“I can honestlv sav my next boat will be better for having read this book.

That’s how good this book is.

deserves to become a classic." —Gavin Atkin, Duckworks Magazine

3 1223 08667 7193

BOATBUILDING
FOR BEGINNERS
(AND BEYOND)

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

TO BUILD A SAILBOAT, A ROWBOAT,
A MOTORBOAT, A CANOE, AND MORE!

SIZE
Jim Michalak
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALYSSUM PlLATO

“Basic boatbuilding, basic boats, a comprehensive guide—from the history of boatbuilding through making sails. —WoodenBoat M ne
 OCT 02 2009

FOR BEGINNERS

(AND BEYOND)
FOR BEGINNERS
(AND BEYOND)

Jim Michalak
with illustrations by
Alyssum Pilato

BREAKAWAY BOOKS
HALCOTTSVILLE, NY
2 0 0 2
 Boatbuilding for Beginners (and Beyond): Everything You Need to Know to Build a Sailboat, a Rowboat, a Motorboat, a Canoe, and More

Copyright © 2002 by Jim Michalak

Pencil drawings by Alyssum Pilato. Schematics and graphs by Jim Michalak.

ISBN: 1-891369-29-6

Library of Congress Control N umber: 2001095146

Published by Breakaway Books

P.O. Box 24
Halcottsville, NY 12438
(800) 548-4348
www.breakawaybooks.com

You may build from the plans included in this book, but because they needed to be reduced so much to fit on
these pages, some dimensions may be difficult to read. You may order full-sized blueprints from the designer, and
we encourage you to do so. Contact him for a price list. His plans are all remarkably inexpensive.
Or visit www.Duckworksmagazine.com, where orders for Jim Michalak’s designs can be placed online. The
designer’s address:

Jim Michalak
118 East Randle Street
Lebanon, 1L 62254
e-mail: michalak@apci.net

THIRD PRINTING, NOVEMBER 2006

3 1223 08667 7193

1
 5

Contents

A Brief Overview of Building a Simple Boat — 6

Publisher’s Introduction — 7

Wooden Boat History — 9

Choosing a Design — 15
Materials and Tools — 21

Building Your Boat — 29

The Sailing Bits — 39

Making a Set of Oars — 55
Making Sails — 59
Making a Polytarp Sail — 63
Rigging a Lugsail — 66

Some Other Simple Boats:

Piragua — 72
QT Skiffs - 74
Jonsboat — 78
A Taped-Seam Boat — 83
Robote — 87

Using Your Boat

Rowing — 91
Sailing for Nonsailors: Theory — 96
Sailing for Nonsailors: Doing It — 99
Using a Powerboat — 107
Thoughts About the Weather — 112
Capsize Recovery — 117
Emergency Flotation — 119
Hatches and Vents — 123
Cartopping Boats — 127
Boat Trailers — 130

Appendices
Powerboat Math — 137
Sail Area Math — 142
Joining Plywood Sheets: Butt Straps and Scarfing Methods — 145
Bevels — 151
Resources (Websites, Materials Suppliers, Further Reading) — 153
More Designs — 159
6
A Brief Overview of Building a Simple Boat

1. Buy plywood, 1x4s, wood glue, nails, and screws at the lumberyard.
Order some epoxy and fiberglass from the sources listed in the Appendices.

2. Using the measurements from the plans,

cut the wood for the sides, frames, and bulkheads.

3. Attach the sides to the middle frame.

4. Pull in the ends with rope, attach the sides to the

bulkheads and frames all the way out to the ends:
the stem and the transom.

5. Glue and screw on the chine logs.

6. Glue and screw on the gunwales.

7. Turn the boat over, lay plywood over the bottom, trace out the shape, and
cut it to fit. Glue and screw the bottom to the chine logs.

At this point, you have a very basic boat. It will float if you put it in the water.
It may not look like Donald Trump’s yacht, but for the proud first-time
boatbuilder, it will be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

The finishing takes longer than the starting, though. What remains:

8. Attaching your lower and upper leeboard guards.

9. Applying epoxy and fiberglass to the chines, and,

if you wish, over the whole bottom.

10. Lots of sanding.

11. Painting the hull.

12. Attaching decking and making hatches.

(If you’re making a rowboat, you’re done!)

13. Making the tiller, rudder, and leeboard.

14. Making a sail. (Often best to do this part first.)

15. Making mast, yard, and boom.

16. Getting it all rigged up and put together.

It takes time, probably 60 to 90 hours of work for Mayfly,

depending on your level of skill. Smaller boats, like Piragua, can
be completed in a weekend. But it’s all time well and enjoyably
spent, and this sort of project can be done in increments of an
hour here and a few minutes there, as you have spare time.
Many builders admit they like building boats as much as rowing or sailing them.
 7
Publisher’s Introduction

My initial instruction came from Harold Payson’s

I grew up near the ocean, and always had an admiration
excellent book Build the New Instant Boats. I highly recom¬
for boats, and a love of doing things myself. But it wasn’t
mend it. But that volume doesn’t give details of howr to
until a few years ago, in my mid-30s and living far from
make your own sail, or oars, and a number of other
the sea, that I came across a reference to home boatbuild¬
things. So when, in the course of my wild boat-obsession,
ing. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of it, but this time
I finally found Jim Michalak designing easy-to-build
something clicked. Once I learned that boatbuilding was
boats, much in the style of the great Phil Bolger (whose
not an impossibly complicated art reserved only for
boats are featured in the Payson book), I asked Jim if he
godlike craftsmen, I was hooked. Now, there is a level of
would write a complementary book for beginners, cover¬
boatbuilding reserved for godlike craftsmen, and their
ing a few of his designs, giving basic building instruc¬
boats are wonders to behold, but there’s another equally
tions, and adding in the sail-making, oar-building, and
worthy level, for beginners, for anyone who wants a boat.
other extras. His tips on trailering, cartopping, motors,
Possibly it will be unadorned and a little rough around
sails, hatches, flotation, rowing technique, sailing basics,
the edges, but it’s a boat, and it will take you over the
and even watching the weather are all eye-openers, yet
water, soon, with joy in your heart.
profoundly sensible.
I was obsessed. I dreamt about boats night and day. I
His pivoting leeboard is a bit unusual for most of us
built five boats in three years. Many more are coming,
brought up to expect a daggerboard or centerboard in
big and small. I’m learning more complicated tech¬
sailboats, but the ingenuity of this design becomes
niques, and I study WoodenBoat magazine regularly, but
apparent quickly when you sail a boat with one. The
I suspect no boat will ever bring me the extraordinary
cockpit is big and open, uncluttered by a centerboard
pleasure that my first boat, a Bolger Windsprint, did. I case. The board pivots up on its own when you sail onto
now have the excessive zeal of the convert. I tell friends a beach or go over a sandbar, or clunk into a submerged
and strangers alike: “Build a boat. It will change your life!” log, so you are spared those frantic moments of trying
You can build one, too. Now. Starting today. You to go forward to haul up your daggerboard while still
need just a saw, some wood glue, a drill, and a bit of steering and handling the sheet.
focus and determination. The plywood anti lumber are Likewise, the weighted kick-up rudder is a marvel of
available at any lumberyard. You can make a simple practicality. It not only pops up when it needs to, with
canoe in just a weekend (see Piragua in this book) or no effort on the part of the sailor, but it also puts itself
you can work for a few weeks (or months, depending down automatically, making those first moments of
on how much free time you have) and make a fine sailing off a beach or out of a launching area much
sailboat, outfitted with a sail and oars you made yourself. easier. You won’t have to handle sail and steer straight
These boats are great family projects. Mom or Dad while attempting to reach over the transom to push
can handle the few nasty tasks (circular saw, epoxy) if down your rudder.
necessary, but kids of nearly any age will delight in Jim’s focus on watertight compartments with access
hammering nails, applying wood glue, tightening a bolt through hatches is extremely valuable, making a safe
here, a screw there, sanding, paintingjla huge favorite small boat, capable of being self-rescued if necessary,
with my four-year-old daughter), or any of the dozens of while affording much handy stowage room for extra
little jobs involved—and watching a boat emerge from a clothes, picnic lunches, etc.
pile of wood. Scout troops and school shop classes can Jim has even more information on his extensive
take on a boat project for the skills to be learned and, website, like the essay on tabernacles, or the one on
of course, the boat waiting to be used at the end. It will jiffy-reefing systems, that aren’t in this book. I encour¬
be a source of recreation, learning, and immense pride age you to visit the site at:
for all involved. http://homepages.apci.net/ michalak/
The feeling of sailing or paddling a boat you made and explore other boatbuilding sites on the web. See
yourself is unlike anything else: There’s pride of crafts¬ the Appendices for a list of some of them.
manship, an amazement that this gorgeous boaty shape I hope the boats in this book bring you much joy, in
was made by your hands, and the primitive sense that the building and in the boating. Your life will never be
you have built something that will transport you over the same.
another element. The horizon beckons. The world is Finally, a note on pronunciation: Michalak is pro¬
yours. The sense of self-reliance found in building a boat nounced like “metallic” but with a “k” instead of a “t.”
carries over to many other areas of life. And these boats
are particularly satisfying because you can make them for Garth Battista, Publisher, Breakaway Books
a fraction of the cost of buying a new factory-made boat. June 2002
 9

Wooden Boat History pine tree roots, as I recall, dug by hand from a
hillside. Pine tar to seal the seams was a problem
until he found that only for a brief time each year
do the trees give off the tar, and then it is copious.
Boats weren’t always as easy to make as they are Anyway, the canoe was built and taken on a voyage
today. I’m going to try to briefly explain the differ¬ the length of the Connecticut River.
ent ways in which wooden boats have been built. Skin boats were also built by old cultures. The
Eskimo skin boats are widely copied in fiberglass
The Ancients these days, their shape still the ideal for the job. In
Europe skin-covered coracles were paddled, and in

Way back in prehistory small boats were made Ireland the skin currach was used in the open sea. I

as dugouts. A large log was whittled down to the visited Ireland in 1980; tarred canvas was used in

shape of a boat and used as such. It’s still being place of skin but the basic boat was the same. (One

done in parts of the world, although today’s dug- fine old fellow was experimenting with 1/8" plywood

outs can have big gasoline horsepower clamped to over the wooden frame with taped seams.)

the stem and might be made with chain saws. All the boats mentioned so far were made with

Imagine carving a boat from a solid tree with Stone no nails, screws, bolts, or glue. Imagine building a

Age tools! I suppose a boat made that way was quite large wooden boat that way. The Egyptians did it!

a valuable thing. Fifty years ago archaeologists found near King

Native Americans made canoes of wooden Cheops’s tomb a sealed stone cellar containing the

framework covered with bark. The canoe that you makings of a ship. The ship was built about 2500

buy today at the discount store is an aluminum or B.C. Not only is it the oldest ship ever found, it is

plastic copy of those old canoes—the shape and size perfectly preserved! They thought it might have

are the same. The bark canoes were probably been the very boat that brought the king’s mummy

lighter than most modern ones but more fragile. I to its tomb. Then it was disassembled and stored.
Sort of a kit boat, the first known and 143 feet long
think the French voyageurs of old used very large
bark canoes. They had speed and ability and when assembled. No, the king never got around to

knowledge to take them on incredible trips includ¬ building his kit boat in his afterlife.
The Egyptian boat was built, they say, from the
ing down the Mississippi River, and back to Cana¬
outside in. The large cedar planks were shipped in
da. Perhaps on the old river, with no wing dams or
from Lebanon and carved to shape to fit together
barge traffic, it was possible to canoe against the
as a shell. How to join the planks without fasteners
Mississippi current, but today the upriver trip is
or glue? They used pegs to join the planks edge to
strictly the realm of powerboats—the current at St.
edge and then tied them together like this (some of
Louis is said to run up to 10 knots.
the 4,500-year-old lashings were still in place):
Bark canoes are still made by the wonderful
tradition-minded folks who try to keep this knowl¬
edge alive and very real. I suppose most would use
steel-edged tools, but remember that the real old
ones were made with stone tools. There’s a book
called The Voyage of the Ant. What a wonderful
story! The author, James Dina, set out to make a
bark canoe using Stone Age tools that he also made
himself. He gathered the rock for the tools and
chipped them to shape. He found the limit of a
stone ax was just a small tree, about 3 inches in
diameter. He was told by experts that the birch
trees needed for suitable bark were no longer to be
found in Connecticut, but a few trips through the
woods found plenty. It was all sewn together with
io BOATSVILDING FOR BEGINNERS ( A N I) BEYOND)

Note that the lashings were invisible from the parts are all fastened with big nails or wooden pegs
outside. They say that ribs were fitted after the shell (tree nails or trunnles) in addition to being
was complete and lashed in place, but the boat had notched together in about every way. Lots of mus¬
nothing like a keel. cle and expertise are required. Then the hull is
Sometimes Egyptian ships are depicted with a planked up. The boards next to the keel and stem
system of stiffening that has a huge twisted rope and stern fit into notches, and all the planking is
running over beams above the deck that pulls up fastened to the framework. But the individual
on the stem and stern, placing the entire hull in planks are not fastened to each other edge to edge.
compression and bending. I don’t think the The seams between are usually not totally water¬
Cheops boat had or needed that system, but any tight, and the joint is filled with compounds like
planked boat that does not lock adjacent planks cotton and tar. When the boat is launched it may
together edge to edge can have problems with leak until the wood swells and closes the leaky
warpage over time where the bow and stern droop. seam. The planks then press against each other and
The process is called “hogging,” and the twisted are compressed. The ribs they are fastened to are
rope would serve to stop it. then under tension; the forces can be so great that
the ribs snap, or the fasteners break at the turn of
the bilge and allow the planks to pop loose and
feracing Synefirocs Seen On Anatni SlnipS
bulge outward. It is a lot like a barrel with the
hoops inside instead of outside.

I think the system of lashing planks together was

also used in Chinese junk construction. The pro¬
cess impressed Marco Polo so little when he saw
them in Arabia that he decided to walk to China
instead! And the lashing system was used in Middle
East dhow construction until quite recently—and
may be in use still in some places.
Boats of the Romans and Greeks are being
found all the time, sometimes in very good condi¬
tion for wooden objects thousands of years old.
Construction was of shaped planks fitted over a In some ways the carvel boat is similar to the
keel with ribs, a construction that is used to this reed boats of the ancients. The boards can in time
day. This is usually called carvel planking. Here is slide edge to edge and the hull lose its rigidity and
how it works. lose shape. I suppose the Egyptian rope and post
A skeleton of the boat is made with keel, stem method fought that tendency. Ships of the past few
and stern pieces, and lots of ribs. Most of this centuries, like the USS Constitution, have changed
lumber is stout stuff, and in the old days it was shape in this way, and tricks are used in rebuilding
hewn out of big logs with axes and adzes. Today to bring them back into shape. I think the Constitu¬
that work might be done with chain saws. The tion was blocked up in drydock until it was straight
 WOODEN BOAT HISTORY 11

and then given elaborate (very modern) diagonal square. Twice as many sticks are required, of
braces to keep it straight. course, but now he can put long narrow nails along
Another trick seen is the use of a second layer of the edges and lock each stick to its neighbor. This
planking that might be parallel or diagonal to the is usually called “strip planking.” As the builder
first. You can imagine how rigid the result is. But works he can seal the joints with sealant or even
in the days before modern glues and sealants you epoxy. He may not have to bevel any edges since his
might think it would be a rot problem. Even with thick sealant should keep water out and the nails
today’s materials it might be a rot problem. ensure that the joints won’t flex. A boat built this
Carvel construction is still in use today. An way becomes a monocoque—essentially one solid
experienced builder can work to almost any shape piece—and may not need the usual ribs or frames
with fairly cheap materials. (You woulci think that to keep its strength. Indeed, I’ve seen in Phil
his wood is not as good as his grandfather’s, but his Bolger’s books this plan done with no ribs or
glues, fasteners, and sealants are better.) Smaller internal framing when the hull is built. Instead the
modern carvel boats often have small ribs that are shaping molds are external and the strips laid in¬
not carved to shape. Instead the keel and forms are side the molds. Large boats can be done this way.
set up to make a skeleton or mold of the boat.
Wood planks called ribbands are fastened to the
form to flesh out the shape, but unlike the final
planking the ribbands are spaced well apart and
not permanent. Then the ribs, which might be
something like 1 VY-square green oak, are steamed
to a great degree of flexibility and quickly forced to
shape inside the skeleton. When they cool and dry
they take the shape permanently, no carving re¬
quired. They say the right man with the right wood
and the right steam box can rib out a fairly large
boat in less than a day. But the ribs of the big old
ones like the Constitution were more or less hand
carved out of trees by strong talented men with Now imagine strip planking done on a small
axes. The ribs are so large and close together on boat, say a 15-foot canoe. The strips are V4" thick
some boats that they are almost solid wood before and 1" wide laid over a skeleton mold. The strips
the planking goes on. With the planking on, the are glued edge to edge as the building goes but no
walls might be 2 feet thick. It boggles the mind. But nails are used—the strips are too thin for that.
that was big-bucks shipyard construction for hun¬ Instead the strips are aligned to each other with
dreds of years. common small staples until the glue sets. Almost
By the way, carvel boats rely on swelling of the
wood to seal all those seams, so they may not make
good trailer boats. They need to stay wet to stay
tight.

Modern Carvel Planking?

Here are some modern changes in use to carvel

planking:
Imagine a hull designed to be planked up with
lumber IVY thick and 3" wide, carvel style. The
planks are not joined edge to edge with each other
as in the old style. Now a new builder comes along
and planks the same shape but with lumber 1VY
12 BOATBUILDING FOB BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

any shape can be done this way due to the flexibil¬ called “clinker” or “lapstrake” or “shiplap.” They
ity of the strips. After the glue sets the (thousands had great long straight trees to work with, and they
of) staples are removed and the surface sanded. split the boards out of the log instead of sawing or
Then the inner and outer surfaces are given a layer chopping. They had iron nails, too. The clinker
of fiberglass set in epoxy for protection and boats had planks that fastened by partially overlap¬
strength. Boats built this way can be very beautiful ping each other and were nailed together along their
since the wood will show nicely through the glass entire length. So each plank was fastened edge to
coatings. They can be very light. In the early days of edge, unlike with camel planking. One of my old
this sort of building polyester resins were used books says there were ribs lashed to the outer plank¬
instead of epoxy and ordinary white glue used to ing, but smaller boats built this way can often omit
secure the joints. None of these materials are the ribs. And the planking was bent to shape and
“waterproof’ by commercial standards, but they was lighter than anything the carvel boats of the
worked fairly well since the boats were stored in¬ time used, so the entire boat was much lighter. Add
doors and got only occasional use in the water. to that a long fast shape and the Vikings had boats
You can carry this method a step farther with that were light years ahead of the competition.
many layers of glass inside and out to get a true It turns out that lapstrake construction predates
composite sandwich hull. The next step would be iron nails. Archaeologists have found lapstrake
to use waterproof foam instead of wood to get a boats that were sewn together with tree roots and
really high-tech nonwooden boat. had no use of iron at all. Indeed, the “sewn lap¬
Here is another modem take on carvel construc¬ strake” technology is said to have continued into
tion: Remember the double-planked carvel hull the 1950s in northern Russia. And no saws or files
where a second planking layer is placed over the first were used since they are more or less modern
at a diagonal angle to get rigidity? That can be done technology. A knowledgeable fellow would go into
today over a skeleton form using very thin veneers the woods with an ax, knife, and drill and come out
of wood several inches wide, the veneers glued to¬ with a lapstrake boat! Looking at the evidence
gether with thickened epoxy. It becomes sort of like leaves you with the impression that the old technol¬
custom-shaped plywood when done. There is very ogy was high technology in its own way.
little need for internal ribs and such, since the result
is a monocoque. This is usually called “cold mold¬
ing.” The method was once called the “Ashcroft
method” after the man who popularized it way back
in the days before waterproof glue. I recall seeing a
World War I Albatross airplane at a museum once
and suspect its fuselage was made this way. Indeed
Fasteners lock each
I’m nearly positive that Lockheed used the system in
planK ta i+S neighbor
the early days of aviation but “hot molded” the
wood in a female mold shaped to the fuselage. I
suppose from there you can substitute glass and
resin for the wood and glue and get today’s modem
fiberglass hull, but the wood part made in the same
moled would by nature be lighter and stiffen
If you really care to read up on carvel planking
you might start with Howard Chapelle’s great book To my mind the clinker boats of the Vikings are
Boatbuilding. still in most ways the optimum type of wooden
boat. Since the planks overlap a fair amount, fussy
Enter the Vikings edge-to-edge fitting is not required except near the
ends of the hulls where all those overlapping
planks still need to fit into the stem and stern posts
Over 1,000 years ago a new type of construction
and the keel. That is where the expertise is needed,
appeared in the lands of the Vikings. Today it is
 WOOIIEM BOAT HISTORY 13

and special tools, too, such as planes with cutting immovable—that is, you have a concrete floor and
blades on their corners instead of on the center you don’t want to set anchor bolts into it.
face of the bottom. And a clinker boat is usually Those problems were solved long ago with what
sprung over a form, although I’ve read that experi¬ is often called the “flatiron skiff.” I know that
enced builders can build one by eye without a flatiron skiffs were common 100 years ago, but I
form. Today’s clinker builder might use plywood doubt if they go back much beyond 200 years
planks, less likely to split than solid wood, and because they require cheap wide flat boards and
might glue it all together with epoxy and omit the good nails.
nails. The concept behind the flatiron skiff is totally
Clinker boats don’t rely on staying wet to stay the opposite of the previous methods. In all of the
tight. So they make good trailer boats. Many ply¬ previous methods the planking is fitted to take the
wood clinker boats were mass produced in the shape of the hull. In a flatiron skiff the planks are
1940s, ’50s, and ’60s right up to the total accep¬ shaped first, and the hull takes a shape determined
tance of fiberglass hulls. by the planks. In the past flatiron skiffs could be
One of the best books on the clinker subject I either ugly and crude if the builder had no experi¬
have seen is Tom Hill’s book Ultralight Boatbuilding. ence, or pretty and refined if the builder had pol¬
He presents a method of cutting the bevels for the ished his ideas with several boats or was very lucky
lapped joints that is both very quick and under¬ with the first ones. Also in the old days the flatiron
standable. Another good read on the subject is Iain skiff was indeed shaped like an old-fashioned flat
Oughtred’s Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual. iron—pointy bow, squared stern, and a wide flat
bottom.

Enter the Flatiron Skiff

All of the techniques discussed earlier for build¬

ing wooden boats relied on a skeleton or form of
the boat around which the parts of the boat were
fitted and assembled. Usually in small boats the
forms are set up on a ladderlike base, the forms
spaced every 2 or 3 feet mounted perpendicular to
A flatiron skiff isn’t built around a solid form.
the base and very carefully leveled and aligned. The
Instead the side planks are first cut to shape and
stem and stern and keel pieces are also carefully
bent around bulkheads or frames, which may or
made and notched and rabbeted, etc., and at¬
may not be temporary. All of these elements are
tached to the base with precise alignment before
defined in the plans so there should be little or no
the planking goes on. The smaller boats are usually
trial-and-error fitting. Once these basic elements
built upside down. Larger boats were usually made
have been assembled the boat’s shape has been
rightside up starting with the keel and everything
totally defined although the rest of the boat such as
else carefully erected on top of it. The base and
the bottom or decks will need proper fitting. The
forms need to be rock solid, and once you start the
assembly need not be built on a rock solid base
project it is hard to relocate. For some boats the
provided care is taken to see that it is straight and
lumber in the base and forms will exceed the lum¬
untwisted at every stage of construction. Usually
ber that actually ends up in the hull. If the boat is
boats like this are built over simple saw horses as
to be mass-produced, the form can be used over
you see in most of these photos. Larger ones are
and over again.
often built propped a few inches off the floor.
Now imagine that you are building just one
Often nothing need be leveled. Usually the best
boat—very common for amateurs. And imagine
way to maintain alignment is with a string or
that you have no place to build where you can place
straightedge to keep the centerlines of the forms all
a form immovable for months as you work in your
in a row, thus keeping the hull straight, and by
spare time. Or imagine that you have no surface
eyeballing to see that the tops of the forms are all
that will easily accept a form that should be
14 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AN® BETONI)

parallel, thus keeping the hull untwisted. In taped-seam construction, the side, bilge, and
Howard Chapelle in his great book Boatbuilding bottom panels are held together with strips of
gives the flatiron skiff a single page’s essay, actually fiberglass saturated with wet epoxy, and edge-to-
one long paragraph, in a book over 600 pages long, edge fitting can be far less precise than with a
you can feel what he thought of the method in “glue-and-nail” boat. In fact, small gaps are pre¬
1941. He says, “It is obvious, then, that this ferred. When the epoxy sets, the joint is rock solid,
method is not suited for amateur building, except and the edges are all sealed from the water.
in the roughest and most hurried construction.” Modern computers and programs can expand
But then he finished that paragraph with a com¬ desired hull shapes in an instant to a degree of
ment that became the future: “It should be added, accuracy that boggles the mind. Indeed, you could
however, that in some cases it is possible to build even survey the lines of a lapstrake boat like a
from a design by this method, if the shape of the Viking boat, punch the offsets into a computer
sections permits the expansion of the side planks program, and have it direct a machine to cut out
or if a half-model is made by which the sides may every plank in the hull in gigantic sheets of ply¬
be expanded to scale.” wood and make a brand-new Viking boat. But you
I don’t know if Chapelle lived to see the develop¬ see how technology can also change boatbuilding
ment of “instant” boats by Payson and Bolger. from an art into tedium. I’m reminded of my first
They went public with the method by the 1970s year at the missile company at a time when comput¬
although others like William Jackson had used the ers were replacing hand calculations and all the
method in popular magazines much earlier. In¬ judgments that went with them. As I pored over
stant boats are flatiron skiffs with more modern the latest printouts with Ron who had started
materials, in particular with lumberyard plywood. before computers, he commented, “We’re not en¬
And perhaps World War II had its effects here too, gineers anymore. The computer has turned us into
both in making the materials more common and bookkeepers.”
also in making the drafting techniques needed to So modern techniques have ended the worries
expand the panels more common. After all, big that Chapelle had about building a boat in the
ships were being mass-produced and not by the cut- flatiron style. I would think that today any shape
and-fit methods of the 1800s. that can be done in plywood can be prefabricated
So in a way there was a total change in home- to shapes figured on the drawing board and built
built boats in a 30-year span. In the messabouts we without a solid building form. What started with
have had here in the Midwest over the past ten flatiron skiffs now includes prams, dories, flat bot¬
years there have been very few conventionally built toms, V bottoms, and multichines so numerous
boats, although those that are made so are often that the end result is a round-bottomed boat! Of
works of art. course, the expansions can get tedious even by
One might argue that traditional methods pro¬ computer and a fellow might eventually reach a
duce better boats because they allow a lot more point where he says, “Hey, this would have been
variations in hull shaping. True. But the flatiron easier building over a form like Chapelle did.” And
“instant” method is catching up rapidly for two if the complexity gets really great, the boat becomes
reasons. One is that new materials continue to a jigsaw puzzle instead of a painting.
appear that allow the builder even more latitude So we’ve arrived today, after all the hard work of
in shaping. The obvious example here is the use the Egyptians, the Vikings, and innumerable boat-
of taped seams to replace the bevels, which can be wrights through the ages, at materials and methods
tricky in some situations, even in flatiron con¬ that allow the average man or woman to build a
struction. simple boat in the backyard.
 15

that scene. I don’t see how anyone has a right to

force folks to be avid boaters.
By the way, the makers of conventional power¬

CHOOSING boats can go to great lengths to keep the family

occupied in a comfortable way. They have big
A DESIGN cushy seats with a drink holder for each hand. They
have built-in stereo systems and hot and cold run¬
ning water. The potty problem hasn’t really been
solved in smaller boats but they try with potties
crammed here and there. I saw a small pontoon

Always Choose a Boat for Yourself boat at a dealership with a large sofa in the stern.
The salesman demonstrated that by lifting one end
If there is one bit of advice I can give to the it stood up on the other end and became an out¬
potential boatbuilder (or buyer), it is to always house! Getting Aunt Bea to use it is another prob¬
choose a boat for yourself, not for your family or lem. But these boats are sold as family
your friends. Sound pretty selfish? entertainment, and you might have to do similar
From my personal boat experience, especially things to keep your family involved.
from seeing many, many boats at marinas, I can tell So here is how I think you should approach the
you that no matter what the boat’s size or style, problem. Always choose a boat so you can use it by
about half of the boats in use have solo skippers yourself and in the way you want to use it.
and maybe a quarter have one extra crew member.
The big boats at the marinas often, perhaps usually, Match Your Boat to Your Waters
couldn’t go out because their skippers couldn’t
find enough crew. At one marina we had a group Give some thought to getting a boat that
of a few dozen oldsters who all had their own big matches your local waters. There was a racing sail¬
boats. They went sailing every Wednesday, but not boat at the local lake with an 11-foot draft. At the
each in his own boat. By grouping three or four in best of times half the lake was too shallow for it. If
a boat, they could all go sailing but of course only we had a dry spell it couldn’t leave its slip.
a fraction of their boats got wet. And if they hadn’t On the other hand, that boat might be the best
been so organized their boats would have seen even for big open and deep waters where boats ideal for
less use. shallow waters, like jonboats, skiffs, and sharpies,
We also had a lot of “family” boats in the harbor take a real beating in big seas.
but I suppose on a good summer weekend about Canoes and pirogues are good in swamps and
10 percent of them actually went out with the creeks with no current, bad in big open water. A
family. good rowboat or kayak can go (with practice) into
Here’s the deal—not too many folks really want bigger waters and for long distance if it isn’t too
to experience tough yohoho sailing or challenging windy and you are in good physical shape. Small
the elements in the way we see in the magazines. sailboats are mostly for open lakes and inlets, use¬
And when you choose a design to build, you less in a river with current. Rivers with current
shouldn’t have in mind one of those “charter in usually mean a powerboat or a one-way trip
paradise” dreams. If you do and get a big sailboat (downstream).
with room to sleep six and standing headroom, etc.
I’d say there is at least a 90 percent chance that
The Size of Things
after the first year (or month) you will not be using
the boat regularly because you can’t find a mini¬
Little boats like an 8-foot dinghy can have their
mum crew. Yes, there are exceptions.
advantages. The tiny dinghy weighs about 60
Not only will you end up with a boat you can’t
pounds and is easily cartopped and handled by one
use, but you might put a lot of pressure on loved
person. You can row two in it, but sailing two
ones who really don’t want to be a regular part of
16 B04TBVI1DI16 FOB BEGIKNEB§ ( A If I) BEYOND)

adults is probably not a good idea on a regular I haven’t designed any elaborate kayaks because
basis. However if you want to sail two adults once there are already so many good ones out there.
or twice a year you can get away with it assuming They can be very fast and seaworthy in the right
you are not really trying to get somewhere. These hands, but I’m pretty sure it takes real training to
are cheap easy projects, very good for beginners. I develop the right hands. Me, I’m a poor swimmer
always encourage a new builder to get started with and never had the desire to learn how to roll a
a smaller project. You can practice with techniques capsized kayak, nor the desire to be trapped under¬
and materials you might want for your larger neath one. So I kept my Piragua open so I could fall
dream. The small first project will almost never be out of it if it went over. Remember: Any small open
wasted—even after you go to a larger boat you will boat is useless when swamped—you can’t rescue the
use the tiny one again and again. boat without help. Stay close to shore. Or build in
enough flotation to make self-rescue possible—and
practice self-rescue.

