
A traditional workboat type may origi¬

nally have been more heavily built. Provided
that the displacement at the LWL - the
designed waterline - is not too great, it may be
feasible to lighten up the structure consider¬
ably. But a light hull, built to the original full-
bodied load-carrying shape, may float very
high in the water, becoming unstable unless
ballasted, and/or needing a reduction in free¬
board. But drastic redesigning is not to be
undertaken lightly.
If a traditional design is selected, the

builder may have little more to work from than
a lines plan, probably at a very small scale,
hopefully with a table of offsets, and some
The selection of a design will depend basic information about the construction: Fig
Introduction
on many considerations - not all of them 1 -4. In this case the lines will need to be laid
entirely rational. You may be fascinated with down full size, in order to find the exact shape
the shape and style of a particular type of of the moulds, stem and transom. This will
boat, and will not be satisfied until you have also be useful in working out the shapes and
built one. Or you may be the sensible type who sizes of many other parts.
knows exactly what a boat is needed for, and
finds the most practical design for the purpose. Or you may feel inspired by a particu¬
Or, more than likely, a combination of both. larly elegant example of an old boat, with no
plans existing; many after all were built by eye
You’re in luck if your ideal design can with no drawings at all. You can then, if you
be found among the stock plans of a designer have the time and patience, take off the lines
who specializes in boats for amateur boat- (see WoodenBoat no. 107) and take detailed
builders. Especially if he is one who builds and notes and dimensions and preferably pho¬
sails the boats himself. Whether or not the tographs of all parts of the hull. (No you can
design is a traditional one, or an adaptation, or not build her by eye! - not unless you have
a modern design, he will have done all the learned how to do it through generations of
hard work of suiting the boat to its intended boatbuilder ancestors. It takes no more time to
purpose, working out a construction system build a well-modeled hull than a bad one).
which is suitable for inexperienced builders,
and is strong enough for the many and varied Another method of reproducing an old
stresses it may encounter in use, without being clinker boat, if she is still the right shape - not
heavier than necessary. hogged or twisted, and roughly the same both
sides - is to make up a set of moulds which are
Ele should be able to provide a set of spiled and shaped to fit into the existing hull at
full size patterns for the moulds, stem and tran¬ suitable station points. This will not give you a
som, which will save you the trouble of having set of lines, but you get the hull shape, and the
to loft the lines full size. (Some plans come with planks all lined out exactly as in the old boat.
computer-generated mould and plank patterns,
but these seem to have a reputation for being If you are still undecided about what
unpredictable, and occasionally wildly inaccu¬ type of hull to go for, it may be useful here to
rate). take a brief look at the various basic hull
shapes.
If you are interested in a straight tradi¬
tional type of boat, you will find that some
craft are more suitable than others for recre¬
ational use. The more lightly built river skiffs,
canoes etc adapt well to clinker plywood, and
make good use of its qualities of light weight
and transportability. These types after all were

Simple Hulls
FLAT-BOTTOMED SKIFFS AND DORIES traditional skiffs work well within their limita¬
tions, and many owners are well pleased with
them, I believe - and hope to demonstrate -
that a more able boat can be built just as easily.
1-5
DORY SKIFF
1-7
Although they are not clinker boats in

the usual sense, a type which deserves at least a
brief mention is the dory-style, flat bottom, flat
sided hull; an example is the Mackerel Dory -
Fig 1-5. A ‘light dory’, the topsides may be
built from a single panel; however the three lap-
strake planks give a more traditional style, remi¬
niscent of the Banks dories.
Here - in Fig 1-7 - we have what may
be about the ultimate in functional simplicity
in a small - 11 or 12’-3.5m - general purpose
boat. A kind of ‘minimalist’ lapstrake. The hull
is an attempt to design the ideal combination
rowing/sailing/outboard boat, which can be
built in a minimum amount of time.
1-8
The Seahorse Skiff - Fig 1 -6 - is built

the same way. To row well, flatties must be nar¬
row on the waterline; to carry sail with assur¬
ance, they need more beam. So a compromise The narrower bottom panel may be
must be found; in general sailing flatties will lighter, or need less framing, than the flat skiff.
pound and slap in choppy water and be limited The sharp angle of the chines reduces the
to sheltered areas. Wide flat surfaces are gener¬ width of the lands where the planks overlap;
ally avoided in the design of seagoing craft; the lands must therefore be backed up with
rounder shapes are lighter and stiffer and offer epoxy fillets, outside and perhaps inside also,
less resistance. But, the flatties do have an as seen in the two optional methods in Fig 1-8.
appealing air of functional simplicity. The flat If other glues are used, the fillets are replaced
surface areas require some internal framing, or by wood strips.
heavier plywood planking to achieve sufficient
stiffness, and chine logs are needed, except per¬ A larger hull may have three or more
haps in the smaller and lighter boats - under strakes to a side, as seen in the round-sided
about 12’ - 3 - 3.5m overall. prams below.
The parts may be simpler in shape, This is the kind of hull shape that is
but there are usually more parts to fit together often built by the stitch-and-tape method.
than a true clinker hull needs. Although these
4
Prams - Joining the Planks
Aside from eliminating the fibreglass tape,

glued clinker differs in that the plank edges
1-10
must be bevelled. This requires a sharp plane
and a reasonable ability to handle it. Epoxy
however offers a great degree of gap-filling
forgiveness for imperfect joints; close fits are
not necessary at all.
ROUND SIDED PRAMS
1-9
The Mouse Pram shown in Figs 1-9
and 10 has a flat bottom that simply comes
through to the bow transom. This is the sim¬
plest form of proper lapstrake planking. It
makes an interesting comparison with the pop¬
ular ‘stitch-and-tape’ seam construction. Stitch
and tape requires less skill and care in fitting
the parts together, but can take considerably
more time, with all the stitching, taping and
filling. And it generally precludes a bright
finish.
1-11
WoodenBoat’s Nutshell Pram, designed Some lapstrake kit boats use a greater
by Joel White, is probably the best known number of strakes to reduce the angle at each
example of this type. The design is unusual in lap, and do without bevelling altogether. This
that it has a vee-bottom shape forward. This leaves a wide gap under the lower edge of each
works very well in choppy water, but it requires lap, except in areas where the planks are nearly
a laminated stem, which complicates the parallel; this makes the plank appear much
structure. thicker than it actually is. As the comparison of
the two joints in Fig 1-11 shows, it can some¬
times look a little amateurish, but it demon¬
strates the ability of epoxy resin to keep the
water out, and to hold the hull together.
Precise bevels and neat fits all round

may bring the builder some satisfaction, but
are structurally irrelevant, if using epoxy.
This does not apply, however, when using
other glues.

Adding a Keel
ROUND-SIDED DORY Building a hull of this type is almost as

CONSTRUCTION easy as building a pram. The flat bottom
eliminates the need for a keel, there is a mini¬
mum number of strakes, and there is not much
1-12 twist in any of them. The stem is usually sawn
in one piece, maybe with a protective outer
stem added after planking. This method lends
itself well to efficient and economical kit
production.
VEE-BOTTOM HULLS
1-14
This is basically the same system as used

for the round sided prams, with the addition of
a stem. In light dories, for example the
Amberjack Dory shown in Fig. 1-12, the extra
buoyancy provided by the rounded topsides
adds some useful reserve stability, which
enhances her ability under sail, while retaining Here we have the addition of a keel,
the narrow bottom for low resistance and fast which, while it complicates the procedure a lit¬
rowing. tle, allows for a more sophisticated hull shape.
However, the hull still has relatively few parts;
about half the number that go into a tradition¬
al single- or double-chine plywood boat, which
1-13 until fairly recently was regarded as the ulti¬
mate in home-built simplicity.
John Watkinson pioneered this type of

construction with his Drascombe Lugger. With
this design he showed that the structure could
be greatly simplified by eliminating the usual
chine stringers, and using very little framing.
The early boats were glued with resorcinol,
and even if neglected seemed to stay together
indefinitely.
The Ness Yawl in Fig 1-14 is an exam¬

ple of a traditionally inspired design that can
be successfully transmuted into lapstrake ply¬
This is an ideal construction method for wood construction. She becomes a somewhat
home-buildable multi-purpose boats. It different kind of boat, far more useful for
works well in a beamier dory-skiff hull; Fig 1 - recreational sailing but still embodying much of
13 shows a semi-planing hull which will row the character of the original Shetland type.
moderately well, and will also be quite fast and
stable under sail or with outboard power. In building the vee-bottomed hulls, the
keelson is set up over the temporary moulds
and glued to the stems, or stem and transom.
8
More Complex Boats
The wide garboard or bottom panels require a CANOES

changing bevel right along the keelson and will
be twisted around the forefoot. Thereafter the
planking proceeds in the same way as in typical 1-16
dory construction.
TRADITIONAL PRAMS
1-15
A small open canoe, like the Wee

Lassie type in Fig 1-16, can easily be built to
weigh less than 20 lbs / 9kg. The planking
may be very light - 1 /8” - 3 to 4mm. A
canoe’s hull is more complex than that of a
pram, but the light materials are so easy to
handle that it is almost nearer to modelmaking
than boatbuilding.
Introduction
Larger cruising canoes are often half¬
decked. Plywood is particularly good for decks
Now we have progressed to fully and bulkheads, especially when combined with
planked, round-bilgecl clinker. A small pram is epoxy fillets. This gives a strong light job in a
a good way to start with this construction, lot less time than it takes to fit little backing
whether it is in solid or plywood planking. The cleats all around the hull sides.
bottom is usually flat; most often it is made in
one wide strake, twice the width of a normal
plank, with a light external keel fitted after TRADITIONAL PULLING BOATS,
planking. The pram bow makes the planking DINGHIES, AND SKIFFS.
process considerably easier, as there is very lit¬
tle twist in any of the strakes.
One way in which the use of plywood

1-17
can affect the design of a round-bilge boat is
that fewer strakes are necessary. With one third
or two fifths - depending on the number of
veneers - of the grain going across the plank,
there is considerable extra strength perpendic¬
ular to the run of the planking, which virtually
eliminates the possibility of splitting, and so
wider strakes are quite feasible.
Typically, the Humble Bee Pram in Fig

1-15 has ten strakes a side in her traditional This is the real thing. The classification
version, and eight in plywood. Technically includes such types as clinker yacht tenders,
speaking, five or six plywood strakes would be fast pulling boats and launches, as well as
quite sufficient, but part of the purpose of the traditional craft like canoe yawls, lapstrake
design is to look traditional. (These boats are Whitehalls, and the Acorn Skiffs - Figs 1 -3
often built traditionally also). and 17.
The basic hull structure consists of the

backbone, planking, floors, and gunwale
assembly. As with the prams and canoes, build¬
ing these hulls with the glued-lap
method will probably require one or two fewer
strakes per side than traditional construction.

Day Boats and Cruisers
DAYSAILERS BIGGER BOATS?
Boats of this type are generally beamier Right before the advent of fibreglass
than most of the above boats, and have varying devastated the boatbuilding industry, there
degrees of traditional character. Some designs were some very appealing small cruising yachts
use quite wide strakes; some even combine the and cruiser-racers built in clinker plywood.
lower two or three strakes into one plywood Jack Laurent Giles’s tiny sloop Sopranino
panel - like the wide vee-bottom form of the demonstrated the potential of this method on
double-enders we looked at earlier. In most her transAtlantic cruise; if proof were needed
cases there will be some decking and built-in John Guzzwell’s fattened-up version sailed
buoyancy. The Gannet, shown in Fig 1-18, is a around the world. Illingworth and Primrose
typical lapstrake dayboat or sailing dinghy. designed a number of successful JOG racers;
Again, epoxy filleting methods are very useful several designers in Plolland produced some
in the fitting of plywood bulkheads and decks. very attractive cruisers. Perhaps the best-known
But, not essential, I should keep repeating, for is van der Stadt’s Waarschip - Fig 1-19 - which
the benefit of those who prefer conventional was available in kit form in the early 1970s.
glues to epoxy. With her generous beam and freeboard, a
good-sized cabin, and conventional sloop rig,
If the sailing rig involves standing rig¬ she was a very normal small yacht of her time.
ging, consideration must be given to the com¬ But, with a well-proportioned hull and lap¬
pression forces set up by the shrouds and strake sides, she looked better than most - then
forestay. These stresses will be trying to push and now. An updated version is still built in
the mast down through the bottom of the boat, Flolland.
with an equivalent upward force at the chain-
plates. With wide bottom and topside panels,
and four ‘chines’ making three lapped strakes
around the turn of the bilge, the hull shape is
actually a compromise between chine plywood
and a round-bilge shape, incorporating the best
qualities of both. Although externally the hull
resembles the vee-bottom type described above,
(Fig 1-14), the structure is relatively complex,
with full frames, and a stringer at each plank
land. Although these stringers make it easy to
fasten the planks, there is quite a bit of work to
8
Larger Boats
be done in fitting them and planing the bevels. boats can not be built using lapstrake plywood.
1 his work can be done efficiently in a produc¬ Except perhaps that the standard length of a
tion setup; if fibreglass had not happened sheet of plywood is 8’ - 2440mm - occasional¬
when it did, boats like these would have been ly 10’ - 3m - and this means that many scarph
produced in large numbers worldwide. joins are needed to build a longer boat. Some
factories have scarphing machinery that can
turn out sheets of infinite length, but this is
rare now that nearly all plywood is imported.
1-20 Simple accurate jigs can be made, however,
which, when combined with an efficient gluing
setup and ample space, allow the operation to
be done quite quickly. Such a jig is shown in
Part 5.
The exposed edges of the plywood

seem vulnerable, but can easily be protected
with hardwood strips glued to the underside of
each strake.
Introduction
The well-known Folkboat is a good
example of a conventional clinker boat that
has been successfully built in plywood. The
smaller Grey Seal - Fig 1-20 - which was
specifically designed for plywood, is another.
Her planking is 1/2”/12mm plywood on lami¬
nated frames, which add great strength and
make serious offshore cruising feasible. The
hull is built upside-down, as are the smaller
boats, and the frames are temporarily fastened
to moulds.
So far, not many boatbuilders seem

willing to construct larger boats using clinker
plywood, for no apparent reason other than
convention. Historically, clinker planked ships
were limited in size by the degree of flexibility
inherent in their construction. Beyond a cer¬
tain length - variable according to beam, dis¬
placement etc - unfair stresses are concentrated
on plank and scarph fastenings. So eventually
the builders of larger trading vessels went for
the more rigid, heavier-framed carvel method.
These days, lapstrake boats are not often seen
exceeding about 30’-10m overall; most are
under 20’ - 6.5m. (The ancient Scandinavian
belief in the desirability of a flexible hull can
still be seen however in the sparsely-framed
faerings and Shetland yoles).
This size limitation seems, in practice,

to apply to glued plywood hulls as well.
However, the elimination of mechanical fas¬
tenings and slight working between the strakes
mean there is no practical reason why larger

TOOLS & MATERIALS
WOOD
2-1
strong and durable, and looks good when
bright finished. Top end of ‘medium’ weight
scale.
KHAYA - a popular medium-weight

mahogany, consistent in quality; available also
as veneer for cold-moulding and as plywood.
OAK - hard and strong; rather heavy

for extensive use in lighter boats. Excellent for
rubbing strakes, cleats etc. Oak seems to have a
reputation for not gluing well, but some tests I
did with epoxy indicated that this may not be
justified. One or two joints with smooth-planed
oak proved to be not quite as strong as the
wood itself; for a short distance the joint failed
along the glue line. But all samples were OK
when the wood was sanded across the grain
with coarse paper before gluing.
ASH - moderately heavy; very tough

and flexible. Not durable, so not much used for
backbones, floors etc. American white ash is
straight, clear and white. European ash is hard¬
er to find in good straight lengths; often has
areas of olive/brown colour. Ash is traditional¬
ly often used for steamed ribs in light canoes
and skiffs; it is excellent for oars, when weight
Selection of hull materials will depend is not a primary consideration. When bright
mainly on what is locally available. Boat con¬ finished, ash quickly turns grey and weathered
struction requires top quality wood, so be pre¬ looking when the surface finish is worn and the
pared to spend a lot of time if necessary look¬ wood exposed.
ing through piles of stuff, looking for good
clear straight-grained boards. Yard men and IROKO - hard, strong, heavy, durable.
managers are generally patient, and respect a Used a substitute for teak; not quite the same
craftsman’s need for high quality materials. (In quality appearance, but stronger. A pungent
return they deserve consideration for their lim¬ peppery smell when sawn. Irregular grain can
ited time). cause twisting. Used for backbone structure in
larger boats.
HARDWOOD WYCH ELM - medium weight;

durable. I like to use a lot of elm, finding it an
excellent substitute for mahogany etc. Quality
Some of the hardwood species most varies; good stuff is tough, works and glues
used in boatbuilding are: well and looks very good when bright finished.
In some areas of Britain there is still quite a lot
MAHOGANY - most readily available available after the onslaught of Dutch Elm dis¬
species are hardly up to boatbuilding quality. ease; the wood itself is unaffected. (English elm
But Brazilian mahogany is excellent, being is less useful, having a wild wavy grain; the
10
Softwoods
mainly Scottish Wycli Elm withstands the PITCHPINE - the old pitchpine, only
disease much better, and so continues to be available now from old buildings via demoli¬
available). Canadian rock elm is a superb boat¬ tion work, is the hardest and heaviest of the
building wood, but is now rare (its import is common softwoods; exceptionally strong and
banned in Britain since the disease struck, durable. As it was used for floor joists and
although it is unaffected by it). beams etc it can come in large dimensions and
long lengths, but often contains nails, spikes
AGBA - a good all-round timber, light and bolt holes, so sawmills may be reluctant to
for a hardwood and durable. machine it. Pitchpine was traditionally used for
planking in high-quality yacht construction.
AFRORMOSIA - hard, heavy and Similar to Douglas fir in appearance, but a
durable. Another teak substitute, but generally darker brown colour.
stronger. Takes a fine finish; used for high-class
joinery. ALASKAN CEDAR - is a particularly
fine grained light wood, pale in colour like
BURMA TEAK - now very rare and Sitka spruce, but generally a finer grain.
very expensive, teak is not particularly strong Excellent for planking light canoes and
for its weight, but is a fine looking wood and is dinghies, and for thwarts etc.
extraordinarily durable.
WHITE CEDAR - also popular in
Tools 8c
North America for planking and general use.
Any of these woods can be used for the
basic structural members, although the harder PORT ORFORD CEDAR/LAWSON
ones are more demanding to work and require CYPRESS - as above; strong and durable for
extra care in gluing. its weight, which is between that of cedar and
fir. Works and glues well; worth looking for.
The official durability rating of any
species is less significant than the way the boat WESTERN RED CEDAR very light
is built, used, and maintained, especially with but strong for its weight; used for planking
small craft which are less likely to be left afloat. canoes, for strip planking, and cold-moulding.
The use of epoxy coating or sheathing can Straight grained, easy to work, and very
raise the effective durability rating a notch or durable. Useful in racing or other ultralight
two, by isolating the wood from the elements. boats, but soft and susceptible to surface
damage in exposed places.
SITKA SPRUCE - specifically slow-

grown ‘aircraft quality5: 10 or more growth
rings to an inch. (Commercial plantation
SOFTWOOD spruce is junk, but a pile of it may occasionally
contain a useful slow-grown piece).
Extraordinarily tough and resilient for its light
weight; with close straight clear grain it is easy
DOUGLAS FIR medium weight, to work. Ideal for spars, oars and light structur¬
strong and resilient. An excellent all-round al work. Not durable. Now very expensive in
material, available in long clear lengths, which Britain.
can be used for all parts of a lighter boat, and
is very good for spars. SPRUCE - Norway, Baltic, Northern
White - similar to Sitka, generally perhaps
AMERICAN YELLOW PINE gen¬ not quite as tough but still very good for the
erally available. A very good substitute for fir. same uses.
Similar in appearance, but lighter in colour.
Moderately durable. SCOTS PINE/EUROPEAN
‘REDWOOD’ - the most common commer¬
LARCH - is a good tough and durable cial wood in Europe; extremely variable in
wood, traditionally used for clinker planking. quality. The best joinery/furniture grade is
But rare in slow-grown ‘boatskin’ quality; often reasonably strong for its weight, stable, works
very knotty. Often used in plywood boats for and glues well.
thwarts, bottom boards etc.
PINE - many other varieties; good clear
CENTRAL AMERICAN PITCH stuff is OK for thwarts, bottom boards etc;
PINE - lighter than old pitchpine, but strong possibly even spars, with maybe a fractional
and very durable. Available in large sizes. increase in diameter over spruce or fir.

Seasoning
on the low side, and in an epoxy-sealed hull
For traditional construction it is gener¬ even less - 8 to 10%.
ally advisable that boards for planking etc are
quarter-sawn, i.e. with the annual growth rings Wood will generally find its equilibrium
running across the thickness of the board, or in the 12 - 16% range, in conditions of
diagonally. But with the smaller dimensions we about ‘average’ temperature and humidity, so it
are using in plywood-plankecl hulls, this is not is not a thing to get too anxious about. If the
so relevant, and the more economical, more epoxy-building shop is kept to about 66
readily available plain-sawn boards are fine. degrees F - 19C, and fairly dry, the wood
The only items we are likely to be needing should find its equilibrium at somewhere
wider boards for are the thwarts, and perhaps around 8%.
a centreboard and rudder.
There are two ways of drying timber.

Air drying is thought to be best, but takes
months or years depending on type and thick¬
2-2 ness, so is rarely available unless you can do it
yourself. So most wood is kiln dried. This
method can dry the outside before the inside,
and so can be risky if done too fast. But if
done carefully it is safe and predictable.
It is worth bearing in mind the way that
wood is likely to warp in time, with the effects Air dried timber is sticked - that is, thin
of drying out, especially if this happens too sticks are placed between the stacked boards,
quickly. For example when a wide board that spaced close enough that the boards can not
has a fair moisture content, maybe is not com¬ sag. This allows the air to circulate and the
pletely seasoned, is accustomed to a fairly moist moisture content to stabilise gradually. This is
atmosphere around the water then is exposed worth doing anyway if a quantity of good stuff
to hot sunlight. Because of the way in which is to be stored for a long period.
wood tends to shrink along the lines of the
growth rings, a plain-sawn board that comes
from some way out from the centre of the log ‘GREEN’ WOOD? (Meaning not unseasoned
will be inclined to warp as shown in Fig 2-2. but ecologically acceptable). .
Many boatbuilders, amateur and pro¬

fessional, find themselves so absorbed by the
2-3 complexities of planning a new boat, and the
difficulty of finding the best available materials
for the job, that they feel they can not afford to
lose too much sleep over worrying about where
the wood comes from, and how it is grown -
even if it were possible to find out. The aver¬
So if this board is to become a thwart, age professional boatyard - of necessity an
it may be best to fit it this way up; sunlight on excellent example of pared-to-the-bone eco¬
the upper surface may balance out any warp¬ nomic efficiency - may not feel inclined to go
ing tendency, and if not it is better for the to a lot of trouble to find inferior material for
edges to curve down slightly rather than ecological reasons. It’s hard enough to find tim¬
upwards. When preparing edge-glued boards ber of suitable quality. Even though the
for a transom or centreboard, the curve of the appalling scale of deforestation that is going
rings should alternate: Fig 2-3. on, and the present and potential environmen¬
tal costs, are well known.
SEASONING The following considerations are

frequently offered as reasons for not being
Green wood contains a lot of moisture, too inhibited about making use of whatever
which must be allowed to dry out gradually. If is available.
the wood dries too quickly, it will shrink
unevenly, and will warp and split. The The building of a boat involves such a
moisture content, (measured as a percentage of relatively minute amount of wood that any
the weight of the wood itself), should be around hesitation about using a particular exotic
12 to 16% for general boatbuilding. But with species must be a matter of principle, rather than
these lighter ‘dry-sailed’ boats it can safely err any hope of making a perceptible difference.
12
Plywood
frustration to her owner next summer. All that

In many places the export of timber maintenance’, he will complain, as he consid¬
can be beneficial to the local community, ers a fibreglass replacement .... all he had to do
encouraging sustainable management instead was turn her over, or fit a proper cover.
of slash-and-burn clearcutting.
Birch is rather hard but works well. It
An exceptionally fine piece of wood does not weather well unless adequately pro¬
found in the timber yard may as well be used tected. Similar to ash in this respect. Sycamore
in a beautiful boat, where it will be appreciated is used for trim in racing boats.
for its fine qualities, rather than disappearing Sweet chestnut is durable and has been used
into some kitchen to be covered with formica. for planking. Robinia, or black locust, is a
medium-weight hardwood, very tough and
On the other hand .... I have seen the durable, available in Europe and maybe parts
clearcutting in Canada, and met with Indian of America. Walnut is good for decorative
folk from Vancouver Island, who came to work. Yew is extraordinarily tough and
Scotland to tell us what was being done to their durable, but rare in anything but small sizes.
homeland; I promised those guys I would not
be buying new wood from Canada. (A pity -
some of it is very good). What the loggers are PLYWOOD
doing there, as in many other parts of the
Tools & Materials

world, is what has been done to 98-1/2% of
the Caledonian forests in Scotland, creating Marine plywood varies greatly in quali¬
vast areas of virtual desert, where there is ty and price. Generally you get what you
practically no life. pay for, and considering all the work you’ll be
putting into your boat, a few extra pounds/
Apart from this, I have a strong prefer¬ dollars invested in good quality plywood may
ence for using local woods as far as possible; I be well worthwhile.
like to work with the trees that grow around
here. I love these oaks, pines, elms and ash Bruynzeel, made in Holland, is the best
trees and even the ‘foreign’ larches. that is commonly available. It is the only
brand I have found that can safely be ordered
The Indians reputedly would not cut a sight-unseen, and consistently comes looking-
tree without showing due respect, asking per¬ good enough for a top-class bright-finished
mission, by means of an appropriate ceremony. hull. (But even with Bruynzeel I have had
I have got as far as scattering handfuls of shav¬ minor faults and surface damage, so it is neces¬
•-V V:-
ings to the winds at the launching celebration, sary to check out each sheet carefully before
in gratitude, and promising to plant at least accepting a delivery).
one tree for every piece of wood bought or cut
down for a boat (getting a bit behind on this, It comes in a wide range of millimetre
but I will....). It’s all about appreciation and sizes, which is very convenient for small craft;
respect for these graceful ‘beings’ that clothe often you have only a choice between 1 /4” and
the earth and enhance our lives in so many 3/8”, and need something in between. There
ways, and seeing their life as a renewable cycle are various types and grades, in either an
rather than merely a product to be plundered. unusually attractive mahogany, or the lighter
occume/gaboon. But Bruynzeel is very
expensive.
DURABILITY
Equally durable plywood can be
obtained for less money - sometimes consider¬
Some other woods not generally ably less. Many varieties are available, unpre-
regarded as boatbuilding material can be worth dictably, from many sources, so all you can do
consideration. The usual problem is low dura¬ is to shop around and see what you can find. In
bility; however this can be largely alleviated by the cheaper grades of imported plywoods,
careful construction, proper ventilation and avoid the kind which has a thick soft inner
maintenance, the use of preservatives, and of core, and thin brittle face veneers. Good exteri¬
course epoxy coating. And dry-sailed small or grade is better, as long as any
craft have much less of a problem, as long as voids in the core veneers can be found and
they are not left out in the weather, inade¬ sealed. Official standards ratings do not seem
quately covered, for long periods. It is quite to count for much; some real junk plywood can
depressing how often one sees a good boat left somehow conform to all the right standards for
out all winter, partly full of fresh water. That marine grade.
boat is dying, and will be a source of grief and

