Finally launched

Finally got time to make a set of oars and launch the boat.  The oars turned out nice.  They're 9ft, with a nice taper, and they work well.

Wish I could say I'm as happy with the boat itself.  It's VERY tender.  I took the wife and daughter on the maiden voyage.  We rowed around for 15 minutes or so, then quit.  Besides being extremely tippy (to my eyes anyway), the oar blocks are too low for comfortable rowing.  I can't sit with my knees up and still row.  Have to stretch my legs straight out from the bench to be able to row, and that's a pain (literally...it hurts).  Either need to build a taller oar lock block, or may use an extended oar lock.  That's if I decide I can tolerate the tenderness, and right now, I'd have to say that's unlikely.



I still like the boat and am happy how it turned out, but being realistic, I don't think I'll be using it much, unless I can figure a way to deal with the feeling of instability.  Definitely tough to use as a family boat, even if I do get used to it myself. 

So, it may be going up for sale soon......



Finis

Boat is now done!

No pictures because they would be indistinguishable from the last ones. 

I will get some pics of the launch day when it happens.  Thinking about doing it on Earth Day, since the boat is about 75% recycled materials anyway, but not sure I can get enough time with the family to do it then, and I want to do a family launching. 

Now I have to think of a name....something with 'deck' in it would be appropriate given that the timber is largely reused decking.  Maybe Poop Deck or something....


More to come on launch day!!!!

Nearly done

Lots of stuff since the last update.  I've been terrible about pictures on it though. 

Boat has been flipped, seams taped and glassed, sanded several times, coated with white polyurethane.  False stems and keel strip were varnished and attached.  Boat was righted again, and varnished on the interior.  Still a couple coats to go.

Davis oarlocks are on order and should be here Wednesday.  After they get here, I'll finish the oarlock pads and install the oarlocks.  Then a bit of cleaning up on the trailer and this boat is DONE.  Feels good to be so close now.

Looks like the trailer is going to work fine!

On to sanding, filling, sanding, sanding, fiberglassing, sanding, sanding, and painting.

Been hard to get much done lately.  THis is one of the rainiest months we've had here in a long time, and work's been a b&^*$ to boot.  Frustrating to have work interfere with your one major form of stress relief from work.....anyway....

Gunwale trim is in, and I've started applying an interior finish.  The first coats are a mix of BLO, spar varnish, turpentine, and a little tung oil, along with some japan drier to set it off.  Looks pretty good.  My plan is to cover the oil base with straight satin varnish, and gloss varnish for the seats and rails.  Outside will be all white paint.

 

 

The gunwales turned out OK.  This shot shows the cover strips I put in my last post.  The are now glued in and smoothed into the outwales.  

Next up is moving into the garage to begin finishing off the exterior.  I plan to go over all the seams with fiberglass tape.  Then I'll move to paint.  Then the bottom rub strips willl go on.  Then some oarlock pads, and finally, the last coats of varnish will have it finished. 

Thwarts are in.

Weather has been crappy, so tough to get much done.  I did manage to get the 4 seats in place.  After putting the risers in, I realized there was an unfair spot at the ends.  So I loosened up the risers, put the outwales on, and reset the risers.  That faired it right back up.  Turns out the risers were strong enough to pull the sides in a bit, pulling a couple of spots out of line.  Anyway, here are the pics with the seats and outwales installed.  I also have some breasthooks cut to cover the ends of the stems, but they will go on at a later time.

I'm not planning to put inwales on the boat, but I am going to cover up this plywood edge...

 ...with a piece of trim wood.  This will go right along the tops of the outwales, essentially turning them into a rabbeted outwale, to cover the ply edges. 

Next I need to round off the frame tops, fit the breasthooks into place, and do some glue clean up.  After that, I'll be ready to move the boat indoors where I can flip it and apply some polyurethane paint to the bottom!!! 

seat risers

Seat risers are in

Slightly tricky trying to clamp them in.  The wood is pretty stiff, so it needed some clamping pressure.  How to clamp them though?  Could try to wedge them in with a stick against the other side, or I could use these handle little 3-way clamps.  But, how do you get the clamping pressure over the frame?