A Step Larger

Let’s now move up to a larger boat like a 12-foot

row/sailboat shown here. This boat is easily used
solo and yet will handle two medium-sized adults.
Two big adults would max it out. A boat like this
stripped will weigh about 100 pounds and that is
about the most you can cartop. You lift it to the
cartop one end at a time so you never lift more
than about fifty pounds. It’s sort of interesting that
Moby Dink
when I draw something like this I have the weight
limit always in mind; and it seems like the custom¬
About at the same level of effort and cost are
ers seldom have that in mind. If you overbuilt a
small canoes like Piragua shown later in this book.
boat like this and added 50 pounds (easy to do), I
The boating in a pirogue or canoe can be a lot
think you have negated the main reason for build¬
different than boating in a dinghy. Piragua will
ing it—that it’s light enough to cartop easily.
paddle (some training required) perhaps 30 per¬
cent faster than the dinghy will row. But it will be
wetter and you will need to be more nimble to use
it. You couldn’t use it as a dink for a large boat
because you can’t climb into it safely from a larger
boat, you seldom can take anyone large with you,
and there is little room for the dog and groceries.

Piragua Piccup Pram

 CHOOSING A DESIGN 17

Larger Yet
I’ve done quite a few boats in this size. It usually
takes about four sheets of V4" plywood to make
I would argue that once you’ve decided to go
one. It’s about twice the building effort of the
over 100 pounds you should not make a 12-foot
dinghy or pirogue, but this is a lot more boat. In
boat. You will find the heavy boat a real pain to
fact, to me this is a much more useful boat than the
cartop and will either get a trailer or stop boating.
dink, and I would only suggest a ciink to someone
Once you get a trailer you should think about
with a problem storing a 12-foot boat. And boats
going to a 15-foot boat. Almost any car can pull an
like this can have serious emergency flotation boxes
unballasted 15-footer on a trailer. The larger boat
that double as storage (provided the hatches are
may cost about 50 percent more than the 12-footer
small and don’t leak much) and self- rescue is pos¬
but it will usually be twice as much boat—a good
sible.
bargain. A 15-foot boat will usually take three
It’s a stretch to do a cartop powerboat like this.
adults with ease, or two adults and two kids. And
The boat can be made light enough, I think, but
yet it will be totally manageable by a solo skipper.
where to put the motor with its fuel, smells, and
This size, which includes Mayfly, is a good choice
leaks while you cartop the hull? In the trunk?
for a family boat. The parents and kids can have a
If you have a pickup truck you will find that
wonderful day sailing together—or one adult can
almost any of the cartop boats will slide nicely into
happily singlehand it—or the kids can learn to sail
the truck bed. It’s easier than cartopping and you
in it and take it out themselves.
don’t have to strip the boat out before loading. I’ve
carried boats over 15 feet long in my short bed
truck, although that is pushing the envelope.
Rowing boats, like Robote, often can be car-
topped very easily indeed because they can be built
long and light. The same four sheets of plywood
that make the 12-foot sailboat will make a 16-foot
rowboat that weighs less than a hundred pounds.
You need to tie the ends of the boat to the car,
especially the bow, and be aware of what high
winds and passing semi trucks will do to the big
boat on top of the little car. (For more on cartop¬
ping, see page 127.)

Mayfly with full crew

Then you might argue why stop at fifteen feet?

Why not go . . .
18 BOATBUILDING FOB. BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

Even Larger Over Twenty Feet

Here is the 20-foot AF2. Most likely it can take I don’t design boats over 20 feet anymore except
another adult or two compared to the smaller AF3. as a specialty. My advice to anyone who wants a
It takes 14 sheets of plywood compared to AF3’s 8. conventional boat over 20 feet long is to look hard
It can still be operated totally by one person with at the used factory boat market.
one warning. Smaller boats like AF3 can be recov¬ Unless you like wild daysailing and have lots of
ered from a capsize when the solo skipper puts his friends who like going fast and getting wet, any
weight on the leeboard. Somewhere in this size and sailboat in this range should be ballasted. There
weight range for a 20-foot boat, the skipper’s weight have been so many good designs in this range built
won’t be sufficient to bring the capsized boat up¬ in fiberglass factories over the past decades that
right, and that is why an unballasted boat in this size good useci ones can be available for a song. Cat¬
range can be a bit risky. alina 22s in very good condition can sell for $5,000
or less, complete with trailer and motor. You could
never build anything like it for that. A lot of these
boats were sold in the boating boom 20 years ago,
used a few times, and then placed in storage. Fiber¬
glass boats aren’t much affected by weather, and
usually these oldies only need some new cushions
and a scrubbing. The sun-chalked surface is usually
a cosmetic thing.
I do think there are two good reasons to build a
boat in this range—reasons the production builders
didn’t really address. First is very shallow draft. Tire
production boats that I can think of that featured
really shallow draft might be the “Hen” series from
Horida and Eddy & Duffs “Shearwater” and
“Dovekie.” Some of the others feature fairly shal¬
One solution has been to use the Bolger Bird¬ low draft but I can assure you that a boat that draws
watcher system where the sides of the boat are built 6" of water is more versatile that one that draws 16"
high, with Lexan windows all around, and every¬ of water, at least where I live.
one including the skipper sits inside. The high The second reason to build a boat in this range
sides make for great righting buoyancy, and the is for ease of stepping the sail rig to make it a true
crew weight down low on the bottom makes for a solo trailer boat. Here again the Hen and Eddy <Sc
low center of gravity to aid in righting. Plus the Duff boats are the only two 1 can think of offhand
bottoms of these boats are usually heavily built to that also meet this requirement. Some of the com¬
add to the ballast effect. These boats are often self mon trailer sailers like the McGregors actually have
righting without ballast. Below is my own interpre¬ light stayed masts, which look doable by a solo
tation of this type, the Jewelbox. skipper, but the Catalina is not. I know the vendors
of production boats would say something like,
“You can rig the boat in an hour on the trailer.
Isn’t that great!” The answer is “No.” If you can’t
pull your boat off the highway and be sailing in 15
minutes you will miss any chance of impulse sailing
with it. You will end up in an entirely different
kind of boating, either stuck with busy weekends or
keeping your boat at a marina.
Here are two designs of mine in this larger size.
Both have features that aren’t found in factory
 CHOOSING A DESIGN 19

boats. First is Pete James’s 24-foot “Petesboat.” der compact pickup truck. As with Petesboat, it rigs
Here is a photo of it in the background with in about ten minutes, although one must take a
brother Karl James’s 19-foot Jewelbox in the fore¬ few minutes to flood the ballast tanks.
ground. You can see the advantages of these camp¬
ing boats—pulled all the way up so the the crew
steps ashore dryshod; the sail rigs dropped and
stowed, but ready to go again at a minute’s notice.
Hull Shape
These boats rig in about five minutes by a solo
skipper. There are no production boats like these.
Once you’ve decided how large a boat is needed,
you will get into details like hull shape.
In general the flat-bottomed boats are the room¬
iest and the easiest to build. The more complex
shapes, such as the multichine Piccup, are only
slightly harder and more expensive to build, and
you shouldn’t be afraid of them for those reasons.
They are almost always better in rough water and
often significantly better. They aren’t as roomy.
V-bottomed boats can be about the fastest and
most seaworthy boats in the right hands. But oth¬
ers might find them tippy and difficult to beach.

And here is “Caprice,” built by Chuck Leinwe-

ber. This one is 25 feet long with water ballast. He
towed it from southern Texas to our Midwest
Messabout in southern Illinois behind a four cylin¬

Cross sections through a flat-bottomed hull, a

V-bottomed hull, and a multichine hull.
10 BOATBVILIIMG FOR BEGIKNIBS (ANI BEYOND)

You might notice that some boats have pointy Powerboats

bows and some have square bows. The square-
bowed boats can have a lot more room inside and
Here is some guidance about using power on
in general are better beach boats in that you can
boats: I know of no successful dual-function
exit the boat easily over the bow. The pointy-bowed
power/rowing or power/paddling boats. The large
boats are often more seaworthy since a square-
deep stern needed by a powerboat is death to a
bowed boat will meet larger waves square on at
good rowing or paddle boat. And the rocker, or
times, throwing up a wall of water and stopping
curvature of the bottom, of a good rowing boats,
progress for a moment with each wave. In smooth
prevents a motorboat from planing properly. If you
water at least I don’t think the pointy bow has any
think you are going to use a motor regularly, then
speed advantage over the square bow—thus the
go with a straight powerboat.
popularity of jonboats in waters that are shallow
Any good electric power system will be as expen¬
and protected.
sive as and be a lot heavier than a gasoline motor
There also is a class of boat called “double-end¬
and will have a much more limited range. But they
ed” which has pointy ends at both stem and stern.
are excellent for limited waters and where total
In the old days they were famous for sailing and
quiet is required or desired. There is no boat as
rowing in very rough waters. Classic whaleboats
quiet as an electric—even paddling and sailing
like in the great old film Mofc^ Dick were double-
make more noise.
enders, as are most kayaks and canoes.
Motors and small sailboats don’t get along too
I’ve owned two double-enders, a small one and
well because there is seldom room for a good
a large one. Here is what I found. Double-enders
motor installation on the stern (plus things can get
are miserable to cartop because when you invert
tangled there). This is a very difficult problem that
them to lift to the roof, they have a natural desire
needs more study because using a straight sailboat
to return to upright, usually when you have it
can require a huge amount of patience. Remember
halfway up! In the larger boats, the pointy stern
that working sail disappeared as soon as reliable
makes mounting a motor very difficult. Just mount¬
motors were invented. Almost any cabin sailboat
ing a rudder back there on the point can be a
you see is really a motor/sailer. The sails are for
challenge—the Birdwatcher needed a welded metal
recreation, and the motor actually gets you where
linkage to connect the rudder on the stern to the
you want to go. Bolger has always argued that
tiller in the wider part of the hull. I also think
people who want large sailboats would be better off
double-ended hulls are slower than those with
with a good large powerboat towing a good racing
moderate transoms in boats that operate near or
dinghy.
beyond planing speeds.
 21

posed to be waterproof. But a lot of it isn’t water¬

proof and since there usually are no markings, you
are taking your chances. The common quick test is
to boil a piece. Also, check to see the panels are
MATERIALS really 96" long. Sometimes they are a tiny bit lon¬
ger. Lauan is quite inexpensive and is very easy to
AND TOOLS work with. It can build a beautiful lightweight boat.
I’ve built several boats from 5mm lauan underlay¬
ment, and they have held up.
Exterior AC fir plywood was once available like

Here is what I suggest about hull materials: If bread and butter around here. My lumberyard no

you are a craftsman and are building a show boat, longer carries it but you may still find some. It

use the best materials. Otherwise use lumberyard comes in a multitude of thicknesses. Quality seems

materials. It has been demonstrated that a lumber¬ to vary quite a bit. The A face is nearly always

yard boat will last at least 10 years with minimum plugged or puttied in places, but that is usually a

care. The premium boat will cost two or three cosmetic problem. The C face always has some

times as much as the lumberyard boat, and is likely holes, seams, or knots. The best thing to do when

to see less use. Then again, I would consider pre¬ you get a sheet home is to fill the voids with thick¬

mium materials for a true workboat or a live- ened epoxy and sand smooth while you are still

aboard boat where hauling out to repair will be a working with a big flat sheet. The inner core some¬

great inconvenience. times has bothersome voids. Fill them if you find
them. Often they go undetected until you launch
Also I need to warn that materials change all the
your boat. At the void site the face sheets will swell
time. The plywood you buy today is different from
and bubble up. The same thing will happen if the
what we were buying 10 years ago, and in a few
face sheets don’t adhere well to the core.
years I expect it will be different again. Same with
You can fix the bubbles even on a completed
glues, paints, and fasteners to a certain degree.
boat. Use a sharp chisel to open up the swell, cut it
What to do? The real problem will be to check to
away and see what’s inside. Don’t stop chipping
see that the glues, including the glues in the ply¬
until the void or delamination is totally uncovered.
wood, are waterproof. A label of “Water Resistant”
Then you can fill the void to the surface with
is usually not good enough for a boat although it
thickened epoxy or fiberglass cloth in epoxy. Grind
might suffice for a boat that gets little use and is
it smooth and apply two layers of fiberglass over the
stored indoors. A common way to test glue is to
repair, lapped about 1 inch over the good wood
prepare a glued-up sample of wood, or take a piece
surface. Fair it (that is, sand it smooth) and paint.
of suspect plywood, and boil it for an hour.
Sometimes it takes years for the void to bubble.
Finally, I’m going to include the names and
My lumberyard currently has two types of
phone numbers of some suppliers that are current
“exterior” plywood. One type is fairly expensive but
in 2002. They could change at any time.
is the best I’ve ever worked with. It’s stamped
“exterior” and made in a U.S. mill. For 14", the
Plywood center ply is a thick fir or pine piece, and the faces
are a mystery light hardwood, very thin. There were
You can find lauan underlayment plywood at no voids of any size in the core and the faces were
most lumberyards. The lauan underlayment ply¬ almost flawless, with no patches on either side.
wood only comes in 5mm thickness—about 2/10". There were some worm holes on the C face. The
Usually one face is totally solid and often very 3/8" sheets I bought had just one thin hardwood face
attractive. The center core is always solid, although and two thick plies of fir. Again, no serious voids
there are bound to be joints in it where different and only a few knotholes on the C face. Very nice to
veneers end and start. The other face varies from work with. Well worth the extra money. As with
beautiful to terrible. The face plies are so thin that lauan you need to check the length of the panel.
they will hardly stand sanding. The glue is sup¬
22 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AMI) BEYOND)

The second type of exterior plywood at my yard is inexpensive and sold everywhere. It is not totally
is BC pine. Structurally it seems excellent, with no waterproof, and says right on the bottle, “not for
serious flaws in any of the plies in the panels 1 use below the waterline.” However, the sample I
bought recently. It has some problems, though. It’s made up held together after one hour of boiling. It
not available in W here, it’s not sanded very even¬ is very' easy to use and clean up.
ly, and it doesn’t like to lie totally flat. The true
thickness of the panel may not be exactly as A note or two about tube-type house construc¬
stamped. But it’s very inexpensive. I haven’t built a tion adhesives. I’ve tried Liquid Nails and would
boat of it but lots of others have. In fact right now avoid it on a boat. It doesn’t cure hard, making it
I think it is becoming the standard for cheap boats. impossible to sand. It might make a sealant for a
boat using conventional fasteners but I’ve never
seen it written that it was really waterproof. Almost
Framing Lumber
all of these things will say “not for use below' the
waterline” and in that respect might be like Weld¬
For framing lumber I use regular soft pine. It is
wood. I wouldn’t use it for a boat stored in the
very cheap and easy to work, but not very rot
water (or one that fills with rainwater) but it will
resistant. But coating all the end grain, with either
likely be okay for a dry-stored boat. PL Premium is
epoxy or paint, and good storage habits (keep your
another tube adhesive, and PL Premium cures
boat under a tarp with lots of ventilation, or in a
hard and is said to be totally waterproof. I haven’t
shed or garage) will forestall that. I use pine for oars
built a boat with it yet, but others have with excel¬
and spars also. Clear pine boards cost three times
lent success. It is really sticky, messy stuff, so you
as much as common boards and I rarely buy them.
need to plan ahead and work clean.
Pine is about all that is available here. The yard
I’ve started to use more epoxy. It’s totally water¬
man told me the best wood is in 2x1 Os, which can
proof, adheres extremely well, and is tough. You
be very long. Those boards are huge and you may
can use it for gluing joints, laminating, or sealing
have trouble handling them. But it would be worth
and clear-coating. It’s vulnerable to ultraviolet dam¬
looking into having one ripped to the sizes you
age, though, so you need to paint or varnish all
need at the yard.
exposed epoxy. You will have to use it for a boat
that stays in the w'ater. Glue-and-nail boats can be
Glue made without it, though using a bit to fiberglass the
chines goes a long way in extending your boat’s
For glue I’ve often used Weldwood, but it is useful life.
becoming really hard to find. Mix it with cold water Dave Carnell, chemical engineer, has led the
until it is about as thick as regular white glue. Your way to cheaper epoxy. Here’s what Dave says: Ep¬
joints need to be fairly tight. My experience is that oxy resins are all the same, except some are
it won’t really set hard and permanent until it has thinned. He buys the cheapest. But the hardeners
been kept at 70 degrees for 12 hours or something vary a lot. Any will work with any resin (since all the
similar. It will get tack-free at colder temperatures resins are the same, right?). The proper mixing
and you’ll think it has set—but it hasn’t. On a hull ratio is determined by the hardener’s instructions.
that is both nailed and glued, I just go on building My latest epoxy purchase was from Raka Marine
and try to heat up the project to kick off the glue (www.raka.com, or 561-279-8929). Another good
every few days. (Weldwood powdered water-mix source of inexpensive epoxy is Fiberglass Coatings
glue is not claimed to be waterproof by the maker. (www.fgci.com, or 800-272-7890 ). I got a 3/»-gallon
I had a boat that was stored outside uncovered and kit for $40. That came as Vi gallon of resin and V4
certain areas became soaked. After about 10 years gallon of hardener for a 2:1 mix and a total brew of
of this the glue in those areas seemed to disappear 3/4 gallon. The 2:1 ratio is easily done by eye. No
without a trace.) pumps required. I mark a stick Vi* from the end
Titebond 11 might be the best glue to use for a and again Va" from the same end, and clamp it with
boat stored dry. A true successor to Weldwood, it a clothespin inside an umvaxed paper mixing cup,
 MATERIALS AW® TOOLS 21

with the end of the stick on the bottom of the cup. work with it carelessly every day, you are bound to
I fill to the V2" mark with resin and add hardener become allergic to it over time. Use throwaway
to the 3/4" mark. clothes, barrier creams, and plenty of latex or
Raka has several flavors of epoxy. Mine used nitrile gloves.
“very fast” hardener—not to be confused with “5 Solvents that will clean up (uncured) epoxy in¬
minute” type, which is not considered to be water¬ clude acetone, denatured alcohol, and white vine¬
proof. Using the “very fast” in 40 and 50 degree gar. Be careful about using these on epoxy on your
temperatures, the epoxy set about overnight. The skin, as some say the dissolved epoxy will penetrate
“slow” hardener takes a full day to set at 70 degrees. faster and cause all the skin troubles you were
It might be the best choice when working in hot trying to avoid. Waterless hand cleaners are good
temperatures. Setting rates are very sensitive to for cleaning it off your skin, or a good pumice soap
temperature. and plenty of elbow grease. Work in a well-venti¬
Here is a bit of a warning about using epoxy in lated area. Keep kids and pets far away when you’re
colder weather, say below 60 degrees. The stuff is using the stuff1.
supposed to set at that temperature, or lower, but One last word about glues and boats. It took
you may find it so thick that proper mixing is many years before I saw that Weldwood was not
difficult, which may result in a failure a year down really waterproof. If my boat had been stored in¬
the road. In addition, the thick epoxy can make doors I never would have found out. So if a fellow
using the hand pumps that often come with the has a one-year-old boat and says, “I used AAA glue
epoxy very unreliable. So here is what I advise: Use and it is totally waterproof.” then all you know is
epoxies that have a mixing ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 or 3:1 that it lasted a year. Again, to extend the life of any
such that you can easily measure the right amounts glue, just take good care of your boat: Give it
without using hand pumps, instead using the shelter from the rain and sun, give it a new paint
“stick” method described above. Also, prewarm the job every couple of years. It’ll last a long time.
resin and hardener by placing it in a box or cabinet
with a lightbulb, sort of an epoxy incubator, to get Fasteners
it good and warm.
Dave Carnell has led the way on epoxy fillers,
For nails, bronze ring nails are by far the best
too. That is very important since even epoxy used
because they’re strong, come in all sizes, hold about
in a tight wood-to-wood joint needs to be thick¬
like screws, and don’t mind grinding and sanding.
ened a bit to keep it from running out of the joint.
I buy them when I can. Try Jamestown Distributors
Dave says “pulverized limestone” available at seed
or Hamilton Marine. They are expensive per
stores is the best filler. It must be very finely ground
pound but I suppose a little boat will use less than
to work smoothly. Dave also suggests powdered
$10 worth. Galvanized nails from the lumberyard
talc as a thickening agent, buying it as baby powder
are fine too, except that you can’t sand them or
from a discount store—fragrance and all. All epoxy
they will rust. But I’ve useci lots of them. Galva¬
sources also sell fine wood flour, fumed silica, and
nized roofing nails are very good for nailing thin
other high-grade fillers if you want them. Some¬
plywood sheets.
times for large fillets I use ordinary sawdust, which
While you’re at the lumberyard, pick up a
I mine from my bandsaw as a filler. The old rule on
pound of 1" and 1 Vi drywall screws. Even better
thickening epoxy seems to be mayonnaise stiffness
are decking screws, which now come in galvanized,
for glued joints and peanut butter thickness for
ceramic coated, or stainless steel. Get a couple of
fillets and fillers. A wipe of unthickened epoxy
driving bits for your drill, too. These screws are
should be on the wood before the thickened stuff excellent as clamps. In most cases they require no
goes on. Epoxy used with fiberglass cloth should
pilot holes. You can hold two pieces of wood
not be thickened—in fact, that is the case for together by hand and “clamp” them very strongly
thinned epoxy. by using a drywall screw. Sometimes you can preas¬
Epoxy has a nasty side. It’s messy, hard to clean semble an entire hull this way, take it apart, apply
up, and some folks are allergic to it. In fact, if you
glue, and reassemble it exactly the same as before
14 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AH® BEYOIfD)

because the screws always realign the pieces precise¬ is fine on a boat stored under cover. Give the boat
ly. After the glue cures you can remove the screws a coat or two of exterior latex primer first to really
and insert nails, non rusting screws, or simply putty hold the paint on, then a coat of exterior paint.
the holes. The drywall screws can be saved and One of my builders said the trick to getting a solid
reused. latex job is to not disturb the boat for a couple of
I got a question once about what type of wire to weeks after the last coat goes on. It may dry in a
use for wire “stitching” used in taped seam con¬ day, but true hard “cure” takes a while.
struction. I think almost any type of soft wire is Oil paints are messier to use but, once set, are
suitable, but I prefer .020"-diameter stainless steel slicker to clean and can usually be stripped very
lock wire available from a place like Wicks Aircraft quickly to bare wood with a torch and knife. I clean
Supply (800-221-9425, where you can also buy the oil-paint brushes with gasoline. Either way, 1
Weldwood glue in bulk). Or use plastic cable ties. use two coats of primer and only enough top paint
to cover.
For masts and yards and booms, or anything
Finishing Materials
that has nice wood grain you’d like to display, like
a tiller, you can varnish it. I prefer regular oil-based
For putty I have used ordinary two-part auto
spar varnish. It won’t show dirt or damage like
body filler like Bondo for about everything, but
paint so I try to use it on pieces that get dirty or
thickened epoxy would be a lot more reliable.
banged up. It touches up very easily. Two coats will
Bondo can soak up water over time and weaken.
protect but three coats are better. Sunlight eats it
For fiberglass 1 prefer getting glass cloth and
up and it needs renewing more often than paint.
tape by mail order (try Merton’s Fiberglass Supply,
There are some good durable urethanes now,
800-333-0314, or Wicks or Raka or Fiberglass
too, marketed as spar urethane, which have UV
Coatings), although for small projects I sometimes
blockers and last as long as (or longer than) true
buy the little packs of cloth and resin at the dis¬
varnish.
count store.
By the way, fiberglass “tape” comes in rolls in
Get a catalog from Jamestown Distributors.
widths from 1" to about 6". It’s not really tape—
They are the only place I know of to supply things
there’s no adhesive on the back. It’s just called tape
like bronze oarlocks and rudder fittings. They also
to differentiate it from fiberglass cloth, which is
sell all the nails, glass, glues, goos, etc.: 800-423-
wider without hemmed edges. The edges of “tape”
0030. See page 155 for a more complete listing of
are treated to prevent unraveling, and it’s thus
materials suppliers.
much easier to work with and is preferred for
joining plywood seams together. But you could cut
regular cloth into strips instead. Power Tools
For applying the glass, epoxy is much more
durable and adhesive, but you can also soak fiber¬ You can build all the boats in this book using
glass in (cheaper) polyester resin. If you are using only a saber saw and a drill, or not even those, if
polyester resins for the fiberglass work, buy you really want a challenge. Having a few other
“Finishing” resin as opposed to “Laminating” resin tools makes things much easier.
if given a choice. Read the instructions on the can
and practice with small amounts first. Do your Bandsaw: I have a Sears bandsaw with a 12"
fiberglass and resin work all at one time. Always throat. I bought it new in 1972 and it has held up
sand it lightly after it cures to remove wax and in spite of plastic housings and such. I’ve got it
glaze. Yes, epoxy is better than polyester. geared way down. I think the best blade for boaters
is a 3/8" skip tooth, which cuts fast and straight. In
I use regular house paints, both latex and oil. my type of boats, cutting curves is not the
Latex is very easy to use but some claim it won’t bandsaw’s job so much as cutting bevels. But al¬
hold up on a boat. So long as you’re not leaving the most any saw will cut the bevels, and taped-seam
boat in the water all year, it’s great stuff. I know it boats in particular don’t have many bevels to cut.
 MATERIALS ASI) TOOLS 25

A bandsaw can also be fitted with a metal cutting Drill: I have two drills now7, both 3/8" reversible
blade, especially if the saw is geared down, and you jobs. One uses battery power, suitable for gentle
can whittle out aluminum fittings with it. jobs, and the other is a plug-in, suitable for the
Table saw: I have an inexpensive table saw. tough jobs. I have a coffee can full of assorted drills.
Except it is not raised up on a table. And in many I don’t hesitate to run out and buy the right sized
ways you don’t want a saw that is raised up on a drill bit for the job, and usually buy two if it’s a small
table. It is easier to rip long boards with this saw bit. Actually only a few basic sizes are required. Keep
sitting on the floor. It is quite light and easily two driver bits for sheetrock screws on hand.
relocated. When I’m done using it I stand it against That’s it for power tools. But I would say you
the wall out of the way. I have it set up with a 7 W could get by with a circular saw, a saber saw and a
Matsushita thin kerf carbide-tipped blade sold by drill. Boats were invented long before power tools.
Nutmeg Marine at 910-686-4184. I guess the old builders had bigger muscles, more
Circular saw: I also have a regular unmounted time, and sharper edges.
circular saw. With a good combination blade set to
protrude about lA" through the plywood it will zing
Hand Tools
a clean cut, including making the curves often
required, better than a saber saw. But a saber saw
Saw: You often need a saw for cutting sticks to
will do that job too. The very best blades are thin
exact length. The bandsaw is good, the saber saw
kerf carbide tipped.
okay, a fine-toothed hand saw works, but a hacksaw
Saber saw: I have an inexpensive saber saw7 with
with a regular metal cutting blade is what I use the
a fine-toothed blade for cutting access holes, limber
most. To tell you the truth, it is often the only
holes, etc. It can also be suitable for bevel cutting
handsaw I use on a boat.
in lieu of the bandsaw, although it’s tough to get a
Plane: I have only one plane—an ordinary Stan¬
straight cut without using a guide. You can smooth
ley hand plane about 12" long. I don’t use it very7
up the cut with a belt sander.
much but marvel at what it can do when properly
Belt sander: I think the handheld belt sander,
sharpened and set up.
3"-wide belt, is fabulous. I built my first boats with¬
Rasp: A half-round rasp will work miracles
out one so I know. Use 60-grit belts for all your
sometimes.
finish work, if not all work. I have an orbital sander
Hammer: I keep a couple of ordinary claw ham¬
left over from the old days but never use it.
mers near. You will often need a backup block for
Disk sander: One other sander I do find very
driving nails into light structures. A lead or steel
useful is a 5" rubber disk set in a 3/8" drill. This is
block, about 5 or 10 pounds, is ideal. A small
especially good for feathering out fiberglass work,
sledgehammer works fine.
which will often load up and ruin a sanding belt. I
Don’t forget the normal mess of screwdrivers,
buy 60-grit pads meant for automotive work. Use a
scrapers, wrenches, putty knives, etc. What you
light touch and practice with it because it can really
don’t have can almost always be borrowed for a
cut. I’ve also used 20-grit disks, which appear to
good cause.
have large rocks as cutting agent, for really coarse
Okay, let’s build a boat!
cutting with great satisfaction.
 f «*nf
WWOiW ULC
 29

can use a plywood strip, a 1x4, or pieces of fiber¬

BUILDING glass tape with epoxy. Ail the methods work. I have

YOUR BOAT a feeling that the butt joints on the usual instant
boat hull are not highly loaded and not too critical
to overall boat strength. Since I’ve tried several
ways and they all worked, I’ve gotten to be pretty'
nebulous about the subject on my drawings. Lately
I’ve been specifying a butt plate as something like
These are general instructions for building any
“Butt plate from 3A” x 31/2" lumber, or equal,”
jigless boat (or instant boat), but I’ll try to use
which doesn’t tell you much. Most builders get by
Mayfly 14 as the primary’ example. (See the foldout
well with just that, but other builders ask me what
plans at the end for Mayfly 14’s building key.)
in the world I mean, and rightly so. For much more
To begin, study your plans closely. Try’ to visual¬ on the various methods of joining plywood sheets,
ize how the pieces of the boat are made, and how
see the Appendices, starting on page 145.
they fit together. Maybe not all of it will be imme¬
diately apparent, but the more you look at your
plans, the clearer they’ll get. They are rich with
Bevels
information, though sometimes you need to puzzle
it out. The only other bit of construction finesse that

Make a list of what you’ll need to get at the you might need to study up on is bevels, that is, the

lumberyard. Going over the plans and visualizing angled cuts you make on certain frames or bulk¬

the various things you need is a great way to pre¬ heads to allow the plywood of the sides to lie flat

pare for the actual building. and fully in contact with the edge of the frame.