Glues
Thinner plywoods are made with three wood onto a core of their sustainably-grown
veneers. In more expensive l/4”-6mm gaboon plywood. This is usually done with
ply, and in thicker sizes, expect five; or more decorative hardwood veneers, but softwoods
than that in over about 3/8’- 10mm. I he stan¬ such as larch, Douglas fir, and pine or spruce
dard sheet size is 8” x 4”- 1220 x 2440mm, may also be available. The cost is not great,
which means that scarph or butt and their policy is to supply a single sheet if
joining is necessary in boats over that length. required, although to order a pack of six is
10’ x 4’ or 10’ x 5’-3 - 1.22m or 3 x 1.52m cheaper.
sheets are sometimes available.
An interesting alternative is larch
Some major sources of marine plywood marine ply; this is made to order in Denmark
are: In the US - Edensaw (WA) : 1 800 745 for a German boatbuilder. Of medium weight,
3336. Harbor (MD): 1 800 345 1712. In it is tough and strong - it is after all the tradi¬
Britain - Silverman: 0181 953 0553. Robbins: tional planking material in Britain and Europe.
0117 963 3136. Bruynzeel plywood is supplied However it is very expensive: about double the
in the north of England and Scotland by price of mahogany. Ecoboot,
George Hulley: 01389 742 438. Uberwinterungshaven 6, D-21079, Hamburg.
Larch plywood is also available from
Sommerfteld & Thiele, but only in large quan¬
GREEN PLYWOOD? tities: 20-plus sheets of each size. Prices are not
excessive.
Unfortunately as plywood is more

exclusively made by large international
corporations, it becomes more difficult to find GLUES
out how and where the wood is grown.
Although we are using relatively minute quan¬
tities, some owners and boatbuilders are begin¬ EPOXY is now the most popular adhe¬
ning to think about it. So I wrote to Bruynzeel sive, mainly because of its extraordinary versa¬
in Holland; got a very detailed report on how tility. By the use of various fillers, it can be
they own large tracts of land in Gabon, which modified for various applications. Is is the most
they are obliged to manage in a sustainable useful and convenient glue for clinker plywood,
manner, for legal as well as practical reasons. even though it is expensive, and can be messy
Only a limited number of trees of a given size to work with. A small percentage of people
can be taken out of certtain area in a year; the develop an allergic reaction to it, although
trees are self-seeding and the system operates some newer brands are supposed to be safer
on a thirty-year cycle. This is where the materi¬ (International Epiglass is “Low odour and free
al for their gaboon or occume plywood comes from dangerous phenols”). The use of rubber
from. No mention of the mahogany; so a gloves, and dust masks when sanding, should
phone call to Holland was necessary. The best keep you out of trouble.
information I could get was that ‘as far as we
know’ their various sources are sustainably Full information and instructions come
managed, but they have no direct control. with the material, so need not be repeated
They expect soon to have an official sustain- here. What they don’t tell you is how to save on
ably-acceptable rating, at least for the gaboon. the cost: Sanding dust, from the collection bag
on an electric sander, works well as a filler; it
In America, marine quality fir plywood costs nothing and is the right colour. (Barleycup
is available from Boulter Plywood (MA): 617 works in an emergency; it is rather gritty, but a
666 1340. Robbins intend to make this available fraction of the price of the proper fillers. It
in Britain soon. makes a nicer drink than microballoons,
though serious coffee drinkers may not agree).
Finnish Birch plywood is in good sup¬ Malt vinegar works nearly as well as acetone
ply; it is fairly heavy, has reasonable strength for cleaning brushes, tools, etc. For cleaning-
properties, but needs good protection. It is well hands, Swarfega (GB) and 3M Paint Buster
made and attractive. (NA) work fine. (Get the epoxy before it sets,
Baltic Pine plywood is sometimes avail¬ and wear plastic gloves from now on).
able. It is rather light and soft, but has an
attractive figure, like fir but lighter and RESORCINOL FORMALDEHYDE
generally more even; good for light boats. (Cascophen, Weldwood Resorcinol, Aerodux) is
an excellent glue, highly durable and relatively
Bruynzeel now offer a useful service: easy to work with. It is not a good gap-filling
they can put face veneers of any available glue - although adding more of the powder
14
There are Other Glues
hardener helps - so it requires extra care in fit¬ allowed 10 or 15 minutes to penetrate into the
ting wood parts together; this can take extra grain of the wood, then the parts are assem¬
time. Clamping pressure is necessary. bled, and sufficient pressure applied with
Resorcinol tends to leave a dark brown stain, clamps, fastenings etc to squeeze out a little
which can be inconvenient with light-coloured glue all along the joint. This way you know
wood. Excess can be washed off with water there are no dry places within the joint. You
before it sets. soon learn how much glue is about enough,
without the likelihood of a great deal of excess
UREA FORMALDEHYDE oozing out all over the place.
(Cascamite, Weldwood Plastic Resin, Aerolite)
is also a very good adhesive; cheaper than the Wherever possible, lay packaging tape
others, and easier to use. It comes in liquid or masking tape along by glued edges; this
form, with fast or slow hardener, but my keeps surplus glue off the surrounding area
favourite is the white powder type, with the and saves a lot of time in cleaning up later.
hardener included; this is simply mixed with This is especially important with epoxy, and in
water, and is water-washable before it starts to a hull which is to be bright finished.
harden. It fills gaps a little better than resorci¬
nol, but nowhere near as well as epoxy. Its Excess glue may be wiped off as far as
creamy colour is virtually invisible when used possible with acetone - on epoxy - or water.
with spruce, ash etc. Urea is less durable than What’s left is easiest removed when it is half
Tools 8c Materials
resorcinol; it retains its strength indefinitely set. You won’t get it all, because of moulds etc
except in conditions of alternate wetting and getting in the way, and it is practically impossi¬
drying. ‘Dry-sailed' racing boats, which are still ble to get at all parts of the interior of an
often built with urea, last indefinitely as long inverted hull. But the more you can do as you
as they are not allowed to get saturated and go along, the easier it will be on the big clean-
dried out too often. A boat which is to lie to a ing-up day.
mooring and get hauled out for the winter
should be built with epoxy or resorcinol. But With epoxy especially the glue and the
urea has been used for yacht spars for many wood must not be too cold in winter. This can
years. be achieved by means of a polythene sheet
draped over the boat, and an electric fan
Some boatbuilders are experimenting heater used to warm up the relevant parts, and
with POLYURETHANE glue, which is easy the epoxy. Other glues are less critical, and do
to use. It is a one-part glue needing no mixing; not become too thick when cold, but they still
it has a peculiar foaming action which fills like to be
gaps, but not structurally. I have yet to hear of comfortably above freezing.
anyone brave enough to use it for planking,
although builders are getting more adventur¬
ous with it. One advantage is that it can be FINISHES will be dealt with in Chapter 7.
used in high and very low temperatures.
It should be obvious from the above TOOLS

that the advent of epoxy has not actually
brought about a great revolution in wooden
boatbuilding, as is often claimed. These other We would need a book to cover this
glues, although less convenient in some appli¬ subject properly, but meanwhile a few notes
cations, have proved themselves over more may be useful.
than 50 years, so may confidently be used by
anyone who is reluctant to work with epoxy for Building a boat can be a far more
any reason. I mostly work with epoxy, trying enjoyable and satisfying experience if suitable
to keep as ‘clean’ as possible, but also use quite high-quality tools are at hand. However for
a bit of Cascamite where it is appropriate in lapstrake plywood construction no special tools
the small boats. Which is mainly on smaller are required that are not likely to be found in
parts, where there is a close fit without needing any reasonably well-equipped home workshop.
much pressure. Although it can be useful to have access to
more clamps than you have probably ever seen
All wood-to-wood joints are glued in in one place.
these boats, so they depend on the gluing
being done correctly/or their structural A selection of power tools can save
integrity. The makers’ instructions should be time and effort. But there are few which are
followed carefully. The basic procedure is that
the glue is spread evenly on both surfaces,

Tools
likely to justify their cost in the building of one Stanley knife

boat, unless they can be put to good use in Hand saw - 10 or 12 teeth to an inch
future projects. Fine tenon saw
Bow saw or fret saw
Most timber yards are able to machine Plane - 12 - 14”/300-350mm - No.6
wood to order, to whatever sizes are needed. I Block plane
like if possible to order most of the material for 3 or 4 chisels - 1/2” to 1-1/4”/ 12-30mm
a boat in boards of whatever widths are avail¬ Spokeshave
able, thicknessed to 3/4” or 7/8”- 20 -22mm, Scraper
and cut strips to size with a circular (table) saw Surform or rasp
as they are needed. Or shorter or odd-shaped Files - various
parts with a jigsaw (or bandsaw if available). I Oilstone
find a ‘site saw’ like builders use is very handy. Clamps - 6 plus up to 5” - 125mm
This is a basic table saw with a pressed-steel Woodworking vice
top. They are inexpensive, light and portable, Claw hammer
yet have powerful motors and usually 12”- Mallet
300mm tungsten-tipped blades. And they are Screwdrivers - small, medium, large,
easy to sell on when the boat is built. preferably including a ratchet
Pliers
Nail punches
Electric drill
Drill bits, countersink bit
Extension lead
Sanding block
Sandpaper - approx. 80 to 400 grit
Putty knife
Dust masks
Hair drier for epoxy
I use a ball-point pen for measuring

and marking; it leaves a clean black even line.
But pencil marks are more easily erased, so the
2-4 / 2-5 pencil is kept handy.
The following list shows an approximate

minimum basic collection of tools - Figs 2-4
and 2-5:
Measuring tape - 6 or 10’-2-3m

12”/300mm steel rule
Try square
Marking gauge
Sliding bevel gauge
Spirit level
16
More Tools
These tools are not essential; a boat can

be built without them, although most of
2-8 SHARPENING TOOLS
them would certainly be useful on occasion if
they are available. Some may be
necessary for specific jobs on particular boats:
9” /220mm smoothing plane - No.5

2V600mm roofing square
Rebate plane
Round spokeshave
Plug cutters and drills for 8 and lOgge/
4-5mm screws - drills 5/16-3/8’V8-10mm
Expanding bit
Drawknife
Pincers
Metal-working vice
Stapler (e.g. Arrow T55)
More clamps Knowing how to sharpen your plane

irons, chisels and spokeshaves properly is so
Tools & ]
vital to the whole operation that I will give a
brief description of how I do it. Blunt tools
mean that you will do rough work with a lot
more effort; one of life’s little pleasures is tak¬
ing a clean shaving off a piece of wood with a
newly-honed blade. The finish is so fine and
smooth - and it was so easy!
A new blade comes ground to an angle

of about 25 degrees. But it is not ready for use;
it must be honed on an oilstone, which means
giving it a slightly steeper angle right at the
edge. This can then be easily touched up
without having to re-grind the original face.
Fig 2-8.
2-9
POWER TOOLS
Jigsaw
Variable-speed drill - maybe cordless
Hand planer
Orbital sander
Grinding wheel
Plus - if you have big money to spend and

are planning a lot more wood machining:
Bandsaw
Table saw
Planer-thicknesser
When grinding is necessary, the water-
cooled stones are much easier to use; the usual
high-speed dry grinding wheel is difficult
because it quickly burns the temper out of the
steel, turning it blue right at the edge, ft is then
soft and brittle. These stones are also generally
much too narrow for a plane iron.

Sharpening Tools
2-10 2-12
When the blade has been honed many

times the honing angle may be increased, or
you may want to just touch up the edge a little
before re-grinding. As before, lay the ground
edge on the stone, then begin raising the blade
very gradually, while moving it forward and
back. As you get to the right angle, i.e. when it
is beginning to cut the very tip of the edge, you
will feel a little more resistance as the stone
begins to cut the edge. You may even be able
to hear a slightly harder grinding sound.
Don’t go any higher than this, or you

will be cutting too steep an angle, and
A few drops of oil are put on the oil¬ hastening the day when re-grincling will be
stone. The bevelled edge of the blade is laid flat necessary. Having found the right angle, I try
on the stone, then raised a wee bit - about 2 or to back off the tiniest amount, then a few
3 degrees: Fig 2-10. Then it is strokes at this backed-off angle will take it back
worked steadily back and forth with a moderate to the edge. This way you keep the bevel at or
even pressure. Just a few strokes will do it, with near the original minimal honing angle; it is
a new or newly-ground blade. too easy to make it a little steeper each time,
and finish up with a not very sharp tool.
In theory, a blade used for softwood can

be ground at a sharper angle: about 20
2-11 degrees and for hardwood up to 30 degrees.
But in practice it is necessary to compromise, if
working both soft and hard woods. 25 degrees
works well.
(Don’t be too impressed with talk of

‘razor-sharp’ tools; a chisel ground as sharp as
a razor would barely begin to cut anything
harder than balsa wood before shattering its
edge).
A plane’s backing iron is set up to

1/16” - 1 to 1.5mm back from the edge of the
blade. This works well for rough work, taking
off coarse shavings where there is no need to
worry about the finish. But it will tear up an
area of grain which comes out the wrong way:
Fig 2-12.
Then the blade is turned over and laid
flat on the stone, and lightly pushed back and
forth a couple of times to remove the burr.
The final stage is to strop the edge by

drawing it back a few times each side on a
piece of leather - Fig 2-11.
18
Fastenings
2-13 dust masks work quite well; the type with a

one-way valve work better. Most effective are
the larger ones with replaceable filters, with
various filters available for certain vapours. But
these are comparatively inconvenient and
uncomfortable, so are more likely to be kept
for use with synthetic finishes, or sanding
epoxy, or anytime you are feeling sensitive to
whatever is in the air. A dust mask should be
worn for some time after a sawing or sanding
job, as the dust hangs in the air for quite a
long time. Good ventilation helps a lot; it is dif¬
ficult to achieve in winter when keeping warm
is a priority, but it is essential when painting or
varnishing.
Gloves are also necessary to keep glue

etc off your hands, when involved in sizeable
gluing operations. The thin plastic free ones
you sometimes get at garages might last for
Tools 8c Materials
one or two small jobs; latex rubber ‘medical
examination’ gloves are quite tough; a whole
box will last for at least one boat.
When going for a fine finish, especially FASTENINGS

on a piece which has a wavy grain, the backing-
iron can be set very close to the edge. This
turns the shaving back immediately, and will Very few fastenings are needed in these
not tear up a bit of misdirected grain. Fig 2-13 hulls. Planks are normally fastened only at the
shows a backing iron set close to the edge of ends, the glue being sufficient along the lands.
the blade for fine work, and another set coarse However a builder of a larger seagoing vessel,
for a deeper cut. planked in 1/2”- 12mm or heavier plywood,
may like to screw the planks together, so he is
not depending entirely on the adhesion of the
surface veneers, but has the whole thickness of
SAFETY EQUIPMENT the ply held down to the next plank. Some
boatbuilders however think this is quite unnec¬
essary. But small craft hulls, without plank fas¬
Professional woodworking shops have tenings, stay together even beyond the stage
to conform to all sorts of safety regulations. I when they need new frames, transoms, decks.
don’t believe they make any difference. Anyone A few fastenings will not save a bad glue
intelligent enough to handle woodworking tools joint.
can soon enough see they can cut soft flesh as
easily as wood. In theory the unregulated home I have been using fewer fastenings in
builders should be more vulnerable, but in fact each boat; ultimately the Acorn 13 we built
they rarely, if ever, seem to cause themselves recently has no permanent fastenings in her
any permanent damage. It’s like sailing a boat: hull at all - only the few removeable ones need¬
no amount of officially prescribed safety gear ed for sternsheets and bottom boards.
or EU Directives will compensate for a lack of
innate seamanship: common sense, skill and Bronze woodscrews and Gripfast nails
experience. are used almost universally. Visible screws may
be counterbored and plugged, in ‘yacht-fin¬
Two things are worth bearing in mind: sharp ished’ boats. Nails may be punched and filled
tools are safer than blunt ones, as they cut with with an epoxy/sawdust mix.
less effort, and are therefore more easily con¬
trolled. And most accidents happen when the A number of temporary screws will be
operator is tired or in a stressed-out state. used; these of course may be steel. A wipe
with soft soap prevents them getting glued per¬
Common sense also indicates not manently into the hull. A stapler can be useful
breathing in lots of dust and solvents. Simple for light plywood and other small parts. Get a
good powerful one.

Fancy Finishing ...or Not ?
HOW GOOD DOES IT HAVE TO BE?

2-14
The roughest boat ever built to one of

my designs was a flat-bottom Seahorse Skiff
built by my friend James. He was experiencing
a time of drastic changes in his life; building
and sailing this boat helped him to work
through it.
The construction work was basic car¬

pentry - to put it politely. James sailed her all
around the Thames Estuary for 3 months
before he got around to giving the hull a couple
of coats of oil; he stuck matches in odd nail
holes to keep the water out of her. The boat
lived out in the weather for years, including 6
months neglected on a beach in Spain. After 7
or 8 years we ripped most of the remaining
face veneer off the bottom and sides with a belt Here is a less extreme but more typical
sander; slapped some paint on her at last, and example - Fig 2-14: The builder of this
she was good for another few seasons. Mouse Pram in Ireland thought about how
much work it would be to plane this transom
This demonstrates that a boat roughly flat, with its baclly-butted joints: quite a bit.
built of cheap plywood, not finished properly, How necessary it was structurally: not at all.
and not maintained at all, will still last longer And how satisfying it would be to have it
than a fibreglass one. smooth and flat: not very. He confessed that he
was “...not the world’s greatest carpenter, but
But the point of the story is this: fine epoxy is wonderful stuff”. Obviously the crew
joinery and a fancy finish are not essential, as are quite content with their wee ship.
long as the structure is basically sound. James’s
boat has been a great success, and has served By all means build the finest boat you
her purpose well. He was totally unconcerned can, making use of the opportunity to practice
about how she might look in comparison with and refine your skills. More than one builder
some of the 12-coats-of-varnish fancy toys at has written to me and said it’s the most satisfy¬
the Wooden Boat Show. ing thing he’s ever done; so it seems good to
make the most of the opportunity to create
something beautiful. This is after all one of the
major reasons for building wooden boats. I
just hope prospective builders will not be put
off' by thinking they are not clever enough, or
that they have to conform to some standard of
craftsmanship.
20
The next question is the proportional
3-1 width of each strake. The garboard and the
next strake or two are the widest; the narrow¬
est are those around the turn of the bilge, and
the topsides.
Topside strakes may be around 75% of

the width of the garboards. Variable
according to hull form: in a high deadrise hull
with slack bilges, the strakes can be more even
in width: about 80 or 85%. With a broad
bottom and firm bilges, the topside strakes
The layout of the planks is the most will need to be narrower in proportion to the
important aspect of the appearance of a garboards - about 66%.
lapstrake boat, apart from the basic shape of the
hull. If the planking is lined off well, it looks The next strake outboard from the gar-
very fine; if not, it can ruin the appearance of board strake, the ‘broadstrake’, is the same
the boat. width as the garboard, at the midsection. Then
there will be one or two of intermediate width
If you are not working to a stock plan before the narrower bilge strakes are reached.
with handy marks on the mould patterns to
indicate where the planks go, the following sys¬ The sheer strake and garboard are the
tem will enable you to do a professional look¬ first ones to think about. The sheerstrake is the
ing job. But unlike boatbuilders’ methods, most important visually; the garboard,
which are done on the moulds after they are although the least visible, provides an impor¬
set up, this one is worked out on paper. No tant foundation for the lining off pattern.
written method can take account of all the
many variations in hull shapes, so it will all be The sheerstrake in finer-lined skiffs and
checked out by eye before any planking materi¬ canoes is usually shaped to the same
al is cut. This system will give the builder a proportions, fore and aft, as the strakes below
place to start from, with the flexibility to allow it. In more substantial craft it may be slightly
for the requirements of any particular hull. deeper amidships, and tapered less towards the
The final result should be a planking pattern ends. Somewhere between a line parallel to
that gives a fair and natural progression from the sheer and a fully tapered plank. If in
the midsection into the ends, with each strake doubt the latter scheme is generally safe.
tapering evenly and proportioned properly in
relation to the others. Fig 3-1. The depth of the gunwale rubbing
strake (sheerguard) is added to the depth of
The first thing to decide is how many the sheerstrake.
strakes there will be on each side. Generally
the number found in a traditional hull may be
reduced by at least two. But although even
fewer strakes than that may be sufficient struc¬
turally, if they become too wide the boat may
begin to lose something of her traditional
appearance. Also the greater angle from one
strake to the next may create a problem with
the widths of the lands.

Width of Strokes
SHAPES AND PROPORTIONS It takes a little juggling with the per¬

centages to get them to add up. (Or a cleverer
mathematician than me). Here we are one fat
mm out, which is quite close enough at this
3-2 stage.
The following examples show contrast¬

MAI2.K. AT
kECLSOfs ing hull shapes, and how they are proportioned
by the same method.
3-4
It is most convenient to work with paper

patterns of the moulds, and a lines plan. But
the lofted lines will work - with a bit more wear
on the knees. The first thing needed is the girth
at the midsection, from the outer edge of the
keelson to the underside of the gunwale rub¬
bing strake. (The ‘midsection’ is usually at the
first station abaft a point halfway along the hull
- in any case the one with the greatest girth). A Fig 3-4: Acorn Skiff - light hull, slack
light batten is bent around the midsection
bilge, 7 strakes. Topsides 74% of garboard
mould shape, ideally with weights - Fig 3-2. width.
Millimetres are convenient to work with (I am
not recommending metric conversion).
3-5
3-3
Fig 3-5: Fulmar - larger dayboat, broad

Using the Guillemot dinghy as an exam¬ bottom, firmer bilge. 9 strakes. Topsides 66%
ple: the midsection girth is 925mm. A of garboard.
table is now worked out which gives a percent¬
age of the midsection for each strake. Assuming
8 strakes a side - topside strakes 70% of gar-
board, it works out as shown in Fig 3-3.
22
Sheerstrake & Garboards
THE SHEERSTRAKE THE GARBOARD STRAKE
3-6 The garboard will provisionally be be

same percentage of the girth at each station.
This can be calculated on the mould patterns,
A then the dimensions scaled down and marked
on the lines plan sections. Then the half¬
breadths and heights of these points are trans¬
ferred to the plan and profile.
3-7
If the sheerstrake is to be the same

width, towards the ends, as the strakes below
it, ignore the next four paragraphs. If wider, it
is now drawn in profile on the lines plan. Add
1/4” to 1/2” -5-1 Omm - to the topside strake
width, and mark this dimension at one station
aft and two forward of the ‘midships mould.
A point about 75 to 80% of the 'mid¬

ships width is marked on the stem. Aft, the
taper may be about the same. But, if the boat
has a broad deep transom - Fig 3-6a - the after
part of the sheerstrake may be wider: perhaps
85 - 90%. In a longer leaner hull 3-6b - the
sheerstrake may taper more sharply aft, to
about 60 or 70%.
The sheerstrake may be virtually paral¬

lel to the sheer for a short distance amidships,
gradually beginning to taper off. The aim is for
a fair line, bearing a close relationship to the
sheer all along its length. At any point forward
and aft it should not appear too parallel, nor
too sharply tapered. With a broad transom the proportion
may remain the same aft to the transom. But
Now leave the wide sheerstrake and with a small wineglass transom with a strong
proceed as if lining off a hull with one less tuck (reverse turn) it can be a little narrower, to
strake. From here on ‘sheer’ means the lower avoid a sharp upward twist and maintain some
edge of the sheerstrake. You’ll need to calcu¬ extra width in the hood ends of the other
late a new set of girth percentages (the previ¬ strakes, which will become quite narrow on the
ous example got 4 strakes below the sheer smaller girth of this type of transom - Fig 3-7.
at 12.1%, one at 15%, and the broad and
garboard at 18.3%). In the forebody it is advisable to reduce
the width of the garboard as far as it will com¬
fortably go, so as to reduce any tendency for
the strakes above it to get squeezed into nar¬
rower shapes towards the bow, as the girth

The Graph
diminishes rapidly forward of amidships. If 3-9

they taper too sharply they may ultimately
appear to droop toward the stem.
3-8
Fig 3-9 illustrates the development of

the Guillemot’s garboard, to show how it may
be pushed around when it does not happen to
come out right first time - which it probably
won’t.
Line 1 was nice and low down, but

maybe a little too low at the stem. And in the
body plan a sharp upward turn. No. 2 may be
better; let’s take that further, try to get up to the
waterline, and see what happens. No 3 then is
getting rather wide across Stns 1 and 2; not
much of a sweep up to the stem in profile, and
a bit of a twist inwards in plan. No. 2 seems a
good compromise; it is a fair and easy line in all
three views.
THE GRAPH
3-10
At the stem, the garboard will sweep up

to near the waterline, or a little above it. With a
straight keel and deep forefoot, it will be wide
forward. But if there is a lot of rocker and a
cutaway forefoot, it will appear quite narrow -
Fig 3-8.
What we want is a line that looks fair in

profile, plan, and the body plan (sections). The
profile is the important one, but the others will
help to achieve a fair line.
In plan (looking down), the garboard

may appear to twist in sharply to the stem,
and looking aft at the sections it may even sag-
down; this is normal and is OK as long as we
have a good sweep up in profile.
24
The Bow
To find the proportions of the rest of

the planks, a graph is used, like that in Fig 3-
3-11
10. The line AB represents the girth at the
midsection, minus the garboard. Minus also
the wider sheerstrake, if that is relevant. (In
this case ‘sheer’ now refers to the underside of
the sheerstrake).
A vanishing point is marked some dis¬

tance from point A; as far as convenient -
on your table rather than somewhere out the
window. Within reach of a 3 or 4’ - lm+
straight edge.
From point B, the midsection girth, take

a line to the vanishing point, G. Then mark the
girth of each station on BC, by moving the
measuring tape along AG, perpendicular to
AC, until the girth dimension in question
meets BG.
Now divide up this line equally by the
Now the plank width percentages at the number of strakes - Fig 3-11. Take the width
midsection that we decided on are marked on lines from AB to these equal divisions, instead
AB. By taking a line from each percentage of to G. This gives us even spacing of the
jjo Suiun
mark to the vanishing point G, the point where planks forward.
each one crosses the girth lines gives the width
of the strake at each station. I find this works well in the beamy type
of hull with wide variation in the mid-section
This is the theory; unfortunately things widths.
may be different in practice. Towards the stern
it works; forward of the midsection, it may be
OK in a longer hull, but usually it will be nec¬
essary to even up the widths towards the stem 3-12
to some extent, so the topside strakes will not
taper too sharply. This is especially so if there
is a wide proportional difference between
upper and lower strakes.
In any case, we need a further girth line

forward, representing the stem. With a straight
stem it’s easy; extend the garboard, in profile,
to the forward perpendicular, or a vertical
extension of the stem. With a raked stem, take
a line from the top of the stem to the point
where the garboard meets the stem. Or if the
stem is strongly raked, draw up a new station
line from this point, and measure its girth.
Either way, this becomes the foremost girth line
on the graph.
But with the longer hull with more

even percentages, a compromise can be
advisable. Thinking that the strakes do not
necessarily have to be quite equal forward, I
sometimes work to a mark half way between
the C line and the even-spacing mark: Fig 3-
12. The Acorn Skiff was done this way - Fig 3-
1 3 (over).