Mark I: scrap of wood to bridge the gap.  Works OK, but if you have to crank up the pressure too much, the angle of the block makes the riser wood want to squirt out. 

 Mark II: Modify scrap.  This little offset foot should help spread the pressure and get things flattened out.  The cutout matches the thickness of the riser board.

Mark II in action.  Worked great.  These shots are for reference, and were taken after all the installation was done.  But you get the idea.  Note: if using such clamps, make sure you don't put the clamp pads too close to the riser wood before you cinch them down.  Otherwise, it's somewhat possible that maybe you might just not have enough room on the throw of the clamp levers to untighten enough to remove the clamp.....Not that it happened to me, mind you, but I can see how it would be possible....ya know, hypothetically....

Just got done planing some boards to glue together for the thwarts.  Would be easier to go buy a 10" board, but I still have LOTs of cool mahogany 3" boards, so why not....?  Should have enough of them glued up to install some seats by next weekend or so (clamp and space limited).

Frames are done.

Got the rest of the frames cut and installed today.  Here's an overhead shot.  Pretty cool.  LOTs of sticks in there. 

 Just an updated shot of the side view.  Last picture from this angle still had some excess wood at the stems.

And here is the Mark I frame layout mundingus.  One piece of luan doorskin for each pertinent angle needing to be cut.....

...and assembled thusly with clamps at each frame location.  Once secured, I just laid them on top of each frame and traced the cuts.  

Frames

Since last post, I've also trimmed the sheer and gotten the last few butt blocks in at the ends where the small side splices are.  Gardner didn't mention blocks there, because they are so close to the ends and are supported by the gunwale and stem.  But he also intended this boat to be built by kids for immediate use and unspecified lifetime.  I just couldn't leave it that way, but I doubt he'd have disapproved of what I did. 

Got some frames in place today.  Per Gardner's instructions, there are 13 per side!  I definitely wanted them all becuase I reduced the side scantlings to 1/4 v. the 3/8 he specified (bottom is unmodified at 3/8).  Mine are a touch deeper, but also out of stock slightly narrower, so I think it washes out.  I also used a tapered frame, where his specified straight, and mine are equal depth at the narrow end, so I've added some "meat" at the fat end of the taper.  Wood glue and 4 ring nails per frame hold them on.

 He also specified that the frames just rest on the chine pieces.  Again though, kids were building this.  That would have been much simpler.  I had the time, so why not make em a bit pertier?  I've modified them to notch around the chine.  Per some good advice received from another Coot, I've not gone with a bottom frame.  Gardner didn't want them and they don't appear necessary.

Next post I'll show my frame layout jig I've been using.  It's been working well.  I can mark and cut all 13 frames in about one hour or so, and they all fit at least as well as the one in this photo.  Ran out of time today on frame 7 on the other side.  So 6 more to cut, then nail em in.  Should be done mid-day tomorrow, then I can move onto the seat risers. 

BTW, anyone in Portland area that is looking for boat fasteners - here's what I know (now):

1. Wink's has bronze screws and bronze ring nails in all necessary sizes.  Not cheap, but they have them.  They are NOT open on weekends.
2. If you need said hardware on weekends, you can get stainless ring nails via West Marine ($$$$$), and Parkrose Hardware apparently carries some SS, bronze, and copper ring nails, but didn't have my sizes in stock when I called.
3. Ordering all that hardware online is much cheaper, but the shipping seems to cost as much as the items, so buy more than you think you'll need, because you will need them, and the shipping for two orders just ain't worth it.  Then you end up driving around town on a weekend and shelling out 15$ for 30 SS ringnails at West Marine so you can take advantage of the one nice day we've had this winter...I'm just sayin....

Happy New Year!!

For celebration, I finished up the bottom on the bateau. 

Bottom (3/8 marine) on, but not yet trimmed flush.

Bottom and stem overlaps both flushed up.  Still need to trim to sheerline on the front and back panels (will do that once it's flipped so I can eyeball the whole sheer at once.

And one end on shot.  Skinny and pointy.  Love the flare in the sides!!!

Next up, turning, then start on frames inside.