Clear an area big enough to work in. It should This makes a much better gluing surface and

be level, but other than that, there aren’t many spreads out stress points. For much more informa¬

restrictions. Some people do it in the garage, some tion on bevels, see page 151.

out on a porch or deck, some on the lawn. A few

brave souls have even done it in city apartments. Make Your Sail First
Here are a few construction basics that you’ll
need to know: If you are making a sailboat and intend to make
Butt Plates your own sail, think about making the sail before
you start the hull. Here is why. The sail and hull
usually need about the same assembly area. That is
Almost any boat you build from plywood will
to say, if you are building a boat that is 16 feet long
require panels longer than the 8-foot lengths you
and 5 feet wide you will need a clear work space
find at the lumberyard. For an “instant boat” the
that is about 20 by 10 feet. Usually you will need
usual manner of joining the panels together to get
about the same area to make the sail for that boat.
one long panel is with a “butt strap" or “butt
So if you clear that work space and make your sail
plate,” essentially gluing a 4-inch-wide piece of
first, you can bundle it up and stow it in a closet or
plywood or lumber across the two joined panels.
in a comer while you work on the hull. If you make
I’ve tried lots of different ways to make the joint
the hull first you will be out of luck for a work space
in the 15 or so boats I’ve built over the years. You
to make your sail if you need that space to store
your hull. Not to mention having the space spat¬
tered with glue and paint. So make your sail first
11 no lied Copper nails
and get that over with in your head. Having the sail
done will give you a jump start on making your

j&EIZI hull. For details on sail-making, see page 59.

J lu e. Iicjlnt plywood buVV

BO BOATBVI1DIKC FOR BEGINNERS (AM® BEYOMI)

and on the top and bottom edges too. Temporary

forms seldom have bevels on any edges.
Next, Temporary Forms
Sometimes the temporary’ forms are made from
plywood. In that case lay out the form full size on
Look over your plans and see if there are any
the plywood, complete with its centerlines, and cut
“temporary forms.” Usually these will be made of
it out with a circular saw or with a saber saw. You
lumber, sometimes plywood, and will be discarded
will need to attach “cleats" around the perimeter,
after the hull has reached a point where they are no
that is, pieces of solid wood used to stiffen the form
longer needed. You want to make these frames and
and give it some meat to drive screws or nails into.
forms first.
These are usually 3A" x IV2" and attached with
I suggest you make the lumber forms first. Take
screws and glue. As always, mark centerlines boldly.
one of the sheets of plywood that will be used for
Store your forms flat against a wall.
the hull panels and draw the shapes of the forms
on it. Here you aren’t going to cut the plywood,
only use it as a platform to assemble the lumber
forms. Cut the lumber to fit the full-sized layout on Stem
the plywood and screw the form together so it fits.
Usually an acceptable tolerance for something like Now is a good time to make a stem piece. This
is what the sides attach to up at the bow. (Pram
shaped boats will not have a stem piece. And dou¬
P y w/ood ble ended boats may have both a stem piece and a
similar stern piece.)
Normally on my designs the stem is made from
a piece of 2x4 lumber (which is IV2" x 3Vi" in
reality). You should make the stem piece longer
than required with the idea of trimming it to

Draw form shape full Size on plywood vu'iVU

Cenftrlme and assemble, form nohf on the
plywood.

length later on the assembly.

You need to cut the sides of the stem piece on a
bevel. I usually dimension the stem bevel both with
degrees and with inches, and I usually show the
stem cross section full sized, so it should be easy to
mark out and cut.
The best tool for this job is a table saw, although
this is 1/16" but you can get away with more some¬ a circular saw or bandsaw, or even a saber saw will
times. The last step is very important: Be sure to also do the job. Set the saw at an angle that will cut
mark bold centerlines on both sides of the forms the bevel correctly in one pass and slice off one
 15 U I JL DING YOUR BOAT

side. Then set the saw fence carefully so that when the sheets at that interval.
you slice off the other side at the proper bevel the These lines need to be perpendicular to the
piece will have the correct total width. And as with bottom length of the sheet. You might check them
the forms, be sure to mark the centerlines on all with a square, but usually (not always so you have
sides of the piece. to check) plywood is made very accurately both in
You can also make the stem piece bevels with a squareness and in size. And once you have verified
plane as was done in the old days. In this case draw
the shape of the piece on all four sides and work it
down a shave at a time. Don’t forget the centerlines.

Sides

This is an exciting part of the project, as your

boat’s shape begins to emerge from the pile of wood.
Look over the plywood panel layout drawing for
a while. The parts almost always fit together like a
jigsaw puzzle on the plywood sheets. It would be
nice right now to cut out the bulkheads and that the edges of the plywood are square, then you
transom(s) but often you can’t do that without first can lay out the grid lines with great accuracy by just
laying out the shapes of the larger hull panels. making them parallel to the ends of the sheet as
(Why is it done that way? I’ve found the most shown. It’s very easy. If your side demands two
efficient way to lay out the pieces from the stand¬ sheets of plywood, then you lay them both down
point of getting the boat out of the least number of on the floor end to end and lay out the grid making
plywood sheets is to start by drawing the largest sure the two sheets never shift.
panels first and then fitting the smaller ones on Next step is to lay out the actual curved lines that
what is left over.) give the shape of the hull panel. That is done by
Here is how to lay out the shape of the side making tick marks at just the right places on those
panels. What you are going to do is enlarge the grid lines you just drew and connecting them. On
scale drawings right onto your plywood sheets. The my plans almost all the tick marks are measured up
scale drawings have sort of “digitized” the curved from the bottom of the plywood sheet. So you can
shapes by laying out a grid of lines. Often there are hook your measuring tape on that edge and make
dimensions every foot or two. Look on your draw¬ the required ticks on each grid line. It might look
ing and see what the spacing is. Then place your like this:
plywood sheets on the floor and draw lines across

-HcK marks that determine panel sha.pc

fbre is a Lyp/cal layout of hull side panels /!

—
- 1-1

+ - L i 4 - r
+ - ^ 4
1 -
____
4
-
_

Measure from plywood

edje +t> locate. -HcK TicK mark dimensions arc
usually measured from the
marlCS
plywood edae.

Last, lay a batten down on the plywood and

F.rs4 lay out a scries, of lines which arc parallel bend it through the tick marks and secure the
fb the. ends of the. plywood shcefs.
32 BOATBUILDING FOB. BEGIHKIRS (AND BEYOND)

batten in place with weights (bricks can work okay loca-hons for bulKhfGcIs and torms
if the bend isn’t too severe) or with temporary nails
or screws. Then draw through the tick marks with
a fairly dark pencil or pen.

Locale, aad record bulkhead and form locations

Now you are done with one panel! You will need
to make a mirror image of it on other sheets of
plywood. You don’t need to do the layout all over
again, although you could if you wanted to. You
could also use the first panel as a pattern for the
mirror-image panel. You could cut out the first panel
and trace around it to shape the mirror image. Some
builders clamp the first pattern over another layer of
plywood and cut them both out with one cut! I think
all of those methods will be fine.
You have enlarged the shape of the panel! It Just remember that the mirror image must in¬
should look like this: deed be a mirror image and not a straight copy of
the first panel—butt plates used to connect the
sheets, and the lines locating bulkheads and forms,
need to be on opposite sides of those mirror imag¬
es, so when assembled they end up inside the boat.

Concurc4- 3-Vie -Lick. marks anc\ you have. A -full Sized Cutting Out the Hull Panels
enlnrgeinfnt of +ViC hull panel

Go ahead and draw in all the bulkheads, etc —

everything that you can before you cut out the hull
What is a batten? Just a long flexible stick. The
panels that you have just laid out. (You won’t be
best ones seem to be about 3/8" x 3A” in cross section
able draw in the last “cut-to-fit” items such as the
with no knots. It doesn’t have to lie straight on its
decks and bottom panels in some cases.) Note that
own—it can have a natural curve and still be a good
measurements for bulkheads and frames are usu¬
batten. Often you can see a really good batten in a
ally expressed as a distance out from the centerline.
larger piece of wood. For example, if you have a
So that’s half the width. Mark your centerlines
16-foot 1x4 piece of lumber with one knot-free
well, as usual.
edge, you might rip off that good edge and save it
You can usually glue the big plywood panels
as a batten. Sometimes you can find a piece of
together with butt plates (just where needed, not all
molding that works perfectly. Once you get a good
the way across the 4-foot width) before cutting out
batten, save it!
the hull panels. Doing that can be more accurate
There is one last important step in laying out
than gluing the narrower panel sections together
most hull panels. Many also must have the location
after cutting them out, but sometimes the layout
of the bulkheads and forms drawn in. Locate
on the plywood sheets does not allow it. In that
them as shown on the plans and draw the locations
case, you can cut out the pieces with the idea of
boldly on the panel layout, like this:
gluing them together with butt plates later.
Either way, cutting out the large plywood panels
goes like this. Raise the plywood off the floor with
 BUILIlISIft YOUR BOAT 33

locafion Lr~ bulKheftds and Wms

are lots of assumptions and tolerances involved in

these lengths, and getting them to come out exactly
correct is rare. But once you measure the depth of
sacrificial bits of lumber, such as lx4’s, so your saw the side panel at the bulkhead location, you can
blade stays clear of the floor. Set your circular saw often adjust the bulkhead prior to cutting it to
so it cuts to a depth about !4" deeper than the allow for the variation. It is a lot easier to do it now
thickness of your plywood, and saw slowly and than after the bulkhead has been assembled with
smoothly. Take your time. its framing sticks. The usual “adjustment” is to add
A circular saw with its blade set about !4" deeper or subtract some material from the top and/or
than the plywood thickness will easily cut most bottom edge of the bulkhead.
boat curves. That is one way to do it. I suppose The perimeters of the bulkheads usually have
another way is to place the panels on saw horses framing sticks, often 3A" x l Vz" lumber on a small
one at a time and cut them out a few feet at a time. boat. See page 151 for full details on making your
You can cut one out with a saber saw that way. But bevels. There are several ways to do them. You will
a circular saw with a good sharp blade seems to give need to look at the drawing to see the angle of the
smoothest cuts. bevel and to see which way the bevel slopes.
Once the larger hull panels have been cut out, The framing sticks can be beveled before or after
the plywood pieces that remain should be more they are assembled to the bulkhead’s plywood. The
manageable and you can lay out the remaining sticks should be both glued and nailed to the
bulkheads, rudder and leeboard pieces, etc., and bulkhead, but it always pays to “dry-fit” the sticks in
cut them out. place. With today’s drywall screws that is easily
done.
Here is how I would assemble a typical bulk¬
Making the Bulkheads
head: I would cut the bevels on the framing sticks
before assembly on a table saw. Then I would cut
Lay out the bulkheads, using the measurements
the side sticks to be long and dry fit them to the
on your plans, and cut them out with a circular saw
plywood panel, first holding them with clamps,
or a saber saw. Here is a bit of boatbuilding reality.
then drilling some lead holes for drywall screws,
The length of each bulkhead’s side should match
then fixing the sticks to the plywood with two
the depth of the hull when installed at its proper
drywall screws per stick. Remove the clamps.
place. Now that you have the hull sides cut out and
Next I would carefully fit the top and bottom
have the bulkhead locations marked on the sides,
take a minute and measure the depth of the side
panel there. For the bulkhead to fit properly, that
depth should match the length of the bulkhead’s
side edge. Check the length of the bulkhead’s side
edge to be sure.
Don’t be surprised if it isn’t quite right. There
*4 BOATfiVILIIMG FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

framing sticks, install them with screws, and then each other. You can double-check by laying the
trim the ends of the side sticks to length and to finished sides over each other. Their edges should
match the beveled edges of the top and bottom match exactly (but in real life l suppose a tolerance
sticks. (Often a hand hacksaw with a metal cutting of 1/8" would be okay).
blade does a very good job at making these fussy Tine other item is to make sure you indeed have
end cuts. Jamestown Distributors also sells a nice a left side and a right side. That is to say the butt
little fine-toothed pull saw, which is very good for plates will be on opposite sides of the panels.
this sort of thing.) Sound silly to think it could happen otherwise? It
Lastly I would remove one stick and butter it happens all the time that someone builds two
with glue. Put the piece back on the assembly and lefties or two righties by mistake.
reinstall the screws. It will go back exactly into its
original position. Drill some lead holes for nails at Begin the Hull Assembly
about 6" spacing and drive in some nails. You can
now remove those two screws and drive nails in
Now the fun begins! Let’s take stock of what we
their holes.
have. We have the stem piece, the bulkheads and
Or you can use galvanized or stainless decking
temporary forms, all with centerlines marked
screws. Just screw them in and leave them; no need
boldly around their centers, and we have the side
to remove and replace with nails. The danger in
panels with the bulkhead and form locations
doing this with regular drywall screws is they rust
marked boldly.
quickly.
Glue the remaining sticks in place the same way
but make a point of getting a wad of glue in the
areas where the end of one stick meets the side of
another. I think that is the most likely place for
leaks and rot to get started.
Set it aside to cure. After cure be sure to mark
centerlines boldly.

Decide now whether to build right-side up or

upside down. It is not a decision you can’t change,
and you will find yourself flipping things over at
times for better working position. But there are
advantages and disadvantages each wray.
I usually start a hull right-side up. If you build

^os\ likely vhsir-hna poials

right side up, you wall get to see the true shape of
-for- leaKs and ro"h Use lofo the hull as it is assembled. If you have made a
of jlue Here..
mistake—for example, made a bulkhead or form
wrrong—the mistake w ill be obvious at once. On the
other hand, most hulls have some flare to the sides
with the ends sweeping upward if the boat is right-
Finishing the Side Panels side up. The side panels will need a little help
taking that shape.
If you haven’t already done so you must now If you build upside down those side panels will
finish the side panels by joining the pieces with almost fall into position with proper flare and
butt plates of some sort. sweep as gravity pulls them down. On the other
Two things to watch out for as you finish the hand, it can be a lot harder to see the shape you are
side panels. Make sure that the butt joints are true looking for in the boat if it is upside down. Errors
and that the two sides are indeed mirror images of in flare and sweep won’t be obvious until the hull
 BUILDING YOUR BOAT 35

is turned upright. pieces are such that you won’t be able to clamp
First, grab the centermost bulkhead or form, the them in place very well. In that case I like to predrill
widest one, and one of the side panels. Position the lead holes in the plywood for the screws, push the
bulkhead or form on its “locating line” on the side parts into position by hand, and quickly screw
panel and clamp it into position. (The drawing will them together in the proper alignment.
show whether the locating line on the side refers to
the forward face of the form or the aft face.) Then
screw the sides to that form or bulkhead with
sheetrock screws, one about 2" up from the bot¬
tom, and the other about 2" down from the top.
Then you can remove the clamps.
Grab the other side and repeat so that now you
have two sides joined by the widest form or bulk¬
head. Place the assembly on two sawhorses.

\ /
sides Widesi bwIKkad or for

/ \ _X
Ong; AW-acU -Wit sides +o fhe widest bulkhead
Or form.

Max Wawrzyniak’s AF3 stem, ready for glue.

Take two loops of rope or twine and use them to
pull the hull ends inward to approximately their
final widths. If the boat has flared sides and you are
building right-side up you will find that the ends
will want to sweep upward as you pull the ends in. You might do all of the above on a small to
That is as it should be. medium-sized boat in an hour. Your boat shape
will be obvious already! Take a step back and ad¬
mire it for a while. Then spend some more time
eyeballing it to make sure it is right.
Since you have centerlines drawn on all of the
crosspieces, align them all first by eye and then with
a straightedge. A piece of lumber like a straight
1x4, or perhaps a piece of plywood about 4" wide,
can be used to keep those lines all in a row. Either
Sfep Too Pull bull ends, in wAb rope loops. clamp or screw the lumber to the crosspieces tp
retain the alignment (and stiffen the assembly).
After you have the alignment lumber in place,
Next take the forms or bulkheads that are adja¬ eyeball the tops (or bottoms) of the bulkheads and
cent to the widest one and install them with screws forms to make sure the assembly is not twisted. In
as with the first one. Then work toward the hull fact, as you work on the boat right up to comple¬
ends one bulkhead or form at a time until they are tion, always check the overall hull alignment.
all in.
Then install the transoms or stem piece with
temporary screws. Often the bevels on these end
16 SOATBVIIDING FOR BEGIWMERS (AMI BEYOMI)

d M/idt V/ii/i planK clomped alone) Ihe crnkrhnc.: then nailing, then replacing the screws with nails.
vvill Keep He hull straujhi Os you work. Remove the two screws that hold one edge of a
bulkhead to the side panel. It will come loose
enough for you to butter some glue either on the
bulkhead’s edge or onto the mating area of the
side. Once glue has been applied, slide it back into
position and reinstall the screws. One of the beau¬
ties of using drywall screws in this sort of assembly
Insfoll all forms ar\<4 buJKteads. Iransom is that it will quickly go back together exactly as
and S+em wiH\ -f/mporary Screws.
before, the screws wanting to fall right into the old
holes.
Now is a good time to take a break. Stay away for When those screws have been tightened, drill
a day, and when you return eyeball it all over again. lead holes for nails at about a 6" spacing and drive
If you like what you see, it is time to start gluing the nails in. As you drive the nails on a structure
and nailing it together. that is still flimsy, you will find it well to “buck up”
The temporary forms will need no more fasten¬ the backside of the area with something heavy such
ers than the two screws on each side. These all as another hammer, as a riveter would do. When
come out once the hull is fully glued and nailed the nails are in, remove the two temporary screws
together. and drive nails into those holes. Don’t drive nails
The bulkheads, transoms, and stem pieces will into the areas about 2" from the top and bottom
need to be permanently glued and nailed into edges where the wales and chine logs will eventu¬
position. Here is the easy way to do it. You can use ally go—we will want those areas clear of fasteners
galvanized or stainless decking screws, and just glue so we’ll be able to install fasteners for the chine logs
and screw the sides to the bulkheads, leaving the and wales later. Also, if a temporary form was
screws in. After you’ve dry-tit everything together, screwed in right by the edge, and the wale or chine
back out the screws a bit, apply glue all along the log was then fastened over it, you’d have a heck of
joint between the side and the bulkhead framing a time removing that temporary form when the
sticks, and then retighten the screws. Done. Just be hull was assembled.
careful not to sand them down later in the finish¬ On the other hand, if you find that (for exam¬
ing process, as galvanized screws shorn of their ple) the stem piece doesn’t want to lie tight to the
coating will then rust. sides in those areas, you will have to install screws
If you don’t h^ive access to the right-sized galva¬ there that will be removed after the glue cures.
nized or stainless screws, you can use nails (the best When you are done with one edge of a bulk¬
ring nails you can find: galvanized, or bronze). This head, continue with the other edge, and then
adds a step or two to the process: screwing the sides through the other permanent crosspieces, one edge
on first with regular drywall screws, then gluing, at a time.
After you are done with the nail and glue ses¬
sion, check hull alignment. Walk away from the
project without touching it until the glue has set
good and hard. Don’t move anything while the
glue is in the green stage.

The Wales

After glue holding the sides to the bulkheads has

cured, I like to install the wales (also known as rails
or gunwales or gunnels). These are usually Vt” x
1 Vi” sticks that run full length of the boat. Some¬
times they are doubled to be 1 Vi" square, or more.
 BUI L 1)1 N Ci YOUR BOAT 37

If you install them at this stage they will go a long be about the same length so they can come out of
way toward stiffening the assembly making it easier the same board, if you can find a good one wide
to work with and maintain alignment. enough. So you could set your saw blade at the flare
If your boat is really long, there is a chance that angle and fence or guide at the proper width for
you will need to “scarf’ two or more shorter pieces the inner wales and make one rip pass on one side
of wood to get the full length piece. (See page 148 to get the first inner wale piece. Then reset the
for more details on scarfing.) The scarfing must be blade to 0 degrees and leave the fence as is to make
done before assembly on the boat, and don’t even the second inner wale piece. Then another rip cut
try working with the scarfed piece until the scarf with no saw changes will give you an outer wale
glue has set well. Once the scarf is complete, the lamination, and then another for the last wale
stick should be as strong as a single piece of lumber lamination. Lastly, the cuts to give the chine logs
and you will work with it as a single piece. will be like those for the inner wale laminations.
Most of my drawings have a full-sized detail of So once the inner wale has been ripped to
the wale cross section. On a boat with flared sides, proper width and bevel, it is time to install it. Leave
assembly of things like decks or cross beams almost it long for now, to be trimmed to length after the
always will require that the wale be beveled on its assembly. I suggest you “dry-fit” the wale into posi¬
top edge to allow a flat to mate with the deck. It is tion first, as you did with the bulkheads. Clamp it
into position and secure with screws into the bulk¬
heads, transoms, stem, and anywhere else needed
Typir/il UuU fons4-rnc4-ToO
to keep it in place. Actually, at this point you can
/ inner wale laminaf-ion trim it to length.
Check hull alignment. Then dry-fit the wale on
the other side, and check alignment again. If you
are building right-side up, you may want to invert
the hull for the gluing operation, or mask the sides
with paper and tape to avoid a lot of work later in
sanding glue drips.
Then loosen the wale screws over the bow half
of the wale on one side, allowing it to spring out¬
ward from the side panel. Butter the mating sur-

quite easy to prebevel the inner wale before assem¬

bly. Let’s say the side is flared 10 degrees. If you set
your table saw to cut at a 10-degree angle and then
rip a 1x6 or 1x8 to proper size, you will have it. In
fact, if your board is wide enough you will already
have another 10 degree edge cut on it for the wale
on the other side of the boat.
While you are at it you might as well rip all the
wale and chine pieces as shown here. They will all

inner wale on-hr wale,

lanvnabons lamina hors chine /(
°3

n r
SO, \MC U-Ls
38 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AW® BEYOND)

faces well with glue, and reinstall the screws.

Repeat with the stern half of the wale. Clean up all
the glue that oozes out; it’s easier now than when
it hardens.
Again, as with the sides assembly, if you can use
galvanized or stainless or bronze screws here, sim¬
ply glue and screw the wales on, leaving your screws
in for the lifetime of the boat.
Or drill lead holes for nails at about a 6" spacing
along the length of that wale and install the nails
(from the inside out). Remove the drywall screws
and replace with nails. Make sure the ends of the
wale, at the stem and stern, are really well fastened. “But,” you ask, “don’t the external chine logs
Wipe up the glue mess. If the hull is inverted now slow the boat?” Phil Bolger didn’t think so. In fact
you should not have any glue running down the he thought that on a flatiron skiff the external
sides of the hull, although it may be running on the chine acted as a dam to slow the flow of water
floor instead. around the chine, reducing the eddy at the chine
Repeat with the other side wale. and making the boat faster! I don’t know about
Check alignment and let the glue cure. that. I’ve had boats with both internal and external
If the design calls for multiple laminations to the chines and they go the same as far as I can tell.
wale, the other laminations are easy. Usually they One advantage of external chine logs is that they
don’t need a beveled edge. Just butter them up provide a hefty barrier in a high-wear area. With a
with glue, clamp in position, and secure with a bit of fiberglass and epoxy on them, they take a
permanent screw about every 12" driven into the beating as you drag your boat up beaches or over
inner lamination. I don’t use nails for the second sandbars.
lamination, with the idea that if it ever needs Well, make and install the chine logs just as you
replacement I could remove the screws and cut did the wale. Usually the chine log will have a bevel
away the bad areas with no worry of hitting a that is constant, or close to it, along its length, and
fastener with the saw. you can prebevel them on your saw.
Sometimes the chine logs curve more than do
the wales, especially with the rocker of the bottom.
The Chine Logs
You will have to leave the chine logs long, perhaps
by several feet, to allow you to get leverage on the
On my boats the chine logs are on the outside of
end of the sticks and bend them into position. You
the hull, “external chine logs.” They join the side
might start the chine log installation at one end of
panels to the bottom. On traditional boats the
the boat, gluing and nailing it there with two fas¬
chine log is on the inside of the hull, which is a bit
teners about 6" apart. Then slowly pull the other
trickier to manage in construction. For more on
end into position and install with glue and another
that, see Reuel B. Parker’s The Sharpie Book.
nail. And so forth, going one nail at a time. The
Phil Bolger was the first designer I know of who
force involved can be large and can distort the hull
pushed the advantages of the external logs. With
assembly. Watch out for that. Often it will help to
external logs the bulkheads need not be notched as
install the two chine logs at the same time, working
they would to accept an internal log. The lengths
from side to side as each nail goes in.
of the external logs can be left long and allowed to
If you find that your chine logs will not take the
run past the stem and stern to be trimmed after
bend of the sides then you will have to laminate it
assembly, where with internal logs the length is
from smaller pieces.
critical since it must fit exactly between stem and
stern. Lastly, external logs allow very easy solid-
fastened joints to stem, stern, and at all the bulk¬
heads.
 BUILDING ¥OL R BOAT 39

Take Stock Again the size of the butt plate. Let’s say it is a piece of
lumber 3A" x 3Vi". This piece will be centered on
the joint of the two bottom panels, VA" on each
At this stage your hull structure is about half
side of the joint. So draw a line down the center of
done. (But you have a long way to go. Sanding and
the butt plate, trial-fit it into position, and mark
painting and finishing account for about half of
where it would need to be cut to fit at that joint,
the total work in a boat hull. And if you are build¬
inside the bottom, between the sides.
ing a sailing boat, the sail rig is often about half the
work of the whole project.) You will find the hull
structure is getting rigid. Double-ended boats, with S-hi*T ng 4ke. bofforn pUnKin
pointy ends and a stem and stern post at each end,
will be very rigid at this point.
It’s time to put on the bottom.