Looking Good
3-13 The final lines were achieved by going

back not quite to the even marks, but about
half way towards them: Fig 3-15.
Here it is apparent that the 2 or 3

strakes above the garboard can appear to be
getting wider forward, owing to the twist in
them as they move aft. But the upper 3 or 4
must be gently tapering forward; they must not
be allowed to sag down as the approach the
stem. This applies especially to the sheerstrake.
The boat shown is the prototype

‘Ptarmigan’; the garboard is rather low, and
the next strake a bit wide. The topside strakes
appear slightly narrow at the stem, still on the
lean side in proportion to the lower strakes. It’s
not bad! - I’m being extra critical.
3-16
On the beamier Guillemot, however,
using the half-way method, those lower strakes
still came out rather wide, like Fig 3-14.
3-15
Fig 3-16 shows the final design, which

has gone a little further in the direction of even
spacing. See also Fig 3- 1.
In a double-ended hull of course all the

above remarks referring to the bow will apply
to the stern also.
Unfortunately we can not see exactly

how the layout we now have is going to look,
until it is all dimensioned out on the patterns,
and transferred to the lines plan.
But now we have the widths of all the

strakes at every station, these can be transferred
to the mould patterns, or the body plan, using a
compass or dividers. There will be some trial
and error to get them to add up; because we
are working with short straight lines around the
curved mould shape, we need to err a fraction
under on each one.
26
Plank Lands
Now at last it is possible to check the 3-17 THE LANDS

whole thing out, by measuring the height of
each mark at each station, above and below the
waterline (or from a base line).
It is not essential to record every one; I

usually take two strakes down from the sheer
right through, and all of them across the first 3
or 4 stations, to see how they line up in the
more critical, and less predictable, bow area.
The heights are marked lightly in pencil, and
drawn through with a batten.
The infinite possible variations make it

impossible for this or any other method to give
totally predictable results, so some adjustments
may be necessary. The strakes should still be
getting narrower as they approach the stem;
curving gently upwards, without getting too
bunched up. Four or five topside strakes will
come out even at the stem, then 2 or 3
approaching the garboard will be getting slight¬
ly wider.
If it still doesn’t look right, it may be

necessary to go back and reconsider the even¬
spacing question on the graph. Possibly moving
towards or away from evenly space divisions, to Finally the widths of the lands are
vary the lines as they approach the bow. marked on the mould patterns. The laps are
usually about 5/8” - 15mm with 1/4”- 6mm
It occasionally happens that after all plywood, or 3/4”- 20mm with 3/8”- 8-10mm
this the topside strakes still taper too quickly ply. The marks that we have achieved after all
from amidships, and will need to be eased this work represent the lower, visible edge of
down a little lower at around 1 /3 to 1 /4 of the each strake, so the land marks will go above
hull length. This is because the girth here is them. Fig 3-17 shows the original lining-off
sharply reduced from the midsection girth, marks, the higher land marks, and how the
while the freeboard is increasing. planks will be fitted in relation to them.
In the last resort, if there is any linger¬

ing doubt, the lines may be checked on the
moulds after they are set up. Light battens are
tacked to each mould at the land marks, to
show exactly how the lining-off will look.
Lengths of string with drawing pins will give
quite a good impression (though a slightly
bumpy one).
In the end, the only rule is to get it

looking good. The problem with this, as John
Gardner points out, is that it depends who is
doing the looking, and, to carry this a step fur¬
ther, how much looking they have done. If you
look at enough boats, photos of boats, and
drawings of boats, you will soon develop a fair
idea of what looks right for the hull type you
have in mind

SETTI
The BUILDING PROCEDURE is

based on the round-bilge hull type, with about
8 strakes to a side. Builders of other types
should look out for extra or optional notes, sig¬
nified by the following symbols: *P* refers to
prams. *DE* refers to the donble-enders. *D*
means dories. (Either of these could also apply
in some cases to a dory skiff or other
‘wide-strake’ hull).
ABBREVIATIONS:
CL means centreline.
BF means the top edge of the

building frame.
FSP refers to the full size mould and/or stem

patterns.
‘Upper’ means towards the sheer - even when The BUILDING FRAME consists of two
the hull is upside down. bearers of about 1-1/2” x 3” - 40 x 75mm for
small craft; up to 2 x 4” or 2 x 6” - 50 x 100
orl50mm for larger boats. Bigger is better. The
small boat’s bearers may rest on trestles or a
4-1 long table; otherwise legs and braces are fitted
about as shown.
The Construction Plan should show necessary

dimensions, and the positions of the end
beams. The height may be increased or
reduced a couple of inches if the builder is tall
or short. For longer hulls it is usual to use
shorter pieces bolted together to make up the
bearers.
Before you get started, you might need to take a

few measurements, just to make sure .... it has
happened!
28
Building Frame
4-3 4-4
A string CENTRELINE is set up at the level

of the top of the frame (hereafter referred to
as BF height).
4-5
The top edges are planed straight and square,
using a straight edge, string line etc. The bear¬
ers may be clamped together for planing, then
laid flat, edge to edge, to check the high points.
When straight, clamp them together again and

mark the stations, squared across the top edges,
to dimensions on the Lines and Construction
plans.
Assemble with screws or bolts; fit diagonal

braces for rigidity. Level the frame up both
ways with a spirit level. Fasten the legs to the
floor if possible. (At times when it was not easy,
e.g. on a concrete floor, I have marked the posi¬
tions of the legs on the floor, and shoved the
frame back into place whenever it started to
wander around). MOULDS are made up from 1/2” -10-12mm
plywood. Shuttering ply or Sterling Board
(‘Oriented Strand Board’) are OK if flat; (they
are often not stored flat, but minor twists can
be straightened out later with battens tacked to
the moulds).
Chipboard and MDF (fibreboard) can also be

used, though they are a little harder to cut.
Some smaller moulds can be got partly out of

the middle of larger ones to save material.
The edge of the plywood sheet - or a straight

line - is set exactly under the BF or Base Line
on the mould patterns. A spike, scriber or
compass point is used to mark the Centreline

Moulds
(CL), plank lands, keelson, waterline etc. Some

small ‘windows’ are cut out of the pattern, on
4-7
CL and BF lines. These lines can then be
marked on the back of the paper, so the pat¬
tern, when turned over, can be lined up for
marking the other side of the mould, using the
same holes made by the spike.
The marks showing the mould shape are joined

up using a thin flexible batten, on a round-bilge
hull, or a steel rule, for prams, double-enders
and dories - the ‘wide-strake’ hulls.
Make sure you have all relevant reference lines

and marks clearly visible on port and starboard
sides.
Cut the mould out with a jigsaw - or whatever

(a bandsaw is ideal) - either right on the line, if
your saw can cut clean and straight, or just out¬
side of it, and trim back to the line with a block SPREADERS, with moulds, are screwed to the
plane. Cut out the notch for the keelson or hog. building frame, on the ‘inside’ of the Station
lines - i.e. aft of the Station, forward of amid¬
ships, and forward of the Station towards the
stern. All must line up on the CL.
Use 8 or lOg - 4-5mm screws. (Shorter screws

4-6 may be counterbored into the spreader - but
not too deep and tight or they can be awful
hard to get out later).
4-8
SPREADERS or SPALLS ideally should be

dead straight. A slight bend may be corrected
by lining it up along the edge of the mould. If
the mould is narrower than the building frame,
the spreader should extend two or three inches
outboard of the BF bearers, to help in lining it
up with the others. Two moulds, one forward and one aft, are
braced up vertically, using struts or plywood
The spreader is glued flush with the BF edge of brackets.
each mould. (Or screwed to make recycling eas¬
ier - clamp in place then screw). CL is marked (If the moulds are made from 3/4” - 20mm
right round the spreader. material, all may be set up with brackets like
these, and the spreaders dispensed with).
30
Dory Frames
4-9 4-11
Light battens are then tacked to each mould, *D* DORY FRAMES - parts are cut out and
each side, to hold them upright, and equi¬ cleaned up; notches for gunwales and limber
distant top and bottom from each other mould. holes are cut out before assembly.
Any slight twist in a mould can thus be corrected.
(See also Figs 4-15 and 59). Knees may be cut slightly thick to be planed
flush later. They are screwed (and plugged if
necessary) after gluing.
4-10 The plan is positioned so that parts can be

clamped to the bench over it, with plastic sheet
over the plan to prevent the glue sticking to it.
4-12
Sight up all the spreaders from each end to see

they are in line; this can be done with straight
edge(s) clamped to the end mould(s). Any that
are low can be shimmed up; ones that are too
high should be removed and cut away a little
underneath. Vertical straight sticks clamped
to the moulds amidships help to line them up
on CL. *D* BULKHEADS, if any, are glued with
clamps or copper nails.

The Stem
4-13 4-15
*D* uprights are screwed to frames and spread

ers.
4-14 *D* moulds and frames are set up.
4-16
*D* BRACES are fitted. Offset points are

checked and clearly marked.
STEM pieces are cut and joined about as

shown on the plan. The position of joints is
not critical; may depend on the size of stock.
Clean up the inner edges. The pieces may be
left well oversize, then cut to shape from the
pattern after assembly.
32
Stem Options
4-17 4-19
A "halved’ joint: another way to assemble a

built-up stem from thinner boards. The parts
are glued before the stem is cut to shape with
bandsaw or jigsaw.
Check the fit over the pattern; glue flat on the But some builders like to use a laminated stem,
bench. and it certainly looks fine, especially in the
lighter fine-lined skiffs and canoes.
Clean up sides as necessary. Mark CL all round
inside and out. Clearly mark all relevant lines:
forward perpendicular, sheer, DWL, Station 1,
and especially the plank lands. 4-20
4-18
LAMINATED STEM. The inside curve of the

inner stem is marked on the bench or on a
suitable piece of stout plywood. The ends are
brought in about 1/8” - 4mm to make a
tighter curve, which should be enough to
counteract the tendency to straighten out.
Wood blocks are firmly screwed to the bench
inside this shape.
The laminations are about 1/8 to 5/32” - 3-

4mm. They may be reluctant to take up the
required curve; in any case there will be quite
a bit of pressure required to bring them all in
to the blocks. They may be brought in
This built-up stem construction is, in theory, gradually, an inch or two at a time, taking up a
not as strong as a laminated stem; however little on the clamps several time over a day or
when it is all assembled it is very solid, and is two. Here a knee is being prepared also.
certainly more substantial than is structurally
necessary.

Laminating
4-21 4-23
If your boat needs laminated knees they can be The OUTER STEM is laminated around the
done now while you are in a laminating frame inner stem in the same way.
of mind.
Light battens are tacked to it to hold it in
When the laminations are fitting to the blocks, shape.
have a look to see where extra clamps may be
needed between the blocks.
4-24
4-22
The stem (and knees) are planed flat and

cleaned up all round.
Plastic sheet or packaging tape is applied to the
bench; glue is applied to both faces of each
lamination - except the outside - and the whole
mess is assembled. Apply pressure to the clamps
a little at a time, working from the middle of
the curve towards the ends. Do not apply full
pressure at first; get them close, then see if all
the laminations are flush at the top. If neces¬
sary tap them down with a hammer and a
block of wood. Then take up on the clamps,
still working from the centre outwards, with
enough pressure to get the glue squeezing out
all along, but don’t overdo it.
34
Finishing the Stem
4-25 4-27
The stem is laid on the plan, and all relevant

points marked; note the plank land positions
here.
4-26
hhe stem is accurately fitted to the forward BF
beam, and to the first mould.
Double-check all relevant dimensions from the

Construction and Lines plans, especially sheer
height and forward perpendicular, in relation
to BF.
Check that the stem is vertical with a spirit

level, etc; line it up fore and aft by sighting
along the keel line from each end.
Screw it to the forward beam. Fit it to the first

mould with an angle bracket or wood block.
Add braces to support the stem against side

The stem may be roughly bevelled, so there pressure (which will be considerable at times
will be less to be taken off after it is set up. If when you’re planking up).
there is no inner bevel line - bearding line - on
the plan or the lofted lines, cut it back to about
45 degrees, working down to the
forward line, leaving the flat forward face at its
specified width. Start with sawcuts at 45
degrees, about 3” -75mm apart, which make it
easier to remove the bulk of the wood with a
chisel.

Raked Stems
4-28 4-30
*DE* The raked stem is notched into the BF

beam. The sternpost is prepared and fitted in
the same way.
4-29
*DE*D* Note that if the garboards will be

thicker than the topside strakes, the difference
in thickness is taken off at the forward face (to
be fully faired later) so that the outer faces of
the planking will finish up flush, and the outer
stem will be the same width all round. E.g. if
the garboard is 3mm thicker than the sides,
then 1/8” - 3mm is taken off each side; if the
flat face of the stem is 3/4” - 20mm, it is
reduced to 1/2” - 14mm in way of the
garboards. See also Fig 4-51.
*D* The dory stem is in one piece, screwed to

BF beam and the first mould.
36
Transom
4-31 4-33
TRANSOM boards are planed straight and The faces are smoothed up with a fine set
square on the edges, and glued together. Sash plane, across and then along the grain.
cramps are useful, but blocks and wedges work
fine.
4-34
4-32
A more complex setup used for a larger tran¬

som, where the boards were slightly bent, and
needed to be held flat together. The wedges
tighten the boards against the beam clamped
at the back. TRANSOM MOUNTING POSTS are set up
on the building frame, using the angle and
other relevant dimensions from the plans.
Clamp in place, check everything and screw.
Mark the sheer height.
Note the angle brackets for fixing the transom;

these go on the inside so they’ll be easier to
remove. The screw holes can usually be placed
so as to be out of sight under quarter knees,
sternsheets etc. If not, they will be filled later
with colour-matched filler.

Installing the Transom
4-35 4-37
A PLYWOOD TRANSOM is an option; it

saves a little weight. The ply is usually the same
as the planking stock. It is cut to shape and the * Acorn 15-Mole-Badger* With a narrower
framing pieces glued to it. transom, the posts must go inboard of the BF
bearers, so are screwed to the aft beam, which
The transom is marked up from the patterns is bevelled or notched to the correct angle.
and cut out. (In my designs the transom is
drawn to its inside face, and faired down later.
So the aft face will be smaller, finding its own
shape when faired down for the planking).
4-38
4-36
*P* The same method is used for the small

bow transom on the prams. (This bow is partly
bevelled for the bow planking).
The top of the transom may be left straight: if

there is enough wood, it may extend to the BF,
which facilitates setting it up. Also the straight
top gives a handy reference line when the hull
is turned over, and helps in aligning it when fit¬
ting thwarts etc, Its final shape is marked before
the transom is set up.
The CL is marked on forward and aft faces.

Sheer height is marked across the inner face.
38
Keelson
4-39 4-41
nA
The transom notch is bevelled, working to
sawcuts which are made in line with a batten
laid over the last two moulds. A transom with
a tuck in it is too narrow for a notch - see Fig
*D* A dory transom has some interesting 4-37.
changing bevels; lofting it fully is complicated.
If working to the outside shape, leave plenty to The keelson is positioned in the transom and
spare all round - again working to the inside mould notches, held down at each end, and
shape is easier. The John Dory and each station is clearly marked on top (under¬
Amberjack plans show forward and aft faces. neath!).
The latter is still slightly oversize, leaving a little
stock to be faired off later, as with a normal It may be roughly bevelled, to within 1/16” -
transom. 2mm of the angles shown on the mould pat¬
terns. It is easier to remove the bulk of the
The step shown is equal to the thickness of the wood on the bench.
garboards; the second strake will sit outside
the garboard here. If the keel line is curved up strongly aft, the
keelson may be split aft with a bandsaw
(preferably) so it will bend more easily. Or the
whole keelson can be made from two lamina¬
4-40 tions.
4-42
The KEELSON or HOG is cut a few inches

over length. It will be notched into, or
scarphed to the stem forward (*DE* and aft).
A centreline is marked top and bottom. 1 he The centreboard case slot is cut, ideally with a
taper is cut in the forward part of the keelson router, circular saw, or jigsaw. II the latter it
w ill need to be cleaned up carefully so the
edges are straight.

Fitting the Keelson
4-43 4-45
The keelson is first glued and clamped to the

stem.
The after end is held down with a Spanish

4-44 windlass. Note the step for the clamp.
4-46
after
This keelson is laminated from two parts. Note

the Spanish windlass. A brace to the roof may
serve the same purpose, which is to ensure that
the keelson is in contact with all the moulds. *D* GUNWALES are usually fitted after the
hull is turned over, but not on the dories. They
are notched into the frames ....
Dory Gunwales
4-47 4-49
*D* and cut about 1/16” - 2mm over length.

Trim with a block plane.
*D* and the transom. Or they can butt up
against the inside face of the transom. This is a
little harder to do; may look better as you
won’t see the end of the gunwale; it is not as 4-50
strong, but strong enough once everything is
glued together. If cutting notches, fit the for¬
ward end first.
4-48
*D* Clamps and ropes are used to hold both

gunwales in to the stem, while they are
screwed down. (The clamps may also be
hauled down if necessary to twist the gunwales
in line with the stem). Use minimal tension, so
as not to straighten the gunwales; ideally the
tension is eased a little before the screw is
tightened home.
*D* The gunwale is clamped or tied to the

frames, and bent in towards the stem. Mark
the angle ....

Fairing
4-51 4-53
FAIRING for the planking requires care and

patience. The setup will not look much different High spots are trimmed a little at a time, until
after you’ve finished, but a properly faired hull the batten lies fairly on all parts in all direc¬
is essential for good plank lines and a fair sheer¬ tions. The moulds should need little more than
line. shaving off the odd high spot; it is mainly the
backbone and sheerline we are concerned
about.
4-52
4-54
Keelson, stem, transom and moulds are faired

with planes and spokeshaves, using a hardwood
batten of about 3/8” x 1/2” - 10 x 12mm or
larger, maybe tapered towards one end. The
batten is laid fore and aft and diagonally all
over the hull.
Where more wood is to be removed from the
keelson, a saw cut can be made in way of the
garboard, i.e. from the CL to the outer edge of
the garboard; this establishes the angle to plane
down to.
42
Fairing
4-55 4-57
The batten gives a good indication of how the

plywood bottom will lie.
However there are one or two places where

the batten may not show exactly how the ply¬
wood will fit; mainly the forefoot, where the
garboard will twist quite sharply round to the
Setting Up
stem, and perhaps the transom if there is a
tuck in it. These parts therefore are not fully
faired until the actual plank is being tried in
place.
Likewise the stem: a batten tacked along the

plank lands is bent forward past the stem. The
saw follows the line, down to the flat forward
face of the stem.
4-56
*P*D*DE* With fewer strakes, the batten is

laid along each ‘chine’. On the wide bottom
and/or garboard strake, a scrap of light ply¬
wood is good for checking a larger area.
If too much comes off anywhere, decide

whether to glue a piece of wood on and fair it
back, or fill the gap with thick epoxy.
*P* The flat bottom on the round-bilge prams Wonderful stuff. What matters is that the plank
can curve down at the edges at the bow. will lie fairly, with no air under it.

Ready for Planking
4-59
The SHEERLINE is the most important line in

the boat, so needs to be sighted up from every
possible angle, close up and from further away
if possible. Ideally with battens running the full
length of the hull. 1/16” or maybe up to 1/8” -
2-3mm adjustment is acceptable at any mould;
much more than that should be checked out
from the plans.
44
PLAN
Scarph joining the plywood is necessary 5-3

on boats longer than 8’ - 2.5m, although some¬
times 10’ - 3m sheets can be found.
5-1
Planking
The matching ends of the two sheets are
bevelled with a plane, to half the thickness of
BUTT STRAPS are an easier option, for the the plywood. Or a shallow depression is cut
simpler dories and prams. They may be with a disc sander. This is filled with fibreglass
thought to look a bit amateurish, but can often mat and epoxy, and a piece of ‘glass tape laid
be positioned unobtrusively, e.g. under a frame over it.
or thwart, or inside a buoyancy compartment.
The butt strap allows the builder to use the full
length of a sheet of plywood.
5-4
The butt strap needs to be 8 times the thick¬
ness of the plywood. It is glued and fastened to
the first panel, then the next piece is fitted over
it as the sheet is marked up for fitting. When
gluing the plank, it is screwed with temporary
(or permanent) screws, as in Fig 5-40, and the
screw holes filled later.
A piece of thin polythene is laid over the top,

and squeegeed flat with a wide putty knife or
similar flat blade, or piece of plywood. The
sheet is then turned over, and a strip of light
tape is laid over the joint on the other side.
When working with plywood of 3/8" - 10mm

or thicker, the mat-filled hollow can be made
on both sides, to about 1 /4 or 1 /3 of the
Another option is the ‘FIBREGLASS WELD’, thickness.
which is good and strong, and is invisible on a
painted hull. SCARPHING whole sheets of plywood can
be done before you start marking out the
planks. These can become difficult to manage

Scarphing
in longer boats which require more than two 5-7

sheets to make up the length, especially if you
are working single-handed, and are short ol
space.
Gluing the scarphed planks on the boat takes a

little more time, but you get fairly efficient after
a while. I usually do it this way on any boat
longer than about 12' - 4m, especially il work¬
ing single-handed. Refer also to comments on
matching sheets, below Fig. 5-34.
5-5
Mark the scarph width with a gauge and pencil.
The two adjoining plank ends are planed

together after the planks are shaped up. Gluing
them up is shown in Fig 5-40. 5-8
5-6
A scarphing jig can be used; this sets the plan¬

ing angle automatically, and can be used with a
plane, planer or router. The width needs to be
just sufficient for the widest strake. (This can
also be used for scarphing long strips of wood
for gunwales etc.)
Glamp the planks over the end of the bench,
Two to four whole sheets may be planed up with the width marks lined up.
together. They need a flat straight edge under
them.
The angle of the scarph is usually 8:1. 6:1 may

be adequate, on round-bilge boats with narrow¬
er strakes; it will be a little easier to plane. E.g.
1/4” - 6mm ply has a 2” - 50mm scarph (or 1 -
1/2”- 38mm).
46
Scarphing
5-9 5-11
Plane down to the lines. Keep the plane sharp.

The glue lines between the veneers show up l ire second plank here had a bit of wild grain
any unevenness. on the lower face; it came out slightly ragged.
If it will be painted that’s OK, but if not, it
may be necessary to plane the whole face back
a little.
5-10
GLUING THE SCARPH on the bench -
options:
5-12
Ready for gluing.
Staples can be used with up to 3/16” - 5mm

plywood. A strip of ply, of the same thickness
or more, and the same width as the joint, is
stapled over plastic or tape. A row of staples,
along the middle, with plenty of pressure, then
one along each edge of the joint. Note the
clamps on each sheet, holding them down to
the bench to keep them from sliding apart.