The Bottom

With the hull inverted on saw horses (or other¬

wise blocked up to keep its shape true and elevate
it to convenient working height), go over the bot¬
tom edges with sanding blocks, or rasps, or belt
sanders, or whatever is required, to make the bot¬
tom surface of the chines fair and ready to accept
the bottom planks.
Here is another warning about checking your I prefer to cut the butt plates on the bottom
alignment. As you start to box the hull in, it will get about V2" short of the sides to provide a limber
really rigid. If you install the bottom correctly so channel to prevent the trapping water at the butt
that the hull is straight, you will have a good plates (which may later cause rot) and to provide a
straight hull with its shape locked in. If your boat place for an epoxy fillet later, which will help seal
is crooked after you put on the bottom, it will be the plywood edges of the sides (and makes the boat
crooked forever. Check that those centerlines are easier to clean). But there is no doubt that the
all in a row and that the hull is not twisted. bottom is slightly weaker at those points, and I
Only the smallest of boats can be planked over wouldn’t argue with anyone who ran the butt
the bottom with a single sheet of plywood. All the plates right out to the sides. Take care in gluing and
rest require joining plywood panels together. Un¬ fastening the butt plates, especially near the encis of
like joining the side planks, the bottom planks will the plate.
not be precut to shape and joined with butt plates With the butt plate cut to length, glue the sur¬
before assembly to the hull. face that will mate with the bottom panel you just
The bottom of a flatiron skiff is put on oversized installed, clamp it into position, and secure it with
and trimmed to shape after assembly, like a pie screws or nails. What you have now is a bit of a
crust. Here is how I do it. shelf at the end of that bottom panel to accept the
Usually the plans will show you where to start. next panel.
In the case of Mayfly, start with a 2-foot length at When you do a bottom like this you don’t have
the stern. I would hoist the piece into position and to wait for the glue to cure on one panel before
clamp it in place long enough to trace the hull going to the next. In fact I would suggest you do the
shape on it. Then remove it and cut to shape well entire bottom in one session if you can.
outside of the traced line. Put it back in place with So right on to the next panel. Hoist it onto the
temporary screws or clamps. bottom, trace it, cut slightly oversized, and screw it
Now to prepare that piece with a butt plate that temporarily into position. Glue and nail it down at
will join it to the next piece. The plans will suggest the butt plate.
40 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AH® BETOHD)

(In some cases you might have to remove the ing on to the next panel, such that you never have
bottom panels to permanently install the butt to remove the completed bottom for gluing.)
plates while the pieces are flat, because the curva¬
ture of the bottom is too great to install it in place
without a “kink” resulting at the butt plate.
Mayfly’s aft bottom butt joint is such a case.)

At this point it is probably too late to change any

hull alignment problems. It will be too rigid. Prop
it up and clean up all the glue drips you can find so
you don’t have to sand them off later. Walk away
from the project and let the glue cure hard.
Install the butt plate that will take the next
section. It is a bit like laying bricks. On a fifteen-
foot boat the bottom could have as few as two
panels or as many as four.

G\ut and naJ if all m place \WrHn lofs and

-Pasfeners in fhe bu4+ places. Trim fto side ed0e5
offer fhe alut sefs hard.

Finally undo the temporary bottom screws, lift

the bottom so you can butter up the chines with
glue, replace the bottom and re-install the tempo¬
rary screws. You should be able to do this one
section at a time, without ever completely unfasten¬
ing the bottom. Nail about every 6" and replace the
temporary screws with nails. Or, again, just used
galvanized or bronze or stainless screws, and leave
them in.
(There is a slight variation on this method that
can work on hulls with not too much rocker. That
is to install, with glue and nails, each bottom panel
as it is fitted, installing the butt plate, then preced¬
 BUI L SI If G YOUR BOAT 41

Finishing the Bottom:

To Glass or Not to Glass?

If you expect to get hard use out of your boat, or

anticipate dragging it up a rocky shore on a regular
basis, you should think about fiberglassing the
entire bottom. If not, you can save money and
work and weight by just glassing the chine edges
and the butt joints.
Carefully trim the outer edges of the bottom
panels flush to the chine logs and give the chine Wetting the wood with epoxy. Note plastic squeegee.
corners a good rounding, at least lA" radius. A belt
sander is a great tool for that job. This enables the
fiberglass tape to make the bend without popping
off the wood.
Go over the bottom with epoxy putty and fill
any flaws and gaps. Allow it to cure hard and then
sand smooth. Draw a centerline on the bottom.
Mask the sides of the boat so that epoxy dripping
down on the sides will not leave you with lumpy
sides. Rolling out the fiberglass cloth.
It must be stressed that you have to cio this epoxy
work all at once. If you allow one section or layer
to cure before applying the next, you must sand
everything, and even then you may not get the
adhesion that you will if the whole job sets up at
once. Layers of epoxy applied when the prior layer
is still tacky will form a chemical bond between
layers. Once epoxy cures, however, you need to
sand it completely, and still you only get a mechan¬
ical bond with the next layer. So be well prepared.
Working in the hot sun might cause your epoxy to
cure faster than you can work. Trimming edges, preparing to wet out glass.
If you are glassing the entire bottom, use some¬
thing like 6-ounce fiberglass cloth. This can be
ordered from Raka or Fiberglass Coatings or any
number of other marine suppliers. It comes in a
variety of widths. Trial-fit the glass panels you will
use, wrapping them around the chine corners
about an inch.
Mix up some slow-setting epoxy, the thinner the
better. Lift up a piece of your bottom glass and
paint a heavy coat of epoxy on the bottom wood,
getting it really heavy on the chine corners where
the edge grain will soak up the epoxy. Lay that
Armoring the chines with a layer of three-inch fiber¬
section of glass over the wet epoxy and paste it
glass tape. This gets wet out before the first layer cures.
down. Soak the cloth with more epoxy until the
Edges hanging below chines can be trimmed with a
cloth texture is full, rubbing the epoxy in with a
razor knife when epoxy is half cured, or sanded off later.
42 BOATBU1LKIKG FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

paintbrush or a squeegee. Be very careful of the do. These parts aren’t easy to install. Getting the
chine edges. Make sure there is plenty of epoxy joint between the bottom and the skid watertight
there and that the glass sticks tightly to the corners is pretty important to avoid rot.
with no sign of epoxy starvation there. Glass that Draw the location of the skid on the bottom and
has been wetted through looks clear. Glass that is drill screw holes in the bottom about every 6".
not completely wetted through will have a white Apply a lot of thick glue or epoxy to the area of the
appearance. joint and press the skid into position. Most likely
Once the bottom glass is on and before it fully you will have to hold it down temporarily with a
cures, paste on a layer of 3"-wide fiberglass tape over few screws driven from the outside. Then crawl
the chine corners. It is a nice touch to offset the inside the project and install the screws from the
edge of the second layer about !4" to make for a inside through those holes you predrilled. Not
more gradual transition from wood to glass. Paint much fun, but you should be able to get a good
it down very well with unthickened epoxy. The straight installation with good glue squeeze out all
corner will now look like this: along the skid. Remove the temporary screws that
you drove from the outside in. Wipe down the
excess glue or epoxy, sealing the sides of the joint
as you go.

Finishing the Bottom

Right now you can finish the bottom of your

boat with paint. Fill and sand the whole bottom to
your satisfaction, and remember that pro boat-
builders spend half of their labor sanding and
painting. A good sanded surface is necessary to
make primer or paint stick to epoxy.

If you are not glassing the entire bottom, you

must armor at least the chine edges with two layers
of fiberglass tape set in epoxy and seal the bottom
butt joints with a layer of fiberglass tape set in epoxy.
Walk away from the job again until the epoxy
has totally cured. Then I advise that you give the
entire bottom a light sanding, filling flaws with
thickened epoxy.
All this epoxy work is pretty nasty. Wear eye
protection, rubber gloves, old clothes, etc. Protect
Once satisfied, apply paint. Usually I suggest two
yourself well, keep kids and pets at a distance, and
layers of exterior latex primer followed by two coats
clean up thoroughly. Avoid breathing the epoxy
of color. Paint is always a big arguing point with
dust as you sand. It can harm your lungs. Wear a
boats. A good brand of latex house paint should do
full-filter respirator, or if you can’t get one, stand
you well.
upwind from the sanding, or ventilate your work¬
If you are using oil paints, be sure to check to see
place with as big a fan as you can find.
if the paint is compatible with epoxy, because some
will not cure on top of epoxy. They say there is no
Bottom Skid way of checking besides to paint a section and see
what happens because paint companies change
If your boat has a bottom skid/stiffener, or a their formulas all the time. Others say to allow
skeg, now is the time to put it on. Mayfly doesn’t paint to cure for a week or two before trying to
have one, but Piragua, Jonsboat, and the QT Skiff move the boat. I was never so patient.
 BUI LDISG YOUR BOAT 43

With the bottom totally done you can put your

Decks
boat on a trailer if you wish. Wheel it around as
needed. Block it up steady when you work on the
Trial-fit your decks, mark the plywood to shape
project.
and cut it out.
Usually you can remove the temporary forms at
this point.
With the boat upright and forms removed, you
should add a fillet of thickened epoxy around all
the interior joints like this:

Before you install the decks, consider whether to

first paint the interior of the hull. Interior painting
is a lot easier with the decks off. Painting inside
your hatches will keep mildew and rot from taking
hold. It also makes cleaning easier.

Using the Ziploc baggie “cake-icing device” to apply the

bead of thickened epoxy in the bottom joint. Use a
finger, a tongue depressor, or squeegee to smooth it
out.

Most decks can be installed with nails and glue.

I think these fillets are the most useful thing a
Decking can be attached without glue, however,
person can do to improve the life span of his boat.
but using silicone caulking instead (and screws or
They keep water from getting into the nooks and
nails). This will seal the chamber but allow the
crannies and prevent water from seeping up the
decking to be removed at a later date if it needs
end grain of the wood. They also make the boat a
replacing.
lot easier to clean. Epoxy is the stuff to use here. In
A good watertight seal on the decked compart¬
my experience materials like auto body filler and
ments is a safety feature of my boats: The storage
RTV aren’t suitable.
compartments are also flotation compartments.
Should the boat capsize or become swamped, you’ll
have enough buoyancy to bail it out and self-rescue.
44 E04TE17ILI)IM(> FOR BECINNERI (AN® BEYON®)

into thin air, and then spring those ends inward

Hatches
with a cross stick. Like this:

Hatches in decks can be installed now. Cut the deck clamp will spring out of
zha-pe. if not restrained
hatch opening in the cieck plywood. First draw the
hatch outline, then drill a 3/8" hole in each corner,
and use a saber saw to cut to the line, starting the
saw at the holes in the corners. Then frame the
opening with lumber coamings. I try to interlock
the ends of the coamings like this:

interlock) nq comers hateh coaming

i-- -- r
S+icK screwed +0 decK clomp ex+cnsions +0
piA.ll Lhfion sYia_pe,

haich opening i

Keep the clamp extensions and stick in place

until the cabin decks are shaped and nailed in
1
L 1 place. That will hold the clamps in shape and you
can then trim them to final length.

If you’re building Piragua, QT Skiff, or Jons-

Make your hatch tops from plywood with fram¬
boat, or any other rowing or paddling boat, you’re
ing sticks on the underside that will locate the top in
done! If you need oars or a paddle, build those.
the coaming. You can make them so the framing on
(See page 55 for more on oars.)
the top fits either inside or outside the deck coam¬
Finish painting your boat and go out on the
ing. If inside, you must leave a lip that will reach out
water!
to the the edge of the coaming. If outside, you need
to be a bit more elaborate in securing the elastic
cords that will hold the hatch down. Because you
won’t be able to put an eye screw right into the
coaming, and plywood alone won’t hold a screw
well, you’ll need to glue a backup bit of framing
under the cieck to give fastening power; then screw
the eye screw or hook into the cieck acijacent to the
outside of the coaming. For more on hatches, see
page 123.
There is one trick to installing decks in cuddy
cabins that I want to show. On many designs the
deck “clamp,” which is the piece of lumber that
connects the deck to the hull, curves around the
front of the boat and ends abruptly at a bulkhead,
where the sides and wales continue in a smooth
curve to the stern. If you were to install the clamp
in the usual way and end it abruptly at the bulk¬
head as shown on the plans, you would find that it
doesn’t want to take the same curve as the sides!
What has worked very well to correct the situation
is to extend the clamps past well past the bulkheaci
 BUILDIHUi YOUR BOAT 45

circular saw at a shallow setting over the wood a few

times, or even work it with a rasp or file. Glue and
nail the bottom piece to the top piece.

THE SAILING BITS Now to install the step. Usually it fits into the
intersection of the bottom and a bulkhead. Those
two elements almost always meet at an angle, due
to the curvature of the bottom. The step should fit
If you are making a sailing boat you have a
right into that angle. Measure the angle on your
substantial amount of work left. I’ve found the
hull and trim the front face of the step to match it.
labor and often the cost of a sailing rig is also about
Fasten the step very well into the hull with lots of
half the total cost of the project.
glue and stout nails or screws into both the bulk-
head and the bottom.
The Mast Step
The Mast Partner
Mast steps vary, but on smaller designs I prefer
to use the solid chunk method. Well, almost. The
Mast partners vary even more than mast steps.
mast shouldn’t bear directly against the bottom of
Some are just planks bolted across the boat’s wales
the hull, especially if the boat has no stiffeners
with a hole through for the mast. Some are thick
along the bottom centerline. Why? Because the
plywood plates bolted and glued to the foredeck.
mast of a sailboat is almost always in compression, Most of mine are lumber pieces bolted to a bulk¬
pushing down at the step and sometimes with a
head like this:
very large force. Also, masts often rotate during
sailing. So here is how I prefer to do the job:

What you see here is that the step is laminated Almost all are 1 W'-thick lumber. Sometimes the
from two pieces. The bottom bearing piece is usu¬ partner lumber has to be pretty wide to accept the
ally kV thick and the top piece is IV2" thick. The mast hole or slot, but also to space the mast the
top piece has the hole for the mast heel. You can proper distance from the bulkhead. That might
cut it out with a bandsaw or saber saw. Same with seem trivial, but it is quite important. The proper
the thinner bottom piece. The bottom piece dimension here will ensure the proper rake to the
should have a small slot to drain away any water mast, and that puts the sail in the right position
that pools in the mast hole of the top piece. Cut¬ fore and aft, and that gets the handling of the boat
ting that drain slot is very easily done before the just right. So the rake of the mast is one of the
piece is attached to the top piece. Just run your sacred things about your boat plans.
46 BOATBVILDIlfC FOR BEGINNERS (AW® BEYOND)

(On the other hand, it your boat doesn’t handle for a IV2" square piece, then one laminated from
right, you can tinker with the mast rake to try to fix two 3/V pieces should be superior, although I must
that. Rake the mast more aft and you should in¬ admit that using a single piece would be usually an
crease your weather helm. Raking it forward will acceptable temptation.
decrease weather helm.)
Usually a mast partner like this is made in two
pieces because that is easier. The hole for the mast
becomes a slot that can be cut with a saber saw
instead of needing a large hole saw. All that is easy
enough. The real problem is bolting it to the bulk¬
head because the bolts need to be long, usually
longer than a common drill.
Here is how I do it: Once the partner is made I
drill the holes for the bolts through the partner
while it is on the workbench. Then I put it in
position on the bulkhead and spot the holes on the
bulkhead with the drill. Remove the partner and
complete drilling the bulkhead holes. Long bolts
are required, and I don’t know if there is much
harm in making the bolt holes 1/16" or so oversized
so that precise fitting isn’t required. Tighten the
nuts well so that there is lots of friction between
partner and bulkhead. In my opinion, this mast
partner assembly is no place for wood screws—use
through-bolts.
Laminating Mayfly's boom. Lots of Titebond II, lots of
clamps. For people without a dozen or more clamps, one
homegrown method is to wrap the pieces tight in nylon
The Spars monofilament fishing line. Pull it tight as you wrap, and it
contracts uniformly. One loop every two to four inches
The mast is pretty straightforward. I always lam¬ should do it.

inate my mast from several pieces of wood. If the

On smaller boats, say less than 70 square feet of
design calls for a 2V4"-diameter mast I use three
sail, I have used hand rail moldings, round and
laminations of 3/V wood. For a 3"-diameter mast I
about IV2" in diameter, as yards, and closet poles,
use two IV2" laminations.
round and about 1" in diameter, as booms.
For Mayfly’s mast, which is 2Vi" square at its
Don’t use PVC pipe no matter how tempting.
widest, you can laminate a sandwich of3//, 1", 3/V.
PVC is heavy and flexible compared to wood and
The full 1 "-thick piece is sold as “5/4” lumber,
really a poor choice. Aluminum tube makes very
meaning five quarters of an inch, milled down to
light and stiff spars. But I think wood is best for
four quarters. And of course the TV-thick pieces
several reasons. One is that is it is traditional. Two
can each be cut from a readily available 1x4, which
is that it is cheap. Three is that it is quiet (compared
means 3/V x 3/2", or perhaps for less wasteage, you
to aluminum). Four, and most important, is that
could buy a 1x6 and get two pieces out of it.
wood is buoyant! A small boat with a lug rig made
The practice of laminating will give you a mast
of wood will not want to turn turtle when capsized
that is much less likely to warp. Laminating with
because the yard and mast will act as outrigger
common lumber also tends to spread out knots
floats when they hit the water.
and flaws such that you won’t get a big bad spot
You might try hollow masts and spars. I’ve made
that goes clear through the mast. Plus, sawing a 4x4
a few, and in larger sizes hollow can be easier
into shape is a very difficult job. Sawing two or
because you can work with 3/V-thick lumber with a
three thinner pieces is easy.
normal saw. If you were to make your mast solid
Same with the yard and boom. It the design calls
 DUILDINCi YOUR BOAT 47

from, say, 3"-thick lumber, you would need a band¬

saw or some special arrangement to trim it to shape
since a normal circular saw won’t cut that thick.
On the other hand, in smaller spars you really
won’t save a lot of weight by making the spar
hollow, and I don’t think heroic efforts will pay off
here. If you’re curious, do a web search for
“birdsmouth mast” or “hollow box mast.”

Chocks

Most rigs will need small chocks attached to the

yard and boom (sometimes to the mast) through
which you secure rigging lines. These chocks locate
the lines and keep them from drifting up- or down-
spar. Thus the yard has its halyard fixed, and the
boom has its tack secured.

General layout of the weighted kick-up rudder. Note

On a small boat using W line as rigging, the that the rudder stock here differs from that on Mayfly.
chocks might be 3/4"-square lumber with a 3/8" hole
through which you run the line.
Glue the chocks well to the spar, one on each side
opposite each other, and fasten with light nails just
Where I sail, only a kick-up rudder works well.
to be safe. Don’t drill large holes for bolts or screws
It’s not because once a year you might strike a ledge
through these critical parts of the spars. Remember:
and break off a fixed rudder. It’s because our waters
The lines pass through the chocks and around the
are generally shallow, and a fixed rudder would
spars, not around the chocks. The chocks serve only
require endless fussing on every trip. With the
to locate the line properly on the spar.
weighted kick-up rudder shown here, you just blast
along without giving the kick-up blade a second
The Rudder thought.
/ I have also tried kick-up rudders that weren’t

/
weighted, but were held down by lanyards. Nearing
/ a shore or shallow I had to play the thing like a
puppet and quickly ran out of hands because the
tiller, sheet, and board all needed handling at the
same time. The weighted rudder blade is much
better. I’ll show you how I build a kick-up rudder
from the ground up from plywood. This sort of
rudder can be suitable for boats up to about 22 feet
in length.
48 BOATBUILDING FOR. BEGINNERS (AN® BEYOND)

to a near-feather edge. If the thin edges get ragged,

Rudder Blade
or gaps in the plywood are exposed, fill with some
putty or thickened epoxy to strengthen the edge.
The best way to make the blade is to laminate it
from thinner plywood. I’ve seen warped blades
made from a single piece of Vi" plywood, but I’ve
rounded leading edge.
never had a problem with a blade built up from
, Squared
two layers of W plywood. •frailmq
1 rdqt.
{about '/?’)
f— 7::-1
about- 5

Some people like to wrap a bit of fiberglass tape

in epoxy around the leading edge, and place two
flat bits of tape along either side of the trailing
edge. Fiberglass tape won’t bend tightly enough to
go around the thin edge.
If your rudder, daggerboard, leeboard or center¬
board vibrates in use, streamline the edges some
more. That almost always cures the ailment.

Sink Weight
I called this the “counterweight” in the drawing
Cut out the plywood blanks and butter one up but “sink weight” is a better term.
with glue or thickened epoxy. It’s best to spread the The sink weight should be slightly heavier than
glue with a notched trowel like you use to paste the buoyancy of the immersed blade. Wood is
down floor tiles. Place the glued-up blanks together about half as dense as water, and lead is about 11
on a flat surface protected with plastic or paper, times denser than water. It works out that the area
and tap a couple of light nails through them so they of the lead weight should be about one-sixteenth
can’t slide around on each other. Apply clamping the area of the immersed blade, or maybe 7 percent
pressure with weights like concrete blocks placed of the area to give a slight negative buoyancy. For
atop the blanks. Now stay away until the glue has example, a blade that is 10 inches by 15 inches
set good and hard. immersed is 150 square inches. The lead weight
Now give the blade a final trimming and stream¬ could be 150 x .07 = 10.5 square inches, which
line the edges where required. This can take an would be a square 3.24 inches per side.
hour or more of belt-sanding, planing, or disking.
See the board profile in the plans. You want to
round the front edge a bit, and taper the aft third
 BVILDINfi YOUR BOAT 49

Cut a hole in the blade for the lead to the proper ing stove, an alternate rudder-weighting method is
size, preferably toward the tip and toward the trail¬ to calculate the weight of lead needed, then make
ing edge. Bevel the hole’s edges so the lead will lock a bigger hole in the blade, cram in the appropriate
in place by forming flanges around the blade. Also weight of wheel weights (or maybe lead shot if you
place some rustproof nails or screws around the can get it), and then pour epoxy over it all. Trial
interior of the hole to further lock the lead in place. and error will tell you how big a hole you need to
Clamp the blade to a flat metal plate and place it accommodate all the lead. Back your hole up with
level on the floor. wax paper or sheet plastic on a clamped-on board.
To figure the weight of the lead required, multi¬ Give your hole the same feathered edge and screws
ply the area in inches by the thickness in inches or nails to hold in the chunk of lead and epoxy.
and again by .4. In the example, if the example
blade is 3A" thick, the weight of the lead required is
Rudder Stock
10.5 x .75 x .4 = 3.15 pounds. Your local garage will
probably be happy to give you old wheel weights
Laminate this exactly as you did the rudder
taken off cars. Just ask.
blade. No tapering needed, though a slight round¬
Melting lead: To melt the lead, I use a propane
ing of the edges makes it more durable and pleas¬
camp stove. I place it right next to the job so I won’t
ant to handle. You need to add the downstop, and
have to tote molten lead around the shop. For a
it’s amazing to me how sturdy this part needs to be.
crucible I use a coffee can with a Vi “pour hole”
A block of hard rubber or phenolic plastic bolted
drilled about 3" above the bottom of the can, with
in place might be best.
a long metal handle bolted to the side of the can.
The crucible goes on the stove with enough lead
wheel weights inside for the pour. Tiller / Hoist Lanyard
It goes without saying that melting and pouring
lead can be really dangerous. So take care! Wear Don’t make the tiller too short! Make it too long
long sleeves, protective eyewear, and heavy gloves. and shorten it later if needed. Note that if you use
Work outside, or ventilate extremely well. Keep the “Cary hinges” mentioned later in this chapter,
kids far away. It’s not just the molten lead that is or any similar hinge system that pushes the rudder
dangerous, but the lead fumes as well. Also, any assembly back a couple of extra inches, you’ll need
water in the mix can cause explosive bubbling, to add that distance onto the tiller so it comes fully
flinging hot lead all around, so make sure you cook over the aft deck and into the cockpit.
off water slowly first. The tiller should fold neatly along the back edge
Begin the pour as soon as the lead is molten. of the rudder for storage.
(The steel clamps on the wheel weights will float to Use light braided line, about 3/16" for the lan¬
the top and not pass through the pour hole.) Take yard. Tie it to a small hole in the rudder’s trailing
your time and be very careful with the pour, but it edge. The hole needs to be located about where the
must be done all at once. Overfill the hole in the raised rudder meets the aft end of the tiller. Then
rudder blade somewhat to allow for shrinkage on pass the lanyard through a hole in the back corner
cooling. Shut off the stove and walk away from the of the tiller, then forward to a small cleat on the top
job for a few hours. Lead stays very hot long after it of the tiller.
has solidified. Pass the lanyard through a small hole in the base
If the weight gets loose in the blade due to shrink¬ of the cleat and tie and loop for your fingers. To
age, you can tighten it by placing the weight over an raise the rudder, yank on the lanyard and belay it
anvil and hitting the lead with a hammer. That around the little cleat. To lower the rudder, uncleat
squeezes the center and expands the perimeter. the lanyard and let the blade drop kerplunk against
Now contemplate what it’s like to pour a 1,000 the stop.
pound keel! Another handy method is to cut a small vertical
Alternate method: If you don’t want to try the notch in the forward end of your tiller, as wide as
lead-melting, or don’t have access to a good camp¬ the lanyard and V2" deep. No need for a cleat on
 50 B04TKVILDIWG FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

the tiller in this system. Just put a knot in the Stevenson Projects used barrel bolt locks for
lanyard and hitch it into the notch in the tiller. The hinges.
weight of the rudder holds it in place. You can even Harold Payson used two strong eye screws on
preset a couple of rudder blade positions if you like. the transom and two on the rudder stock, pinned
through by a lA" steel rod. This system is now
referred to as “Payson eyes.”

Sheet Fairlead Dick Scobbie used door hinges with big cotter
pins for pivots. Seeing those, I tried some door
hinges on a dink rudder and was quite satisfied,
This works very well on smaller sails that don’t
especially since they came from the scrap bin. Most
require multipart main sheets. Screw a fairlead or
door hinges won’t mount as simply as real boat
large eyebolt solidly to the tiller’s top face. Place the
fittings—check out the angles they swing through
fairlead right above the rudder hinges so the sheet
and do some head scratching.
loads won’t affect steering. Run the sail’s sheet
One thing I’m sure of: Don’t rely on gravity to
through the fairlead and forward along the tiller.
keep your rudder on your transom. In a knock¬
You can secure the sheet merely by wrapping it a
down the rudder may unship and leave you with a
couple of times around the tiller’s grip under your
very wet boat and no rudder. Also, with the sheet
steering hand. Then you can steer and hold the
fairlead on the tiller as I’ve shown it, the sheet can
sheet with the same hand. To release the sheet in a
produce an upward force on the assembly in strong
gust you need only slacken your grip without let¬
winds and lift the whole thing out of conventional
ting go of the tiller. You can also belay the sheet
fittings. Both of these things have happened to me.
around the rudder lanyard cleat if you are feeling
Now I secure my rudder by drilling a small hole in
lucky.
one pintle below the gudgeon and putting a cotter
pin through the hole.
Or you can simply put a screw or eye screw in
your transom, and run some cord or wire from the
rudder stock through it or around it.

The Cary Hinge

Recently I got letter from Ted Cary in Horida.

He has a way of making effective rudder hinges
from scrap seat belts.
Here is his description:
“Thought you might be interested in my solu¬
tion to the rudder pintle problem. My first experi¬
ence trying to hit two gudgeons with the pintles in
Rudder assembly detail. Note use of eyebolt
for fairlead, and eye screw for hoist point. a big chop, while hanging over the transom, dis¬
qualified that system for me. I came up with a
simple track and slide system, then epoxied up the
slide and rudder stock around pieces of connecting

Hinges webbing strap. The strap flexes when you steer.

You can bend a seat belt a lot of times before it
breaks, and nylon doesn’t corrode in salt water. I
There are many different ways to attach the
found that you must align the strap longitudinally
rudder stock to the boat. I think the best hinges are
across the direction of the flex, and you must not
welded up from stainless steel, but I’m working
allow the epoxy to harden on the strap where it has
toward building boats totally from lumberyard
to flex. But the ends of the strap have to be well
stuff.
saturated to hold the slide and the rudder stock
 BVILDIJili YOUR BOAT 51

halves together. The most successful way I’ve used Note also that if you make the slide wider at the
to avoid glue where I don’t want it is to get the top than at the bottom, and form the receceiver to
parts all glued up and assembled with clamps, match its shape, the slide will drop in and fit itself
keeping the glue off" the flex line as much as possi¬ tightly without falling out.
ble. Then use a syringe or squirt bottle to saturate
the flex line with vinegar, working it through the
fibers, before the glue starts to set. The acetic acid
neutralizes the amines in the epoxy hardener, so it
won’t polymerize. The clamped parts won’t allow
the vinegar to reach the glue on the strapping
between them, so it goes off where you want it to.

TRANSOM

RUDDER STOCK

1/8" TO 1/4" GAP RECEIVER

Cut slide and receiver from one 2x6 or 2x8.

RUDDER STOCK

NYLON WEBBING

CARY HINGES

“Dropping the triangular section slide down the

transom track installs the rudder in a fraction of a
second. This hinge rig has been working great on
several dinks for over four years now.”
Well, I must try Ted’s system sometime. I think
Attach the receiver to the transom with screws (into a
model-airplane guys have been using flexing plastic backing board glued inside the transom), and with a
hinges for a long time. My only comment might be fillet of thickened epoxy and fiberglass tape on the
that I would also lock the slide to prevent it from outside. Use the slide piece as a guide for positioning
the two halves of the receiver.
unshipping in a knockdown.
A variation on Ted’s system, for anyone who
might have trouble getting (or doesn’t want to fuss
with) the nylon webbing, is to keep the ingenious
V-shaped slide, but use metal hinges on it instead
of nylon straps. Not all hinges will be wide enough
The Leeboard
to reach well onto the rudder stock for good pur¬
chase, yet still be narrow enough to fit on the
The leeboard is made just like the rudder—
relatively thin “slide” piece. You can order nice
always best to laminate it from thinner plywood to
stainless “T” hinges at Hamilton Marine or Jame¬
avoid warpage. So if the leeboard is to finish at TV'
stown for about $5, or might even be able to find a
thick you should make it from two layers of 3/8"
galvanized version at your hardware store. The tall
plywood or three layers of W plywood.
narrow part attaches to the center of your slide; the
Place waxed paper or sheet plastic under the
long horizontal piece attaches to your rudder stock.
whole mess so it doesn’t glue itself to the floor.
Another solution to this, of course, would be to
What I like to do is to make one lamination exactly
make your slide wider.
the right size and the others a bit oversized. Then
52 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AW® BEYOW®)

apply lots of glue between the layers, place the to the widest beam of the hull. The leeboard pivots
layers on top of each other on a flat surface, and tap on a bolt that attaches to or through the lower
light nails through the stack so that the layers can’t leeboard guard. The board will always be mounted
slide around on each other. Then place something such that it is parallel with the centerline of the
like concrete blocks on the stack of layers to apply boat. Usually it will be mounted to be vertical
pressure. Then walk away until the glue has set hard. when the hull is level, but not always—sometimes
Trim the glued-up leeboard blank to final shape. the leeboard is mounted parallel to the flared side
Then streamline the front and aft edges that will of a hull, thus angling in under the boat. Is that
flow through the water. Don’t just round the edges bad? Most likely you would never notice the effect
with a router bit. It doesn’t have to be carved to a of the nonvertical leeboard.
full airfoil shape, but I would suggest something Lower leeboard guard: The first step in install¬
like this: ing the leeboard is to locate the leeboard pivot
point on the hull. The sail rig drawing will show

minded leading edge.

where the pivot is supposed to be, both up from
/Squared the bottom, and fore and aft on the hull. Mayfly’s
irailincj
is 57/8" up from the inside bottom, and 353/4" back
cdqe.
- i from the aft face of Bulkhead 4.2. Level up your
abouf 3* oboui V*
hull and mark where the pivot point should be.
Then mark where the lower leeboard guard should
fall on the outside of the hull.
Here is how I do it: Clamp the trimmed blank
to the workbench. Start the shaping on one edge
with the coarsest rasp you can buy. As you carve
through laminations, you will find a nice line
forms at each glue joint. Use these as indicators to
keep your shaping true down the length of the
edge. You will find it is fairly easy to do. When you
get it roughly where you want it, smooth it all down
with a belt sander. I don’t own a power hand plane
but would try it if I had one. I haven’t found
normal hand planes or drawknives to be very use¬
ful in shaping plywood—the rasp is my favorite tool
here. Another useful tool might be a small disk
sander with very coarse (20-grit!) paper in a drill.
As mentioned earlier about rudders, if your
leeboard vibrates in use, streamline it some more.
My plans will show the position of the leeboard Now to make a piece of wood to fit there. Usu¬
pivot hole, but it might be prudent to hold off ally on a smaller boat the lower leeboard guard is
drilling it right now. Wait until the rest of the hull made from a piece of 1 W-thick lumber. Start with
assembly is done so you can double-check the a piece that is a lot wider than the final width. A
proper operation of the leeboard. 2x6 usually does the trick. We will trim off the
outer face to be parallel with the hull centerline

The Leeboard Guards later. The biggest challenge will be to cut the inside
face of the guard so that it will fit tightly to the
curve of the side, and yet account for the flare of
This is the only tricky7 thing about leeboards but
the hull’s side and mount perpendicular to the
1 think it is still a lot simpler than any centerboard
leeboard.
or daggerboard case.
Here is how I have done that. First I place the
Here is the situation. The leeboard will be at¬
oversized lumber guard piece right above its final
tached to one side of the hull, always at or very near
 BUILDING YOUR BOAT 51

location, right against the wale, and scribe (that is, final shape. Drill the pivot hole. Glue and screw
trace) the shape of the side there right onto the the lower leeboard guard into position.
guard piece. So I’m using the wale shape in that Now you can try mounting the leeboard to see if
area as a guide to the guard shape. Then I set a saw the pivot hole location is right.
(a bandsaw works fine but so will a saber saw with
a good blade) at an angle equal to the flare of the Upper leeboard guard: Usually the best way to
side. For Mayfly that’s a 10-degree angle. Then I make this guard is to laminate it from several layers
saw to the scribed line at that angle. It should fit! of thinner plywood. The upper guard will be glued
Sand down any bumps if necessary. Screw it into and bolted to the wale. If the wale has a lot of sheer
position temporarily. (curvature when viewed from the side), then the
Next we need to locate the outer face of the upper guard is sometimes best laminated clamped
lower guard such that the leeboard will be parallel right on the wale so that it will start its life curved
to the hull centerline and be vertical. The leeboard in the same way as the wale. As with the lower
will bear on the wale. Place a level on the wale right guard, start with a blank that is well oversized.
at the leeboard pivot location like this: Once the blank for the upper guard has been
glued up, place it on the wale and scribe the inner
edge to fit against the hull. Trim that edge to shape
and clamp the blank into position. Almost always

Now place a long straightedge on the guard

piece such that its edge falls on the mark deter¬
mined above and parallel to the hull centerline,
like this:

Mark that line. That is where the outer face of

the guard needs to be for the proper leeboard
placement. Remove the leeboard guard and cut the
face on that line. Trim the leeboard guard to its
54 B04TBVILD1NC FOR BEG1NMER§(AKDBEYOND)

on my designs the upper leeboard guard is attached

to the underside of the wale. Locate the slot for the
leeboard and mark the final shape of the guard.
Remove it and cut it to shape.

When you cut the slot, make it a bit too wide,

maybe by 1/8". You don’t want the leeboard to get
stuck in the slot, and remember that the wooden
parts will swell when wet.
Trial-fit it with clamps, perhaps with the lee¬
board and its pivot bolt in place to check the
workings. When you are satisfied, drill bolt holes
to mount it while it is still clamped in place. Re¬
move the clamps and apply lots of thick glue to the
wale joint and bolt it in place. Take no chances
with the strength of this joint.

Paint or varnish all the parts as you wish.

External Stem

Some designs (Mayfly included) indicate an ex¬

ternal stem. This is mostly decorative, and you can
have some fun with its shape. Some people like to
carve designs on it. Glue and screw it to the inter¬
nal stem.

That’s it. Your hull is done!

 55

FINISHING What You Need

Oars are made from four materials—wood, glue,

leathers, and varnish.
For wood, I use 1x6 pine boards. The pattern
shown will just barely make an oar from a 1x6.1 try
MAKING A to buy a single board long enough to get out both

SET OF OARS oars. For example, for a pair of 7-foot oars, I buy a
board 14 feet long if I can. That way the oars will
be a close match on weight, stiffness, and color. I
like to use soft wood like pine, as it’s easy to work
I’m going to show drawings for 7-foot oars, and makes a light oar. It need not be clear wood,
which I’ve found to be about the most useful length.

30" 2H
f
2C T
*
'M

O
□ 0
w
h

although clear is easier to work. Small solid knots

What Kind of Oars are fine and look good too. I’ve never worried too
much about grain because the sticks get laminated
The oars I make are really derived from the and tend to stay straight. But the straighter the
patterns of the late Pete Culler. They are charac¬ grain, the better.
terized by having heavy square looms inboard of For glue you can use waterproof wood glue like
the locks and long narrow blades in the water. Titebond II, or epoxy. For leathers I don’t use
The square looms are easy to build, help balance leather. I bind the 8" just below the square section
the oar, help locate the oar in the locks, and keep of the loom with synthetic twine, about 3/32" diam¬
the oar from rolling around on the wales. eter. It lasts for years. For varnish I use ordinary
The long narrow blades go against modern oil-based spar varnish.
thinking of spoons, but for long rowing, long and Now let’s talk tools. The tool I use the most in
narrow is the way to go. The average mortal can making oars is a bandsaw, and I hate to say that
only pull so much of a load, in spite of what an because it’s not a cheap or small thing that every¬
Olympian might do. The Culler blades can match one will have. The problem is that you’ve got to saw
the mortal’s pull. They might slip a bit when start¬ a 2/4"-thick blank. Handsaws will work, and the
ing a heavy boat from a standstill, but once up to effort should get you in shape for rowing. After all,
speed, they have full grip on the water. They bal¬ oars were invented long before the bandsaw. But I
ance better. They are less fatiguing. They have less see builders making these oars with table saws and
windage. By the way, the oars of traditional Irish saber saws.
rowing boats have no blades on their oars. Neither
do the paddles of some traditional kayaks.
56 B04TB17ILDIHG FOR BEGINNERS (AH® BEYOMB)

How to Build EicjU 5der‘

First cut the 1x6 boards to the proper length.

Lay out the centerline with a straightedge. Then
draw the pattern for the center piece, the one with
Romaic, gadget 50
the blade, around the centerline. Cut out the cen¬
siiarp edges are.
ter lamination following the line closely with your
always ir>
saw, because the outer laminations of the blank are WiVV\ stick.
made from the off fall, and there isn’t much extra.
You can draw patterns of the outer pieces and
cut them out. But it’s easier to glue the pieces
directly to the center piece and trim them after the
glue cures.
Trial-fit the outer pieces. You may have to trim
them for the proper shape where they blend into
the blade area of the center piece. When you are
satisfied, butter them up well with glue, and clamp
them in place. You may need to tap in a light
temporary nail to keep the pieces from sliding
around on each other, because almost all glues are
quite slippery until they start to set. Try to get glue
squeezed out all around. And be sure the blank is
Lastly, you need to trim mass out of the blade. I
resting straight while curing. Walk away from the
plane the blade down so its side edges are lA" thick.
blanks until the glue has cured hard.
Then 1 use the front roller of my belt sander to
After cure, trim the outer pieces to match the
hollow the blade slightly on either side of the
center piece. Use a plane and sander to work these
center, leaving a ridge in the center.
pieces to their final lines, being careful that these
I think the only critical part of these oars
faces remain square to the other two unworked
strengthwise is the lW section where the blade
faces.
meets the loom.
Now cut the two unworked faces of the handle
Give the oars a good overall sanding, but leave
and loom of the oars to their final dimensions.
the handles rough.
Draw centerlines down the two worked faces and
Wrap the rowlock area, from the square section
lay out the shape of the handle and loom. Cut to
down 8" toward the blade, with mason’s twine.
the lines and sand smooth. At this point the cross
Wrap it tightly and use knots to secure it.
section of the oar from handle to loom is square.
Give the oars three coats of spar varnish. That
The oar drawing shows how much of the loom
includes putting varnish on the twine binding. It
is left square. The rest is rounded. You start by
will go a long way toward holding the binding in
drawing lines on handle and loom that allow you
place. Don’t varnish the handles.
to make the cross sections octagonal. You can draw
An easy and effective “button” can be added to
them using the gadget shown here.
the bound area, to provide a stop that will locate
Then cut down to the lines with a half-round
the oar lengthwise in the lock, by wTapping it
rasp where the lines blend to the square section of
tightly with three wTaps of V4" shock cord, and tying
the loom. Then use a drawknife or plane to remove
the cord with a knot or a wire twist. If the tension
the rest of the material down to the lines along the
in the cord is right, it will stay firmly in place while
shaft. Now she’s eight-sided. To round it you’re
rowing and yet allow repositioning up and down
supposed to sixteen-side it and then round it out.
the bound area to change rowing leverage when
To tell you the truth, I leave mine eight-sided,
required.
including the handle and the area that fits in the
rowlock.
 MAKING O 1 K§ 57

A Rowing Seat and Ditty Box

This illustration shows a rowing seat/ditty box

that I’ve been using for years. You might have to Oarlock Sockets
tinker with it a bit to get it to fit your butt. As for
the height of the box, it is nice for a bar placed If your hull’s sides have limited flare, say less
across the rowlocks of your boat to cross you at than fifteen degrees, you can make some cheap
belly-button height. That would include any pad¬ oarlock sockets that are as good as store bought. I
ding on the seat such as a flotation cushion, which got the idea for these, plus the oarlocks that follow,
you should have on board anyway. For that matter, from Phil Bolger who used them on his Spur 2
a stack of two or three stiff flotation cushions can rowing boat that appears in his book Boats With an
make a pretty good rowing seat. Open Mind.
Here is how it’s done.
Row Seal / DiTfy box

What we have here is simply two metal plates

bolted to the wale with the proper-sized hole
(usually V2") drilled in each. Phil had his made of
stainless steel. I made mine out of aluminum and
have had no problems. I used an aluminum yard¬
stick of the type carried by lumberyards for use with
Here is what the seat looks like for real, this one drywall as the basic material. I think the metal is
about 15 years old now. about 1/10" thick and about 1 1/8" wide. I cut the
aluminum to 3" lengths, stacked them up, and
drilled the oarlock hole and the bolt holes all at the
same time. Filed off any sharp edges. Clamped the
plates in the proper position and drilled the
wooden wale. Bolted the plates in position and
that’s it. These work well because the oarlock bears
on the metal parts, which are about 1" apart, a bit
more than the usual shallow factory sockets. So far
I haven’t worn them out.
58 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS ( A If ® BEYOND)

Bolger Oarlocks

I haven’t tried these but Phil swears by them. It

is really a thole pin with a bracket to retain the oar.
Phil has always said that thole pins are better than
the usual factory oarlock where the oar centers
directly over the rotating pin. With a traditional
fixed thole pin the oar rotates around the pin as it
bears against it and Phil says, that is a better motion
than with the factory oarlocks. Note here that the
pin is also fixed: the bracket rotates around the pin
with the oar.

cotter pin

\ metal strap loosely fitted

around oar

spacer brazed to strap, not

-=3Z
^hank

1-<"

Ml" steel pin

 59

MAKING SAILS
Try making your own sails. If you can make a
boat hull, then you can make the sails. True, it takes
some tools and talent that a lot of us may not have,
but the tools—a home sewing machine and a grom¬
met tool—are common and good to have around (or
at least they’re easy to borrow), and the talent can be
learned. This is not the making of wedding dresses,
more or less an industrial-strength talent.

Shaping Sails

All of my sails have been shaped to give a three-

dimensional draff like the wing of an airplane. I’ve
never used a flat sail. In my opinion the shaped sail
is greatly superior, but since I’ve never tried a flat
sail perhaps I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
But let’s get started.

The Mayfly 14 Sail

in Dacron Sailcloth

The drawings for the Mayfly 14 sail show two

sail patterns that will be used. The first is what I will
call the “basic” pattern. It is shown as a simple four¬ Materials
sided sail with the luff (the leading edge) of 4' 9",
the leech (the trailing edge) of 12' 6", the foot (the I began by making my own sails of real Dacron
bottom edge) of 1 O' 6" and the head (the top edge) sailcloth, and more recently began experimenting
of 10' 6". Those four sides do not completely de¬ with sails made of common polytarp when Dacron
scribe the shape of the sail, so another diagonal sailcloth got rather expensive. Some people have
dimension of 10' 4" running from peak to clew is used Tyvek housewrap to make good cheap sails.
used. Real Dacron sailcloth is unique in that it is
The second pattern I call the “tweaked” pattern treated with a resin that makes it very slick and
and shows the sail shaping information, the shap¬ stable. It comes off a new roll a lot more like very
ing of the three edges and the seaming needed to stiff paper than cloth. That is why it works so well
give the sail the desired three-dimensional shaping in sails. It resists stretch in all directions, unlike
in real 36" Dacron sailcloth. regular woven cloths that are stiff along the two
main weave directions but stretch like crazy in all
other directions.
The one source that will have everything you will
need is Sailrite at 305 West Van Buren Street,
60 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AH® BEYOND)

Columbia City, IN 46725, 800-348-2769, Be sure to practice and don’t sew on the real sail
www.sailrite.com. until you are getting good seams while practicing
When you order Dacron sailcloth for almost any with the real materials. I suppose it’s like welding
sail, the prudent thing to do is order about 50 in that respect. Be sure to fill up several bobbins,
percent more than the sail area requires. For exam¬ maybe three, before you start, and run a short test
ple tor this 75-square-foot sail you would order seam every time you change bobbins or thread just
about 112 square feet of sailcloth, which would be to be sure everything is correct.
about 12 yards. What you want to get is 4-ounce Also needed will be a heated cutter. A soldering
cloth 36" wide, which is usually the standard. It’s iron with a blade tip is what I use. The idea is to cut
very nice stuff, marked with a line Vi" from its edge the sailcloth with a heated edge, which will at the
to make seam alignment very simple and easy. same time melt the edge threads together to pre¬
Other things to get at the same time might be a vent unraveling.
roll of W'-wide basting tape (narrow double-sided Lastly, you will need a set of grommet tools and
Mylar tape) to tape the panels together for sewing, a hammer.
a 1-ounce cone of V-69 polyester thread, and a
package of #3 “Handi-Grommets” (and the simple A Place to Work
tools needed to set the grommets). That’s about it.
As I’m wTiting this the above materials would
It takes a pretty big flat place to make a sail. In
cost about $150. The same sail in white polytarp,
fact, my usual advice is to make the sail before you
which would still require the thread and grom¬
make the hull! The sail takes up about the same
mets, might cost $40.
work space as the hull. If you make the sail first,
you can bundle it up and toss it in a closet, clearing
Tools the work space for the hull. And you will have the
hurdle of sailmaking behind you.
The main tool you will need is an ordinary home The work space should be fairly flat, but any
sewing machine that does zigzag stitching. I’ve garage, driveway, parking lot, or deck is good
found that a good home machine with a number 16 enough. Doesn’t have to be perfect. You will need
needle will sew Dacron sailcloth fairly easily. Sewing to be able to draw the sail shape on it. I usually use
sailcloth presents two problems to a home machine. ordinary pencil on concrete. If you are lucky enough
First, it is very slick, such that the standard feeder to have a wooden floor to work on, you can usually
foot is not very reliable. You can adjust the foot “draw” the sail shape with masking tape so you
pressure to the maximum, but heroics and modifica¬ won’t have to mark the wood with permanent lines.
tions aren’t needed. Always keep in mind, though, On a black driveway I would think chalk lines
that pushing the material through by hand at the would show well enough. Perhaps better yet would
right pace to get even stitch length will be required. be a stone pencil such as used to mark on steel.
The second challenge sailcloth presents to a
home machine is that it is very sturdy and thick Laying Out the Pattern
compared to dress cloths. In the sail’s corners
where there might be four layers of cloth built up,
Start with the basic pattern. Use a steel tape
the machine may have trouble punching through
measure to lay out one side, for example the 10' 6"
it all. But I’ve found a home machine will go
foot. Pivot the tape measure at one of that side’s
through a lot more than that. In those areas you
end points and swing an arc equal in length to one
may have to give the hand w'heel on the machine a
of the other sides, say the 4' 9" luff. Then pivot the
turn as you press the motor pedal in order to get
tape at the other end of the leech and swing an arc
through the first few punches, but once moving the
equal to the third side, the 10' 4" diagonal. Mark
machine will usually punch through on its own.
where the luff arc intersects the diagonal’s arc.
I think that is about all I can say besides the
Connect the three points by snapping chalk lines.
general advice of reading over the machine’s manual
The basic shape of the bottom triangle is now done.
and setting the thread path and tension correctly.
 M AKIHG SAILS 61

Next draw the top triangle using the diagonal’s

line as a starting point. Swing a 10' 6" arc off the
forward end of the diagonal and a 12' 6" arc off the
aft end. The intersection of those two points is the
peak. Mark its location and snap lines to complete
the leech and head. The basic sail pattern is now
complete.
Next step is to modify the basic pattern a bit to
get the tweaked shape. Here we will “hollow” out
the leech to prevent the leech from flapping in
strong winds, and add “round” to the foot and luff
to allow for bending of the spars and to allow extra
material that will form a “draft” or 3D shape.
This is done by using a “batten,” which is a long
stick that will bend smoothly. In the case of the
leech, measure in 2 Vi" in the center of the leech The Broadseam
and make a mark. Secure the batten at the two
ends of the leech, spring it in those 2Vi" so the Now we will fasten the first panel to the second
batten forms a smooth curve, and mark that with the double-sided basting tape. The nominal
smooth line on the work surface. Similarly mark seam width is Vi" overlap, and usually sailcloth has
the foot, which springs out 23/4" at the center. Lastly a line already marked on it Vi" from the edge to aid
mark the round of the head by rounding it out 23A" you in that. But sail seams are not always constant
at the center. The luff is left straight. Mark the width; instead they are widened at the ends some¬
resulting lines well. All sailmaking is done to these times, “broadseamed,” to give a three-dimensional
“tweaked” lines. shape or draft to the sail.
In the Mayfly 14 sail tweaked pattern you will see
that the panel seams are drawn in, and for the
Laying Out the Sailcloth
panels we are doing right now, the first and second
panels, above the foot you will see the note BS 3A"
Right now is a good time to cover your pattern
and the measurement 20". What that means is that
with a clear plastic dropcloth. That will serve to keep
the overlap of the seam is widened in a gradual way
your patterns intact on the floor and to keep your
from Vi" to 1V4" (which is the nominal Vi" plus the
sailcloth clean. Sailcloth comes off the roll pure
3/4" broadening of the seam), with the widening
white but it usually doesn’t stay that way for long.
starting 20" from the foot’s tweak line. At the head
And that is especially true for the white sewing
edge the same panels have a broadseam of 3/8"
thread, which seems to have a great affinity for dirt.
starting 17" from the head’s tweak line. So to sum
There’s a little trick to unrolling the cloth such
it up for this seam, at the foot the edges of the two
that there will be almost no waste. Unroll the first
panels overlap by 1V4" which smoothly narrows to
panel that goes along the leech from foot to head
Vi" at 20" from the foot, then stays at Vi" overlap
and cut it with a pair of scissors, leaving 3" overlap
until 17" from the head, and then the overlap
over the tweaked lines. The cloth is always unrolled
widens to 7/8" at the head.
along the leech to take advantage of the natural
The grand result of this edge shaping and broad-
stiffness of the cloth. Hip the roll over and unroll
seaming is that there will be more material in the
the next panel, going down from the head to the
center of the sail than around the edges. When the
foot. You will find that the angle you cut at the
edges of the sail are rigged taut on the boat, the
head of the first panel almost exactly matches the
center of the sail will be slightly loose and will belly
head angle of the second panel, so another scissors
out a bit under wind pressure and form an airfoil
cut won’t be required. At the foot of the second
shape. This is what gives the sail lift, and makes
panel you will need to cut again (allowing 3" over¬
your boat go.
lap over the tweaked lines).
62 BOATfiVILIIKG FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

SEAM SEWING
To effect this seam, mark the first panel with a
pencil tick mark 20" in from the foot and 17" from
the head. Then mark at the foot a seam overlap
total width of 1 V4" and mark at the head of the
seam a total overlap of 7/8".
Lay a piece of basting tape down over the first
seam edge on the first panel and remove the tape’s
backing paper. Then lay the second panel over the
first with the proper overlap, starting at the foot
and working upward, pasting the second panel to
the first with the basting tape.
The ends of the panels should overlap the
tweaked lines by about 3". That seam is done for
now. Move on to the next. (Note that the cloth that Finishing the Dacron Sail
you have taped together will no longer lay flat on the
floor since it now has a 3D shape formed into it.)
You are in the homestretch.
Flip the roll over again and cut the third panel.
Lay the sail flat again and mark the cloth at the
Tape this panel to the second one as before.
tweaked lines and again 1Vi' outside the tweaked
And so forth up the sail to the tack of the sail.
lines for material to fold over as a hem.
Cut the perimeter around the sail at that outside
line with your heat cutter.
Sewing the Panels
Mark the corners to take corner patches
(reinforcements) about 6" long on a side. Using the
Roll the sail up in a fairly tight roll from leech to
heat cutter, cut material for the reinforcements
luff and use tape or clothespins to keep it rolled.
using two extra layers of cloth at each corner for a
One of the most difficult parts of making a sail is
total of three layers of cloth. Paste the corner
managing the cloth while sewing it. This is a small
patches down with basting tape and sew them
sail, but before you are done you will have an
down with the zigzag stitch. These should be sewn
appreciation for making a big sail.
down very well with a seam across the middle in
Place your sewing machine on the floor such
addition to a seam to hold down the inside edge.
that the sail roll can be fed through it easily and
Now fold over the hem material and paste it
without distorting the roll. You will have to operate
down with the basting tape, pasting it right over the
the machine while sitting on the floor, so spend a
outer edges of the corner patches. Lastly, sew the
few minutes finding a comfortable way to do that.
hem down with a zigzag stitch.
I usually sew in stocking feet and very comfortable
You are done sewing!
loose clothes while sitting low on a couple of boat
cushions.
Set your machine to sew the largest possible zig¬ Install the Grommets
zag, which is usually about 2/10" wide. All the cross¬
panel seams will be done with two zigzag stitches, Practice with the grommet tool with scrap first.
one down each edge of the lapped seam. Practice on In the corners you may be punching through up to
a piece of scrap. five layers, but even a cheap set of grommet tools
The general way of handling the sailcloth is as will do that. Don’t press the grommets in so hard
two rolls with the seam in the center. Start with the that they cut the cloth. But press them in hard
easiest seam first, the short one at the luff. That enough so that you can’t spin them inside the
done, reroll the cloth to work on the next seams cloth. Place a grommet in each corner and one
until you have the whole blank sewn together. about every fifteen inches along the sail edges.
Your sail is done!
 63

Now imagine point C is 12" out of the plane of

the page, E is 10" out of the plane, while the other

MAKING A points are even with that plane. The sail is now a
three dimensional figure, sort of a double wedge, a

POLYTARP SAIL 3D sail having a draft of about 10 percent. Now

imagine that the lines AC and DE in that 3D figure
are cut and the resulting pattern is flattened to look
like this:
Polytarp sailmaking is actually a new technology
that is still evolving. I’ll describe how I’ve been
NODE RADIUS RADIUS
making mine with very good success. FROM A FROM B
A 0.0 126.0
Polytarp is by no means as strong or as stiff as B 126.0 0.0
C 50.2 84.0
Dacron cloth. I started using it only because it is
D 60.7 126.0
cheap and readily available. After some experi¬ E 97.5 101.2
F 182.7 150.0
ments I learned how to make it strong enough and A2 6.0 128.5
D2 65.3 130.0
stiff enough and lastly how to shape it and take
advantage of the large sizes the tarps are sold in. GAP AT A. A2 - 6.0-
GAP AT D, 02 - 2.8“

Another Way to Shape a Sail POLYTARP PATTERN FOR

74 SQ FT SAIL
(NOT TO SCALE)

My first polytarp sails were shaped just like the

Dacron sails, the material being cut into 3-foot-
wide strips and reassembled with broadseams as
described previously. They worked well. The only Knowing the locations of the points in the trian¬
change needed was to add more plies of material in gular pattern, we can actually calculate the lengths
the corners at the heavily loaded grommets. But I of the lines in the flat pattern and lay it out full
thought up a simpler way that takes advantage of sized. If we did that on a piece of polytarp, cut it
the large tarp sizes. out, and sewed up the gaps to reconnect lines AC
This is the basic shape of the Mayfly 14 lug sail. and ED, we would have sewn up a three-dimen¬
Here I have broken it into smaller triangles with sional sail that has the desired 10 percent draft.
two central points at C and E. It works! The only things we haven’t accounted
for is material stretch (which is small in a small
boat) and the effect of leech hollow and mast
bending (which we can add to the basic pattern
before we cut it out). Let’s try one.
Greater accuracy can be gained by using trigo¬
nometry to figure out on paper the coordinates of
the flat pattern points, especially in calculating the
critical “gaps” at points A and D, which are in
effect the same things as broadseams on a conven¬
tional sail. If you have a sail different from this one
and don’t care to do any math, you might try what
one of my customers did. He drew the basic sail
pattern full sized on the floor; put wooden forms,
like wing ribs, across the pattern cut to the desired
draft pattern, draped his polytarp over the resulting
three-dimensional form; and gathered and pinned
the material to a shape that was taut over the form.
Very much like a tailor would custom-fit clothing.
64 BO ATBVILDIMG FOR. BEGIKNIK8 (AH® BEYOND)

should be pretty close to them. If not, juggle things

around until you get the gaps about right.
Materials for Polytarp Sails
With the shape of the flat pattern established,
record the shape by snapping chalk lines.
Here is what I would buy to make a polytarp sail.
Now we have to tweak the basic lines as with the
First a 12-foot by 24-foot gray or white polytarp
Dacron sail.
from Walmart (about $20 for enough to make
The leech, from B to F, must be hollowed 2Vin
several sails, so you might look for a smaller one).
to prevent leech flutter in strong winds. The foot,
Tarps.com has some good deals on white tarps;
from A to B, is rounded outward 2Va" on this sail
and Dave Gray at Polysails offers white tarps and
because the boom is flexible. Similarly, the head of
full sailmaking kits.
the sail, from F to D2, is rounded outward 23A" to
You’ll need a 1-ounce cone of V-69 thread plus a
allow for flexing of the yard. (If you don’t allow for
bag of #3 Handi-Grommets, as with the Dacron
the flexing of yard and boom, the draff of the sail
sail. Add about 50 feet of 3"-wide fiberglass tape, the
will be reduced when those spars flex. That is one
same stuff you use to make a taped-seam boat, (or
way that really sharp sailors adjust the shapes of
perhaps 1 Vi" wide nylon webbing material). The
their sails—by controlling the flex of the spars.)
total will be about $60 worth of stuff and you will
Once you get the pattern totally tweaked, it is
have enough to make two or three sails of this size.
time to cut the polytarp.
The tools you will need are about the same as for
The tarp is cut 2" outside of the tweaked lines to
the Dacron sail, except a heat cutter is not needed,
allow for a hem.
as polytarp is mostly a film material and won’t
DON’T CUT THE V NOTCHES FROM A
unravel. You will need a fresh felt-tip marker to
TO A2, OR FROM D TO D2!
mark on polytarp. The sewing situation is the same
Cut across the notch openings directly from A
although polytarp is much easier to sew than Da¬
to A2 and D to D2 as shown, leaving all the mate¬
cron sailcloth. And as with Dacron, don’t expect
rial in those long narrow triangles (A-C-A2 and
the machine to feed the slick material through the
D-E-D2), and we’ll close them later using a “dart.”
foot evenly. Be prepared to push it through by hand.
Use ordinary scissors to cut the tarp.