Finishing the Scarph
5-13 5-15
Plywood of about 3/16 to 1/4” - 5-6mm is

glued with a batten of about 1” - 25mm, cut to
the width of the joint, and screwed down over
plastic sheet or tape. The screws are about 3” -
75mm apart. Make a dry run - without glue -
to make sure the screw holes are right; if they
are too tight it is difficult to get them to pull Or use a plane, set fine and sharp. (In theory it
down evenly. A touch of soft soap on the is best to plane away from the feather edge, but
threads of the screws prevents them becoming in this case the grain was coming out the
permanent. Brush drilling chips away before wrong way.)
gluing. Holes will be filled later (- they are not
conspicuous if the filler is well matched).
With 3/8” - 8mm or thicker plywood, use two 5-16

rows of screws, one along each edge.
5-14
fhe spokeshave is easier if the face is not

precisely flat.
Cleaning up excess glue is easier when it is

about 90% set, rather than rock-hard. (It may
be softened momentarily with a heat gun, but
excessive use could weaken the joint). Use a
sharp chisel, if necessary. If moving the sheets,
or turning them over, take care not to stress the
joint.
48
Fastening the Laps
5-17 FASTENING THE PLANKS - options:
But the scraper is the best tool when it will do

the job. STAPLES in up to 3/16” - 4-5mm plywood.
A strip of heavy cardboard protects the sur¬
face, and makes it easier to remove the staples.
5-18 Firm support is needed underneath as the sta¬
ples are put in; the underneath supporting
hand holds backing pads of ply. Sometimes
you’ll miss and staple yourself to the boat.
Ouch!
5-20
And finish with the sanding block.
A power sander can be useful, but they are

inclined to try to remove wood rather than the
harder glue.
Self-tapping or drywall SCREWS. Self-tappers
A slight step between sheets can be planed or have a flat head, which does not damage the
scraped flat, but not beyond the face veneer. surface unduly. But need to be counterbored.
The cleaning up is less critical if the hull is to Drywalls do not, in thin ply; but their counter¬
be painted. sunk head widens the hole on the surface.
Gluing the scarphs on the boat is done with In larger boats, with thicker plywood, and/or
clamps or screws; this will be covered when we where there is much twist in the plank, or
get to the planking. using glues other than epoxy, it may be neces¬
sary to use longer screws, into backing blocks.
The plank is tacked in place accurately while

the holes are drilled. Spacing may be between

Stringers ?
2 and 4” - 50- 100mm, depending on plank 5-22

thickness; tending closer with glues other than
epoxy.
Experiment with drill sizes on scrap plywood. A

variable-speed reversing drill saves a lot oi time,
especially in a longer round-bilge boat.
Filling all the screw holes later is not very

exciting.
5-21
Tom Hill’s STRINGER method.
Advantages: planks are clamped to the

stringers (except with wide strakes). Bevelling
the lands is easier, using a block plane with a
piece of wood screwed to its side, flush with
the bottom, and resting on the lower stringer.
The stringer provides an accurate line for
marking out the outboard edge of the strake.
They prevent the planks sagging between
moulds.
Disadvantages; considerable time is needed to

fit the stringers. Dozens of clamps are neces¬
sary - unless stapling thin plywood. Cost of the
material. Likelihood of unfair lines between
the first mould and the stem, in boats wider
than canoes (and even possibly canoes - see Fig
5-56).
Plywood CLAMPS AND WEDGES. Take a bit
of time to make up, but are quick and easy to My opinion: hardly worthwhile for a one-off
fit and adjust, and leave no holes. Cut from boat. Very good for production of several hulls.
1/2” -12mm plywood (maybe from mould off- Would recommend extending the stringers
cuts). These clamps can also be useful for other through to the stem, joining them with ply gus¬
jobs later. sets, and fairing carefully into the faired stem.
Some builders feel it is a safer ‘idiot-proof’ sys¬
The length of the slots is sufficient for the tem. (For an interesting compromise method,
widest strakes. About two-thirds of them may see the stringer-fairing system: Fig 5-47/48).
be about 1” - 25mm less. The width of the slot
is twice the planking thickness, or the total of PLANK PATTERNS are needed, at least for
two different thicknesses (i.e. bottom round-bilge hulls. Patterns are made for the
plus sides if different). first three or four strakes, from about 1/8” -
3mm plywood or hardboard. It may be feasible
Drill a hole about this size and saw down to it. to do without patterns from here on, as the
Round off the ends of the slot. planks have progressively less twist in the ends.
Also the plywood sheet is getting smaller, and
The wedges are easier to use if the faces are thus easier to lay over the moulds, and to fit
planed smooth. accurately to them. If in doubt, keep going
with the patterns, rather than taking the risk of
Spacing is around 4 to 5” 100-125 on 3/16 to spoiling the planking stock.
1/4” - 5-6mm planks. Up to 7 or 8” - 200 with
5/16-3/8” ply. Closer with ‘other’ glues. This In smaller boats, if the planks are to be fitted
usually means three or four clamps between already scarphed in one piece, the patterns are
each mould. made long enough by butt joining or scarph-
ing. In some cases the garboard pattern can be
50
Plank Patterns
used later for the next 2 or 3 narrower strakes,
by tacking an extension piece to one end.
5-24
file pattern stock is first cut to about 8 or 9” -
200mm wide - the maximum width of the
garboard plus an inch or two.
5-23
With the fine-bowecl Ness Yawl we found that

the pattern did not want to sit clown on the
first mould at its upper edge; the bow had
been drawn a little too fine. So it was allowed
to follow its own natural line, which was about
1/4” - 6mm off the mould. The same happened
with the Acorn Skiff.
5-25
The pattern is tacked, stapled or clamped to

the keelson amidships, just overlapping the cen¬
treline, and to two or three moulds, carefully
holding it flat at each mould while working aft,
then forward.
As you work towards the ends, the sheet is

pushed back and forth across the moulds, to
find the place where it naturally lies flat on the
mould.
If when it is all in place it is not lying flat at

any point, the whole end of the pattern out¬
board must be released and re-fitted. The When you have the pattern lying flat on each
heavier planking stock will not be forced into mould, the transom, and around the stem, it is
place, without creating an unfair line. marked out along its outside edges, and at the
plank lands at each mould. The outside marks,

Shaping the Patterns
don’t forget, to allow for the overlap of the next 5-27

strake. The centreline can be marked with a
compass or dividers from the opposite edge of
the keelson.
Mark two or three stations so the pattern can

be re-fitted accurately.
An accurate fit along the centreline is not

important if there is much deadrise, so that the
ply will be planed right away at the CL when
planing the flat for the outer keel. Refer to the
mould patterns or lofting.
The position of the centreboard case can be

marked out.
5-26
The stem needs particular attention, as there is

usually a strong twist to the garboard here.
Now it can be finally faired.
5-28
The pattern is removed, and turned over. The

marks are joined up using flexible battens.
Follow the marks as closely as possible for a fair
line, but if one or two are 1 /16” - 2mm out
that’s OK. As with the rest of the planking it is
more important to get good fair lines than to
follow the marks exactly.
Try it on the boat, to make sure it fits all round.

Also check the fairing of the keelson, transom
and stem. It is easier to do this now with the
pattern than with the stiffer planking stock. If *P*D* You won’t need a pattern for the bot¬
any more serious fairing is needed, which could tom. The bottom plywood is held down flat on
slightly affect the shape of the pattern, it can be each mould, using clamps and/or rope, or
modified instead of spoiling a plank. shores to the roof, etc. Start at the bow; mark
the ‘chine’ point at each station, underneath.
Mark around the stem or bow transom.
52
Flat Bottoms
5-29 5-31
*P*D* The sheet is turned over, and the marks

line up with a batten, held to a fair curve with
clamps, weights or nails, and the ‘chine’ line is
marked and cut out. (The stick shown is to pre¬
vent the batten straightening out towards the
end; ideally the batten should extend beyond
the end of the curve). *P*D* The dories’ aft panel is scarphed using
plywood pads top and bottom - the upper pad
If there will will a second sheet of plywood aft screwed to the bottom one. Refer also to Figs
to make up the length, it is marked up in the 5-39 and 40.
same way, adding the width of the scarph
joint.
5-32
5-30
*P*D* The edges are cleaned up as necessary

with the plane, and the bottom plank is
checked again on the boat.
Glue is spread on all mating surfaces. Including *P* The pram’s bottom is nailed to the tran¬
limber holes in frames - this is easier than try¬ soms fore and aft.
ing to paint them later. The bottom is clamped
to each frame at the chines, and may be tem¬
porarily screwed to stem and transom, or held
down with weights etc.
If the hull has chine stringers, the bottom can

be clamped to them. Without enough clamps,
it can be nailed or screwed. Fastenings must be
set well inboard to allow for fairing the edges
for the garboards.

Garboard Strokes
5-33 must not move. They may be supported on

long planks over trestles.
Many builders cut 1/8” - 2-3mm or so outside

the line, leaving plenty to spare and having to
plane it off' later. I am lazy; try to make an
accurate pattern and saw carefully, right on the
line - erring outside - with a minimum to plane
off when cleaning up the edge. It depends a lot
on the sawing method: the jigsaw wanders a bit
and needs some leeway.
The keel edge can usually be left rough. The

upper outboard edge is planed fair.
The first side is laid in place with two or three

clamps, lined up with the CL, centre-case, and
*P* As are the subsequent planks. planks land marks at stem and transom ...
5-34
5-35
THE GARBOARDS. Before cutting into any

planking stock, have a look over the plywood
sheets to decide which faces of each sheet will ...then clamped more firmly along the forward
go outside; if the boat is to be bright finished, part of the keelson, around Station 2. The fwd
how scarphed planks will match up. The colour end is eased firmly down onto mould 1, and
can vary quite a lot even in one sheet. Keep the around the stem. These two plywood clamps
best looking face veneers for the sheerstrake help here; they can be clamped to the moulds.
and topsides.
When planing two sheets to be scarph joined,

remember that one of them will be turned over.
It is usual, though not structurally necessary, to
stagger the joints as far as possible: one towards
the bow, the next aft, etc.
A pair of planks is usually cut together. The

two sheets are laid together, with the best faces
inside, and the pattern is clamped at one edge
while the shape is taken off. At least four
clamps hold the sheets together; they need to be
shifted as the saw approaches, but the sheets
54
Fitting the Garboard
5-36 5-37
Over a longer length a batten can be used, Softwood blocks with vee-shaped notches can
with clamps tied down to the building frame. If be used instead of fastenings at the stem, if
it is reluctant to come all the way down to the both sides are glued at the same time.
first mould, bring it down as far as it will com¬
fortably come without distortion.
Screws are not essential for strength (the outer

keel and stem hold it all together). Ringed nails
5-38
are usually used at the plank ends up the stem
and around the transom.
Some temporary screws may be used where

necessary along the keelson, and especially
towards and around the forefoot. Best are short
fat self-tapping screws, which do not need
counterboring; the broad head should not
damage the surface. Screws may be spaced
about 3 to 6” - 75-150mm. If any permanent
screws are used they must not be in the way of
the plane when trimming for the outer keel.
Check that the stem is still vertical, and not

pushed to one side.
Likewise aft, if there is a tuck in the transom
All screw holes are drilled now; nails need to (as in the Acorn skiffs).
be drilled for also except with light softer ply¬
wood. Try a nail in scrap ply. Larger nails in The plank is marked all round inside for glu¬
mahogany ply need to be slightly countersunk ing, along stem, keelson, and transom. Several
so the head can be punched just below the sur¬ locating marks are made so the plank can be
face later without heavy hammering. repositioned accurately.
Remove the plank; brush off chips and dust.

Tape the moulds etc to keep the glue off.
Glue is spread on all surfaces. Clamps and

screws are lightly applied - not tight yet -
starting around the ‘midships area, working
aft, then forward. Nails are hammered in
with heads just clear of the surface.
All is now tightened up in the same order.

Nails are punched just below the surface.
Excess glue is cleaned off, maybe with a putty

The Second Stroke
knife, and washed with a little acetone (with can do one each side. Either way the planks
epoxy) or water (with urea or resorcinol). are cut in pairs.
Patterns can only be done one at a time, work¬

ing from the previous bevelled plank.
5-39 The second garboard strake may need more

temporary fastenings, as the first side gets in
the way of clamps along the keek Except in
way of the centreboard case, if any.
Glue is cleaned up as far as possible.
Have a look along the outboard edge of the

strake; if there are any humps and bumps they
can be straightened out with sticks, clamps and
ropes, etc.
SECOND STRAKE
If scarphing a second piece, it is fitted in the

same way, adding the width of the joint to its 5-41
length, and mating the two parts as accurately
as possible. They are clamped together with the
plywood pads for drilling; the counterbored
clearance holes go through the top pad and the
planks - i.e. the pads are screwed together; the
screw thread does not hold on the planks.
5-40
The width of the plank landing is marked

along the edge of the garboard with a marking
gauge.
Before bevelling the land, the GAIN (or chase

or rebate) is cut at the bow (*DE*C* and stern)
so the the new plank will be flush with the pre¬
vious one at the stem. The length of the gain
may vary from about 8 to 15” - 200-380mm
depending on the thickness of the plywood and
All screws are driven home but not tight, then the length of the boat.
all are hardened up.
A plywood hull may be planked up one side at

a time, if you are only going to hang one plank
in a day. But with enough time and clamps you
56
Bevelling the Land
5-42 the land may be adjusted, as long as it does

not become too narrow.
5-44
BEVF.LLING the angle at each mould is set

by a saw cut between the inner lap mark on
A sharp knife cuts a clean edge, as deep as it the garboard, and the outer mark on the
can go, forward. The steel rule can be mould for the next strake.
clamped. A tenon saw is used on heavier
plywood.
The gain is roughed out with a chisel, finished 5-45

with a small rabbet plane, and checked with a
fairing batten or the steel rule. It is taken down
to a feather edge at the forward end.
5-43
The plywood is planed down to the sawcuts,

supporting the ply underneath between
moulds.
This is done on the boat for the first two or
three strakes, because the rebated edge is
rather fragile where the end of the plank is
twisted. Thereafter however this is not a prob¬
lem and the gain may be cut on the bench.
Sight up the upper - outboard - edge of the

garboard, to see if it is fair. If not, the width of

Bevelling
5-46 5-48
A bar of wood is screwed to the side of a plane

as shown, using a short threaded rod with a
nut. A step is cut at the outboard end of the
The bevel is checked frequently by laying the bar, the depth of which matches the depth of
edge of' the plane on it. The veneer lines help the stringer.
to maintain a smoothly-changing bevel between
the moulds. The stem and transom are finally faired for the
next strake. The transom may need to be sup¬
ported from the floor against hammering.
5-47
A pattern is made as before.
5-49
One of the advantages of the aforementioned

stringer method is that it gives a dependable
way of planing exact bevel angles. This can be
done by using a single temporary stringer,
tacked to the moulds at the outboard edge of
the next strake. *D* It may be possible to do without a pattern
widi wider flatter strakes.
58
Fitting the Second Strake
5-50 5-52
An optional way of making a pattern, using

light battens and screws.
5-51
Planks are glued in place. 3 or 4 clamps are

loosely positioned; the wedges just tight
enough to keep the clamps in place. Check all
round to make sure the plank is correctly
placed. Then fit all the clamps in the same
way, then push all the wedges home. Fit the
A pair of planks is cut, and the edges cleaned clamps and wedges just clear of the inner
up and checked for fair lines. edge, so it will be easier to clean up the glue.
Fitted in place; check the fairing along the gar-

board, stem and transom.
On rowing skiffs with a reverse tuck at the

transom one or two strakes will be bevelled at
their upper edge, towards the stern, to fit the
garboard; refer to the transom pattern.
The scarph is planed if necessary. The opera¬

tion of the clamps and wedges is tried out.
Nail holes are drilled at stem and transom if

necessary.

Second Strake
5-53 5-55
The screwing method: screws are spaced 2 - 4”

- 50-100mm. A thin wipe of soft soap is
When nailing the stem, support the other side applied to the threads so they will come out
firmly. It may be possible to clamp the upper more easily; or, they can be eased out a turn or
(lower!) corner; if not is is nailed with a ply¬ two, one at a time, then back in, while the glue
wood pad, so the nail can be removed when the is still rubbery.
gain is cut later.
5-56
5-54
The Acorn Skiff planks are narrower but more

sharply twisted.
Look along all edges to see there is a little glue

oozing out all the way along. If not, tighten the
clamps slightly. Still not? - work some glue in After gluing a strake, always sight carefully
with a putty knife or other thin blade, easing along the edge to make sure it is not sagging
the clamps a little if necessary. between the moulds. If it is it can be supported
underneath with sticks etc. Otherwise the hull
can finish up looking like this unfortunate
canoe. As long as the strake is set fairly the
next strake will keep it that way.
60
Fillets
5-57 5-59
A sharper angle between planks leaves insuffi¬

cient land width. Plane the bevel down to half
to one veneer’s thickness, leaving a gap to be
filled with epoxy fillet or strips of wood.
5-58
A putty knife with a rounded tip makes a neat
fillet.
All surplus glue is cleaned off as far as possi¬

ble, with chisel and scraper. Some visible glue
on the surface is OK, on a painted hull, but all
must be scraped away if she is to be bright fin¬
ished.
5-60
A syringe is useful for filling the gap.
Surplus glue is easiest to remove when it is

half-set and rubbery.

Completing the Planking
5-61 5-63
If it is set hard, a hair drier or heat gun can Finish up with the scraper.
soften it. Clean off what you can reach inside
also. The cleaner you can get the hull as you go The rest of the planks are fitted in the same
along, the less tedious it will be on the big way. Patterns may be used for all, or dispensed
clean-up day, when the hull is planked up. with when not needed.
Always sight up the plank edges before bevel¬

ling a landing or cutting a plank. Follow the
5-62 marks on the moulds, but don’t worry if the
fair line means missing one or two marks by
1/8” - 2-3mm.
As you approach the sheer, two or three clamps

on the moulds are useful to rest a plank on
while fitting it.
5-64
The fillet seen in Fig 59 works well, especially

in wide-strake hulls. A larger fillet is necessary if
it is intended to sheath the hull with Dynel fab¬
ric (- see Fig 7-1). Fine-finished narrow-strake
skiffs may look better with a clean square cor¬
ner; this is cleaned up neatly with a chisel. It
may depend on whether the hull is to be paint¬
ed or varnished; if painted, the fillet is perhaps
The SHEERLINE is the most important line
easier to finish. But if finished bright, it may
in the boat. It is sighted up from all possible
look neater without. Also this eliminates the
angles, and as far away as you can get, before
possibility that the epoxy fillet could be affected
the gunwale or rubbing strake is fitted. Here it
by sunlight.
is clone before fitting the sheerstrake, with a
full-length batten. The lower edge of the sheer¬
strake will also be highly visible on the finished
boat.
62
The Keel
5-67
If when the gunwale is fitted it will be rebated
or have a hardwood strip to cover the upper
edge of the plywood, the depth of this strip
must be taken off the depth of the sheerstrake.
5-65
This short dagger board case did not need

clamps between the ends, as the pieces were
sprung down over the slight curve of the bot¬
tom. Note the cross piece clamped across aft,
holding down both sides. Also the arrange¬
ment of clamps forward. (When you can not
see in advance exactly how things are going to
work, it is necessary to set everything up before
applying the glue).
OUTER KEEL components are cut to size,
tapered and/or bevelled as necessary, and the If the centreboard case will later be fitted by
inboard ends adjusted to fit the width of the the epoxy-fillet method, these side rubbing
centreboard case. strips will be fitted later - refer to Fig 6-82.
These parts are held in place while you trace

around them; this area of the boat is then
planed flat to receive them. 5-68
5-66
The SKEG is spiled to fit the keel. It is tapered

to its lower edge, usually to about 5/8 to 7/8”
- 15-22mm.
Forward and aft pieces are temporarily screwed

as necessary. The mid pieces are clamped
along the centrecase, and clamped to the keel
parts at the ends. Without fastenings, it is nec¬
essary to get a good close lit with little pressure
- and/or close the gap with epoxy.

Skeg & Stem
5-69 5-71
Conventionally the skeg is screwed from under¬

neath, but if not it is simply positioned with
tape, then sufficient pressure is applied with
sticks and wedges. In this example the stock was
not wide enough, so it is made in two parts.
5-70 A thin piece of plywood cut across the grain

can be used to check the fairing of the forward
face of the stem.
The inside face of the outer stem is trimmed so

it fits the boat. If the lower forward plank
edges project out and make the face of the
inner stem wider, they may be rounded off to
make the width even all the way round.
5-72
*P* The keel can be sprung down with

Spanish windlasses.
The OUTER STEM - if made up from sawn

pieces, two parts may be assembled before fit¬
ting to the boat. Or it may be easier to fit them
separately.
64
Outer Stem
5-73 5-75
The aft face of the outer stem is then marked

to width all the way round.
A centreline is marked on the forward face. I

usually run a marking gauge round from each
side, which evens out any slight variarions in
the width. If the lines diverge, the actual CL is
between them.
5-74
Extra parts around the forefoot are fitted first,
then the outer stern is screwed with 1 Og -5 mm
screws, which will be plugged - unless they are
temporary.
5-76
The width of the forward face is then marked

and the stem is tapered to this size. The width
is taken from the plan, and the corners will be
well rounded. Or it is measured to suit a metal
rubbing band, plus about 1/16 each side - a
little more in larger hulls - 2-3mm.
The top of the outer stem is cut so it will be

flush with the sheer - or whatever shape it
will be. This stem fitted so neatly that, using epoxy, no
fastenings were needed.

Finishing the Stem
5-77 5-79
scraper ... whatever it needs.
GUNWALE RUBBING STRAKES may be

fitted before or after turning the hull over. I
have always done it before, to stiffen up the
sheer, but have seen it successfully done later -
The sides faces are carefully cleaned up with on a longer skiff hull where there is less bend¬
chisel ... ing stress on it. See Figs 6-6 to 8.
5-78 5-80
The pieces are cut to size, and rounded off on

... plane ... what will be the upper outboard edge. The
angle at the fwd end is found with a bevel
gauge.
*DE* Likewise the after end. In this case the

length will have to be cut exactly. This may be
easier to achieve if the rubbing strake is in two
parts, scarph joined - which it may need to be
to get the length. Each part is glued separately.
66
Gunwale Rubber
5-81 5-83
The rubbing strakes are installed in a dry run,

to check the fit forward (and aft); to see how
many clamps are needed; to mark the sheer¬
strake for gluing, and to have a final look at the
sheerline. In the example here the planking
clamps fitted nicely. Start at the bow and
*P* The fortunate pram builders can simply work aft.
extend the rail beyond the ends and trim it off
later. The ends may extend further and be tied If the clamps are set just below the edge, it will
together - see Fig 5-87. (This applies more to be easier to clean up the glue in the corner.
the round-bilge prams, which are beamy at the
sheer forward, with smaller bow transoms).
5-84
5-82
If two parts are scarphed on the boat, a verti¬

If there is to be a strip added to cover the cal clamp or two can be used to line them up.
upper plywood edge of the sheerstrake, the Check there is no bump in the sheerline where
gunwale rubber is set above the sheerstrake. they meet.
A row of panel pins is set 1/4”- 6mm in from
the upper edge; these will be pulled up
against the sheerstrake when gluing, to
establish the overlap.

Bilge Runners
5-85 5-87
The ends may be clamped, screwed, nailed as The ends can be tied together.
necessary. (See also Fig 6-7).
5-88
5-86
BILGE RUBBING STRIPS are temp,

screwed; if there is a strong curve to follow the
line of the plank, two screws are put in at one
end, and the strip is bent from there.
A second rubbing strake is fitted in the same

way. It is temp, screwed.
68
Finishing the Bottom
5-89 5-91
Have a careful look over the whole boat, to see All these screw holes are sealed with thin
if there are still any bumps or hollows in any of epoxy, to get into the grain, then thicker epoxy
the plank edges. Use a fairing batten if in and, if necessary, carved pegs of wood.
doubt.
Work over the whole boat, rounding edges,
Hollows can be built up with thin strips; (this scraping clean the last of the excess glue, filling
probably implies a painted hull, unless you use holes, gaps and cracks, and finally sanding
plywood and match it well). The strips are thoroughly with progressively finer grades of
glued with short staples, and trimmed using a paper. The hull may be painted, oiled, or var¬
fairing batten. nished now; at least two priming coats will
help to protect the surface.
5-90 TURNING OVER
The stations are marked in pencil, inside, on

the correct side of each mould. Mark them at
gunwales and floors, and wherever interior
parts will be fitted or measured. If in doubt,
mark the stations all the way round.
Some or all of the moulds may be left in,

depending on the size of the boat, and the
help available for turning her over. They help
to keep the hull in shape. Keep at least one
amidships and one each end; the more the bet¬
ter. (They will be removed later whenever they
get in the way). These moulds are unscrewed
from the building frame.
Now she can be freed from the remaining

High spots can be trimmed back with a rabbet moulds by gently lifting the bow and stern and
plane. each side, just an inch, to make sure she is not
stuck anywhere.
Now she can be lifted off the remaining

moulds and turned over.

Right Way Up!
5-92 5-94
This builder disagrees with me about leaving

the moulds in. Maybe he’s right - they soon
get in the way. But they are quickly replaced
with these braces, which are notched over the
gunwales, and checked once in a while to make
sure they stay in the right positions at the sta¬
tion marks, thus maintaining the correct beam
dimension at these stations.
Usually the hull will be set up again on the

building frame. It may be supported in various
ways: here sticks are clamped to the frame.
5-95
Chocks may be fitted underneath.
5-93
They are useful for keeping the hull aligned;

check this whenever installing major parts such
as thwarts and knees.
As the turning over marks a significant point in

the whole project, the end of the first stage, I
always have a small celebration to mark the
occasion, and to reward the helpers.
Shaped plywood chocks are more secure; they
are made up from the mould patterns. These
ones are fastened to trestles.
70
CHAPTER
6-1
INTE
6
gets into the corners. If it is very uneven a
colour-matched fillet up in the corner looks
OK, and adds strength. Fairly coarse sand¬
paper folded on edge cleans up the rough bits.
CLEANING UP the whole interior is more

easily done at this stage. This 3-cornered
scraper is ground to a different radius on each
point. Make sure you do not lose the station
marks, at least at keelson and gunwale.
6-2 The sheerstrake edge covering strip - if any - is

cut so that it will be just a whisker proud of
the sheer and the inner face of the sheerstrake.
It can be glued with panel pins, or tape ...
Inside the stem is difficult to get at; it is

cleaned up as far as possible; folded sandpaper

Gunwale Rubber Stroke
6-4 6-6
The GUNWALE RUBBING STRAKE, if not

fitted yet, is lightly clamped in place to check
its fit and length.
6-7
or, with the gunwale rubber fitted, the plywood
clamps worked in this case.
6-5
A vee-shaped chock can apply pressure to the

ends.
Spokeshave and plane are set very fine to trim

it flush.
Gumvales
The temporary gunwale braces will get in the

way; they should be replaced where and how
possible to prevent the gunwales straightening
out. If notched over the sheer, the notches may
be widened by the thickness of the gunwale
stringers. If clamped, the beam marks will still
need to finish up at the inside face of the
sheerstrake (representing the beam of the boat,
at the relevant station, from the moulds).
Gunwales are bevelled and tapered if/as neces¬

sary. The lower inboard corner is rounded off;
not the upper corner yet, if knees are to be
fitted to the inboard face.
6-10
The faithful plywood clamps may work here
also.
6-9
Interior
In designs with a lot of Hare, the gunwales are
sometimes angled inboard a little, or the upper
edge is planed lower inboard, so that it is not
sloping sharply outboard. Likewise, if there is
tumble home aft, the outer edge of the gun¬
wale may need to be bevelled to bring the
upper edge horizontal.
Plain GUNWALES (without spacer blocks) are The BREASTHOOK in some boats is
usually fitted before the breasthook and quarter installed before the gunwales or inwales. If
knees, extending to the stem and transom. (See these are plain, without spacer blocks, they
notes re pros and cons of open gunwales - after extend to the stem and transom, and the
Fig 6-54). breasthook waits until after they are fitted.
With open gunwales, the breasthook is
If a gunwale is scarphed, it may be easier to fitted now.
cut it a little over length, and trim one scarph
face until it fits. The forward piece is fitted first,
with its scarph face inboard.
If the gunwale is laminated in two layers, they

are usually glued in one at a time.
No fastenings are needed, if enough clamps

are available.