Laying Out the Pattern

Sewing the Darts
The hardest part is stretching the polytarp tight
The sail has only two shaping “darts” (the Z-
and flat. Stretch and flatten it as smoothly as possi¬
folded notches that function as broadseams) where
ble and anchor the corners with weights so it stays
the Dacron sail had six. Here is what I suggest
put.
about these darts—they are about the most impor¬
Establish the line AB a few inches in from the
tant sewing operation on the sail and you should
long edge of the tarp. Measure it with a tape, mark
practice it a few times on scrap. Here is how to sew
the end points, and snap a chalk line from point to
the shaping darts:
point. The chalk line won’t be too durable on
First you fold the cloth along the center of the
polytarp so you might want to spot it with your
dart, which is formed by the triangle A, A2, and C,
marker in in a few places. Resist any urge to use the
such that A and A2 are atop each other. Usually it
factory-finished edge of the polytarp in your sail.
is best to keep this fold well secured with paper
Next find point C by swinging arcs from points
clips or clothespins.
A and B. Mark that point on the tarp with your
Next run a line of straight (not zigzag) stitching
marker.
from A to C, but not right along a straight line
Next mark point E by swinging arcs from points
from A to C. Instead use a smoothly curving line as
B and C. Then establish point A2 by swinging arcs
shown in the figure, the equal of the broadseam in
from points C and E. And so forth until the entire
a Dacron sail. The idea of the smooth curve is to
flat pattern has been reconstructed. I’ve shown the
give the sail a smooth shape with no kinks.
gaps I’ve calculated at A and D for this sail and you
Next pull the sail out tight across the joint. It
 M AKIVfi S4ILS 65

four layers of polytarp in corner patches with suc¬

cess, but I feel this is one area where you don’t want
to skimp. If you can’t get a bit of sailcloth to do the
job, try a stiff heavy cloth maybe like canvas or
denim. Or six or eight layers of polytarp.
Sailcloth should normally be cut with a heated
cutter to seal its edges and prevent unraveling, but
if you fold your material just right, you can use
regular scissors because there will be no exposed
edges on the folded patch. I’d make the patches
about 6" long on a side on this sail.
The first step is to mark the polytarp where the
patch will be. Then fit the cloth to the corner and
trace the shape onto the cloth. Fold it over and
secure the folded part to the first part with tape.
Then cut the patch out both layers at once. Fit the
patch into the tarp and secure temporarily with
tape. Then sew it to the tarp with two lines of zigzag
stitches. That’s it! It will be sewn further when you
sew the sail’s hem edging.

won’t lie flat anymore because you have sewn in its

3D shape. The dart you have sew in will now be a
flap of cloth. Fold it flat against the sail and sew it
down with a zigzag stitch. Then sew over the
straight stitch line with another line of zigzag stitch'
es. You’re done. The Edging
Repeat with the dart at D and E. This dart is a
lot smaller than the lower dart (mostly because of Next comes the edging, which includes a
the steep upward angle of the yard—if this were a strengthening fiberglass tape and a folded-over
triangular sail, the upper dart would disappear, and hem. Start with the reinforcing tape. For this I use
only one dart at the foot of the sail would be ordinary 3"'wide fiberglass tape. (An even better
needed to shape the sail). The smaller darts are edging might be 1" or 2" nylon webbing but I’ve
often harder to sew. never tried it.) Tire purpose of the edging is to
strengthen and especially to stiffen it and prevent
stretching.
Corner Patches
First the 3",wide tape is folded in half to \Vi"
wide. Then you place it flush to the tweak line and
The corner patches are where almost all the
sew it down the middle with a zigzag stitch. In the
forces go in and out of the sail, so they must be well
corners the tape will overlap the corner patches.
reinforced. I have found that two layers of 4-ounce
Fiberglass sews very easily.
sailcloth are enough for a small sail like this one.
Next fold the 2" hem material over the glass tape
Two layers of polytarp aren’t enough. I have used
66 I04TBVIL1IWG FOR BECIHIIERS (AJH) BEYOND)

RIGGING A LUGSAIL

Basic Balance

This applies to any sort of sail rig. For proper

sailing the sail rig force needs to balance around
the hull force.

and sew it down with a zigzag stitch. With a little

luck that sew line will also pass through the glass
tape. You’re done sewing.

The Grommets

Press a grommet into each corner and along the

head and foot about every 15". The grommet
should be tight in the material such that you can’t
spin it in the material, yet not so tight that it cuts
the material. In the corners you will be passing
through a lot of layers—two layers of polytarp, two
layers of sailcloth, and up to four layers of glass
tape.
That’s it! You’re done!

Look closely at this figure and see that the center

of the sail area is placed right above the center of
the leeboard’s area. For boats like mine with shal¬
low underbodies and deep narrow boards, this is
the way it has to be. You can’t tinker very much
with this, if at all.
Here is what happens. In general you can think
of the force of the wind as a giant finger pushing at
the sail’s center. Opposing that force is a giant
finger pointing the other way at the center of the
leeboard. The hull tends to rotate about that deep
narrow board. So if those two forces are on a
vertical line the boat will not try to rotate and will
in general maintain its heading.
If the center of sail area is moved aft of the
leeboard, the boat will rotate into the wind if left
on its own. To keep the boat on course the skipper
needs to tug on the tiller as shown in the top of the
next figure. This is called “weather helm.” Weather
helm reduces the load on the leeboard and should
 blGGOG A LVfilAIL 67

fin -force = the sail area fore or aft. You can see that a small
Sai I forte —
Sai 1 rifofoer force amount of rake will move the mast head quite a bit
■force and the entire sail will go with the masthead. Old-
time boats had adjustable mast steps or partners.
1
On my designs you can usually shim the mast
partner on the bulkhead It’s one place where
vJeofVicr Mclm tinkering pays off. Making a mast a bit longer than
rudder shown on the plans is also almost always a good
forte
idea as it allows for this tinkering, not to mention
4in -force. real life stretch of the rigging.
sail
force
Tying on the Sail
rudder
force.
I greatly prefer individual ties through the grom¬
mets, although lacing looks neater. But the individ¬
ual ties allow for last-ditch sail shaping. If you think
you need more round in the head of the sail, for
•fin force. —
example, you could make the ties in the center of
Sft'i \ fvree. 1-
rudder force- the yard tighter than those on the ends. Also, a
f ia force. failure of a tie or two is of little consequence, where
a failure of a lacing line will be total.
result in a faster boat. If the skipper falls overboard
One important note: The ties in the corners take
the boat should rotate into the wind and stall and
most of the load. They should be tied as shown in
with luck wait for the skipper. A light weather helm
the figure in two directions.
is considered to be ideal.
Now take the case of the builder who modifies
the rig so that the sail area centers forward of the
leeboard. This might be by changing to a rig style
with a jib, or perhaps by relocating the mast for¬
ward. Now the two opposing giant fingers on sail
and leeboard are not in a vertical line, and the boat
will want to rotate around the leeboard, bow going
dowmwind. To hold the bow on course, the skipper
must correct by pushing the tiller as in the bottom
of the figure. This is called “lee helm.” Lee helm
will increase the reaction load on the leeboard. If
the skipper falls overboard the boat will turn down¬
You can use good stout cord (a 50-foot length of
wind and take off without him. Lee helm is usually
1/8" Dacron cord is extremely useful and costs only
not considered to be good.
a few bucks) or you can use larger-sized nylon cable
So the way I like to approach it is to keep the
ties.
center of the sail area directly above the aft half of
the leeboard. You might find lots of variations on
the rules that hope to provide proper helm feel. Try Halyard and Yard Attachment
them if you wish. But keep in mind that if you
build the boat and it has lee helm, you need to For most of my small boats, V4" Dacron line will
move the sail area aft. If you have excessive weather serve for halyard and sheet, and for the shorter
helm, the sail area needs to be moved forward. lengths like the tack line. You can buy it at most
One of the most effective ways to trim the boat, boat supply stores, or via Hamilton Marine’s cata¬
helmwise, is to rake the mast as required to move log, or from Sailrite.
6H BOATBVILCIMC FOB BECIHNERS (AW® BEYOND)

The balanced lug sail pivots around the mast. I around the mast before going to the masthead. It
guess all sails do. But the balanced lug has the mast will stay loose until the yard is hauled up all the
running through its middle somewhere, as do way. Then additional tension in the halyard con¬
other lugsails, junk sails, and lateens. While the stricts the noose (until it hits the stopper knot) and
mast may interfere somewhat with the aerodynam¬ secures the yard to the mast. You will need rollers
ics of the sail, great benefit is gained in proper on the noose to keep the halyard from binding on
“balance” of the sail areas that are in front of the the mast. I have a feeling that this is the most
mast. In particular, if things are properly placed, reliable system.
the sail will twist less than similar sails that use the
mast as a leading edge. As a result the lug is a low
tech sail that can be more efficient to windward
than you might expect.
One trick to rigging these efficiently is to get the
“balance” correct. By my experience the yard
should be hoisted about 40 percent aft on the yard.
If you hoist farther forward than that you will get
harmful sail twist when sailing to windward. Hoist¬
ing too far aft can make the sail uncontrollable. I
have often seen in the older literature the advice to
hoist at 33 percent aft. That will work okay but it
has been my experience that all the stretches and
sags in the system conspire to pull the sail aft with
respect to the mast. So if you tie the halyard to the
yard at 40 percent, in use the sail swings aft very
close to that 33 percent value.
You see the designer has little choice of mast Third, the “hoop method” works well with
placement once the sail has been chosen. The round and slippery masts. A loose, slippery ring is
leeboard can only go at the hull’s widest beam. The simply dropped over the halyard and mast, not
sail area must center right above it. The mast must even tied to the halyard or yard. I use this system
cross the yard at a certain point. on my Piccup Pram using a section of large PVC
We need to rig the halyard so the sail stays near pipe as a ring. I think this would be the preferred
that 40 percent position by binding it somehow to method for any smaller boat.
the mast. This is especially important while reefed
or while in rough water that wall force the yard to
bang back and forth on the mast. I know of three
suggestions. halyard
First, for small simple boats that won’t be
reefed, the best solution is to run the halyard
through a simple hole drilled near the top of the
mast, tie it to the 40 percent position on the yard
through chocks, and hoist solidly to the top of the
mast. There must be a small amount of slack at the
masthead, of course, to allow the yard to swing
around the mast but that will appear automatically
when you tension the sail with the tack line. This
system’s weakness is that if you need to reef the sail,
the yard will be swinging loose from the mast.
Second, you can try the tightening noose system
shown below. Here the halyard runs in a loose loop
 R1GOINO A LVGSAIL 69

The Tack Line force of the wind in the sail, stress folds called girts
will appear in the sail. If the girt runs from throat
to clew, you need more tension. If the girt runs
from head to tack, you either have it right or can
reduce the tension. A perfect setting will have no
girts. Usually at the initial setup I put in a good girt
from peak to tack. Then I watch it while sailing to
see if that girt disappears. Then when convenient I
trim as required. Remember that changing sailing
conditions will change the tension requirements.
I can tell you as a general rule you will be better
off having too much tension in the sail than not
enough.

The figure above shows the tack arrangement.

The tack line pulls down on the boom. And, as
with the yard, the boom must be secured to the
mast to prevent pumping in rough water.
The boom has a small cleat on it with a lanyard
that wraps around the mast to locate the boom fore
and aft. One end of the lanyard is permanently tied
to the cleat; the other wraps around the mast,
comes back, and gets lock-hitched on the cleat.
That loop should be fairly loose to allow easy up- The Sheet
and-down motion of the boom. This loop needs to
be set up before the yard is hoisted to prevent the The sheet is the rope that controls how far out
sail from blowing around and making a spectacular your sail goes to the side. Nothing fancy needed
and dangerous kite during hoisting. here. Almost anything will work. Because the sail is
The actual tack line I prefer is a simple line that balanced already to a great degree, the sheet forces
runs from the mast step over the boom and down are less than with other sail types. Because the tack
to a cleat at the step. So with the boom loop is pulling down in the middle of the boom, the
attached, the yard is hoisted, then the tack line is boom has less tendency to lift, so downward pull of
passed over the boom, pulled very very tight, and the sheet on the boom is of less importance. The
cleated. In effect you have now a two-to-one tackle. location and lead directions of the sheet are of little
All sail tensioning is done with the short and importance also. It’s another advantage of the bal¬
handy tack line and not with the halyard. anced boom. By the way, if the boom is omitted to
On my Piccup I run the tack line through a cam make the sail boomless, as with a “dipping lug,” the
cleat to allow for quick adjustment, although I sheet location is very critical, and its needs change
don’t consider that to be as secure as the good old all the time. I think the boom is a great invention!
jam cleat. In my opinion the tack should always The boom on a balanced lug can be quite light and
secure to the hull and not to the mast. Securing the still work.
tack to the hull will secure the entire mast and rig The best arrangement on Mayfly is to put two
to the hull in event of a capsize. small chocks out toward the end of the boom and
Here is some advice about how much to tension run the sheet through those, tying it off. Then the
the tack line. It varies with wind strength. Look at line comes in through the eyebolt or fairlead you
the above figure. As you tension the sail with the placed on your tiller, and up along the tiller to your
70 BOATBVILDIKG FOR BECIMMEBS (AN® BEYOND)

hand. The fairlead bears most of the force of the

line, and you don’t need to hold as tightly to
control the sheet.
Use a piece of line long enough to allow the sail
to swing all the way forward without pulling the
last bit of the sheet out of your hands. Sometimes
in a big gust you want to be able to just let go and
let the sail swing forward; but then getting your
sheet back into the boat is a task. So use about 20
feet of line for Mayfly’s sheet.
Strictly speaking, on a small boat you should
never tie off the sheet. If you do, a gust of wind can
capsize your boat before you have chance to undo
the sheet. Better to hold it in your hand and play it
like a puppet, easing the boom out in puffs to
depower the sail. A really good compromise is
presented in the rudder-making instructions: In
normal sailing the sheet is given a wrap around the
tiller handle and you clamp down on it with your
tiller hand so you have the other hand free. In a
gust you can easily release the sheet by relaxing your
grip, and yet the sheet is still corralled in your hand
where you can quickly grab it with your free hand.
Take your cleats pretty seriously; use maybe 6"
ones even in a dinghy. Through-bolt them in place
if at all possible. Never attach them to plywood
without a good solid backing plate to take the load.

Sailing Advice

Watch the leading edge of the sail for luffing

(fluttering), as with about any sail. If the leading
edge sags or flutters, consider more tension on the
tack line. You should be able to tack through about
100 degrees effectively, although if you are really
interested in getting somewhere you might sail it
more freely, say, up to 120 degrees between tacks,
especially if the wind is unsteady, because you
usually get more raw speed that way. While reach¬
ing or running, a balanced lug sail, even a cheap
polytarp one, will keep up with any conventional
sail.
 71

SOME
OTHER
SIMPLE
BOATS
71 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

bulkheads, transom, and stem with glue and nails

Piragua
(or galvanized screws). Maintain hull in a straight
and untwisted position for all subsequent assembly.
Pirogues are great for poking around in swamps
7. Cut chine logs to be 3A" x 1" with constant 15-
and ponds and are very easy to build. They are a
degree bottom edge bevel.
lot like canoes. I saw a genuine historic pirogue at
8. Cut inner wale lamination to be 3A" x 1" with
a museum a long time ago. It looked like a big
constant 15-degree top edge bevel.
snack tray—not so much a hollowed-out log as a
9. Cut outer wale lamination to be TV' x 1".
hollowed-out plank.
(Wales and chines can all come from one 1x8, or
Don’t plan on standing up in one without prac¬
one 1x6 and one 1x4 will give you the wales,
tice and don’t take one out in hard waves and
chines, and the center skid.)
wind. This one might float two men if they sit still.
10. Cut bottom from plywood. Trial-fit, aligned
It’s great for one adult and one child. Take your
on centerline, before final trim. Install forward
son or daughter out to explore the local pond or
section with glue and nails, then aft section, then
river.
install the butt strap.
There is nothing to building Piragua. It will be
—Radius the chine edges and armor the chines
the easiest project in the book, maybe 20 hours’
with a layer of fiberglass tape or cloth set in epoxy
labor. Use lumberyard materials and discount-store
or polyester. Note: Depending on the saw kerf
stuff. Two sheets of V4" plywood with nail-and-glue
width, the bottom panel may not be quite wide
construction.
enough at the center. Fill the shortfall with putty
(thickened epoxy) before glassing the chines, if re¬
PIRAGUA SPECIFICATIONS
quired.
11. Center skid from 3A" x IV2". Attach with
First lay out the two W (or 5mm) plywood
plenty of epoxy and nails or screws to seal it well
sheets end-to-end, mark lines across the sheets at
against the bottom.
12" intervals, and mark the centerline. Lay out the
12. Skeg from 3A" x 3" x 24". (Build up or trim
patterns for the sides, bottom, and bulkheads.
after trials to suit. The prototype seemed to paddle
1. Cut side panels to pattern shown. Make butt
fine without a skeg.)
straps from 3A" x 3 Vi" lumber, or plywood, or
13. Hatch coamings from TV' square. Covers
fiberglass tape. Mark bulkhead and form locations
from plywood with locating cleats from 3A" square
boldly. Side panels must be mirror images of each
and secured with shock cords.
other.
14. Aft deck from plywood. Install with sealant
2. Cut stem to pattern, about 15" long to be
and screws to allow for future removal.
trimmed to length on final assembly.
15. Fore deck from plywood with centerline butt
3. Make bulkhead 3 from plywood with 3A" x
plate from 3A" x 3 V2" lumber, or equal. Install with
1 Vi framing sticks. Mark centerlines boldly. Bevel
latex caulk and screws to allow for future removal.
edges as shown.
16. Crude but effective paddle from 1V4" closet
4. Make form 7 from 3/4" x 3Vi" lumber. Mark
pole with V4" plywood blades.
centerlines boldly. No bevels.
5. Make bulkhead 11 from plywood with 3A" x
Always keep this boat trimmed level by paying
1 Vi" framing sticks. Mark centerlines boldly. Bevel
attention to where you and your passenger sit.
edges as shown.
Don’t try standing up in this boat. Keep your
6. Make transom from plywood with framing
weight as low as possible: Sit in the bottom of the
from 3A” x 1V2". Note that extra material over basic
boat if you don’t mind getting a bit wet, or on a low
dimensions is required to allow for the “reverse”
ditty box (about 3" high), or flotation cushion.
bevels. Mark centerlines boldly. Bevel edges as
Consider foot braces of TV'-square cross cleats lo¬
shown.
cated by experience.
—Begin assembly by screwing sides to temporary
form.
—Draw hull ends together with ropes and install
74 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AM® BEYON®)

and its stern dangerously close to swamping with¬

QT Skiffs
out starting the motor.
The upshot of all of this is that a good rowing
There are two boats here. The QTs are simple
boat can never be a good powerboat, and a good
flatiron skiffs that are small enough, at thirteen feet
powerboat can never be a good rowing boat.
long and less than 100 pounds empty, to cartop or
slide into the back of a pickup truck.
QT SKIFF SPECIFICATIONS
Why two designs? One boat is strictly for rowing.
The bottom is narrow for good rowing but still
1. Cut the side planks from 14" plywood to the
wide enough to allow stand-up stability, unlike a
diagrammed shape. Butt straps from W x 3Vf
canoe, pirogue, or dory. The top is wide enough for
lumber or equal (4"-wide plywood, or fiberglass
a good spread of the rowlocks. The result is a
strips). Mark form locations boldly.
pronounced flare at the midsection. But if the flare
2. Cut transom from 14" plywood. Glue and
is carried forward, the result would be an extreme
screw on framing sticks from 3/4" x 114" lumber.
rake at the bow. So I twisted the first 4 feet of the
Note that extra material must be provided over
side planks to reduce stem rake.
basic transom dimensions to accommodate the
If you look at the lines of the rowing QT you see
reverse bevels. Mark centerlines boldly.
that the bottom has enough rocker to keep both
3. Cut stem to diagrammed shape, approxi¬
stem and stern out of the water at almost all load¬
mately 22" long, with final length to be trimmed to
ings, and QT can easily float two adults. If the bow
assembly. Mark centerlines boldly.
has to push its way through the water, the boat will
4. Make temporary forms 2, 4, 7, and 10 from
be slow and cranky. If the stern has to drag its
14" plywood with TV x 1 Vi framing sticks screwed
square transom through the water, a huge stern
around perimeter. No bevels. Mark centerlines
wave results and all your arm power goes to making
boldly.
waves instead of moving the boat.
4a. (Power skiff only) Frame 10 from 14" ply¬
Now let’s look at the power version of QT. It
wood with 14" x 3 Vi" side sticks, 3/4" x 1 Vi” top and
would be limited to about a 5-horsepower motor by
bottom sticks.
the Coast Guard recommendations, and by mine
—Assemble side planks to form 7 with screws.
too. The power QT is nearly identical to the rowing
Draw hull ends in with ropes. Install forms 4, 10,
QT except that its bottom runs straight aft from
and 2 with screws tightened until sides just make
the maximum beam, a “straight run" as they say,
contact with form edges. Remember not to place
with no rocker in the stern at all. This is critical in
screws too near the top and bottom edges of the
a powerboat that will be getting some dynamic lift
side panels, where they’d get covered by the wales
from its speed over the water (unlike the rowing
or chines. You need to be able to take these out
version whose lift all comes from “displacement” of
once the hull is completed.
the surrounding water as the boat sinks to a level
—Install transom and stem with glue and nails.
where its weight equals the weight of the water it
(Note: The stem may require dressing of the bevel
has displaced).
for a close fit. Or install the stem with thickened
I think there are two reasons why the straight
epoxy to fill any gaps.)
run is critical for a powerboat. One is that as the
—Maintain assembly in straight and untwisted
boat speeds up, it tries to climb over its own bow
position.
wave and as it does so, it lifts its bow. The boat
5. Cut chine logs to 34" x 114" with 23 degree
must have a lot of stern volume or else it will bury
bevel. Dress logs (plane them or sand them down)
deeply at the stern and its bow will point to the sky
forward of form 4 to make flat surface for bottom.
alarmingly. Second is that a powerboat with an
6. Cut wales to be 34" x 114". The two lamina¬
outboard is going to carry a lot of weight in the
tions finish 114" x 1 Vi. Inner lamination has a 23-
stern anyway, the skipper’s weight being usually the
degree bevel. Dress the inner lamination forward
largest item. Even with no motion, a good rowing
of form 4 to form flat surface for bow gusset.
boat, with its fine stern lines, can’t handle that
7. Bottom from 14" plywood with butt strap
weight back there—its bow would point skyward
 &T SKIFFS 75

from 3A" x 3 Vi lumber, or equal. Round the chine

edges and armor them with fiberglass tape set in
epoxy or polyester resin.
8. Bottom skids/stiffeners from 3A" x 1 Vi".
9. Cross braces from 3A" x 3 Vi". Nail and glue
solidly to wales.
10. Bow and stern gussets from double lA" ply¬
wood to finish Vi".
—Remove temporary forms.
11. Seat/ditty box from V4" plywood. 10" x 12" x
7" high.
12. Power skiff seat from W plywood (or double
V4" plywood to finish Vi") with framing of 3A" x 1 Vi"
sticks supported by frame 10 forward and3A" x 3 Vi"
side cleats aft.
13. Motor board from lVi" x 5 Vi" glued and
nailed to transom. Build up or cut down depth of
transom to suit motor. Most “short-shaft” motors
require a 15" transom, and most “long-shaft” mo¬
tors need a 20" transom. The proper transom usu¬
ally will position the “cavitation” plate, which is the
small flat plate right above the propeller, about 1"
below the bottom of the boat.

See plans, next two pages.

|
I

i
Tim *»Ot*u**
*<•**., /tts
78 BOATBVILDIIfG FOR £E€IMHIERS ( A Jf I) £E¥OMI))

JONSBOAT SPECIFICATIONS
Jonsboat
General note: Construction shown is about the
minimum for a low-powered boat, say 5 to 10 hp.
Consider increasing material sizes if more power is
Jonsboat is just a jonboat. But where I live that
used.
says a lot because most of the boats around here are
1. Make the bow block 1 Vi" thick. Cut it from a
jonboats, and for a good reason. These things float
2x4. Note that extra material beyond basic dimen¬
on dew if the motor is swung up. This one shows
sions is required to allow for bottom and side edge
640 pounds of displacement with only 3" of draft.
bevels. (Top edge bevel to be trimmed on assem¬
That should float the hull, a small motor, and two
bly.) Mark centerlines boldly.
medium-sized men with gear. The shape of the hull
2. Cut bulkhead 2 from VC plywood with fram¬
encourages fast speeds in smooth water and I’d say
ing from VC lumber. Note limber holes at bottom
this one will plane with a 10-horse motor at that
corners to drain water. Mark centerlines boldly.
weight, although “planing” is often in the eye of the
3. Cut frame 6 from VC plywood with 3/C-thick
beholder. I’d use a 9.9 hp motor on one of these
framing. Note limber holes. Mark centerlines boldly.
myself to allow use on the many beautiful small
4. Cut frame 12.5 the same as frame 6.
lakes we have here, which are limited to 10 hp. The
5. Temporary form 9.5 from Vi" plywood with
Coast Guard would limit it to 15 hp max. I kept
VC framing screwed to perimeter. Mark centerlines
the center of Jonsboat wide open as I usually like to
boldly. Note that the plywood is later salvaged to
do, but another thwart could be added straight
make the stern knees.
away.
6. Stern transom from Vi" plywood with framing
I usually study the shapes of commercial welded
lVi" thick. Note that extra material beyond basic
aluminum jonboats. It is surprising to see the little
dimensions is required to allow for reverse bevels.
touches the builders have worked in to such a
Mark centerlines boldly. Motor board from 1 Vi" x
simple idea. I guess they make these things by the
5Vi" with top edge beveled 15 degrees. The 17VC
thousands, and it is worthwhile to deal with the
height of the transom will probably need to be cut
details. Anyway, Jonsboat is a plywood copy of a
down for short-shaft motors (usually about 15") or
livery boat I saw turned upside down for the win¬
built up for long-shaft motors (usually about 20").
ter. What struck me about it was that its bottom
The proper transom height will place the cavitation
was constant width from stem to stern even though
plate of the motor, which is the small flat plate
the sides had flare and curvature. When I got home
above the propeller, about 1" below the bottom of
I figured out how they did it and copied it. I don’t
the boat.
know if it gives a superior shape in any way, but the
7. Cut the sides from VC plywood to shape
bottom of this boat is planked by two constant
shown on sheet 2. Mark the locations of frames,
width sheets of plywood.
form, and bulkhead boldly. Make the butt strap
There is nothing to building Jonsboat. There are
from VC x 3 Vi" lumber, or equal (plywood, or
five sheets of plywood; I’m suggesting Vi" for the
fiberglass strips).
bottom and VC for everything else. It’s all stuck
—Begin assembly by screwing the sides to tempo¬
together with glue and nails using no lofting or jigs.
rary form 9.5. Install the stern transom, and frames
I always suggest glassing the chines for abrasion
6 and 12.5 with glue and nails. Draw the bow ends
resistance, but I’ve never glassed more than that on
in with rope, and install bulkhead 2 and the bow
my own boats and haven’t regretted it. The cost,
block with glue and nails. Keep the assembly in a
mess, and added labor of glassing the whole hull is
straight and untwisted position.
enormous for a boat that’s stored out of the water.
8. Make the wales from triple laminations of 3/C
My pocketbook and patience won’t stand it. Glass¬
x 1 Vi". The inner lamination should have 19-de-
ing the bottom is different, by the way, because it
gree bevel on top edge to provide a flat for deck and
doesn’t show and need not be glassy smooth. No
knees. The bevel should be cut before assembly.
fussy finishing required.
9. Cut your chine logs to 3/C x 1 VC with a
 JOMSIiOAT 79

constant 19-degree bevel precut on bottom edge.

10. Cut the bottom from Vi" plywood. Butt
plate from 3A” x 3 Vi" lumber, or equal.
—Trim and radius the edges and armor the
bottom with a layer of bounce fiberglass cloth set
in epoxy or polyester resin. Add two extra layers
wrapped around the chine edges for extra protec¬
tion.
11. Bottom skids/stiffeners from 3/4" x 2". These
should be well fastened with screws and bedded to
the bottom with thickened epoxy or putty.
12. Bow deck from Vi" plywood. It might be
best to install this with lots of screws and latex
caulk to allow for future removal. 1 Vi" square
coaming strip on aft edge.
—Remove form 9.5.
13. Stern knees from Vi" plywood.
14. Seats from Vi" plywood with support fram¬
ing from TV x 3 Vi".

See plans, next two pages.

Qi
 83

Here is how I tape seams.

Securing the Seam With Wires

A TAPED-SEAM BOAT

(This is how I do it. Others have their pet meth¬

ods.) Not much to it. My boats are all designed
from the inside out, so to speak. The dimensions
are arranged such that the panels should make
The picture above shows a hull seam that is kissing contact on the inside edges as shown above.
joined by fiberglass tape set in epoxy instead of Usually the project is upside down at this time.
using a chine log with glue and fasteners. I first saw You have cut out your sides, bulkheads, stem, and
this type of seam in the 1980s in Sam Devlin’s stern, just as you would for a flatiron skiff. But now
writings. But by then I think the system had been you connect all the panel edges with taped seams.
use in England for decades. You put the panels into position and drill pairs
There are no wooden logs or battens to make, so of holes about every 12" around the perimeter,
there are fewer parts to the boat. And in traditional about W in from the edges. You take pieces of soft
boatbuilding those parts might be some of the wire—I prefer stainless steel aircraft “lock wire” but
hardest to make in the boat, because they need to almost any wire will work if it is pliable—and cut
be tightly fitted to planks that can be twisting and lengths about 6" long and form them into a long U
curving in all ways. The weight of those parts is also shape like a staple.
eliminated, replaced by a system that is usually Get inside the project and push the wire staples
noticeably lighter. The fasteners for those parts are up through the holes so that the ends now stick out
also eliminated, along with the corrosion and rot through the outside.
problems they can cause. The chine log is usually Get outside with a pair of pliers and twist the
the first part of a hull to rot, and now it is totally wires until they tighten the panels together. If you
gone. The taped-seam joint is totally sealed inside overtighten, you might break the wire or tear the
and out, preventing seepage of water into any wire right out of the wood.
plywood end grain. And for boats made of light Eyeball the joints to make sure they are fair. You
plywood, the taped-seam joint is at least as strong can open a joint up to maybe a half inch if it will
as the traditional fastened joint. help. If two panels are binding too tightly, you can
If there is a disadvantage to taped seams it would run a handsaw down the joint to loosen it up. I
be in the epoxy work to which some are allergic. think a small gap or V is preferred because it allows
And almost everyone would find it messy until they resin to flow in and seal the ends of the plywood.
learned to work neatly with the stuff. And it might But the joint fit is really not too critical.
be more expensive. When all the panels are wired in I like to go over
Otherwise, for boats made of light plywood the the outer joint with duct tape to further secure
taped-seam joint is functionally superior in every things and to provide a dam for epoxy putty that
way. might flow out.
84 BOATDUILDIJfC FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

There are variations allowed, of course. The The Real Trick to Getting
spacing of the wire twists can be anything needed
to secure the panel into position. You may need a Good Taped Seam ...
more wires in places. Some folks don’t use wire.
John Bell used nylon wire ties on his Sportdory. ... is to do a seam all at once. That would mean
Not all panels are edge to edge, of course. Bulk¬ putting down the fillet and then the tape straight
heads are sort of T joints and are a bit trickier to fit. into it before the fillet sets, and painting epoxy over
They would join like this: the tape. If more than one layer of glass is involved,
you put the extra layers right onto the first ones
before they set. This way you avoid all the nasty
sanding you face if you let a layer cure first. (Any
cured resin system must be sanded before applying
another layer, or paint.) It saves a tremendous
amount of work. And you can be sure the whole
thing is bonded together. So when you start, you
must have all your stuff together and ready to go.

The Inner Seams

Flip the boat upright. You’re about to make a

“fillet.” You use epoxy putty to make a smooth
Mix up some unthickened slow-setting epoxy
shallow fill of the interior few inches of the angle
and brush it on the joint with a disposable bristle
formed by two panels. First, push the wires on the
brush to “prime” the joint. (Some say the prime is
interior hard against the plywood with a screw¬
a waste since epoxy doesn’t really penetrate wood
driver to make them easier to cover with the putty.
as some ads imply.)
(One disadvantage of using nylon wire ties might
Mix up another batch of epoxy thickened with
be that they won’t stay hard against the plywood.)
filler to make filleting mixture about as thick as
Then precut the fiberglass tape to length and lay
peanut butter. I think almost any common filler
the pieces out in a logical way so you can grab them
(sawdust, microballoons, limestone or talc powder)
quickly when needed. You don’t want to be reach¬
is okay since you won’t be sanding it. You can
ing for the scissors when your (gloved) hands are
order wood flour or fumed silica or microballoons
covered with epoxy goop.
from your epoxy supplier, or simply gather fine
I always use 3"-wide glass tape. Its edges are
sawdust from a table saw or sander.
treated to prevent unraveling. When loaded with
Lay down a fillet of the thickened epoxy over the
resin, the edges will be bulkier than the center of
joint and right over the wires. Some folks swear by
the tape, leaving a ridge. Some folks don’t like the
putting your thickened epoxy into a Ziploc baggie
ridge. Some folks cut wide glass cloth into strips to
(mix in the thickener right in the bag), then cutting
avoid the ridge. I’ve tried that too, but it unraveled
off a small comer, and squeezing it out in a smooth
and I ended up with a lot of glass hair flying
bead, like a cake-icing device. This avoids the gobs
around. I prefer the ridge, which is easily ground
and blobs that can occur when just spooning the
down after the resin sets.
stuff on. Then smooth the fillet and shape it.
For a filleting tool I would recommend a tongue
depressor 1" wide. I’ve heard a 3D tool like a tennis
 A TAPE® SEAM BOAT 85

ball on the end of a stick is even better. Raka sells be removed.

a cheap flexible plastic squeegee with various Second is at corners such as where side, bilge,
square and rounded corners for this job. and bulkhead all meet. Fillet the corner with putty.
In my view the fillet has to be there for strength Cut the tapes such that they will all overlap about
(because it gives a smooth radius to the fiberglass) an inch at the corner. Paste them down one by one
but it should not be too large—say, no more than 1" into the corner. You will find that the tape is
wide. It need not be perfectly smooth now, but you flexible enough to conform to the corner shape
will have to scoop up stray globs with a putty knife. and yet the overlap is plenty to provide continuity.
The fillet should look like this: And remember those places where the tempo
rary forms stopped the interior tapes. Once the
forms come out, sand and rough up the ending
points, then fillet and tape those final gaps.

Taping the Outer Seams

These are simple compared to the inner seams.

Hip the boat back over. Snip off the wires as close
to the wood as possible. Some builders pull the
wires out, sometimes first heating them, but I never
had consistent luck with pulling wires. Stainless or
copper wires left inside epoxy won’t rust. Plain steel
wire might rust although that is really a only a
Next brush some more thin epoxy over the joint
cosmetic problem.
and put the tape straight on top. Brush in more
Fair the outer seams with putty as required.
epoxy to saturate it. The tape and the brushing will
Sometimes you will have to let the putty cure hard
help to smooth out the fillet. Doing it this way, you
and sand to shape, unlike the inner seams. Radius
will most likely need to do short stretches at a time,
the seams too—you don’t really want a crisp sharp
maybe 3 feet. No problem with slow epoxy. Just do
edge. Run a sander over them to get a uniform,
a stretch and pick up again at the unfinished end.
gently rounded edge.
When this all cures you will have a good interior
It’s best to mask off the sides or anyplace the
joint with no sanding!
resin might dribble and drip. It will always dribble
and drip when you aren’t looking. Don’t expect to
outsmart it.
Next cut your tapes to length. On the outside
seams you should be able to do the whole seam at
once.
Brush the seam with epoxy, slap the tape down,
and saturate the tape with more epoxy brushed in.

Here are two possible problem areas:

One is where a temporary hull form blocks the
tape job. Let it go for now and just end the tape an
inch or so each side of the form. (Don’t epoxy the
temporary form into the boat!) Finish the seam
later when the outside is done and the forms can
86 BOATBVIL1IKG FOR BEGINHBRS (AN® BEYONB)

If you give the tape a gentle tug from one end or the
other, its edges will usually straighten out nicely
along the seam.
Usually I advise more than one layer of glass on
the outer seams to allow for some abrasion. Often
I will put a layer of glass cloth over the bottom
panel for the same reason. I have never glassed the
total exterior or interior of any of my boats.
The second layer of tape goes right over the first
before the first cures. Saturate well. Look for dry
spots that will appear white whereas saturated glass
appears clear. The edge of the second layer should
be staggered a bit from the first layer like this to
prevent a big ridge on the edge.

/\

Final Work

After cure (depending on your epoxy’s hardener

and the weather, this can be from a day to a week),
sand lightly but not through the glass. I do feather
out the glass edges with a rubber disk sander in a
drill with pretty coarse paper. Then I give the tapes
a light layer or two of filler to fill any weave fol¬
lowed by another light sanding. Then I try to
accept any remaining imperfections and paint the
hull.
You can wear yourself out being a perfectionist
about this, and you are welcome to do so. If your
boat gets hard use you won’t notice those imperfec¬
tions at all after you have taken it to the water once
or twice.

You’re done!
 §7

Robote burn Challenge, where you have to row about 20

miles around Cape Anne in Massachusetts, most
of it on the open ocean. But it wasn’t meant to be
The basic techniques described above can be
and he wrote:
applied to any taped-seam boat, opening a huge
“Wind was SE 15+, rising, with a two- to three-
variety of designs to you. Practice by building a
foot chop off the ocean. I rowed about ten miles,
small or simple boat, and then move on to any¬
then ran for cover in Pigeon Cove. The alternative
thing you like.
was several more miles of windward slog followed
Robote was designed for Frank Kahr of Rhode
by more miles of crosswind. It would have been too
Island strictly as a rowing boat, very light and
much for me. The boat was dry, in good control
simple and fast and seaworthy. I wanted to include
always. It will cope with conditions in which you
it in this book both as an example of a good first
have no business being out.”
time taped-seam boat, and as an example of a fast
If I had seen that forecast I would have left my
and able rowing boat.
boat on the cartop. I checked the results of the race
Look at the lines of this boat and you see it has
for 1999 and for 2000, the year Frank entered. In
a fairly deep V bottom, deep enough so that the
1999 two entries scratched and in 2000 thirty-five
chine corners are never in the water with a normal
scratched! But that brings up a very good point.
load. So the water flows over one side of the bot¬
Good rowboats with experienced hands can han¬
tom or the other, never crossing over the bottom of
dle those conditions for a while, but you shouldn’t
the V or over a chine corner. All smooth flow. And
set off into them if you can avoid it. You can get
there is no twist in any of the panels to confuse
“blown away,” especially if anything goes wrong,
either the water flow or the boatbuilder. I had tried
such as losing an oar or rowlock. And the same is
this shape before on a small dink and had found it
true for any sort of power- or sailboat—a small
a lot faster than anything else its size. The main
failure in moderate conditions can bring on a
disadvantage of a deep-V boat like this comes when
disaster. My own rule of thumb is to not venture
beaching—the center bottom will ground out a lot
out too far in whitecaps.
sooner than any other part of the hull, leaving you
Another subject that came up between us was
balanced on a point a ways from shore. The usual
the fact that almost any good conventional rowing
relief for this is to lean the boat over a bit while
boat that has no extremes will row about 4Vi mph
beaching to run it up on one side of that V bottom.
and no faster, at least not in a long row. My Roar2,
The V bottom also makes the boat hard to stand
Sportdory, RB42, and now Robote all go about
up in, something that is true of almost any good
that speed. Frank adds:
rowing or paddling boat. You must take care when
“I agree with your observations about good ply¬
standing up or, better yet, never stand up in the
wood rowboats. While Robote is not a real speed¬
boat.
ster, it is very pleasant and responds to greater
effort with greater speed. Beaching is no problem;
in calm water just lean over so one side of the V is
horizontal. The boat grew on me during my two
weeks on Cape Cod and is now beached at a town
landing, to be used weekends the rest of the sum¬
mer. One of my adventures involved a sudden
storm with two-foot chop crashing on the beach at
South Monomoy when I needed to launch to
return home; this wasn’t pretty, but I got away on
Frank built Robote from three sheets of Qk:
the second try.”
oume plywood with taped seams. It went together
easily, as longer boats with gentle curves often do.
He said it weighs about 60 pounds, light enough
that he can carry it on one shoulder for a short way.
Frank entered himself and Robote in the Black¬
HH BOATBVILIING FOR BEGIHKEB§ (AJTB BEYOND)

SPECIFICATIONS FOR ROBOTE —When that has cured, invert the hull, trim the
wire twists, fair the outer seams with thickened
1. Cut the bottom panels from lA" plywood to epoxy, and add two layers of 3"-wide fiberglass tape
shape shown on plans. Butt straps from one layer set in unthickened epoxy as shown.
of 3" glass tape set in epoxy on each side of joint. —When cured turn the hull upright, remove the
(Butt joint could also be made from plywood or temporary forms, and complete the taping of the
lumber, but the butt plate would have to be kept interior.
about 1 Vi" from edge to allow for the taping of the 10. Skeg from 3A" x 31/2". Bed in place with a very
seams later.) Mark form locations boldly. fast-setting putty such as Bondo, or thickened ep¬
2. Make temporary forms from W plywood with oxy. Fillet the joints with thickened epoxy and
3A" x 1" edge cleats and W'-thick butt plates across secure with two layers of fiberglass tape set in epoxy.
centers of forms 5, 8, and 11 to join the two form 11. Suggested seat from 3A" x 10" lumber. Its best
halves together. Mark centerlines boldly. No bevels location will be determined by trial and error for
required. level hull trim. In a similar boat I was able to leave
3. Cut the transom from V4" plywood with top this seat board loose—it would wedge into position
and side sticks from 3A" x 1". Side edges beveled as held in by my weight.
shown. Note that side stick extends beyond edge of —Once the best seat position is found, note the
plywood to allow for the reverse bevel. Mark center¬ location of your heels on the bottom and install
lines boldly. foot braces, about 1" square and 6" long, at those
4. Cut the stem about 14" long to full-sized locations.
pattern, length to be trimmed after assembly to
sides. Mark centerline boldly. This boat should take two adults—make separate
5. Cut the side panels from lA" plywood to fore and aft removable seats from 3A” x 10" lumber.
pattern shown. Butt straps from fiberglass, as with
bottom. Mark form locations boldly.
—Begin assembly by screwing the sides to form
8. Pull the side ends in with ropes and install forms
5, 11, and 2 with screws. Install the stem piece with
glue and temporary screws. Install the transom
with glue and nails. Maintain the hull straight and
untwisted on sawhorses.
6. Cut the wales: two laminations of 3/4" x 1"
to finish 1" deep and 1Vi wide.
7. Cross bracing from 3/4M x 3Vi" glued and well
fastened to wales.
8. Stern cap from 3/4M x 2" glued and well fas¬
tened to wales.
9. Bow cap from 3/4" x 5Vi" glued and well fas¬
tened to wales.
—Install the bottom panels by screwing to the
temporary forms. The panels should align edge to
edge around their entire perimeter.
—Secure the perimeters with twisted wire loops
as shown in the figure, the loops about every 12",
closer where needed.
—Apply a fillet of thickened epoxy around the
inner seams, skipping the regions close to the forms
for now, and before the epoxy sets, top the fillets
with 3" fiberglass tape set in unthickened epoxy.
2
 91

you should be. Have the observer tell you how the
trim is—both the stem and stern should be out of
the water. Keep moving around until you have it
just right.
Let’s review the basics of how you are supposed

USING YOUR BOAT to sit in a rowing boat. Face aft, that is, backward,
toward the transom. Your seat should be high
enough that the wale will be about at your belly-
button level. When you dip the oars into the water,
the oar handles should be about at the level of your
shoulders.
This moving around to get the trim just right is
one reason I don’t like to show fixed seats in my
Rowing boats. A movable ditty box/seat is a better bet.
Once you get it right, take note of where you
It would do well to review some elements of should be sitting. That’s where you will need to be
using arm-powered boats like rowboats and every time you go out solo. If you are to use the
pirogues, canoes, and kayaks. boat with a passenger, you should go through the
same process again.
Trim If you have a rowing boat, the oarlocks will need
to be placed to give comfort while you row from

This applies to all boats but especially to lighter your special position. The lock locations I show on

boats where the crew weight can make up the the drawings are my best guess at where they

majority of the total. Where you sit make can make should be, but I do get it wrong sometimes. Here is

a huge difference in the performance of the boat. a trick that worked well on a new rowboat: There
were no oarlocks installed before the first launch.
What is important is that the stem and stern
should both be clear of the water when the boat is Instead we tightly fastened big C clamps where we
thought the locks should go, with the shafts of the
trimmed properly.
clamps sticking upward. The oars were lashed to
If the stem starts to push down into the water
the shafts of the clamps like they did in the old days
because there is too much weight forward, the boat
with thole pins. Then we got in the boat, checked
will slow because the flow is getting churned up
the trim, and moved the clamps around to where
there. And the boat will become cranky in han¬
the rowing was comfortable and efficient. Those
dling because more drag will come from the bow
positions were marked, and the oarlocks were in¬
and the stern may try to pass the bow, wanting to
stalled in those positions.
swap ends all the time.
If the stem is pushed down into the water so
that some of the flat vertical transom surface goes Oar Length and Placement
below the water, the boat will slow noticeably be¬
for Fixed-Seat Rowing
cause the drag will go way up.
So it pays very well to keep the boat trimmed
level.
The illustration below shows a fixed-seat rower.
You do that by shifting your weight fore and aft
His rear is attached to the boat by friction to the
in the boat until the boat is trimmed right. It is not
seat. His feet should be braced against solid foot
that easy to do by yourself. You can seldom see the
braces, although having the feet just resting on the
trim well enough from inside the boat to get it just
floor is sufficient for mild rowing. The handles of
right. So one of the first things you do with any
the oars are usually about chest high when he pulls.
new boat is to put it in the water, loosely tied to the
The oar handles may overlap each other during
dock. Have an observer on the dock. Get inside the
some portions of the pull, although it’s more com-
boat and get seated comfortably where you think
92 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

If the oar were 84" long (7 feet), and 56" of that

were outside the lock, and 28" were inside the lock,
then a 2:1 ratio will be achieved. Indeed the classic
recommendation for locating the oarlock pivot on
the oar is 17/25 from the tip.
The illustration below shows the “freebody”
diagrams (the balance of forces) of the oar and the
rower and the boat. With the configuration shown
the nine pound load on each handle is balanced by
a four-and-a-half pound load on each blade. So the
process of gearing up the speed by a factor of two
has also reduced the balance load on the blade of
the oar by a factor of two.

fortable for the casual rower if they don’t.

The oars are held to the boat by common pivot¬
ing oarlocks. They are somewhat free to slide in
and out of the locks such that the distance from
lock to handle can be adjusted.
The blades of the oars are dipped into the water
with each power stroke and lifted clear with each
return stroke.
That’s about it.
Here is what the oars do: In effect they are levers
that gear up the speed of the rower’s hands.
Most people in a good (but not racing) row boat
will pull at twenty-five to thirty strokes per minute.
Let’s say it’s thirty strokes per minute (two seconds
per stroke) to make the figuring easy. And let’s say
that stroke consists of one second of power and The forces on the rower’s body are also shown.
one second of recovery. If the rower pulls the oar His eighteen pounds of force in his hands must be
handles through three feet with each pull, then the transmitted to the boat some way. If he has no feet
oar handles are moving three feet per second, bracing at all, then the force goes out of his body as
which is two miles per hour. friction where he sits. It can hurt a bit after a while!
But if the handles are moving forward at 2 mph The usual solution is to brace the feet solidly. A
then the tips of the oars are moving aft 4 mph handy bulkhead or hull frame might do. Custom
because of the geometry of the pivot. And thus the cleats for the feet to push against attached to the
boat is also moving forward at about that same 4 hull are also common.
mph. If the rower now turns downwind, he may find
You might argue that hull speed and blade speed his same power will push the boat at 5 mph. To get
aren’t the same because there is some slippage of that without changing his stroke he can slide the
the blade in the water. Certainly this exists when oars out so that he has 24" inboard and 60" out¬
you try to start any boat from rest, especially a large board. As shown in the illustration he will now
heavy boat. But once up to speed in good condi¬ have 3.6 pounds of force at the blade of the oar.
tions, good rowing boats don’t exhibit much slip¬ Less force is required there now since the wind is
page. helping to push the boat along.
 ROWISO 91

Now let’s imagine the rower encounters a head¬ overlap of the handles will develop, which many
wind that slows the boat to 3 mph. How does he people find very awkward. And the long oars may
match his power to the new speed.7 If the rower simply be a bother in confined rowing areas.
slides the oars in so that 32" is inboard of the locks The general rule for the length of oars is about
and 52" is outboard, his 2 mph, 9 pound applica¬ twice the beam of the boat. But if you apply that
tion at each handle will be geared up to 3.2 mph at rule blindly, sometimes silly things can happen. I
the blades. As shown, the blade will balance now recall the oar length question being asked for a
with 5.5 pounds of force at the blade. That’s an nine-foot dink with a five-foot beam. All the first
increase over the first condition and it’s that extra answerers replied that the proper oar length for the
blade force that will help push through the head¬ boat was ten feet, and next came all sorts of ques¬
wind. tions about how to make the oars break apart so
they could be stored in that short boat. Finally
someone said those responders might be long on
2 mph
A 4 mph theory and short on common sense. A short wide
A
boat like that is never going to be fast, and seven-
91b. piil 4.5 lb. thrust
foot oars would be plenty.
Here is how I look at it. The classic lock location
28"
^13.5 lb. pin reaction
56"
4 of 68 percent in from the tip is a very good starting
2 mph spot, but not sacred. For a 7-foot oar that would be
5 mph
?9 lb. pull
3.6 lb f 27" from the pivot to the handle end. I think most
of us can row okay with handles overlapping about
^— 24" 60" 6" to having them apart about the width of our
4
v 12.6 lb. pin reaction shoulders, say 20". So to me a 7-foot oar might do
well with boats ranging from 48" to 74" oarlock
spread. Quite a variety! I’ve used the same 7-foot
oars on everything from my 7-foot dink to a 24-foot
sharpie, and they were just right for both. Oars
shorter than 6 feet swing through inefficient angles
for the normal rower, and I’d avoid them.
Sometime, though, you might want to make a
You can see from the above discussion that shortened pair that can stow neatly in the cockpit
rowlocks that are pinned to the oars in one posi¬ of a boat. Mayfly’s cockpit will fit a pair of oars six
tion don’t allow this change of gears, so to speak. and a half feet long, pushed against the sides so as
By moving the oars in and out just over an 8" range to leave full room for sitting.
we have “regeared” the boat speed to vary over 50 I’ve never used oars longer than seven feet, al¬
percent without changing the handle force or though some boats might need them. With longer
speed. oars one must be very careful that they are well
balanced such that you aren’t fighting the weight of
the blades with every stroke. Factory oars are sel¬
Oar Length
dom well balanced and that is one reason they can
be really miserable.
And you can see that the total length of the oar
I’ll tell a Phil Bolger story about the subject to
might not really enter into the above discussion.
show how important the balance is. In the early
Only the relative location of the pivot point affects
1990s Phil had built a lapstrake rowing boat for his
the gearing of the oar. But the length of the oar
own use and had custom 9-foot spoon-bladed oars
does have effects. The longer the oar, the less of an
made for it. He said they were miserable. One day he
angle it will sweep through, and the more efficient
clamped lead weights to the handles with hose
it becomes. Also, the oar must be long enough so
clamps to balance those oars. Then they were beauti¬
that the handles fall conveniently at the hands. But
ful! A complete transition in a few minutes of work.
an overly long oar can be a problem, too. An
94 BOATBVIIIIKC FOR BECIMMEBS ( A Jf D BEYOMI)

He points out that adding lead weights on the inside Now Let’s Go for a Row
of the pivot allowed him to cheat on the 17/25
classic rule, sliding the oar more outboard and
Well, with the seating and oars figured out, it’s
“gearing up” the action as we mentioned earlier.
time to take it all out for the first row. Pick a calm
My Birdwatcher sharpie rowed quite well for
day. Never stand up in a rowing boat, at least not
such a large barge, twenty-four feet with a flat
without being very careful about it. Good rowing
bottom. The seven-foot oars passed through oar-
boats have to be narrow on the bottom in order to
ports that were about ten inches above the water
be fast, and that means they will be tippy. If you fall
and that gave the oars very good rowing geometry.
out of a rowing boat in deep water, there is a good
So I’ve been drawing oarports on most of my larger
chance you will never be able to get back into it and
boats, although few builders put them in. If you
going again. So stay seated! It should be added that
look at the diagram below you can see that the oar
if you stay seated, a rowing boat is one of the safest
in the oarport meets the water at a much shallower
boats around.
angle than the one on the high-freeboard gunwale.
Dip the oars into the water. The oars will have a
And on the recovery stroke it looks like the gun¬
natural floating depth. With the oars in the water,
wale oar needs about two times the rotation of the
make sure that the faces of the blades are perpen¬
oarport oar to clear the water. The high-freeboard
dicular to the water. With a little practice you will
gunwale oar looks to be the case for the long oar,
be able to tell that even without looking. If the
as you see in the ciiagram.
faces aren’t perpendicular to the water what will
happen is that as you pull on the handles the oar
blades will either dip deeper into the water, or will
7' oar on high gunwale
fly out of the water. You don’t want either of those
things to happen. If they do, twist the oars a bit in
your grip to give the blades a different angle to the
water and try again.
Next give the oars a light pull, equal effort on
each handle. The boat will spurt forward a bit; the
lighter and sleeker the boat, the greater the spurt.
The boat should go straight with each spurt. If it
doesn’t go straight (and there is no wind), you
Another very practical consideration is storing
aren’t pulling on the handles equally. Practice a bit.
the oars in the boat, as with the guy with the dink.
When you retrieve the oars to the starting position
My second homemade boat was a Bolger Jinni with
don’t lift the oar blades far out of the water. Just
a six-and-a-half-foot long cockpit. Bolger recom¬
clear of the water surface is good enough. View a
mended seven-foot oars, and that is what I started
point off your stern to keep the boat going straight.
with. In order to stow those oars in the cockpit I
Every now and then turn your head around to
had to cut holes in the aft bulkhead (not watertight
make sure you are indeed heading in the right
so it wasn’t a problem that way) to accept the oar
direction and there’s nothing in your way. You will
handles, and then those 7’ oars fell right in place.
get the hang of it with practice.
Later when I made Piccup Pram, which also had
At this stage keep your strokes light. As you gain
a six-and-a-half-foot cockpit, but solid bulkheads at
proficiency you can step up the effort and speed
each end, I went to six-and-a-half-foot oars for stor¬
and it will come to you naturally. As with any
age in the cockpit. But at times the oars would jam
physical effort, patient training is what pays off.
really tightly between those bulkheads. The solu¬
Eventually you will get into a rhythm that you
tion was to cut just 1" off the handles. They never
can check with your watch. Typically you will pull
jammed again.
about 30 strokes a minute. A good rowing boat will
move about its own length with each stroke and
not much faster. So a 14-foot boat like Robote will
go about 14 feet every stroke of two seconds’ dura-
 R O W I MG 95

tion, or about 420 feet per minute, which is 4.8

Paddling Boats
mph. With a more mild effort that you can keep up
for hours (with training), you might average 4 mph.
In a paddling boat like Piragua you face forward
With a bit of training, a day trip of ten or fifteen
as you go, which can be more pleasant, especially if
miles is very possible, in good weather, with about
you are poking around looking for wildlife. But the
the same effort as walking.
large muscles in your back and legs that produce the
A shorter boat won’t go as far per stroke because
rowing motion aren’t used by the paddler. His arms
its short waterline length means it will make more
do all the work, so the power potential isn’t there.
waves. A longer boat may go no faster, especially in
Usually the paddler has to sit lower in his boat and
a wind, because it will be heavier and have more
some folks will find that less comfortable. And the
windage, even if its waves are smaller. Often the best
lower-sided boat will often be less seaworthy.
overall rowing boats are in the twelve to sixteen-foot
(Advanced kayaks are some of the fastest and
range.
most seaworthy boats around. But they require
You won’t be able to row those long trips on
abilities that I don’t have.)
windy days. There is little future in it. The effort of
As with the rowing boat, trim is of great impor¬
rowing into the wind will wear you out very quick¬
tance. Where you sit make can make a huge differ¬
ly. On those windy days you should start out row¬
ence on the performance of the boat. Shift your
ing upwind until you are pretty tired, with the
weight fore and aft until the trim is just right, and
thought of taking it easy on the downwind leg,
make a note or even a mark on your boat to
hoping all the time that the wind doesn’t change.
remind you where the best seating position is.
Here are other things that can happen on windy
Finally, I always show double-bladed paddles on
days. With large waves generated by high winds you
my paddling boats. I think they are greatly superior
will find you have to lift the oars a lot higher to
both in speed and control over a single-bladed
clear the tops of the waves. The other problems will
paddle. But they can only be used with success on
be with the handling of the boat. The windage of
a narrow boat.
the boat might make it hard to hold the heading
you want. Almost any boat will, on its own, want to
Here is a picture of Piragua.
turn broadside to the wind; sometimes they will try
to drift with the bow somewhat downwind. You
will have to use your oars to maneuver the boat to
the proper direction as you use them to propel the
boat. In a really large boat, like a sailing boat being
rowed across strong winds, you may find that all
the effort is into the lee-side oar, the weather-side
oar doing nothing.
One of the nice things about rowboats is the
simplicity of gear. Here are some extras you should
take along. A spare oarlock or two in case one gets
lost or broken. I never take spare oars although that
would be a good idea on a real “cruise.” Always
take at lot of drinking water; some say you should
never take the shortest trip without a gallon stowed
somewhere. A snack is a good idea. So is sunscreen.
So is some Vaseline to grease the locks from time
to time.
96 BOATBVILl)! SC FOR BICIMMEBS (AH® BEYOND)

in your boat to make it all work. Here is a diagram

(from overhead looking down) of the wind blowing
on a sail:
SAILING FOR
NONSAILORS
I: Theory