Breasthook
6-11 6-13
Start with a cardboard pattern, measured from *DE*D* Marking the angle to fit a raked stem.
the construction plan.
Allow some extra width outboard to allow for

the flare, especially *DE*D*.
6-14
Also allow extra depth equal to the height of
the crown, which is usually 3/8 to 3/4’' - 10-
20mm - greater where there is more flare in the
hull sides (esp. *DE*D*). In this case, the inner
edges at CL may be bevelled.
6-12
A generous sized hole (or two) is bored for the

threaded brass rod or dowel, set in epoxy
Two halves are cut slightly oversize and offered

up. (The forward end may be cut straight
across, eliminating the projections alongside the
stem and leaving a triangular hole each side.)
74
Breasthook
6-15 6-17
The halves are glued together.
The inside curve is drawn, and the landings

6-16 for the gunwales measured up. These are cut
angled inboard at the same angle as the flare;
in line with the sheerstrake.
6-18
The breasthook is checked for fit, with the top

projecting above the sheer by the height ol the
crown.
H /
/
The inside face is smoothed up; it is angled

forward so it will be vertical when fitted.
When the crown is shaped, the underside also is

shaped so that the after face is a constant
depth. Actually it is only the after edge that
needs to be cut as it is all that will be visible.
:
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual *75
Finishing the Breasthook
6-19 6-21
A final fitting ... A flush stemhead is planed in line with the

breasthook. The block plane is set sharp and
fine to deal with the end grain.
6-20
6-22
and the breasthook is glued and clamped in

place, flush with the gunwale - erring over so it
can be planed flush. The top of the breasthook is rounded off neat¬
ly and is faired into the top of the gunwale.
Stemhead
6-23 6-25
The corners of a projecting stem are cleaned

up; such corners need particular attention ... remove most of the wood ...
because it is difficult to work and sand along
the grain.
6-26
6-24
With a rounded stemhead, a few sawcuts make ... which is finally trimmed with the chisel.
it easier to ...

Quarter Knees
6-27 6-29
And the quarter knees are glued in place.

If the stem is wider than the outer stem it is
trimmed to match it. With open gunwales and spacer blocks, it is
easier to fit them after the knees, which means
installing the thwarts now. In some designs the
centreboard case is easier fitted before the
6-28 ‘midships thwart; this is covered in
Figs 6-84 - on.
6-30
QUARTER KNEES are bevelled at the gun¬

wale so they will be angled up about 1/45'-
5mm inboard. And bevelled aft to fit the tran¬
som. A TRANSOM KNEE or sternpost is generally
not necessary with plywood construction, but is
Laminating if necessary is shown in Fig 4-20. a good idea if an outboard motor - other than
a very light one - is likely to be fitted to the
The step for an open gunwale is cut square, transom. The drawing shows two optional con¬
with sufficient width for the landing of the struction methods: a laminated knee, and two
gunwale, allowing for the (near) vertical face to pieces halved, as in the stem shown in Fig 4-19.
finish up in line with the sheerstrake.
Thwart Riser Cleats
square ends look neater, so the ends are left

thicker. A twisting bevel can bring the top back
to 5mm+. See Fig 6-38).
6-33
Before installing thwarts, centre-case etc it is

necessary to locate the relevant station marks,
at least at the gunwales and keelson. If any of
them have disappeared along the way, they can
be measured from other stations, or from stem
and stern, by resting a straight beam across the
boat. To make sure the beam is square, a line
is stretched from a panel pin forward - and/or
aft - at the CL, and the beam is adjusted until
the line meets the beam, where it crosses the
gunwale, at the same distance from the stem
on each side. Here the glue is applied to the cleat, which is
applied to the boat. The dry spots need a little
more. Note the tape.
6-32
6-34
The ‘SEATCLEATS’ are tapered to about

3/16” - 5mm at the ends; more in larger boats.
They are spiled to fit the hull side. Extra big plywood clamps can be made for the
seatcleats. Or they may be screwed from out¬
They are usually fitted perpendicular to the side, with other glue.
hull side. (Or may be level; this necessitates
bevelling the outboard edge to fit the hull).
If they are set low down in a high-deadrise

hull (e.g. Acorn Skiff aft) they are bevelled to
bring the top back nearer to horizontal. (See
Fig. 6-96). (This bevel is the reason for the cut¬
away ends in the following example; but

Thwart Riser Cleats
6-35 6-37
Or clamped sticks may achieve enough pres¬ The top surface is cut and planed level to
sure, with epoxy. It looks a bit dubious here, as accept the thwarts.
the cleats may move, but it worked.
6-38
6-36
Check for level top surfaces with a straight

With gunwales in place more support is avail¬ edge across the boat.
able. Without the gunwales, clamped sticks at
the side could do the same job.
6-39
The thwarts usually do not meet the hull side

but stop about 3/16”- 5-6mm short of it.
80
Risers
6-40 6-42
Some boats have a long riser, if they will have

decking and side benches etc at or about the *D* Dories with frames have a conventional
lower edge of the sheerstrake. Plywood clamps riser screwed to the frames. With built-in buoy¬
as in Fig 6-34 are useful. ancy, the risers only extend to the bulkheads;
they may be tapered a little at the ends and be
glued to the planking.
6-41
6-43
It may be doubled in way of thwarts.
THWARTS are measured with clamped sticks ...
f
Thwarts
A stanchion may be fitted amidships to support
6-44 the thwart; this allows a reduction in siding of
1/8” - 3-4mm. It is notched into thwart and
keelson. (See Figs 6-95/96/100).
6-46
... and a bevel gauge.
6-45
I like to round off the vulnerable upper edges

of the thwarts. The underside edges may also
be bevelled on light skiffs etc to give a lighter
appearance.
6-47
The thwart is clamped to the riser cleats while

gluing.
The ends are spiled for an even gap. (Some
boatbuilders prefer to glue the thwart to the
hull side. I thought this might be a problem if
slight flexing of the side opened a gap by the
end grain - but I have not seen this happen
yet).
82
Knees
6-48 6-51
KNEES are shaped from a cardboard pattern.
6-49 On the inside face this bevel is shaped with

chisel and spokeshave.
6-52
And spiled to fit the thwart and hull side.
6-50
The forward knee in beamy dinghies is often set

square to the gunwale. This makes it easier to
lit the knee to the hull and gunwale.
Towards the ends of the hull, the knees will

need to be bevelled where they meet the hull;
the depth of this angle is added to the width.

Open Gunwales
6-53
6-55
The knees are clamped as necessary. Here the

thwart and knee are glued at the same time.
6-54
The fancy blocks in some of the following

examples have concave ends. These are shaped
by setting up a drilling jig.
6-56
A solution if your clamps are not wide enough.
OPEN GUNWALES take considerable extra

time; the spacer blocks must be cleanly cut and
smooth-sanded on the end grain; spaced as
evenly as possible along the gunwales; glued
individually. Painting or varnishing around
them is fiddly work.
The advantages are: a sort of traditional

appearance, reminiscent of the tops of the ribs
The ends are then sanded with paper wrapped
in a clinker boat, with the inwale fitted inboard
round a length of dowel, and the upper cor¬
of them. The built-up construction makes the
ners rounded off.
gunwale slightly stronger and/or lighter. A
small boat can be tipped on her side to drain
the water out, or hose out the interior.
If a design shows spacer blocks but the builder
decides to fit plain gunwales, they should be a
little thicker - about 1/8” - 2 to 3mm.
84
Spacer Blocks
6-57 6-59
To position the spacer blocks, they are laid on

- or taped to - the gunwale and shifted about
until the gaps are even, using dividers or a The depth of the step in the knee is marked
marking stick. using one of the blocks, along the top and
down the sides.
The spacer blocks are spaced out evenly in the
areas between breasthook, knees, rowlocks and Short blocks may be fitted fore and aft of the
quarter knees. The gaps between blocks may knee to make up the length to match the other
vary up to about 1/2” - 12mm from one area blocks.
to the next.
6-58 6-60
Or a block may be cut out to fit over the top

of the knee ...
Oarlock positions complicate the spacing even

more; however, in this case, possible variation
in the length of the backing block for the side
socket gives some extra scope for adjustment.

Gunwales
6-61 6-63
The gunwale stringer is placed hard up into

the square step in the quarter knee.
... which is cut off just below the sheer.
6-64
6-62
Work forward, using as many clamps as are

needed to ensure the gunwale is in contact with
all the blocks.
A block is used to represent the gunwale, as

the step of the knee is checked; the knee may
finish flush with the gunwale inboard, or a little
under the edge.
Finishing the Gunwales
6-65 6-67
The forward end is marked to length ...
A scarph join can be done using a scrap block

for support. Don’t glue it in there permanently.
6-66
6-68
... and cut and trimmed carefully until it fits.

Sometimes it needs to be twisted a little for¬
ward; this is done using a clamp fitted vertical¬
ly-
Finally the breasthook and quarter knees are
Mark around each block lightly with pencil to faired into the gunwales.
show where the glue is to be applied. Glue the
gunwales in the boat, starting aft and working
forward.

Floors
6-69 6-71
The upper edges are shaped with the spoke-

FLOORS are spiled to fit the bottom at the shave.
appropriate stations, or traced from the pat¬
terns. They usually finish neatly at the edge of
a plank. 6-72
The floors are usually not joggled to fit each
plank.
6-70
In a flat-floored hull, or area of the hull, the

floors are sawn in one piece. In a high-deadrise Floors ready to be glued in. The taping takes a
hull, if the stock is of limited width, extra bit of time, but is easier than cleaning up a
pieces are glued on to the ends to make up the mass of glue. (These floors are joggled; not
depth. The grain is angled up a little, which doing so is easier and leaves an effective limber
avoids having it cut across the thin ends too hole at each land).
sharply. Alternatively, a lamination may be
glued to the upper edge. A floor in way of a centreboard case is not
glued in until after the case is installed; each
half will be notched over the case logs. See
Fig 6-92.
88
Finishing the Floors
6-73 6-74
Interior
Floors may be screwed to the keelson and
plank lands. Or glued with pressure applied
with sticks to the ceiling, or to beams clamped
across the gunwales - see Fig 6-94. Glue is
applied right across the underside of the floor,
covering any parts that will be exposed but
inaccessible.
A DAGGER BOARD CASE slot, if not cut

already, is marked from the CL, and cut and
finished as neatly as possible.

Dagger Board Case
6-76 6-78
The parts are all made up.

Logs are cut to fit; they are glued to the sides of
the case. Then they are screwed (if necessary)
to the keelson - see Fig 6-90. Otherwise pressure
6-77 is applied from above - Fig 6-91.
6-79
The fore and aft spacers are glued to one side,

and the inner faces given a thick coat of epoxy.
Note the spirit level; the sides are chocked up
level so that the epoxy will not flow to one edge. The forward support piece is fitted to the
top rails.
90
Fitting the Case
6-80 6-82
An optional way of fitting the case, in which

the slot is easier to cut. With the boat inverted,
the slot is cut to the width of the case, erring
And glued in place; if more pressure is needed outside, and the saw is angled a little towards
at half-height, a sash cramp is useful; otherwise the CL so that the top of the slot is about 1 /8:
rope and wedges can do it. The top covering - 3-4mm wider than the bottom.
pieces, if any, are added.
A strip of thin plywood is tacked to the keel,
with plastic tape or sheet over it. With the boat
the right way up again, the case is fitted into its
6-81
Interior
place, and lined up vertically, and in line with
the CL. Slightly thickened epoxy is worked into
the slot, and shaped into a neat fillet. (This is
not high-class joinery, but structurally it is per¬
fectly sound).
6-83
*P* The wide-bottom prams’ case is simpler;

stout top rails extend below the thwart. So that the centreboard does not bear on the
plywood - there is quite a lot of pressure and
friction here - the keel rubbing strip overlaps
the edge by 1/16” + - about 2mm.

Centreboard Case
6-84 6-86
CENTREBOARD CASE procedure is much

the same as for the dagger board case. The
sides are measured up from the construction
plan. The lower edge is cut a little oversize so it
can be spiled to fit the keelson. The position of
the ‘midships thwart is established.
6-85
Keel logs and top rails are glued in place, also
spacer blocks on one side only, until the inside
faces are smooth-sanded and epoxy coated or
painted.
A cardboard pattern of the centreboard - or

the board itself - is used to check the fit in the
case, using a bolt in the pivot hole. In some
boats the bolt goes through the keel logs; in
others through short blocks glued on top of the
logs. (This case is for the Guillemot design; as it
extends partly through the forward thwart, the
board will be shaped so it is almost flush at the
top when raised - see Fig 6-199).
The sides are then glued together. Clamp light¬

ly at the corners - square up all round - tighten
This set of parts is for the Ness Yawl, in which clamps and fit others as needed.
the after part is curved downwards.
The bolt hole is drilled right through, prefer¬
ably for a bronze bush. The hole should be
well saturated with epoxy.
Fitting the Case
6-87 6-89
Positioning blocks are fitted in the slot; they are

Capping and trimming pieces are made and
planed to a neat fit and taped to keep the glue
fitted. This case has pieces of ash covering the
off.
ply edges at each end. They are tacked in
place with panel pins.
Offer the case to the boat. Get it fitting close;
check it will fit in with thwarts etc. Sight up
from each end to see it is vertical.
6-88
6-90
The Ness Yawl’s aft covering strips are laminated.
If the case is to be screwed to the keelson, it is

positioned with screws at each end, and other
screw holes spaced 4 to 8” -100-200mm.

Stringers ?
6-91 6-93
This case was not screwed; (it fitted fairly well, *DE* Some sloop-rigged boats have a mast
but needed more thick epoxy than I would like step fitted to the top of the case.
to admit). It was held down by two sticks from
above; the beam across the boat holds a vertical
piece to line it up.
6-94
6-92
*DE* Stringers may be fitted to the bottom of

the Caledonia Yawl, if built with a 3/8” - 9mm
bottom instead of 1/2”, or to Ness Yawl with
9mm occume instead of mahogany. Limber
holes are cut just forward of the floors. They
Split floors are fitted. A stick under the top rail are held down with clamped sticks.
can hold the inboard end down. Good fillets
here are recommended, as the floor is obvious¬
ly not as strong as it was in one piece.
(However the centrecase makes up for this to a
large extent by strengthening the keel over its
length).
94
Sternsheets
6-95 6-97
STERNSHEETS are supported by a beam

glued to the transom, and a forward beam The ends are cut on an angle, and are notched
epoxy filletted to riser cleats. Note the stan¬ into the cleats.
chion notched into the keelson.
6-96 6-98
In Acorn Skiffs the sternsheets go further The layout of the boards begins with the
forward. Because of the high deadrise, these central one, lined up on CL.
cleats are not perpendicular to the hull, but
bevelled so they will be nearer to horizontal.

Backrest
6-99 6-101
*A* Small cleats will keep it in place at the

bottom.
When the boards are shaped up from the

dimensions on the plan, they are held in place
with weights while the screw positions are
marked over the centreline of the beams. They 6-102
are not glued, so they will be removeable.
6-100
*A* And at the gunwale.
* Acorns* A cardboard pattern is made for the

backrest.
96
Side Benches
6-103 6-105
*A* This backrest was laminated from two Intermediate support, if needed, is provided by
layers of 1/8” - 3mm, with a curve of about a half-beam notched into a stanchion which is
1-1/2” - 40mm. notched over the end of a lloor, or to a short
riser cleat, over a plank land, if possible.
6-104
6-106
SIDE BENCHES extend forward to rest on a

cleat which is fixed to the underside of the
‘midships thwart.
Or by a plywood knee, perhaps edged with a

sawn or laminated trim.

Seating
6-107 6-109
The outer board is spiled from the hull side; These boards are sided 1/2” - 12mm; 3/8” -
about 1-1/2” to 2” - 40-50mm inboard. 10mm seems adequate in a light boat.
6-108 6-110
A BOW SEAT can be done in a similar way to The small Feather Pram’s fore-and-aft
the sternsheets; the main beam is filletted to rowing seat is fixed to the ‘mid. thwart, and
short riser cleats; the forward beam to the hull. rests on a block forward, which is fitted to the
bottom and the bow transom.
(I feel a little uneasy about creating such hard
spots against the skin, but the plywood is so
tough and llexible it never seems to cause a
problem.)
Mast Step
6-111 6-113
*P* The bevel at the forward end is found A drain hole is necessary. It is started with a
with a bevel gauge. sawcut ...
6-112
6-114
Interior
MAST STEPS with an unstayed rig are simply
glued (and maybe screwed) to the keelson. An
expanding bit is useful to start the hole with a
clean edge; but it is unlikely to work its way ... and opened out with saw, chisels, files
right through. So unless a hole saw of the right
size is at hand the hole is opened out by
drilling small holes right around the edge, and
cleaning up with a rasp and half-round file.
(See Fig. 6-193).

Fitting the Step
6-115 6-117
With a sloop rig, the standing rigging creates

The drain hole is sealed with glue before the downward compression; in this example the
step is glued to the keelson. step is extended between the floors.
6-116 6-118
When the mast is stepped well forward, or a

mizzen well aft, there may be a lot of deadrise
*P*D* On a flat bottom the step is a rectangu¬ in way of the step. And the keelson may be
lar piece of ply or wood over a thinner piece quite narrow, so the step is made wider and
each side, leaving a clear space under. The faired to fit the garboards. Perhaps notched
mast rests on the bottom, with glass-epoxy pro¬ over the keelson and/or stem.
tection.
100
Mizzen Step
6-119 6-121
A yawl’s mizzen is well raked; drill the

corners ...
6-122
Interior
The angles are marked fore and aft ...
6-120
... and edges of the hole.
... and cut and trimmed to fit.

Mast Partners
6-123 6-125
The sides and corners are rounded and Or a separate partner thwart is fitted at sheer
smooth. height ...
6-124 6-126
MAST PARTNERS may simply be a hole ... glued or bolted to ...

through the forward thwart.
The hole is made big enough to allow for

leather lining to protect the mast; add about
3/32” - 2mm to the radius.
102
Partners
6-127 6-129
cleats under the gunwale. The angle is found ...
6-128 6-130
The partner may be set up exactly in its place,

with the mast - or a shorter ‘pretend’ mast - in ... and sawn ...
place, vertical when viewed from aft, and at
the correct rake.

Partners
6-131 6-133
In larger craft, it can be convenient - and safer,

6-132 in an emergency - if the mast can be stepped
and lowered while under way. This can be
done with a wedge notched into chocks on a
thwart, or deck. The wedge is retained by a
light piece of shock cord to the keelson.
6-134
... and trimmed until it fits.
Or the wedge may fit through two U-shaped

stainless steel straps. The thwart may be cut
out and reinforced with a beam underneath,
tapered outboard, or extended aft as shown.
104
Bulkheads
DECKING
6-137
6-135
Flat decks work fine and look OK, especially in

smaller areas in smaller boats. See also Fig 6-
125.
They are certainly easier to make. Frn not sure

now if cambered decks are necessary at all
BULKHEADS may be traced from patterns, (unless they are at sheer height); however they
or lofted on the pattern drawing, or spiled in are slightly stronger and also give a little more
the hull. Here an undersize scrap of ply is set bury to the mast, if it is stepped through the
in place, with stapled pointers indicating the deck or at the bulkhead.
corners. Small scraps of ply are stapled to the
bottom and sides on the station. The bulkhead should be a close lit if the interi¬
or is to be bright finished. A substantial fillet -
or wood cleats - can support it on the inside. If
the hull will be painted, you can have a smaller
6-136 fillet inside and out, so a less-than-exact fit will
not show.
6-138
DECK CROWN is added if required. If the

shape is not given on the plans, the curve can
be calculated by dividing the half-breadth into
four. 1 /4 of the distance from the CL, the
height is 94% (or 15/16” to an inch). At half¬ HATCH openings are more easily prepared
way it is 75% (3/4”); 3/4 breadth 44% before the bulkhead is fitted. An elliptical or
(7/16”). The marks are joined up with a flexi¬ oval hatch can be drawn using a pattern shaped
ble batten. The crown is usually about 1” to 1- for one quarter. (Such a hatch can be stowed
1/2” - 25-40mm. inside; a round one can not).

Hatches
It is possible to use the cut-out piece for the 6-140

hatch itself, if it is cut neatly. Small holes are
drilled with the jigsaw or fretsaw blade.
6-139
This is the same size as the opening; it is glued

first, and the edges cleaned up, then the wider
inner ring is glued.
6-141
The hatches are reinforced with a cross-cleat

inside, and a vertical one outside - or vice-
versa. The inner cleat is drilled to take the
retaining shock cord. Turnbuttons may be
An inner rim is cut, overlapping the edge of added for security. Self-adhesive hatch-sealing
the opening by about 3/4” - 20mm. An extra rubber will be fitted to the rim.
inner rim may be added, to allow for the
thickness of the sealing strip.
106
Deckbeams
6-142 6-144
The bulkhead is tacked in place with dabs of The KINGPLANK is notched into the bulk¬
thickened epoxy. Some preliminary filletting head beam, and a step in the stem. It is not
can be done to use up the excess, but it is easi¬ glued yet.
er to do the main filletting when it is firmly in
place. Sight up the bulkhead carefully to see it In theory you can not get a compound curve
is vertical and not twisted. More stapled pads into plywood. In practice the kingplank can be
of ply can straighten it up. curved downwards about 1/2” -12mm. From
this you can measure the depth of the other
deckbeams, and plot the curves using the same
percentages (Fig 6-136).
6-143
6-145
The deckbeam is fitted and glued to the bulk¬

head, about 1/16”- 2mm proud to allow for Deckbeams are notched to fit the kingplank,
fairing. This beam is more substantial than it and fitted to the sides of the hull. Stapled pads
needs to be for joining the deck and forward of plywood set inboard, and underneath if
bulkhead; it will have cleats screwed to it for necessary, can hold them in place until the glue
halliards etc. sets. Later, substantial fillets are added - or
U-shaped pieces of plywood.

Decks
6-146 6-148
Sticks under the gunwale hold it down. Now

the outer edge can be spiled, trimmed and
DECKS are usually made in two halves, finally fitted.
joined at CL over the kingplank. A cardboard
pattern is made, about 1/4” - 5mm oversize. The ply is bent down to the kingplank, and the
One plywood side is cut and fitted at the CL marked. Trim close to this line; leave 1 mm
outboard edge. for final fitting later. Trim to the bulkhead also;
leave a whisker over to be finished later.
Use this piece as a pattern for the other side.

6-147 Leave this a fraction oversize for now.
It is surprisingly easy to get the deck panels a

bit too small. A gap of 1/16” - lmm+ can be
quite inconspicuous, if the glue is colour-
matched. Otherwise, a contrasting centreline
strip looks quite attractive ...
RISERS With ‘other glues’, risers of about

1/2” to 5/8” - 12-15mm are glued to the hull
side at the underside of the deck. They are
bevelled to line up with the deckbeams. See
Fig 6-40.
The edge is trimmed a little at a time; the

plane is taking more off the underside to allow
for the bevel (due to the flare, if any). When it’s
getting close, clamp the deck to the kingplank -
overlapping the CL - and bend the ply down
outboard, adjusting the clamps until it is
touching the hull sides at the high points.
108
Fitting the Deck
6-149 6-151
With epoxy, a fillet is made; a strip of 3/16 or The ply strips are removed; rough edges and
1/8” - 3-5mm ply, 3” - 75 wide, is shaped from spiky bits are rough-sandecl. Gaps are filled.
the deck edge and stapled to the top of the
second strake, and to the deckbearns. The (This system could be more difficult if the deck
underside and edge are taped. is not following the upper edge of a strake).
Interior
6-150 6-152
The fillet stick is radiused 5/8 or 3/4” - 15-20mm. Try a dry run with the deck panels. Wedge/
clamp/staple outboard edges, making sure they
are hard down all the way; work down to CL,
trimming the inner edge as necessary. These
wedging sticks are placed on an angle, and
twisted to nearer to vertical to apply pressure.
The ends are taped to keep the glue off.

Gluing the Deck
6-153 6-154
Apply glue, fairly generously, to the first panel.

Lay it in place; insert a few wedging sticks
lightly under the gunwale. The first side can
be lightly clamped to the kingplank; for the
second side, clamp a taped flat stick over the
CL. Check the position of the plywood.
Clamp at bulkhead if possible.
6-155
The decks are all ready to be glued, but any

other interior work is done first. Mast steps are
fitted. Make sure there are no places where
water can rest; it must all be able to run
inboard to the bulkhead. Then the whole inte¬
rior and underside of the deck is epoxy-coated
or varnished.
Tape deck edges, sheerstrake and bulkhead.
The decks are normally stapled or nailed; the

following method avoids the resulting holes, but
is a bit fiddly and may not give sufficient
localised pressure for other glues, unless the
faying surfaces really fit closely.
Fit more sticks and begin tightening them up,

while applying pressure at CL. The bulkhead
edge is taped, weighted, or stapled.
Do a dry run with the second side before

gluing it, to check the fit at CL.
no
Mast Stepping
6-156 6-158
Weights can be used, with epoxy. They must be

carefully adjusted for even pressure.
6-157 A mast through the deck requires a watertight
Interior
box, of 1/2” -12mm plywood, or 3/4” - 20mm
spacers fore and aft, with plywood sides, all fil-
letted. With a drain tube, maybe of 1/2” -
12mm copper or plastic tube, with the ends
well roughed up so the epoxy fillets will stick.
This is a dory deck, stapled with strips of

cardboard.
*DE* A yawl rigged boat may have a forward

mast position, for use without the mizzen. This
may be aft of the bulkhead, with wedge and
chocks as in Fig 133, or a long box, which
makes mast stepping much easier than the hole
through
O
the deck.
Mast steps are the same width as the end

spacers. Both drain aft.

Mast Box
--- ■-• -
6-160 6-162
*DE* Sides are filletted all round. Top rails and

half-deckbeams are added.
Note notches in deckbeams for the top rails,

which are fitted after the sides. Everything is
faired up for the deck.
6-161
BULKHEAD TRIM pieces are fitted to the

hull sides. The upper edge is traced from
the deck.
*DE* When the deck is fitted, bearing strips

are added.
112
Knees
6-164 6-166
It is glued with clamps where possible, and Here the relevant angles are marked up, and
panel pins. The top edge will be planed flush the forward edge is spiled to fit the deck, while
with the deck. (The sticks seen here are pressing the knee is held vertical - in line with the
forward from the ‘midships thwart.) bulkhead.
Interior
6-165 6-167
Getting close; the step at the top here must be

Finally the knees go in. Refer back to Figs 47 relieved a tiny bit so the knee can come out
etc. Here a thin plywood pattern is made, and and up. The aft face still has to be taken back
the knee is shaped from it - well oversize, allow¬ to fit against the sheerstrake.
ing for the angle of the gunwale. Having the
gunwale in place is making it more complicat¬
ed.

More Decks
6-168 6-170
A Gannet dinghy (14’-6” - 4.4m); note

rectangular hatches, with brass catches.
6-171
SIDE BENCHES rest on cleats at the bulk¬

heads, and at the thwart - or may be screwed
to the underside of the thwart. See also
Figs 6-170 and 6-172.
DECKING OPTIONS
6-169 A half-decked double-ender. Note two mast

positions, with a sampson post installed in
the forward one.
A half-decked boat (Guillemot 11’-6” - 3.5m).

The 3’ - 75mm wide side decks are quite com¬
fortable for sitting out, with the low coaming,
if/when necessary.
114
Outboard Wells
6-172 6-174
The opening may be closed off with 1/8” -

The same boat; she has short side benches fore 3mm rubber sheet (From a car accessory store)
and aft. Note plywood knees, forward bulkhead, to reduce turbulence. It is glued with Sikaflex,
fenders, stowage nets, buoyancy bags. and slit fore and aft for the shaft. It can be
recessed flush with the bottom. A screwed
metal strip makes it extra secure, but is not
necessary for normal use.
6-173
6-175
An OUTBOARD WELL is fitted before the

hole in the bottom is cut out. This plywood plate fits around the shaft. A
stick tied to a block jams it in place.

Outboard Motor Stowage
6-176 6-178
And/or a box can be made up to fit in the A neat stowage compartment for a 3hp
well. Yamaha outboard.
6-177 6-179
This is a handy item for light stowage, With padded supports for the motor.
emergency bailing, peeing in etc.
116
Motor Hatches
6-180 6-182
And a well-fastened hatch. Careful fitting, a soft This one has strong brass hinges and catches.
rubber seal, and turnbuttons make it watertight.
6-183
6-181 11
Interior
A large deck hatch to fit a light outboard motor A MAST PARTNER block is measured from
the plans, and drilled.

Partner Block
6-184 6-186
The hole needs to be as round and smooth as The deck hole is drilled.
I
it can be.
6-187
6-185
And the block is glued to the deck.
This mizzen partner has a groove for the lac¬

ing of a mast boot. This may avoid the need
It is shaped underneath to fit the deck. for a watertight box, but may not be entirely
watertight itself.
*DE* BUMKIN fittings are seen above. The

block on deck accepts the forward end of the
bumkin.
118
Bumkin
6-188 6-190
Inner and outer parts are shaped thus, with a The two parts protect the plywood edges.
long hole ...
6-191
6-189
The top of the TRANSOM is cut to shape, if

it’s not done already.
... which is finally shaped after fitting.

Bottom Boards
6-192 6-194
The edge is cleaned up ... Beginning with the ‘midships board, the others
are wedged or weighted in place to be marked
out. There will be a constant gap between
them.
6-193
6-195
... and faired neatly in with the gunwale.
FLOORBOARDS or ‘bottom boards’ will

complete the hull. They are usually straight¬
sided, maybe with the outboard edge curved to These boards are quite narrow in a rowing
follow, more or less, the line of the second or skiff
third strake (*P*DE*D* or garboard/bottom).
They may extend full-length, or in longer boats

be divided into sections. The layout will
depend on centre-case, thwarts etc. The sec¬
tions may be joined with light battens under¬
neath, maybe laminated with the boards in
place.
Plywood bottom boards are an option -

see Fig. 6-125.
120
Stretchers
6-196 6-198
Short centreline pieces sometimes need extra ROWING STRETCHERS normally have two
cleats for support. Cleats are fitted to bulkheads or three positions to suit different size rowers.
also - see Fig. 6-163. They can be quite plain.
6-197 6-199
nterior
These simple blocks seem to be adequate in a
boat that is not rowed a lot. They are certainly
Turnbuttons are set on blocks on the floors. less obtrusive, and are therefore recommended
One usually holds two boards; in this ‘midships in a boat which will spend much of her time
one a slot is cut for the turnbutton. under sail.
The arrangement of the buttons is decided by

holding the boards down, to see where they are
needed. Two or three turnbuttons in the length
of a board should be enough.
In smaller boats it may be acceptable to screw

the floorboards to the floors, but at least a short
centreline one should be easily removeable for
sponging water out. In some boats extra posi¬
tioning blocks may be needed at the ends.

Cruising Boats
6-200 BIG BOATS
Although getting beyond the scope of this

book, the basic construction method for the
hull is the same. The difference - apart from
the size - is that there is a lot more stuff inside.
6-201
But a proper pulling boat deserves nicely

shaped stretcher blocks; these are often com¬
bined with a turned stretcher bar.
(I must say I don’t seem to get around to fitting

stretchers, and don’t miss them. But am
inclined to avoid rowing when it is possible to
sail).
The final job on the hull is to round off cor¬

ners and edges; sharp edges are much more
vulnerable to surface damage. I like to shape The 19’-9” - 6m canoe-yawl Eun-na-Mara
the gunwales, edges of thwarts, top of the tran¬ getting her deck and cabin structure.
som, etc; all the places the crew are likely to be
bumping into. It looks good, is more comfort¬
able, and needs a lot less touching up of the
finish.
6-202
A 22’-6” motor-sailer, planking up ...
122
Cruising Boats
6-203
... turned over ...
6-204
... and fitting out, with engine installation and

cockpit structure.
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual \ 23

FITTING OUT
FINISHING
soft, biodegradeable, natural material can sur¬

WHAT FINISH will be best for this boat? - vive so well, compared with modern substi¬
and why? - and how is it applied? tutes. It really does not require a lot of time,
just a few minutes’ care whenever it is needed.
A well finished boat will look better, last
longer, maintain its value, and be safer. This These are the most popular types of
does not imply expensive imported finishes; finish:
simply careful application and maintenance.
YACHT VARNISH - beautiful finish - but
If you appear on the beach with a beau¬ hard work - thorough rubbing down needed
tifully-painted boat, people will want to know between coats - needs constant attention and
what kind of paint you used. They seem to maintenance - not durable (but ultra-violet
think that if they buy the same stuff their boat inhibitors now greatly reduce the effects of
will look as good. In fact she would look just as sunlight).
good if you had used cheap house paint, or
anything; they should be congratulating you on OIL PAINT (Enamel) - good protection - easy
doing a good job. to apply and maintain.
Boatbuilders are inclined to disagree EPOXY - good finish with few coats - tough
about the best ways of doing things; nowhere and impermeable - needs to be overcoated with
more than with finishes. Without going into LA-proof varnish - water can get under a
exhaustive detail, the following are my own damaged finish - hard to remove.
ideas on how the various finishes compare, and
how they should be applied to the boat. POLYURETHANE - not suitable for wood
boats, except over epoxy primer - too inflexible
My criteria for any finish are that it - poor adhesion.
should ...
WATER-BASED ‘WOODSEALER’ - easy to
• Enable the boat to last a lifetime. use - not proven in my experience, but must be
• Enhance the appearance of the boat. worth trying.
• Not require complex preparations or great
skill to apply. EXTERIOR WOODSEAL E g. Dulux
• Require a reasonable minimum of time, and Woodseal, Sadolins - as above; used in con¬
energy to maintain. struction industry - recommended in magazine
• Not be very expensive. articles, which praise its ease of application,
• Be pleasant to use. but typically say nothing about protection and
durability. Which may be doubtful given the
So the decision as to what kind of finish small number of recommended coats.
is best, from the owner’s point of' view as well Unfortunately contain strong pigments to make
as the boat’s, is an important one. But even sure your wood is wood colour.
more important is the owner’s interest in look¬
ing after it. This means an understanding of OIL FINISH e.g. Deks Olje, Varnol - easy to
the material, along with an awareness of its apply and maintain - excellent penetration and
condition and needs. And of what is happening flexibility mean better protection than any of
to the wood under it, as the boat endures the the above (in my opinion) - does not give a
very demanding and destructive conditions that high-gloss finish.
constitute her normal working environment.
These ratings may be taken with at
I find it a source of wonder that such a least one grain of salt. Apart from personal
Finishes
How these finishes meet the above criteria, in my experience:
durability appearance application maintenance cost pleasantness
Varnish poor v. good fussy poor mod. nice
Paint good good OK OK mod. OK
mod. OK complex OK high low

Epoxy
PU v poor OK tricky v. poor mod. low
? OK easy p mod. OK
Woodseal
Synth Oil good good easy easy mod. OK
v good good easy v. easy low v. nice

Natural Oil
preferences, variations could occur in different wood. Finish scraping and sanding must be
times scales: for example epoxy could rate high with the grain; scratches across the grain
for durability, appearance, and maintenance in which are practically invisible on the bare
the short term - say 3-5 years, but possibly wood will show up as soon as the varnish goes
quite low in the long term: 20 years plus. on. Builders often aim for this standard of
Epoxy and polyurethane look terrible if not finish, and decide later whether to paint or
skillfully applied. Oil would score high for looks varnish; you still have the choice.
from a distance, but maybe only OK close up,
if compared with varnish. Yacht varnish could Cleaning up and sanding the main sur¬
rate well for durability, as long as it is main¬ face areas is easy. What takes time and care are
tained. (I don’t think a thorough comparative trimming, scraping, sanding all the corners,
durability testing program could be done in especially on the interior. All round the riser
less than 20 years!). cleats, knees, gunwale spacers, stem, etc etc.
Everything is worked over with progressively
finer grades of sandpaper. The grades may
PREPARATION vary according to the type of wood; what mat¬
ters is that you start with something not too
coarse, which would leave deep scratches.
Probably 100 grade would be as rough as you
Whichever finish you decide to go for, would need to start with. A usual progression
the most important part of the operation is in would be through 150 grade to 220 or 240.
preparing the surface. This is much the same
whatever finish is used; the only significant dif¬ I like to work down through about 360
ference depends on whether it will be a painted to 600 or 800 grade wet or dry paper. This
or bright (varnish or oil) finish. gives a very fine surface, which when painted
or varnished will need a minimum of sanding
For the painted finish, all you need is a before subsequent coats. The reason is that,
smooth surface. Glue stains, variations in wood with coarser paper, all the minute hairs and
colour, minor cross-grain sandpaper scratches, surface roughness left will harden with the fin¬
and colour-matched filler do not matter. This ish and will need more sanding before the fol¬
saves quite a lot of time in the preparation. But lowing coats; obviously much of the priming
if you intend to varnish or oil the hull, every coats is thus removed. (I think I'm right, but
surface and detail needs have yet to meet a boatbuilder who does the
extra attention. Scarph-joined plywood sheets same). Each grade you use should get rid ol
should match up as well as possible. It is more visible scratches left by the previous coarser
important to keep surplus glue off the wood grade.
during construction; what is still visible must be
scraped clean. Any filler used for nicks and When sanding along the grain towards an
scratches needs to be close to the colour of the obstruction, a piece of sandpaper may be

Preparation
wrapped around a thin flat stick. Otherwise use show up the evenness - or otherwise - of the
a flat sanding
o
block on flat surfaces. Power finish as it goes on: the brushmarks and runs.
sanders can make it easier; my favourite type is
the random-orbital. However it is generally too To achieve a good finish requires a
wide to be very useful on the interior; here a dust-free environment. Not easy to do, but the
palm sander is handier. I connect these nearer you can get to it the better it will be.
machines to a dust extractor, or at least a col¬ After all the construction work it’s time for a
lection bag, and use a mask. good cleanup; then the boat is thoroughly
cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, then the whole
Good quality brushes are a good invest¬ workshop, then the boat. Again. Inside and
ment, but only if they are looked after. They out.
need thorough cleaning after use, with the
appropriate solvent followed by warm water A light rub down with fine paper can
and soap, thoroughly worked in around the be done when needed between coats, to cut the
inner part, of the bristles, then careful drying. dust and smooth up the worst of the brush
Between coats they may be rinsed out with yes¬ marks and minor bumps. This will always
terday’s solvent, then suspended in new solvent make a difference in the next coat. The surface
until the next coat. When you find a brush you is always carefully wiped down with a damp
get on well with, look after it, and will last for cloth or tack rag. I have the habit of wiping
years. each area with my left hand before laying on a
brushful; it is surprising how much fine dust is
I see disposable foam brushes highly still there. Of course it’s always floating about
recommended, but have not tried them. in the air, and coming off your clothes, hair etc
as you move around. Vacuum clean yourself,
The usual brushing technique goes like too, in a different room.
this: a brushful of paint - or whatever - is laid
on, and spread fairly evenly across the boat, With the racing boats we used to pre¬
over an area of about 2 to 3 square feet -0.2- pare for the final coat by sweeping, dusting,
0.3 sq m - then it is brushed out evenly length¬ vacuuming, late in the evening, then would
ways. (Brushing only in one direction leaves an come down early in the morning, before the
uneven coating thickness.) The direction alter¬ wind got up, strangely dressed - maybe in a
nates: every other coat is laid on lengthways, plastic raincoat and shower cap, or just shorts
then brushed out across the boat. Ideally the in hot weather. The floor would be lightly
last coat will finish up running fore and aft. sprinkled with water, and moving around
would be done gently. Visitors would not be
However with narrow strakes it may be welcome. It makes a difference, but may be a
easier to simply run along two or three strakes bit over the top for normal boats.
at a time, for the length of the hull. Or possibly
a combination: coat the edges of the plywood A good protective finish does not just sit
at the lands, spread the paint across 3 strakes on the surface, but is based on thin priming
for 3 feet or so - lm - then even it out by brush¬ coats which saturate the wood. Which on ply¬
ing fore and aft. The end grain at the laps wood probably means most of the thickness of
needs particular attention, but not too much the face veneers, and a long way into the end
paint, or it will be running along towards the grain. This largely prevents water penetration
ends and dribbling down the transom. The when minor dings and scrapes occur. It also
across-and-lengthways method will be used for greatly reduces the chance of surface checking
wider areas, such as thwarts, transom, decks, and general movement of the wood grain.
centreboard etc. Thus it prolongs by years the time before strip¬
ping and re-coating is needed, or possibly post¬
The area to be done at a time depends pones this need indefinitely.
on the wet edge. With the lengthways evening-
out strokes you will be working away from the
wet edge of the previous area. If the paint
drags a little here, and leaves brush marks, it is
necessary to coat a smaller area each time. VARNISH
fhe brush is not dipped into the can; a

small amount of the material is poured off into Four coats of varnish is about an
ajar, and the lid replaced on the can, to keep it absolute minimum to launch a boat with. This
clean. may be acceptable if there is a positive inten¬
tion to give her another coat or two before she
Good lighting all round is essential, to gets much use. A fairly good glossy finish will
126
Conventional Finishes
need at least 6 coats, and a perfect surface 10 Touching up during or after the season
or 12. I start with about 5, and reckon on an requires thorough rinsing with fresh water, and
end-of-season new coat or 2 to begin really fill¬ drying out. Then careful priming with thinned
ing the grain. I would like to have it approxi¬ coats on the damaged area.
mately perfect sooner, but can not justify the
time it takes. I enjoy sailing more than rubbing-
down varnish, so do about the minimum nec¬ PAINT
essary for proper protection, and touch it up
whenever it is damaged or worn.
Many boats are painted outside and
Some builders like to use a paste filler finished bright on the interior. Some are also
on grainy wood before varnishing. This gives painted low down inside, perhaps up to the
you a smooth surface sooner, but I feel it can ends of the floors. An attractive and popular
deaden the lustre and richness of the wood, combination is to also have a bright finished
and may inhibit penetration of the first coat. sheerstrake. Or it may be painted a darker
contrasting colour.
The first coat is thinned about 25 to
35%, depending on the wood - less on soft¬ I was thinking to recommend using
wood, more on harder or less absorbent wood. ‘traditional’ colours, but am not sure I could
Or follow makers’ instructions. The second is say what they might be. Certainly different
thinned maybe 15% or more, then the follow¬ things in different places. Bright primary
ing coats come straight from the can (jar). colours are generally to be avoided - however
they are seen in France and the Mediter¬
The end grain on the plywood edges ranean. Plain white is practical, especially in
will take up a lot more varnish; each time I sunny climates, but I find it very uninteresting.
apply a coat, I will go over the edges at least Just a touch of light grey or cream looks much
one extra time before, during and after. Keep more distinctive. Certainly these light colours
working it in as it disappears into the end accentuate the lines of the strakes in a lap-
grain. strake hull; some builders paint for this reason.
For the interior, a pale grey is generally best.
A light dry rub over with fine paper
smooths the surface between these early coats. The kinds of colours found in colour
But varnish will not stick to glossy varnish, so charts from the National Trust etc for building-
as soon as a bit of a shine begins to appear, a restoration work are appealing: muted greens,
wet rub down with wet-or-dry paper is neces¬ blues, greys, reds. American boatbuilders often
sary. The surface is abraded sufficiently when it have a good sense of colour; they maintained a
remains evenly wet, i.e. the water no longer much stronger continuity in their traditions
contracts into globules on the surface. If you’re than we did. Have a look through a few copies
going for the super finish, this is still not of WoodenBoat, and their catalog.
enough rubbing to even up the surface; I am
constantly feeling it with my left hand to see I like to apply at least two coats of
where it needs more; you can not see how it’s primer (International recommend 4, but that is
going under the water. This can only be done for boats that live on moorings). The first is
however over a good build-up of varnish, when thinned up to 20%; I may even add a dash of
there is no longer a risk of cutting through to boiled linseed oil, if the wood seems dry.
bare wood.
Filler is applied at any stage during
undercoating. One undercoat is sufficient, but
Corners and edges need extra care 2 or 3 may be needed if you are aiming for a
when rubbing down; it is very easy to take all fine finish. Give it a light rub down between
the varnish of!' these more vulerable areas (- coats, then a thorough one before the gloss
another reason for rounding them off well). enamel. One coat of gloss is a minimum; two
This will not show until the surface is rinsed is better.
and dried. Any bare spots have to be treated
again before the next coat is applied. The notes on rubbing down varnish
generally apply. But with paint you can use
The ideal grade of wet-or-dry to use is paper about one grade coarser .
the coarsest that will not leave visible scratches
after the next coat. But this is not essential on Varnished (or oiled) parts of the boat
the early coats - you may get away with 280 must be done first, with at least 3 coats, before
grade or even a worn 220. But before the last painting begins. Varnish which crosses over the
coat you will need about 320 grade. line into the future painted area is easily

New Stuff Old Stuff
-
covered by the paint; but paint on bare wood is The process is a lot quicker and less
a problem. critical than varnishing. I find the fumes rather
strong. Touching up is dead easy.
EPOXY
NATURAL OIL
I have never coated a boat with epoxy,

so you’d better follow the instructions. If I did The one commercially available in
it, I would be concerned about getting it into Britain and Norway is Varnol. It has a pleasant
the grain, by either using a thin penetrating slightly tarry smell, which is encouraging. It is
primer, or making sure the epoxy and the wood applied in the same way as Deks Olje, but
were quite warm. Epoxy is a viscous material, comes in only one can. The first coats are
and I don’t think it saturates very well - certain¬ thinned with varying proportions of turpen¬
ly not if it. is cold. Increasing the temperature tine; less on more absorbent wood. As the
thins it considerably, but if it is a little too warm absorption slows, the amount of turpentine is
it goes off too fast. Like suddenly! reduced. You can stop there; give it a wipe
down with a turps-soaked cloth, and it comes
Otherwise, you can work over the sur¬ out a soft matt finish - which I think looks bet¬
face after coating with a heat gun or hair drier; ter than any other finish. But surely gives less
this hopefully thins it long enough for it to start protection than the final gloss coats.
finding its way into the wood. Small bubbles
may appear on the surface; this is a good sign, Varnol can be very slow to dry; it ideal¬
as it means that air in the wood cells is being ly likes a bit of sun, and some movement of
replaced by resin. the air. Lack of these may slow down the appli¬
cation of the final coats.
Low humidity is also a requirement, not
easily met in winter in the average boat shop. These oil finishes certainly enrich the
grain and colour of the timber, and the natural
Epoxy does not brush well, so is usually wood ingredients that Varnol is made from
applied by roller. You need a lot of roller cov¬ must be highly compatible. You’ll not get a
ers. As the roller leaves a slightly stippled finish, super-shiny gloss out of it, but it can get close,
it may need light brushing also. with rubbing down and careful application of
the last coat or two. Personally I like this more
Because of its viscosity and good flow¬ natural finish better than super-shiny.
ing properties, epoxy gives a good surface with
only 3 or 4 coats. But then needs UV-proof
polyurethane varnish to protect it from the sun¬
light. Some boatbuilder's use oil paint or var¬
nish, as it is easier to apply and to touch up.
HOME MADE OIL?

POLYURETHANE - Don’t do it.
SYNTHETIC OIL American workboats and many small

craft are traditionally oiled, where they are not
painted. They look very fine when new or re¬
The best known brand is Deks Olje. It coated, but the wood sometimes turns dark
comes in two parts; DO 1 is a very thin oil, grey and dull if not kept up. UV protection
which penetrates very well. It is applied ‘wet on might prevent this. But when rubbed down and
wet’, by brushing on up to 6 coats one after the refinished they look good again. Normally a
other, with no waiting or rubbing down. This is coat or two every year freshens up the finish. I
continued until the wood is saturated and will saw an old (80+ years) canoe in Maine, that
take no more; surplus is then wiped of and it is had been saturated with numberless coats of
left for 2 or 3 days to dry before Part 2 is oil and turpentine.The wood looked so rich
applied. This is thicker, somewhere between the and fine, and was almost beginning to look
oil and normal varnish. It gives a fairly glossy translucent. Epoxy will never look like that, I
finish after 4 to 6 coats, one or possibly two per thought.
day. Again no rubbing down is needed.
However I like to give it a good fine wet sand¬ However these oil mixtures are general¬
ing before the last coat, to eliminate the build¬ ly more permeable than a gloss varnish, so how
up of dust. suitable they might be for plywood planked
128
Sheathing
hulls I m not sure. It would be very interesting The whole exterior of the hull may be
to do some tests with various mixtures. Ask me sheathed, or only the area below the waterline.
in 20 years time ... Or, rather than cutting across the edges at the
WL, you can sheath the lower three or four
Here is a recipe for a typical oil mix¬ strakes. This will also protect the bow for some
ture, of the kind used in Maine: way up the stem.
8 parts turpentine. Pieces of the cloth are cut roughly to size, then
8 parts boiled linseed oil. the hull gets a priming coat of epoxy. The
1 part pine tar. cloth is laid on and wet out with a new mix of
1 part Japan driers. epoxy, and this is worked in with a brush
and/or a rubber squeegee. Make sure the cloth
remains in the corners of the laps, and that
excess resin is not collecting there.
The cloth leaves a Huffy surface, which needs

to be sanded smooth. Or, if you get the epoxy
at the right moment, it can be scraped or
smoothed up with a fine-set spokeshave. Edges
and overlaps can be trimmed at this time.
Two more coats of epoxy are applied.
7-2 THE WATERLINE
7-1 DYNEL SHEATHING
A ‘dry-sailed’ boat does not need a painted

waterline, although some owners like to have
Some builders like to sheathe the bottom of one anyway. It is necessary if the boat is to be
the hull, if it is likely to get roughly treated on moored for any length of time. In this case the
pebbly beaches etc, or will be moored. waterline should be about 1” - 25mm above
Fibreglass cloth does not work, as it will not lie the DWF, to cover the area where surface
well over the plank edges; Dynel is softer and muck will stick to the hull. Or a boot top of a
more flexible, which means it also resists contrasting colour is added; this is often wider
knocks better. But it can not be clear finished towards the ends of the boat.
as epoxy/fibreglass can, so will need to be
painted. The waterline can be marked out with the hull
inverted or not, but is easier done when it is
The edges must be prepared as in Fig 7-1: they still on the moulds. With the height of the WF
are well rounded off and a fillet of micros¬ marked at stem and stern, straight boards are
pheres applied in the corner. The left-over mix set up horizontally and firmly braced. A taut
is used to fill screw holes and any imperfections. string between these, moved in and out as nec¬
essary, gives the WF at any point. The string

Keelband
may be tensioned using a helper or nails or 7-5

weights - but it must not sag.
It may be marked with a scriber or compass

point about every 2” -50mm. Or further apart,
and the marks joined up using a fairing batten.
It may be necessary during painting to check
occasionally to see the marks are still visible.
7-3
And a jig - which can be made from strips of

wood - helps in drilling and countersinking.
7-6
The laps of the planks complicate the proce¬

dure a little; the actual level when viewed hori¬
zontally runs back under the lap. But usually
the painted line runs straight inboard, which is
easier.
FITTING OUT
Short pieces are fitted in way of the

7-4 centreboard case.
Half-round brass KEEL BAND may be

screwed to the keel. A centre punch makes it
easier to drill the screw holes.
130
Rowlocks
7-7 7-9
ROWLOCK SOCKETS - A 'top socket’ is

It may follow the shape of a curved stemhead. laid on the gunwale to establish its position.
(The template gauge helps get the shape right - (This is Daveys’ no. 1066, seen with a raised
cheap plastic ones are available). Avoid fastenings pad, as seen in Fig 7-18).
in bent parts, or drill later.
7-8
Shaping the end finishes it off. The hole must be placed so that the rowlock
will clear the inboard face of the planking.

Roiulocks
7-11 7-13
The outline shape is cut with a knife, to give

clean edges.
The top edge of the hole must be rounded to
fit the shoulder of the socket.
7-12
7-14
A lower supporting block is advisable, except in

small dinghies and prams. Its position is
marked out with the rowlock in place.
A router would be useful for cutting the recess;

otherwise a drill with a depth marker - I used a
piece of masking tape - sets the depth, and the
rest is removed with chisels. It should be a close
fit, but not tight; it should be possible to remove
it later after several coats of varnish.
132
Rowlocks
7-15 7-16
- 4ft
V J
It is glued and clamped; if the clamp is big

enough the rowlock can be inserted again to The polished bronze rowlocks look fine,
check the alignment. although galvanised ones function as well in a
workboat. A retaining line is necessary; if
spliced neatly around the shoulder - just above
the gunwale - it need not be unhitched when
removing the rowlock.
7-17
Side sockets are easier to fit. But they reduce

the spread of the ‘locks. A loop of leather is
useful for stowage.
o
lain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 133

a
Oars
7-18 7-20
Boats with low freeboard and high thwarts may

need pads to raise the rowlocks above the sheer.
6 to 7”- 150-180mm above the thwart is about
ideal in most boats.
7-19
OARS - Flat-bladed oars are the easiest to

make; they work well for general use. Proper
spoon blades are preferred for serious rowing,
but require special planes. The loom may be
left square; this helps slightly to balance the
oar.
lKabes’ work well in the Shetland style boats.

The slot goes right through the gunwale.
134
Oars
7-21 7-23
This ‘flat-spoon’ compromise shape is simpler

to build and works very well. The drawknife is
not essential; the spokeshave is. The blades are
about 28” x 5-1/4” - 700 x 130.
7-22
CENTREBOARDS and RUDDERS Two or

three edge-glued boards will generally be need¬
ed to make up the width. Refer to the com¬
ments in Fig 2-3 on alternating grain.
This builder thought about the grain pattern in

the Douglas fir, with no attempt to make it look
like one piece. He also fitted neat hardwood
tips.

;
Centreboard and Rudder
7-25 7-27
Layers of plywood are not recommended for a

centre- or dagger board, but can work well for
a rudder blade, especially if it is a wide one.
These proportions will give the right shape

7-26 when the corners are rounded off. The leading
edge starts out at half the board thickness; it
should not be too sharp or it will stall easily.
The after edge finishes about 3/16 to 1/4” - 5-
6mm. The area inside the case, when the
board is down, remains flat, so it has plenty of
bearing surface at the keel.
7-28
The edges may be bevelled, and the corners

rounded off. Side cheeks will be added at the
top - either solid or plywood.
A proper STREAMLINING job is normally

only done with racing boats. But if you are the
type who likes to imagine the water streaming
past your ‘foils’ with the minimum resistance,
and providing maximum lift when on the wind,
here is how it’s done. Gluing the boards; note three boards under¬
neath to line them up flat. If sash cramps are
unavailable, blocks and wedges work fine (see
Fig 4-31).
136
Shaping
7-29 7-31
The marking gauge marks CL round the edges, ... and continue around the lower end.
and the widths of the bevels.
7-32
7-30
Corners are rounded off with plane and

spokeshave. You can feel where the bumps are.
7-33
A fine-set plane, working diagonally both ways,

does the final shaping.
Iain Oughtred, / Boatbuilding Manual 137

Dagger Board
7-34 7-36
The top of the board can be trimmed flush

after the cleats are glued.
The random-orbital sander makes short work
of the finishing; a sanding block, working across
the board and then lengthways, does as good a
job. (Do not use paper so coarse that it can
leave cross-grain scratches.)
7-37
7-35
I like to round off the corners well, as a dagger

board tends to get dumped in the boat and for¬
gotten until someone trips over it.
The cleats for the top of a DAGGER BOARD

are cut away at the sides to make it easier to lift
the board.
138
Ballast
7-38 LEAD BALLAST is sometimes fitted into a

centreboard to ‘sink’ it, but I find it is never
sufficient to reliably overcome the friction,
especially when a little sand is present. But it is
necessary in LEEBOARDS to overcome their
buoyancy.
7-40
A strop of light shock cord holds the board

clown; it may hook over a small cleat, or a
groove across the top of the board.
7-39
The wood must be dry. The hole is sealed with

epoxy. Four screws around the hole will hold
the lead in place.
The board is clamped down on a flat surface,

or a piece of plywood is tacked onto the
underside. The lead is melted on a gas stove, in
a strong old pan, and poured level with the
surface, erring over ...

Centreplate
7-42 A stop is needed to prevent the centreboard

disappearing into the case. Wood blocks or a
dowel can do it; English dinghies used a pair of
rubber door stops, as seen in Fig 6-92.
7-44
... and planed flush.
7-43
This is not feasible in the Guillemot design, in
which the board, being in way of the thwart, is
kept unobtrusively low. The lanyard cleats
alongside the case, and on the forward edge of
the thwart.
7-45
The lead shrinks a little; epoxy is dribbled in A STEEL CENTREPLATE adds some effec-
around the edge. live ballast; it is usually 1/2 to 5/8” - 12-
15mm. Ideally the edges are rounded, and the
plate galvanised. Softwood cheeks are epoxy-
glued to the sides to make up the thickness of a
wood board within the case. The plate is hoist¬
ed by a 3 or 4-part tackle from the bulkhead.
140
Centreplate Winch
7-46 7-48
Or led unobtrusively down to the keelson, and Or it can be made up using plywood cheeks.
aft to a cam cleat - see also Fig 7-113. (This one is made from two porthole rims, with
a webbing strap).
7-47
7-49
Or a drum winch. The hoisting wire goes A LEEBOARD is retained by a lanyard from a
round the axle; the line on the drum leads aft thwart amidships, with a jam cleat for adjust¬
to a cleat. This trad, type is made by Daveys’. ment.

Rudder Head
7-50 7-52
In larger boats, if the core is thick enough, the

tiller may slot through the rudder head. This
also may be done with a fixed rudder with
cheeks.
This way only one board is needed. The flat 7-53

face goes outboard.
7-51
The RUDDER TRUNK - or case - sides are

usually of plywood; the core is the thickness of
the blade, plus about 1/32” - 1mm. The blade
is checked for fit and operation; if the lower Otherwise, with fixed or lifting rudder, the tiller
gudgeon straps are long enough, it may be con¬ fits over the head. The notch aft retains the
venient, and is stronger, if the pivot bolt goes tiller, which is unshipped by lifting the forward
through their after end. end. A wood pin holds it down in use. The
height of the tiller can be adjusted by trimming
the angle of the top of the cheeks. The tiller
should just clear the gunwale when hard over.
142
Rudder Bits
7-54 7-56
I fmcl it easier to cut the tiller slot cleanly by

sawing it out aft, and making a filler block with A curved tiller is easily made in two layers; one
a rounded end. This block is used to mark the block under the after end here establishes a
cutout in the rudder head. lire block is then suitable curve when the forward end is sprung
clamped in place while the fit on the rudder down.
head is checked, then it is glued in place, as
seen in Fig 7-69.
7-57
7-55
Parts of the rudder ready for assembly. Note

the hole in the blade with a stopper knot in the
end of the downhaul.
Rudder straps can be copper rivetted, screwed,

or bolted. They may be inset if not wide
enough. Seasure black alloy fittings look less
traditional, but are neat and more attractive
than most stainless steel gear.

Lifting Rudder
7-58 7-60
The whole assembly. Plain well-rounded holes

Transom fittings are lined up on CL. One is work well with synthetic lines; small sheaves or
fastened, then the rudder is hung on it, so the pieces of metal tube or rod can be fitted to
second can be lined up accurately. reduce friction. The uphaul goes as high as it
can on the after edge of the rudder blade.
Lines may lead through the case through the
liller.
7-59
7-61
The lines here are actually one, made fast in

a jamb cleat. If this is not too tight a fit, it
will let go and allow the blade to lift when it
hits the bottom. There is a brass washer
under the extension.
A retaining clip is necessary; the standard stain¬

less ones are fairly tacky-looking. You can make
one from a hardwood wedge and a strip of
Tufnol, or other hard plastic.
144
Fixed Rudder
7-62 7-64
The tiller extension with a piece of line avoids

another tacky stainless fitting. The stopper
knots -seen in Fig. 7-61- get a bit slack quite
quickly; the line can be light - about 4mm -
and led to a small jamb cleat.
7-63
The handsome cast bronze gear is too heavy

for light canoes and prams; these light brass fit¬
tings are easily fabricated by anyone with
basic metal-working skills.
7-65
A fixed rudder is simpler. It gives better control
in shallow water, but less in deeper water. After
this one hit the sand and hopped off its fittings,
the owner rigged a short piece of line with a
tube cleat to retain it.
A yawl with a centreline mizzen mast needs a

laminated tiller. The laminations are bent to
their maximum curve ...

Laminating Tiller
... and extra clamping blocks are placed as

necessary for gluing up. 7-69
7-67
... and the aft spacer blocks assembled.
SPARS for these boats are easy to make; find¬

ing suitable timber for them may not be. The
specified mast diameters assume reasonably
Each half is cleaned up before being glued clear fir or ‘aircraft quality’ spruce. If using
together ... light pine with some small knots, a slight
increase in diameter may be advisable - up to
1/8” - 2-3mm. Not too much - a few mm
greater diameter means a significant increase
in strength and weight.
Sizes of spars vary with the type of rig. If you

do not have a sail plan which gives dimensions
of the spars, here is a rough guide.
MAST diameter: about 1:52 of the length

above the partners or deck. Down to 1:55 for
larger boats; up to 1:50 for small boats. Slightly
more for heavier boats. A little less with a
stayed rig. (Not much less - although the
shrouds support the mast, the compression
adds bending stress.)
146
Spar Dimensions
TAPER: 7-70
• masthead is 80% dia. for gaff or sprit rig -
99% at half height. 80/. ,
• masthead is 70% dia. for lug or gunter - 95%

at half height.
887 •
• masthead is 50% dia. for gaff or bermudan -
90% at half height.
Half height is measured from the partners. 937.

The mast is usually tapered below the partners
to about 2/3 or 3/4 dia. at the heel or butt.
YARD or GAFF: 99 7-
Diameter: 1:64 to 1:60 of length.

Taper: heel 82% - peak 62%.
I oof-
SPRIT can be lighter:
Fitting Out
Diameter: 1:80
! OO'/.
Taper: heel 75% - peak 60%
BOOM:
Diameter: 1:56 loot

Taper: heel 80-85% - peak 70%
)
\ i
76%;
To establish dimensions for the taper, the spar

can be drawn shortened to about 18” -
500mm, divided into 4 or 6 equal parts (above
the partners), and the intermediate dimensions
noted.
7-71
If a piece big enough for the mast is not avail¬

able, it can be glued up from two pieces. If
these come from one board, one part is turned
end-for-end, to even up any inconsistencies.
They are arranged so that the growth rings are
symmetrical. Shorter pieces may be scarph
joined, using a ratio of 10:1.

Sparmaking
7-72 7-74
Hollow spars can be made for a larger boat;

they save a little weight, and are built up from
smaller pieces.
7-73
If gluing two pieces, the taper of the forward

edge may be cut first, using a circular saw or
bandsaw, and finishing with the plane. Note
here how a clear space is left above the clamps,
so the glue line/centreline is visible. The spar
may be pushed, or even hammered until it is
Spars usually have a straight edge to work from: dead straight. (Even bent pieces will stay
the after edge of a mast, yard or gaff, and the straight when glued).
top of a boom. A centreline is marked on this
edge using a string; the diameters at the speci¬ The taper of the sides is cut and planed fair, so
fied stations are measured from this. (Do not we have a fully tapered square section spar.
measure from one side, unless the sides are
straight). The marks are joined using a
stiff batten.
148
Spar Gauge
7-75 7-77
A chock like this, in a vice or nailed to the

bench, helps to hold the spar on edge while the
corners are planed down. See it in use in Fig
Fitting Out
7-83.
The first step in rounding it off is to remove

the corners so it is 8-sided. To mark it up for
this we need a sparmaker’s gauge. This consists
of a piece of wood about twice the diameter of
the spar, two nails and two pencils - or biros
(which give a clear line and won’t need to be
sharpened every few feet).
7-76
Cutting down to the lines will give us an 8-

sided spar. Most of the stock can be removed
with a drawknife or electric planer. (But
beware - either can very quickly take oft' too
much.)
The nails are held against the tapered side, so

the gauge maintains the correct proportions,
regardless of the actual width.

Shaping Up
7-79
If a mast is square in way of the partners and And again. From here on you can work largely
step, the spokeshave makes the change. by eye, and by working your hand around the
spar you will feel the high spots.
7-80
7-82
The corners are again planed off, evenly all

round, so it is 16-sided. You will by now be coming up against the
problem of areas where the grain is running
the wrong way, so as you get close to what will
be the final surface of the spar, the plane
must be turned around in these parts so as not
to tear up the grain. The plane is sharp and set
very fine at this stage.
150
Finishing Spars
7-83 7-85
Sanding this way, with part of a belt, fairs off

the corners quickly. But it also leaves cross- If the ends of the spars are well rounded off,
grain scratches, which will need considerable they are less vulnerable to surface damage, and
lengthways sanding to eradicate. less inclined to knock the boat about when
they are unshipped. Holes for halliards and
lacings must be generously sized, and well
rounded with round files to reduce friction and
7-84 wear. A dumb sheave for a halliard works well
for smaller sails - up to about 65 sq ft - 6 sq m.
A slot for a sheave is cut by drilling holes of
the same size as the sheave, and cleaning it out
with chisels.
I prefer to take it as far as possible with the

plane, so that only a little sanding is necessary.
I have seen American builders take it about as

far as 7-81, and oil the spar without sanding.
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual J 51

Boom Jaws
7-86 7-87
BOOM JAWS can be simply made from 1/2”

- 12mm plywood, set in a slot in the boom.
7-88
This is a masthead for a gunter sloop rig, with

two sheaves for peak and throat halliards, a
block on a wire strop for the jib halliard, and
leather protection for the mast. The shoulder
keeps the shrouds in place, avoiding the need Or built up from a shaped piece of hardwood
for a metal mastband. each side.
Boom ends can be seen in Figs. 7-101 and

7-103.
152
Gaffjaws
7-89 7-91
They look best if the screws are plugged. If they are to be screwed, it is easier to get
them glued up first.
7-90 7-92
Gaff jaws are more complex. They are made All the corners are well rounded off.
from layers of hardwood with the grain alter¬
nating in different directions.

Completion of Spars
7-93 7-95
Leather lining protects the mast; the two pairs

of holes are for the throat halliard and for lac¬ The heel of a sprit has a slot for the snotter.
ing the sail.
7-96
7-94
Parrel beads keep the yard or gaff against the

mast.
A mast usually has a leather collar at the height

of the partners. It may be stitched or tacked.
Or the partner hole can be lined with leather.
154
Cleats
FITTINGS AND RIGGING 50-75% bigger for larger boats. Working edges
are smooth and rounded.
.. vary too much to go into great detail
here. There are endless options in the various (‘Small’ refers to boats up to 10 or 12’ OA - 3-
rigs for different boats, according to the design, 3.5m. ‘Medium-size’ about 15’ - 4-5m. ‘Large’
the type of rig, particular requirements for means 17 to 20’ - 5-6m.)
individual purposes and local conditions,
regional customs, and of course personal
preferences.
7-98
So the following illustrations show basic
standard gear and ways of setting up the most
common rigs. They all work, and can be
adapted if/as required for particular boats. If
you are not sure what you need, look through
the magazines at pictures of boats of similar
type to your own, find such boats if you can,
and talk to their owners. Best of all, if you can
make it, is to take a camera and plenty of rolls
of colour film to the Wooden Boat Show
The emphasis is on simplicity; these tra¬

ditional rigs need very few metal fittings. Wood
ones are of course cheaper, often more reliable,
and are easily repaired or replaced. Thus
avoiding dependence on access to a chandlery,
when you’re far from home and they’re closed
anyway.
7-97
They may be strung up on string or hung on

panel pins for varnishing, along with other
items.
CLEATS etc are usually made of oak. I have

also used iroko, ash, and elm successfully. The
cleat, jamb cleat and thumb cleat shown are
approximately full size for small craft; could be
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual ] 55

■ug Rig
7-100 7-102
Belaying pins look very traditional, and work STANDING LUG rig. Small boats have a sim¬
well for halliards. This boat has a jamb cleat to ple rope parrel to hold the yard to the mast. A
add versatility medium-sized boat might have parrel beads
also. Larger boats use a metal traveller, ideally
leathered to protect the mast. The type shown
is designed so that with tension on the halliard
7-101 the ring is about horizontal.
7-103
Sails are laced to booms, yards and gaffs, with

1/8”+ - 3-4mm line.
The tack is made fast to a jamb cleat; the tack

downhaul runs from a hole through the cleat,
to the tack, and back around the cleat.
The balanced lug sail needs plenty of luff ten¬

sion. This comes from a 2-part tackle in small
boats; 3-part in larger ones. A cam cleat offers
instant adjustment - particularly useful when
sailing single- or short-handed.
156
Gunter Lug
7-104 7-106
The tackle may be aft of the mast; this

downhaul has a snaphook which accommodates
different mast positions.
7-105
Otherwise, with two halliards, a span is fitted

to the yard/gaff. Only the throat halliard then
needs to be handled when reefing; though the
peak may need adjusting. The same can be
achieved with a single halliard and an
adjustable parrel; the fall leads to a jamb cleat
at the heel of the yard, or possibly to the deck.
GUNTER and GAFF rig. In small gunter-

rigged boats the halliard is bent to the yard
with a rolling hitch (or topsail halliard bend).
This has to be shifted when reefing.

Gunter Rig
7-107 7-108
The tack is laced to the boom. This downhaul

tensions the luff, and also keeps the boom
against the mast. The halliard is belayed on
one of the pins, and the coil hung on the other.
A bigger-boat gunter rig, with mastband and

7-109
separate halliard blocks, and a span shackle on
a wire span. Smaller craft might use a steel or
nylon thimble on a pre-stretched rope span.
(Yes that block is capsized.)
Boom and yard jaws with the sail bent to the

spars. The parrel line has a ‘slippery overhand’
knot (if there is such a thing), so it is easily
cast off.
158
Kicking Strap ?
7-110 weather, it is simply slipped over the thumb

cleat and slides forward out of the way. With
boom jaws however it creates friction on the
mast; but with well-greased leather this is not a
serious problem.
7-112
Jibsheet leads are angled halfway between the

A toggle and a spliced eye can be easier and directions of the sheet to and from the fair-
quicker to use than a shackle. lead. The hole must be large and well-round¬
ed. In some cases the sheet lead may be a hole
in a knee.
7-111
A kicking strap is a useful item in a gunter or

bermudan rig. It enables the sail to set well
before the wind, as well as being much more
controllable and safer. Normally it is seriously
in the way of the crew, but this type has the
upper block on a grommet, which hooks over a
thumb cleat on the boom. When it is not need¬
ed, i.e.when sailing to windward, and in light

Sprit Rig
7-113 7-115
Mainsheet leads: with mid-boom sheeting, the

lower block is on the after end of the centre¬
board case, or on the keelson aft of it.
A loose-footed standing lug or spritsail is sheet¬

ed via a thumb cleat at the gunwale. Or with
enclosed fairleads and separate sheets.
7-114 SPRIT RIG definitely needs no bought fit¬

tings.
REEFING My designs tend to have generous

sail plans, for interesting sailing and good light-
air performance. I assume sailors have the
sense to reef when necessary. Often they don’t
- or have not bothered to set the gear up. Do it!
Experiment with options for your rig. Your
boat will be more useful, more fun, more com¬
fortable, and a lot safer. You will not discourage
first-time sailors with desperate adventures.
Teach the kids. Practice often in light weather,
so when that sudden squall appears - as it will -
you can keep cool and sail home comfortably,
while less seamanlike ‘boaters’ are floundering
helplessly about and hoping a rescue boat will
appear. End of rant.
Small craft are not likely to need a metal sheet
horse; here is a simple rope one, led through
holes in the quarter knees. A figure-8 stopper
knot in one end allows adjustment.
160
Reefing
7-116 7-118
Normal slab-reefing works, but for light open

boats a single-line system can be easier and
quicker, especially if single-or short-handed. In
a larger boat two lines may work better, as the
clew and tack downhauls can be controlled
independently, and surplus line is more man¬
ageable. The tack of the lugsail. The upper block is not
needed in smaller sails (- if at all). With a two-
Note the hooks, which can be hooked into the line system, only one block is needed at the
tack and clew cringles of whichever reef is boom.
required.
Extra reef pennants are bent to the hooks;
W ith a fixed gooseneck, the line(s) and even they furl the ends of the sail neatly when deep
halliard(s) can be led aft to cam cleats. reefed.
7-117 7-119
A two-line system on a balanced lugsail.
Jamb cleats are neat and quick.

Launching
7-120
Ness Yawl - comfortably under control in what

would be too much wind.
LAUNCHING - after all that work, give her a

proper christening/launching party. Decorate
her with flags. Tie a bit of tree to the mast, or
stemhead. Invite everyone who has had an
interest in the boat; let them all have a quick
sail, if possible (not all at once). They will all
appreciate what a wonderful thing you have
created, and it gets the boat off' to a good start
in life.
162
Boat Designs & Prices
BOAT DESIGNS by IAIN OUGHTRED
Designs Length Price

£UK $us
Prams
FEATHER 6’-9” 2,06m $87

HUMBLE BEE 7’-9” 2.36m £57 $102
MOUSE 7’-9” 2.36m £45 $81

GRANNY 9’-4” 2.84m £51 $90
Canoes
STICKLEBACK 10’-8” 3.25m £42 $75

WEE ROB* 12’-0” 3.66m £54 $75
MACGREGOR* 13-6” 4.11m £63 $111
Canadian Canoes - strip planked
BEAVER 16’-0” 4.87m £45 $78
Plans
Traditional Dinghies
AUK 7-10” 2.39m £57 $102

PUFFIN 10’-2” 3.10m £66 $117
GUILLEMOT ll’-6” 3.50m £75 $135
TAMMIE NORRIE 13’-6” 4.11m £81 $144
SKUA 16’-0” 4.88m £93 $168
Sailing Dinghies / Day boats
SHEARWATER ll’-9” 3.58m £66 $117

GANNET 14’-6” 4.28m £75 $135
FULMAR 16’-6” 5.08m £87 $156
Outrigger Skiff - chine/stitch & tape
SNIPEFISH 15’-0” 4.58m £51 $93
Roiving Skiffs
ACORN SKIFF* IT-9” 3.50m £75 $135

or 13’-0” 3.96m £75 $135
ACORN 15 15’-0” 4.58m £81 $144
MOLE (Thames type) 16’-0” 4.88m £72 $129
BADGER 19’-0” 5.80m £81 $144
Norwegian Hardanger Faering
ELF 15’-0” 4.58m £87 $156

ELFYN 16’-6” 5.03m £93 $168
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 1 g3

Boat Designs & Prices
Designs Length Price
Double-ended Dory Skiffs
SKERRIESKIFF 15 15’-0” 4.58m £60 SI 08

SKERRIESKIFF 1 7 17J-4” 5.28m £69 S123
Dories
AMBERJACK 15’-8” 4.77m £60 S108

JOHN DORY* 18’-3” 5.56m £78 $141
Double-ended Beachboats
WHILLY BOAT* 14’-6” 4.52m £69 $102

WHILLY TERN 15’-2” 4.62m £84 $150
TIRRIE 16’-10’ ’ 5.13m £99 $177
ARCTIC TURN 18’-2” 5.52m £H1 $198
NESS YAWL 19’-2” 5.84m £111 $198
CALEDONIA YAWL* 19’-6” 5.95m £123 $222
Cruising Yachts
WEE SEAL 18’-0” 5.50m £225 $411

EUN NA MARA 19’-9” 6.00m £225 $411
GREY SEAL* 22’-2” 6.76m £276 $498
HAIKU SHARPIE 30’-0” 9.14m £330 $594
These are prices for plans ordered directly from the designer in Scotland. Plans
are mailed first class or airmail, within a day or two. Prices include inland (UK)
postage. Overseas airmail: add £4/$8. Write: Iain Oughtred Boat Designer,
Struan Cottage, Bernisdale, Isle of Skye,
Scotland IV51 9NS. The complete design catalog costs £10/$20.
US dollars checks are acceptable. Use current price list or current exchange,
whichever works to your favor. From other countries, payment can be made by
Sterling bank draft, Girocheque, Eurocheque, International Money Order, or by
Sterling transfer to Account no. 00123702, Bank of Scotland, Portree, Isle of
Skye, Scotland IV51 9EH. Sort code 800947, Acct 00788294. IBAN GB29
BOFS 8009 1700 7882 91. Swift BIG BOSGB21077.
Plans are also available from www.classicmarine.co.uk, and in Australia,

www.duckfIatwoodenboats.com.
indicates plans available from WoodenBoat, www.woodenboatstore.com
164
The technical terms associated with consistency I take this measurement to the out¬
boatbuilding vary greatly from one country side of the planking, but inside any rubbing
to another, and even in different areas of one strakes.
country. However most of these variations
apply to traditional construction. I have BEAM An athwartships member, usually fit¬
attempted to offer generally accepted defini¬ ted to support the deck - e.g. deckbeam - or
tions for words that are contained in this book, cabin top, cockpit floor etc, or as a spreader
and my design catalogue, or are otherwise rele¬ between frames.
vant to clinker plywood construction. Noting
where necessary differences between British BEVEL The angle cut along one edge of any
(‘GB’) and North American (CNA) usage. part to fit another.
(One of my reasons for deciding to do a BILGE Fhe curved area of the hull between
glossary was my dismay at the degeneration of the bottom and topsides.
traditional nautical language that has occurred
since I started sailing, and since the advent of BILGE The lowest part of the interior of the
fibreglass. Some of what follows therefore is hull (where bilge water collects).
merely pathetic wails of protest, and more or
less irrelevant to clinker plywood boatbuilding). BILGE KEEL A short rubbing strake fitted
below the turn of the bilge, to protect the
planking when the boat is on dry land. (In
AMIDSHIPS At or towards the centre of the cruising yachts: a pair of deep bilge keels can
hull. replace a normal deep keel or centreboard).
APRON The inner upper part of the stem, BODY PLAN The transverse vertical sections
rebated to accept the hood ends of the plank¬ of the hull, including the transom, as shown
ing and perhaps gunwales. In glued construc¬ on the lines plan. These sections are normally
tion this is usually combined with the lower used to provide the shapes of the moulds.
part of the stem to form the ‘inner stem’ in
one unit. BOTTOM BOARDS or FLOOR BOARDS
Removeable boards, usually running fore and
ATHWARTSHIPS Across the hull - in line aft, fitted into the bottom of the hull above the
with the thwarts. floors, generally fastened with turnbuttons or
screws. (Traditionally ‘floor boards’ are flat
BACKBONE The fundamental centreline and level; maybe heavier than "bottom
structure of the hull, consisting of keelson/ boards’).
hog and/or keel, stem, and transom, with
knees if any, or sternpost in a double-ender. BREASTHOOK A horizontal knee fitted into
the bow at sheer height, tying the gunwales,
BEACHBOAT A loose term implying an and port and starboard planks, to each other
open boat, without ballast keel, used for sailing- and to the stem.
inshore or estuary waters, launched from a
beach or slipway and hauled out when not in
use. BRIGHT FINISH Any clear oil or varnish
finish.
BEAM The maximum overall width of a hull, BRIGHTWORK Wood so treated.
usually at sheer height, unless there is some
tumblehome amidships. For convenience and BUTT Where the end of a member meets
Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual I g5

Glossary
another, or fits into a rebate such as at the stem, porting another. Or shaped for making
or two lengths of planking meet end-to-end. off/making fast/‘cleating’ a line.
BUTT STRAP A pad fitted to the inside of CLENCH To rivet a nail over a rove. Or,
two butt-joined planks, made of the same mate¬ without a rove, to turn the inboard end over to
rial as the planking, to back up the joint. prevent it drawing out.
(Which, even when glued, has very little
strength on the end grain). A less professional¬ CLINKER (GB) LAPSTRAKE (NA) Hull
looking substitute for scarph joins. (Trad, butt construction in which each strake overlaps the
blocks are rivetted, but now are often glued). one below it. (Traditionally the planks are riv¬
etted together, or clenched in very small light
BUTTOCKS The shapes of vertical fore-and- craft such as canoes). I may appear to be using
aft sections through the hull, used in fairing the both English and American terms indiscrimi¬
lines plan. There are usually two or three in nately; have a feeling that ‘clinker’ seems more
small craft,- at equal measurements out from the appropriate for heavy workboats, and ‘lap-
centreline. strake’ for lighter skiffs etc. Which could per¬
haps make it more appropriate for these rela¬
CAMBER see CROWN’. tively lightweight plywood-planked hulls. But I
fear this theory has no historic or technical jus¬
CAPPING A covering piece sometimes fitted tification.
to the top of the gunwale and sheerstrake, or
centreboard case etc. COAMING Trimming pieces that cover the
inboard deck edges, fitted over the carlin, and
CARLIN A fore-and-aft member supporting projecting above the deck to inhibit water from
the inboard edge of a side deck and its beams. coming inboard.
CENTREBOARD A flat board, with rounded CROWN The athwartships downward curve
or streamlined edges, pivoted so it can be low¬ of a deck or cabin top from the centreline.
ered through its case, to prevent leeway and May also apply to breasthooks etc.
thus enable the boat to sail to windward.
CURE (NA) In America, glue cures. GB: it
CENTREPLATE A metal centreboard. sets or hardens. I’ll try to get used to this one
- along with the computer disk (GB: disc).
CENTREBOARD CASE (GB) or TRUNK
(NA) A vertical housing for the centreboard, DAGGER BOARD A centreboard which is
with its top well above the waterline, so as to not pivoted, but moves up and down more or
keep the water out. Usually on the centreline, less vertically in a short case.
with a slot through the keek but occasionally
offset to one side. DAYBOAT A beachboat; a large sailing
dinghy (NA: sailboat); or an open daysailer,
CHASE (GB) or GAIN (NA) The tapered with centreboard or ballast keel, or both.
rebate worked into the forward end of a plank
so that the next plank up will land on the inner DEADRISE The angle of the bottom, in sec¬
stem, and the outer faces of the planks will be tion, as it rises from the keel to the turn of the
flush at the stem - and the transom in a tradi¬ bilge.
tional boat. But not usually in a plywood hull,
the planking being thinner. DINGHY Generally applied to a small, rela¬
tively beamy transom-stern boat with a stem.
CHINE The angle between bottom and top- But may include prams, as well as tenders, etc.
sides in a vee-bottom hull. A multi-chine hull GB - also refers to racing centreboard boats.
may have chine stringers, or be of stitch-and- (NA - I have it on dubious authority that it
tape construction. refers to a boat permanently ashore with flow¬
ers growing in it).
CLASSIC Traditionally ‘Of the first class, of
acknowledged excellence ... outstandingly DISPLACEMENT The weight of water dis¬
important ...’ etc. 20 years ago, when applied placed by a boat. Stating the obvious -
to boats, it seemed to mean old - whether any but confusion is caused these days by many
good or not. Now it seems to mean sort of old- manufacturers referring to the weight of a
fashioned-looking. (Whether made of wood or boat, without crew, gear and stores, as displace¬
not). ment. A practice condoned indiscriminately by
most ol if not all the magazines.
CLEAT A short piece of wood used for sup¬
166
Glossary
DORY (NA) A fishing boat with a narrow flat together permanently, or to attach fittings:
bottom, long ends, a very narrow strongly nails, screws, rivets, staples, bolts, and treenails.
raked transom, and a strong sheer. Banks
dories were carried on the big fishing FLARE The increase in beam from the turn
schooners; they are flat-sided. Swampscott of the bilge to the sheer.
dories were used inshore; they have rounded
lapstrake sides with three strakes. FAYING SURFACES The surfaces where
Extraordinarily able sea boats. The modern two parts meet, when they are fitted ready to
plywood ‘light dory’ was invented by Phil be glued or fastened together.
Bolger with his Gloucester Light Dory - a real
classic. FLOORS Transverse members fitted across
the keelson to strengthen the bottom area of
DRY RUN Parts ready to be glued are some¬ the hull.
times assembled first without the glue, to make
sure they will go together as intended, and to FLOORBOARDS see BOTTOM BOARDS
check that clamping and/or fastening arrange¬ Generally rest on the floors.
ments will work.
FOREFOOT The lower underwater part of
EDGE SET When a plank is bent across its the stem as it curves aft into the keel.
width. This can be done in carvel construction,
but not in clinker, beyond a very few millime¬ FRAMES Transverse timbers supporting the
tres, without causing distortion which will pre¬ planking, stiffening the hull, or providing sup¬
vent the plank resting flat on the mould. (It will port for bulkheads, thwart risers etc. Most lap¬
want to lift off the mould at the edge away strake plywood hulls have little or no framing.
from which it is edge-set). (Trad.: also applies to the thin steamed ribs or
Glossary
‘timbers’ fitted after planking).
ENTRY The underwater forebody. A hull is
said to have a fine or easy entry if the water¬ FRONT Ignorant landlubbers’ or yuppie
line in plan forms a sharp angle, and/or if the boaters’ term for the bow of a boat. Likewise
stem meets the waterline in profile at a shallow ‘back’. (Becoming alarmingly common -
angle (as opposed to a straight stem). A well- beware!)
balanced hull, (unlike e.g. a racing dinghy), will
be fine-lined aft also, and may be called fine- GARBOARD The first strake on the hull; the
ended. A full-ended hull has plenty of buoyan¬ one fastened to the keel.
cy in the entry and in the run. (Not ‘exit’
please). GIRTH The distance around the sides and
bottom of the hull, amidships, measured from
FAERING Norwegian four-oared double- gunwale to gunwale.
ended boat, usually with three or four strakes
to a side; lightly framed and flexible. Directly GRID The basis of the lines plan, consisting
descended from Viking boats, and virtually of: in profile, the vertical sections and the
unchanged in construction. Traditionally built waterlines. In the plan view: the centreline,
by eye without moulds or plans. sections, and fore-and-aft buttock lines. Lor the
body plan: the centreline, waterlines, buttocks
FAIRING Using flexible battens to ensure and diagonals. If the boat has to be lofted full-
that all the lines on a lines plan or lofted draw¬ size, the grid will be drawn on the floor.
ing are fair in themselves and correspond with
each other. Trimming the backbone, moulds, GRIPFAST (GB) or HOLDFAST (NA)
frames if any etc in preparation for fitting the NAILS Flat-headed bronze nails with annular
planking. Battens of varying thicknesses are rings which greatly increase holding power.
used to discover high and low spots. Especially in hardwoods, from which they usu¬
ally can not be removed before the head pulls
FAIRING BATTEN A thin flexible batten off or through.
used in the fairing process to make sure the GUDGEON A rudder fitting, fastened to
planks will lie fairly. either hull or rudder, with a hole to take a pin¬
tle.
FALSE STEM A separate outer stem, fitted
after planking. A false keel likewise forms a GUNWALE The top of the topsides. The
rubbing strip. whole structure of forerand-aft members at the
sheer. May at a pinch be spelled gun’l, but not
FASTENINGS (GB) or FASTENERS (NA) gunnel, although that is how it is pronounced.
Any devices used to hold pieces of wood

Glossary
GUNWALES Lhe main structural members

running fore and aft at the sheer, in an open KABE A flat sided removeable thole as used in
boat. Usually inboard of the sheerstrake. In Shetland boats.
clinker plywood, they may be separated from
the sheerstrake by spacer blocks, giving a sort of KEEL The main backbone member.
traditional appearance reminiscent of the way a Traditionally usually in one piece, rebated
trad, boat’s gunwales are fitted inboard of the for the planking. In plywood construction the
ribs. If the gunwale consists of equal size pieces keel consists of the keelson, with the planking
inboard and outboard of the sheerstrake, the fitted outside, and a light outer keel or rubbing
inner one is called an inwale. (But there’s no strake.
such thing as an outwale). Some light dories,
prams etc have a single-part gunwale outboard. KEELBAND A half-round or flat metal band
screwed to the keel to protect it.
GUNWALE RUBBER/RUBBING STRAKE
(GB) or GUARDRAIL (NA) Hardwood KEELSON see ‘HOG’. In trad, construction
strips fitted to the upper edge of the sheer¬ the keelson may sometimes be fitted above the
strake, outboard, for protection. frames, in which case it is not a hog.
GUNWHALE There’s blue whales, sperm KINGPLANK The centreline deck support
whales, killer whales - all kinds of whales. But piece, notched into deckbeams.
no such animal as a gunwhale (contrary to what
some writers would have us believe). LANDS/LANDINGS/LAPS / OVERLAPS
The bevelled (usually) area where one
HALF BREADTHS The beam dimensions plank overlaps another. The faying surface
from centreline to sheer and waterlines at each between planks. With glued plywood the width
station, on the lines plan, of the land is usually about three times the
plank thickness in thinner ply; two or 2-1/2
HALVE Two parts joined by cutting away part times in heavier sizes (9 to 12mm-3/8 to 1/2”).
of each, the faying surfaces being parallel to the Trad.: plank x 2.
outer faces.
LAYING OFF see ‘LOFTING’.
HARDWOOD Timber from the broad-leaved
deciduous trees. Generally of medium to heavy LEEBOARD A board lowered on the leeward
weight per cubic foot. side of a sailing craft to prevent leeway and so
enable the boat to sail to windward. Usually
HEEL The lower butt end of a mast, yard, flat on the outboard face and aerofoil-shaped
gaff or sprit. inboard, to give some lift. Small craft generally
have a single leeboard which is transferred to
HOG (GB) The inner keel, wider than the the new leeward side on tacking; cruising
keel, to which the garboarcl sn akes are fastened. yachts have one each side, and raise the weath¬
Same as the keelson in plywood-planked boats. er one which pivots aft. The leeboard is a little
more efficient than a centreboard; a bit of a
HOLDFAST NAILS (NA) see ‘GRIPFAST nuisance to tack; it eliminates the need for a
NAILS’ centreboard case. It is very common in
Holland and on the Thames barges; the vic¬
HORN The upper part of a stem which pro¬ tim of irrational prejudice elsewhere. (Except
jects above the sheer in Norse and Shetland around Gloucester Massachusetts).
boats, carved (N) to a graceful curve on the
inboard edge up to a narrow rounded point at
the top. LINES The shape of the hull, consisting of:
INWALE The inner part of a gunwale: see
gunwale. •Profile, with vertical sections and waterlines,
showing the shape of the sheerline, backbone,
IN WAY OF Adjacent to, alongside of, under. and buttocks.
E.g ‘Deckbeams cut out in way of
kingplank’, or ‘Blocks fitted to hull sides in way •Plan, showing the sheerline and waterlines.
of chainplates’.
•Body plan, showing the sections and transom.
JOGGLE Frames, floors and bulkheads may
be joggled (notched) to fit the planking, as See also ‘GRID’, STATIONS’, ‘SHEER’,
opposed to a fair curve which rests only at each DIAGONALS’, BUTTOCKS’
land.
168
Glossary
The lines are drawn to the inside of the planking or centreline. The ‘siding’ is the
planking, or - often traditionally - to thickness of the wood from which the piece is
the outside (which is inconvenient for the boat- cut. E.g. a floor might be sided 1 ”, fore-and-
builder, who then has to make allowance for aft, and have a maximum moulded depth of
the planking). The lines plan is also used to 3”, vertically.
make calculations of displacement, stability,
centre of buoyancy, prismatic coefficient, OFFER UP To try a member in its place to
pounds-per-inch immersion etc. see if it fits accurately, or needs some
trimming before being permanently fitted.
LINING OUT/OFF Working out the run of
each strake, and marking its position OFFSETS The dimensions, taken from the
on the moulds. This is normally done before lines plan, of heights (of sheer, rabbet, keel,
planking begins. and buttocks); the half-breadths (of the sheer
and waterlines), and the diagonals. Usually
LOA Length overall. The length of the hull expressed in feet-inches-eighths (I use six¬
between perpendiculars, and including the teenths in small craft), or millimetres. The off¬
stem/outer stem/false stem at sheer height. sets are then used in lofting.
Makers of fibreglass boats sometimes include
bowsprits, bumkins, mizzen booms etc in LOA PAINTER The line used to secure a boat by
figures. But usually not rudders in inboard the bow, or for towing. Sometimes made fast
rigged boats. This unnecessary break with tra¬ to a ring or eyebolt low on the forward face of
dition can be very confusing; again it is con¬ the stem; sometimes inboard and leading-
doned - even encouraged - by the magazines, through a fairlead by the stem at the sheer.
which sometimes quote Length On Deck
instead. This is unacceptable; not all boats are PARREL A light line holding the jaws of a
Glossary
decked, some are decked below the sheer, and gaff, gunter yard, or boom to the mast. It usu¬
some have a transom raked forward. The ally has round hardwood (or plastic) ‘parrel
length of a hull is more than the ‘LOD’. Also, beads’ to reduce friction.
seeing ‘LOD’ given for one boat, one then
assumes that ‘LOA’ given for a different boat PARTNERS The hole or gap at thwart or
must mean the total length - or ‘Length Over sheer height, through which the mast passes
Spars’ - but maybe not). and is supported. This may be simply a hole
through the thwart, or opening aft with a gate
LOFTING Drawing the lines of the hull full- to enable the mast to be lowered more easily.
size. This gives the exact shape of each mould,
and is also used to work out the shapes of vari¬ PILLAR (GB) A stanchion.
ous parts, stem rebates, bevels etc.
PINTLE A rudder fitting, fastened to either
LOGS The lower fore-and-aft timbers of a hull or rudder, with a vertical pin to fit the hole
centreboard case. (May have other applications in a gudgeon.
in trad, construction - generally applies to a
timber roughly square in section). PLANK A strake, if in one piece, or a part of
a strake.
LOOM GB: the part of an oar between the
handle and the oarlock. NA: the part of an oar PLANKING The skin of the hull, or the
between the handle and the blade. (The material it is made of.
British oar has a ‘shaft’ between oarlock and
blade). PRAM A small boat with a transom bow.
LWL Load waterline. The design waterline
(DWL) at which the boat will float at her antic¬ PROFILE The side view of the hull.
ipated displacement.
QUARTER KNEE The knee joining the
MAST STEP see ‘STEP’. transom and gunwale.
MOULDS Temporary patterns cut to the QUARTER SAWN Technically, a log which is
shapes of the sections, set up at each sawn into quarters, with the boards roughly
station. They establish the shape of the hull as radiating out from the centre, so that as far as
the planking is laid over them. possible the annual rings run perpendicularly
across the board. In practice the sawing-
MOULDED The - perhaps variable - method is usually simplified, e.g. by starting
depth of a piece of wood, after cutting to its with two or three plain-sawn boards cut across
‘moulded’ shape; usually perpendicular to the the middle of the log.
Inin Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 169

Glossary
RABBET The line of the inboard edge of the SCULLING NOTCH A half-round opening
garboard, where it meets the keel, and the hood in the top of the transom to accept the loom of
ends of the planks meet the stem, on the out¬ a sculling oar.
board face. (Trad.: the rabbet or rebate is also
the vee-shaped cut along keel and stem into SHEER The line of the upper edge of the
which the planks are fitted). hull.
RAKE The angle off vertical of a mast, tran¬ SHEERSTRAKE The upper strake of the
som etc. Generally given in inches per foot, or planking.
mm per metre, rather than degrees, this being
easier to measure in practice. SHELL The basic hull including backbone
and planking.
RISER see ‘THWART RISER’.
SHIM A thin piece of wood (or sheet metal)
RIVET (n) A copper (or iron) nail, beaten to used to fill a gap or to separate larger mem¬
form a head over a rove. bers.
(v) To fasten planks or other members with riv¬ SIDED The thickness of a piece of timber.
ets. See also Moulded.
ROCKER The upward curve of a keel or bot¬ SKEG A roughly triangular vertical member
tom fore-and-aft. fitted below the keel, aft of amidships, to
improve directional stability and increase later¬
ROVE A slightly conical copper washer which al resistance. It usually extends to the stern,
is forced over the pointed end of a copper nail maintaining more or less the maximum depth
to form a rivet. of the keel.
RUBBER A rubbing strake, usually at the SKIN The planked surface of the hull.
gunwale, keel or bilge. Sometimes regarded as
sacrificial and replaceable. SNOTTER The line which holds and adjusts
the heel of a sprit.
RUDDER CHEEKS Pieces glued to the sides
of the upper narrower part of a one- SOFTWOOD Timber from trees having nee¬
piece rudder. These may be dimensioned or dles instead of leaves: the pines, cedars etc.
notched to take rudder fittings; they may The annual rings are usually more clearly visi¬
extend above the transom and form a slot for ble than in the hardwoods, and the wood light
the tiller. Or the sides of a pivoting rudder’s to medium in weight.
case or trunk.
SPILING Measuring the width of a plank
RUN A rather amorphous term referring to from the keel or a previous plank and thus
the form of the after part of the hull underwa¬ finding the true shape when laid flat. Often
ter. A racing dinghy has a flat run; a Colin achieved with the use of a wide batten
Archer boat a full run; a river skiff a fine run. clamped as close as it can fit to the curve which
SCANTLINGS The dimensions of pieces of is to be taken off; dividers are then used to
wood in a boat. transfer this shape to the batten. Other parts
such as floors and knees can be spiled to fit the
SCARPH/SCARF Where two pieces are planking by using a block of wood.
joined end-to-end by cutting each end to a long
straight angle, the long edge of each meeting SPILING BATTEN A flexible batten used to
the short edge of the other. The angle is usually draw a fair line from spiled marks.
about 8:1, or sometimes 10:1.
STANCHION A vertical pillar supporting a
SCULL (n) A high-performance oar used in thwart, deckbeam or other member.
racing shells.
STATIONS Vertical sections set perpendicu¬
SCULL (v) To propel a boat by means of a lar to the centreline, spaced evenly along the
single oar, worked back and forth in a sculling hull - except perhaps in the ends. The moulds
notch. (A useful technique to learn, as a boat are made to the shape of the sections at each
can be sculled in tight places where there is not station.
room for oars; also in case of losing an oar or
rowlock).
170
Glossary
STEM The foremost member of the back¬ THWART RISER A longitudinal member fit¬
bone, which the hood ends of the planks are ted inside the frames (if any) to support the
fitted to. Trad.: built in one piece, rebated for thwarts. Usually does not extend into the ends
the planking. In plywood construction: normal¬ of the hull.
ly in two parts. The inner stem or apron is bev¬
elled for the planking, which is planed flush on TOPSIDES The side of the hull above the
the forward face. The outer or false stem then waterline.
covers and protects the hood ends. It is usually
tapered forward to about 3/4 or 1” - 20 to TOISEAC (Scots Gaelic, pron. toshakh)
25mm wide in small craft. The stem of a boat. Or, the Clan chieftain. (A
non-essential item of information, but interest¬
STEMBAND A half-round or flat metal band ing .... isn’t it?)
screwed to the forward face of the
outer stem. TRANSOM The Hat stern member, which
provides the landing for the after ends of the
STEP A hardwood block fitted to the keelson strakes.
to hold the heel of the mast.
TUCK The reverse, concave, turn in the
STERNPOST A vertical centreline support lower part of a transom.
for the transom, not usually seen in plywood
construction. The ‘aft stem’ in a double-ended TUMBLE HOME The opposite of flare;
hull. when the topsides turn inboard towards the
sheer. Usually appears aft of amidships, gradu¬
STERNSHEETS The seat in the stern of a ally increasing aft, and most apparent at the
boat, usually extending to the transom. The transom.
term sometimes includes the aft side benches,
which extend the seating forward to the aft or
‘midships thwart. TURNBUTTON A small cleat, turning on a
screw, used for holding down bottom
STRAKE One length of planking, whether in boards, hatches etc. Usually of hardwood,
one or more planks. sometimes of brass.
STRETCHER A board or bar fitted

athwartships to give support for the feet of a
rower.
TEMPLATE A pattern cut from thin plywood

or board. When cut out the template is offered
up to check its fit, before it is used to shape the
actual piece to go into the boat.
TENDER (n) A small dinghy or pram belong¬

ing to a yacht, used for ferrying crew and gear.
(Clinker plywood boats are particularly good
for this purpose, because of their light weight,
and ability to withstand hot and dry, as well as
cold and wet conditions).
TENDER (adj) Lacking initial stability. (Which

does not mean unsafe; light dories and
Norwegian faerings, with low initial stability,
are extraordinarily seaworthy when properly
handled).
THOLES Removeable round or square pins

used as rowlocks.
THWART A transverse board which ties the

two sides of the boat together, usually braced
to the gunwales with knees, and used as a seat.

AFTERWORD
Six years after putting this book together, with

yet another print run coming up, I thought
there must be ways to make it better. Well, if
there are, I can’t see ’em.
Of course with every detail of a boat’s con¬

struction there are other ways to do it; one
could double the size of the book with illus¬
trating options and alternatives. But I think
such a weighty tome would be ungainly and
actually less useful.
Just one item I would like to add is this substi¬

tute for the long building frame bearers. The
boxes are easily made from 1/2” plywood, 2’
square, using the straight “factory edge” at
the top. One box can build an 8’ or 10’ boat;
two for longer hulls. The flat top is handy for
parking tools etc., and the boxes, perhaps on
edge with shelves, make handy cupboards in
between boat projects.
172
Notes
Notes
Clinker Plywood 1
Boatbuilding Manual
A fully detailed study of the methods of

**
building open boats of all types in glued
ACORN clinker - or - lapstrake construction. Also
containing much essential information
for builders of boats of any construction
or material.
A comprehensive coverage of:
* Design
v Tools & Materials
7 Glues & Finishes
* Construction
* Finishing - •
' Rigging
ACORN 13 All clearly and sympathetically

presented for inexperienced
amateur boatbuilders.
AUK
ISBN 0-937822-61-2
90000
WoodenBoat Books
P.O. Box 78, Naskeag Road
9 780937 822616
Brooklin, Maine 04616
$29.95 www.woodenboat.com

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Sausalito Public Library

420 Litho St.

Sausalito Public Library

First published 1988 in Scotland

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

Book Design: Posthouse Printing & Publishing,

Cover Design: Sally Elizabeth Bowen

Front cover image: Ness Yawl Jeanie Henderson

Printed in Canada by Friesens

After a successful career in centreboard

My grateful thanks are due to several

Sveinung Skatun and Betsy got me tied

The work of several of our best boat-

The helpful hands of Mike Hall, Mary

bundin er batlaus madur

Chapter 2: Tools Sc Materials

Chapter 3: Lining Off

Introduction to Lining Off 21

Introduction to Setting Lip 28

Chapter 8: Glossary 165

For those who do find the prospect of

I have to confess that practically all of

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 1

1-2 WHY CLINKER? frames. The result is essentially a strong, mono-

For some purposes, solid clinker plank¬

Compared with a smooth-skinned hull,

DESIGN generally built as recreational boats.

A traditional workboat type may origi¬

If a traditional design is selected, the

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 3

Although they are not clinker boats in

The Seahorse Skiff - Fig 1 -6 - is built

Aside from eliminating the fibreglass tape,

ROUND SIDED PRAMS

Precise bevels and neat fits all round

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 5

ROUND-SIDED DORY Building a hull of this type is almost as

This is basically the same system as used

John Watkinson pioneered this type of

The Ness Yawl in Fig 1-14 is an exam¬

The wide garboard or bottom panels require a CANOES

A small open canoe, like the Wee

One way in which the use of plywood

Typically, the Humble Bee Pram in Fig

The basic hull structure consists of the

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 7

DAYSAILERS BIGGER BOATS?

The exposed edges of the plywood

So far, not many boatbuilders seem

This size limitation seems, in practice,

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 9

KHAYA - a popular medium-weight

OAK - hard and strong; rather heavy

ASH - moderately heavy; very tough

HARDWOOD WYCH ELM - medium weight;

SITKA SPRUCE - specifically slow-

Iain Oughtred / Boatbuilding Manual 11

There are two ways of drying timber.

Many boatbuilders, amateur and pro¬

SEASONING The following considerations are