Background

I don’t claim to be a great sailor or even a good

sailor. There are some good texts out there on the
subject. Alas, many texts get you into details so
deep you won’t see the forest for the trees, or they
assume you have fancy equipment. So I’m going to
try handing out the basics, the minimum you need
to know.
This one is for those of you who are going to
build a sailboat and have never sailed and don’t
live in areas where you can expect to get any in¬
struction. There are lots of you out there. Take
heart. Here is a full description of my sailing lessons:
Around 1980 I decided to start boating, and
bought a one-third interest in an old Hobie 16 with
John and his son Greg. John and I had never sailed
but Greg, about 20 years old at the time, had a job
where he could sail during the day and work at
night. One day he took John and me out for our The sail here is at an angle of about 20 degrees
first lesson. He rigged the boat by himself and to the wind, and the sail bellies out a bit. The
sailed it with John and me as passengers to a bank amount it bellies out is called the “draft” of the sail
about a quarter mile from the dock, got off, told us and the draft is typically about 10 percent of the
he was late for work, and left us there! That was it! width of the sail, so a sail 10 feet wide might belly
We had to reinvent sailing to get back to the dock, out 1 foot.
and I guess we did. The wind produces a force on the sail that is
If you can get a lesson or two from another guy shown here as the “net force.”
with a similar homemade boat, you will learn a lot. Tilings like forces have both magnitude and
A messabout is a great place to start. I don’t really direction and are called “vectors.” One of the neat
know what to tell you about clubs that race or call things about vectors is that you can think of them
themselves yacht clubs. Most of the sailors there as the sum of other vectors. In this case the net
won’t understand the reason for your homemade force is shown as the sum of two other forces. One
boat. Most of them know a lot more than I about of those forces I’m calling the Drag, and it is in line
sailing, but you may get trapped into a racing or with the direction of the wind. Tine other force
drinking scene. component of the net force I’m calling the Lift and
it is perpendicular to the direction of the wind.

Some Very Basic Theory In the case shown the sail is acting as an airfoil,
and from what I’ve sketched it looks like the ratio
of the Lift to Drag is about 3:1. That might be
First, let’s look at what makes sailboats go. Then
typical of a low-tech sail. Really high-tech airfoils,
we’ll get to practical matters of what you need to do
 SAILING 97

such as the wings of a sailplane can, I think, achieve daggerboard or centerboard or leeboard is needed
a Lift to Drag ratio of 50:1 or 100:1. Occasionally to keep the hull from being pushed sideways.
a high-tech sail boat is made with a sail like an There is no getting around that, and the design of
airplane wing to tap into that potential but they such features is very important.
can be too fragile and complex for general use. The sicie forces caused by the sail and reacted to
by the boat’s keel don’t line up, of course. The sail
is way up there and the keel is way down there. The
Next, Add a Hull result is that the boat will try to tip over. It usually
can’t tip over all the way because as the boat tips, the
buoyancy increases on the side being forced down
Here is the very same sail and wind with a hull
into the water. The total buoyancy of the hull
added underneath:
(which equals the boat’s total weight) no longer
aligns with the boat’s center of gravity; the resulting
torque caused by the new alignment will balance
out the torque caused by the sail/keel situation.
See the diagram below. (The same effect can be
gotten by shifting the center of gravity of the boat
usually by sitting the crew to the windward side of
the hull.)

In General:
Sail side force = keel

The net force is exactly the same magnitude and

direction as in the first diagram. But in this dia¬
gram I’ve shown the net force resolved into two
forces that are aligned with the boat hull, not the
wind. One of those forces is a side force on the
hull, and the other is a forward force on the hull.
That small forward force accelerates the hull
What you see here is the situation of a boat
until it reaches a speed where the drag on the hull
“sailing to windward” or “close hauled” or “beating
is the same as the forward force. More about that
to windward.” It can’t go straight into the wind. In
later.
fact it usually can’t sail closer than about 45 degrees
to the wind. If you tried that, the force vector
pulling the boat ahead would disappear. You Next, We Reach
would get all side load, or a big side load and maybe
a force pushing the boat aft. Next the skipper swings the boat about 45 de¬
Even as it is, the side force on the close-hauled grees away from the wind such that the hull is at
hull is a lot bigger than the forward force. A keel or right angles to the wind. In this diagram the sail
98 BOATBVILDIHG FOR BEGINMIRS (AH® BEYOMI)

and wind and net force are exactly as before:

Apparent Wind. This is what

you and your boat actually
feel and sail by.

Next, We Run

Here the skipper has steered off the wind an¬

other 45 degrees. This might be called a broad

This is called “reaching.” If the skipper were

sailing a bit closer to the wind it would be a “close
reach,” and if he were heading a bit more down¬
wind it would be a “broad reach.”
Notice that with the reaching alignment we have
a lot more forward force and a lot less side force.
Reaching is usually about the fastest way of sailing.
It is often one of the safest, too. You can stop
quickly at any time by releasing the sheet to the sail
and letting it swing out to stop the forward force.
Often a skipper sailing on a reach will find his
boat accelerating so much that he needs to pull the
force
sail in tighter. Remember that the sail does not feel
the wind that you feel when standing still (the “true
wind”). Instead it feels that true wind plus the wind reach but it is beginning to be a sail downwind, a
caused by the motion of the boat, the total of those U
run :
»

two being the “apparent wind.” For example, if the There is still a small side force, but the main
true wind were 10 knots from the north and the push is forward. The hull speed will start to sub¬
boat speeds up to 4 knots to the east, the sail feels tract from the true wind speed, so the apparent
an apparent wind that is the vector sum of those wind will decrease below the true wind speed.
two. In that case the apparent wind would be 10.8 If you need to stop quickly in this situation, you
knots from a direction of 22 degrees east of north. may not be able to do it. You must swing the boat
Really fast sailing machines, iceboats in particular, back into the wind.
generate a lot of their own wind.
 SAILING 99

Here is a photo of Jerry Scott’s IMB on its first

sail:

SAILING FOR
NONSAILORS
II. Doing It

First, Get Prepared

Don’t take a new sailboat to a lake or bay with¬

out first setting it up in your yard, sail and all. Do
it several times and make sure everything is in This sail is set up about perfectly. There seems to
working order. I know the neighbors will think you be little twist to the sail, which always harms the
are nuts, but at least you will be close to your tools sail’s drive. There is a very small girt running from
and materials to make needed changes. It’s also the throat toward the clew. I’d bet that girt totally
quite beautiful to see your new homemade boat in disappears sailing on the other tack where the yard
all its splendor. and sail will not drape over the mast.
One of the first homemade boats I ever saw was Here is something else that is very important to
a small catamaran at Carlyle Lake. But I never got check in these dry tests: Make sure all your main
to see it sail because the builder, after having assem¬ sheet, which is the line that controls the boom, is
bled the project on the beach, found he had left his easily at hand when you are seated properly in the
sail 60 miles away back home! boat. Make sure that it’s long enough to allow the
As you practice setting up the rig, take careful sail to swing all the way forward and still leave the
note of sail trim. By that I mean to get the sail tail end of the sheet in your hand.
shaped as well as possible. That almost always By the way, even in these dry tests the boat can
means setting the halyard and tack lines really tight capsize, especially since you may not have any crew
to eliminate wrinkles in the sail. And remember, weight in the boat. I’ve heard of large boats being
the stresses in the sail change with wind speed and blown off their trailers when the skipper raised the
loading in the boat. So a sail set up in light winds sails in a dry test. Don’t tie off the sheet, now or on
may not do well in high winds. I always prefer to set the water. Let it run out whenever necessary to
the sail too tightly and then relax things later if depower the boat.
required. Almost everything conspires to relax the Lastly, keep tinkering with things until you are
tightness of your rig as you sail. satisfied. I guarantee that any little problem you
Remember this picture? If you have a lug or gaff might have in the backyard could be a big problem
sail, try for the “good” girt. on the water.

Now, Check the Weather

The grand breeze that makes the big boats go

fast is not what you want. The best wind to test
almost any small sailboat is about 7 knots. Lighter
is better than stronger, although once the wind gets
below about 5 knots some boats will be sluggish to
the point where they may not steer well and cer-
lOO BOATBUILDING FOR. BEGISMER.S (AH® BEYOND)

tainly won’t be interesting to sail. A lot of boats will

have enough sail to capsize a new skipper if the Launching to Windward
wind gets over about 10 knots, and often the water
can start getting rough in that wind.
I think launching a boat to windward off a shore
I know that doesn’t sound like much of a win¬
is one of the most difficult things to do. But one
dow: 5 knots is too little and 10 knots too much.
advantage of launching into the wind is that if
Here is why that is true. The force on the sails is
things go wrong you will get blown back to where
proportional to the square of the wind speed. So if
you started!
you double the wind speed from 5 to 10, the force
I’m assuming you have a boat small enough to
on the sail will go up by a factor of 4. If the wind
push off the shore. As we go along I’ll suggest how
gusts from 5 to 15, the force on the sail will jump
to deal with a larger boat.
by a factor of 9. It’s a big change.
Actually I don’t recall ever seeing the following
My own feeling is that good wind conditions are
description in textbooks. I think the textbooks all
so important to a new solo sailor that they are
start with the assumption that you are launching
worth waiting for and taking a day off from work
from a dock or from anchor.
to capture. Listen to the NOAA radio in your area
for the forecast and for the actual winds. When
D: Turn to 50 degrees
conditions are just right, call in sick and go sailing. WIND ofT wind, pull in sheet
for best speed, balance
Don’t show up for work the next day with a fabu¬ boat with your weight.
B: Push boat into
lous tan. water deep
enough to lower
When you are learning to sail alone, don’t do rudder and board.
things that could add pressure to the situation, like
taking along a group of nonsailors or entering a
race.
C: Turn 90 degrees to wind, pull in
on sheet and gather speed. Check
Shore main sheet, rudder, board, etc.
Using the Tiller
A: Set up on shore ready to go, sail
flapping in wind freely.
This may be apparent to some, and confusing to
others: One basic thing about sailing is that to steer
the boat to the right, you move the tiller to the left;
and to steer the boat to the left, you move the tiller
to the right. At first it’s a bit awkward for some, but First let’s start at A, with the boat completely set
it soon becomes second nature. up on the beach. Have it facing directly into the
wind with the sail flapping in the breeze. Make sure

Sailing to Windward all is ready: the sail tightened to its best trim, the
rudder and board (leeboard, daggerboard, or cen¬
terboard) all ready to be dropped or pushed into
I’m going to start the sailing lessons with
position. Also make sure that any seating areas are
thoughts about sailing to windward. I know there
prepared, all the clutter cleared away, and the
is a saying that “gentlemen never sail to windward,”
mainsheet loose and not underfoot or fanny. If you
but the rest of us usually have to. The reason it is
are sitting on cushions, make sure they are in place.
important is that you often spend most of your
The point is that once in the water everything has
time sailing to windward. In general your progress
to be ready to go in a few seconds.
to windward is only one-half or one-third that of
Next you have to push the boat out into the
sailing downwind in the same breeze. For example,
water to position B. Here the water must be deep
if you had four hours available to you and had to
enough to get your rudder and board almost all the
start by sailing downwind, you might sail down¬
way down. She is still pointed into the wind. You
wind no more than an hour, then turn around to
can often walk a small boat out this deep and still
slog back into the wind for the next three hours.
hop in. My favorite way of getting to B is by getting
 SAILING lOl

the boat out deep enough to float, jump in, grab an fix it. I’ve seen lug sails hoisted with the yard on
oar, and push out. With each push of the oar you one side of the mast and the boom on the other
will get a feel for the depth of the water. side! The most likely error will be twisting of the
Once at B make sure the rudder and board are sail that is limiting your forward drive. Often prob¬
pretty well down, make sure there is no clutter in lems like that are impossible to fix while afloat in a
the boat in your way, especially that the main sheet small boat. You can’t leave the tiller to fix things.
is free, and get seated. In a large boat the usual procedure is to run the
Give the boat one last push or give a flip to the boat under motor straight into the wind as the sails
rudder to turn the boat 90 degrees to the wind as are hoisted, effectively putting it into position B.
in position C. Make sure you’re sitting on the Once the sails are up the boat is turned to about 60
upwind side of the boat. If your weight is on the degrees off the wind with the motor still running,
downwind side, and the wind is also pushing the the sheets tightened to fill the sails. Once all is in
boat over to that side, you might find yourself wet order the motor is shut off and raised, assuming it
in a hurry. is an outboard. Trying to sail with the outboard
Pull in on the sheet a bit to fill the sail, and the down will result in a very slow and unresponsive
boat should move forward. Here is the reason for boat. You’re sailing to windward—almost.. .
all this posturing: A boat can’t sail to windward
without a bit of forward speed. The rudder usually Tacking
needs about 1 mph steerage speed to be effective.
The board usually needs a little more, especially
Most low-tech boats aren’t going to sail much
as the boat is turned to windward and the side
closer to the wind than about 50 degrees. To get to
loading caused by the sail becomes significant.
a goal straight to windward, you need to zigzag
That is why you arrange things to get speed right off
toward it. “Tacking” like this:
the bat and you make sure the rudder and board
are down. (Never tie or cleat the main sheet, at least
not while you are learning, and never in gusty
winds. Hold it in your hand. You will be able to
feel every tug of the wind.)
All this has to be done in a few seconds or you
will get blown back to shore. I’ve always shown
weighted rudders on my boats for that reason—they
take care of themselves. Rudders with wingnuts
don’t work when launching this way because the
skipper has to hang himself off the stern and fiddle
with the thing just when he has to take care of the
sail and the board—all in a few seconds.
Once the boat is moving and things are in order,
turn to about 60 degrees from the wind. Pull in on
the sheet until you feel you have maximized your
speed. One of the best ways to check your speed is
to look at your wake. “Feeling” speed without
looking at the wake can be deceptive—you can feel
yourself blasting along but when you look at the
wake you find yourself creeping along, not moving
at all, or maybe even going backward!
Continue on in that direction and double-check
You can see why sailing to a place to windward
your rudder and board to make sure they are down
takes a lot longer than going downwind. Even if
all the way. Check your sail trim for any gross
the boat were as fast close hauled to windward as
errors. If there is a gross error return to shore and
downwind, which is usually not true, the zigzag
102 B04TMJILIING FOR DECIHMERS (AJf® BEYOND)

tacking makes the actual path a lot longer. If you Simply keep the mainsheet in hand at the same
were tacking 60 degrees to each side of the wind, position. Steer yourself so the wind is hitting the
that path would be twice the straight-line distance. sail (on the new side) at the same angle as before.
If you could tack 45 degrees to each side the path Once on the new tack, pick up a little speed and let
would be 1.4 times the straight distance, so you can everything settle down.
see the value of a boat that is close winded. But a
boat going 60 degrees off the wind can be a lot
Here Are a Few Things That
faster in raw straight-line speed than the same boat
at 45 degrees off the wind. So a lot of experimenta¬ Can Go Wrong
tion is in order.
I’m usually in favor of sailing about 60 degrees You can get the mainsheet wrapped around
off the wind for two reasons. First the effect of something, including yourself, or you might end
waves, especially on a low-tech hull, is to slow the up sitting on it. Always make sure it is free and in
boat a lot. Usually the waves are perpendicular to a condition that allows you to release it quickly.
the wind so the closer you sail to the wind, the You can get overpowered by a gust of wind. If
harder you hit those waves. Second, if you are you do nothing, you might capsize. Release the
sailing in shifting winds, very common where I live, mainsheet and turn into the wind. Both of those
sailing really close to the wind makes for a lot of actions will depower the sail. Try to keep the boat
work. If you sail 45 degrees to the wind and the moving forward, though. Remember that if you
wind shifts 15 degrees, you will come to a full stop stop completely the rudder will give you no control.
if you don’t swerve to hold the angle. But at 60 The rudder and board can pop up. Both will
degrees off the wind, that wind shift will still gives result in sloppy handling and the inability to com¬
you forward thrust, and you can hold course. plete the tack. Keep an eye on them, and if the boat
Sailing really close to the wind is called starts to handle oddly always check them first.
“pinching,” and usually there is little future in it An outboard motor might be down and drag¬
because you don’t go fast at all. It can come in ging through the water. The boat will be really slow
handy sometimes when trying to clear a fixed object. and sluggish. Tie it up if you have to.
One thing to keep in mind as you tack is that the The boat won’t complete the tack, stalling be¬
sails produce no forward thrust as you swing fore getting through the wind and falling back on
through the wind, so the maneuver is done with the original tack. This is usually called “missing
momentum. You must have enough forward speed stays” for some reason. First check to see that the
to get through to the other side. Shallow light flat- rudder and leeboard are all the way down. Then go
bottomed boats and catamarans are the worst in back on the original tack, gather a lot of speed, and
that they lose momentum quickly. Rough water try again, being sure to move the rudder quickly
really can make tacking a challenge in that case, and and smoothly and with a good amount of deflec¬
really rough water can make tacking impossible. tion. A boat with a shallow hull and a deep narrow
Here is how to tack a small boat: Get settled on leeboard will spin like a top given half a chance.
the current tack at good speed and make sure all is The boat won’t tack no matter what! This is
in order, rudder and board down, no clutter in the almost always a sign that the sail/board alignment
boat, sheet free and not under you. Smoothly and is not correct. In particular the sail is usually too far
quickly deflect the tiller about 40 degrees to rotate forward or the leeboard too far aft. We designers
the boat through the eye of the wind and onto the try to get it close, but these items can require some
other tack. fine-tuning. Most likely this will mean a trip back
As you go through the wind you will have to to the shop to fix.
shift your weight over to the other (upwind) side of Sometimes a boat will go “in irons.” This usually
the boat to keep the boat level or heeled correctly happens while pinching, but it could also happen
(most boats sail best with about 15 degrees of heel). while tacking. What happens is that the boat stops
Sails like the ones I draw are “self-tacking,” mean¬ just short of windward and sticks there. With no
ing they require no handling as you rotate the boat. speed your rudder will not be effective; some boats
 SAILING 103

become quite stable in this condition, and you sort efficiency. But the feel of the boat can change a lot
of feel trapped. My first boat was a Hobie 16 with with different wind speeds; in particular the more
no jib and we spent about a half year in irons. a boat heels the more weather helm develops. A
With a little boat you can often get out of irons small amount of lee helm is very common in light winds.
by taking an oar and twisting the boat to a new The cure for lee helm is to move the sail area aft or
heading. The classic fix is to let the boat build up move the board forward.
some speed in reverse, which it will usually want to
do. Then you pull the boom to windward (called
Sailing on a Reach
“backwinding the sail”) while you push the tiller to
leeward, the result being the boat will want to
Reaching is sailing across the wind, more or less,
rotate around the rudder to point downwind.
like this:.
Then you let the boom swing out to leeward and
head off downwind to gather speed, get steerage,
and try again.

Wind A: ln "irons"
Drifting aft with no
controi.

boom to
push tiller REACH

C: Boat rotates out of irons.

Pick up speed and start
sailing again.

BROAD REACH
\'

Remember that the wind the skipper feels will

not quite be the same as the true wind. He and his
boat will feel the apparent wind, which is the vector
Fine-Tuning combination of the true wind plus his boat’s speed.
So he will feel the wind more on the bow of the
One last thing to check as you sail to windward boat and may have to haul in the sheet to retrim
in a new boat is the feel of the “helm.” In a well- the sail as the boat speeds up.
balanced boat the tiller should be tugging on your Reaching is I think usually the fastest and safest
hand a bit as you sit to windward. If you let go of point of sail and you can spend a very happy day
the tiller, it will swing away from you and the boat picking a goal that is across the wind from your
will head up into the wind and stall. That is called launch and zip back and forth all day on reaches.
a slight “weather helm” and is ideal. Too much Tilings that are really critical when sailing to wind¬
weather helm can wear you out, pulling on you all ward, like sail twist and having the board down
the time. If you have too much weather helm you exactly right, are usually less critical when reaching.
can usually fix it by shifting the sail forward a slight Wind shifts that stop you dead while sailing to
amount, or shifting the board aft. windward have no effect.
If the tiller pushes on your hand as you sit to Reaching is so fast because the the force pro¬
windward, you have “lee helm.” If you let go of the vided by the sail can be better aligned with the
tiller, the tiller swings toward you and the boat boat’s motion, with less of it lost as side force to be
starts to head downwind. Lee helm is considered counteracted by the board with its drag. The board
unsafe and is usually harmful to windward sailing is still down, but it often can be lifted a bit, and
104 E04TBVILDI1G FOR BEGIH1ERI (AM® BEYOND)

even then the “pounds per square foot" loading conditions. Even when I’m sailing a long stretch
will be reduced compared to sailing to windward. downwind I make a point of swinging around into
You still need to tend to the sail and watch your the wind every now and then to see what the return
wake to guess at the ideal combination. trip might be like.
1 consider reaching to be safe because you can Long ago I had a Snark Mach 2, a low boardlike
pretty' well start and stop at any time by playing the boat, and took off dow'mvind in a good breeze on
sheet. a fabulous run. Eventually I stopped to turn to
As always there are things to watch out for. One windward and the next wave washed right over the
is that your boat will usually be aligned with the boat, as did every wave after it. It was a long wet trip
waves, and they might cause a deep roll. That used back. When you are sailing downwind you not
to be a problem with my Jinni, which had a fairly only feel a reduced wind, but are usually encounter¬
long boom. It would happen regularly at Carlyle ing the flat backside of the waves getting a false idea
Lake that we would get a 10-knot wind across 10 of the sea state. Often it’s not so much the wind
miles of lake, raising big lollipop waves at the lee that gets you, it’s the waves.
end of the lake. When reaching that wind was But even running downwind in big waves is
about enough to capsize the boat, and I’d ease the risky. That is how I capsizeci the Jinni. You come
sail out. But in the rolling boat that boom would flying down the steep backside of a wave, the bow
swing out and threaten to drag into the water with digs in a bit and slows down. But the stem keeps
each roll, and that also could capsize the boat. charging ahead and tries to pass the bow! The boat
Usually you can switch to a close reach or broad turns sideways in the wave and rolls deep to lee¬
reach to meet the waves at a different angle to avoid ward. An unballasted boat like Jinni will often keep
the problem. going right over. You’ve “broached.”
Another problem is that if you get caught reach¬ So keep an eye out.
ing in a big gust, the boat may capsize even if the
sail is let out. The flapping sail can have enough Jibing
drag to send you over. My Jinni capsized twice in
the years I used it, and once was in that way. I think
Here are three boats running downwind:
the thing to do is maintain some steerage speed
and point more into the wind. Your boat will have
more stability than when lying across the wind, and
you should be able to carefully play the mainsheet
to keep the sail depowered and yet keep the boat
moving enough for steerage.

Running Downwind

Running downwind is usually not the fastest

point of sail for raw speed—remember that your
forward speed here w ill subtract from the speed of
the wind. But it is often the fastest way to get from
A to B because your speed will be so steady and
unaffected by anything you do. Sail trim and high
tech rigs have the least effect running downwind.
The sow’s ear can pass the silk purse sometimes
sailing downwind.
But there are things to w’atch out for. Boats A and B are doing fine, but boat C is
One is that w'hen running downwind your ap¬ “sailing by the lee,” which means his sail is boomed
parent wind is reduced by your boat’s forward out to the wrong side. Sometimes you don’t know
speed and you can get a false idea of wind and wave this is happening to you because you don’t know
 SAILING 10?

the wind’s true direction well enough. Often when

sailing by the lee your boat will feel odd at the tiller.
THIS BOAT AVOIDS A JIBE BY
TURNING 270 DEGREES THROUGH
But you can see that if the wind shifts a bit or the
W|ND THE EYE OF THE WIND.
boat turns the wrong way, the wind will come
directly aft of the sail and the sail may “jibe” like
this:

IN A JIBE THE SAIL CAN

WIND SUDDENLY AND
DANGEROUSLY SHIFT TO
THEOTHER SIDE OF THE

You can’t stop a boat that is running downwind

without turning it back into the wind.
A boat can be overpowered when running
downwind, especially if it has a small shallow rud¬
der and a long boom. The rudder might not be
Jibing is considered to be dangerous for several able to hold the boat on course downwind, and the
reasons. If you jibe in strong winds it can be almost boat will spin around on its own to face the wind.
explosive. A large boom can kill you if it hits you Often in that case you can still “tack” downwind by
during the jibe. The shock of the boom coming to sailing on broad reaches. My original WeeVee was
a quick stop can rip out blocks and cleats or snap a like that until I put on my usual deep kick-up
sheet. If the jibe happens by surprise and catches rudder. Then it behaved.
you sitting on the wrong side of the boat, you Somewhat related to the rudder subject is what
might capsize. to do with the board (leeboard, daggerboard, or
You can jibe safely, at least in mild winds, by centerboard) while running. You can try to raise it,
using some care. Do it very deliberately and slowly or let it float up on its own in some cases since
and with the sheet in hand. As you turn the boat, there will be little or no side force on it. You’ll gain
pull in on the sheet until the sail jibes, and then use a bit of speed, but almost any boat will handle
your grip to ease the shock of the jibe. I think most better with the board down somewhat.
sailing races have their courses set out so there is And boats with small bows and big sails can
usually a jibe required. “pitchpole” end over enci. I don’t think that will
But when sailing alone you may need never jibe. happen with any of my boats, but catamarans are
This works: famous for pitchpoling.
Boat 1 wants to change heading to port (left Hope I haven’t scared you off. Sail in mild winds
looking forward), but that would mean a jibe when and have fun and be safe. Think twice before
the wind passes aft of the sail. So instead he swings venturing out into whitecaps.
to starboard (right looking forward) through about
270 degrees, pulling the sail’s sheet in as he goes,
tacking through the wind and over to the other
side. He ends up in position 2 without ever jibing.
This works quite well; I do it all the time myself.
 107

which do burn a lot less fuel).

Many outboard motors, perhaps most of them,
get used a few times and then go into storage. So
you might find on your doorstep an orphan out¬

USING A board, 30 or 40 or 50 years old, that has very little

wear and nothing wrong with it.
POWERBOAT As I’m writing this, good older motors are selling
for $50 to $200.
Here is what to look for: no cracks in the lower
unit, which would be an indication that it once
had water frozen inside of it. And no massive
corrosion, an indication that it was run in salt
There is an essay in the appendices about power-
water and put away wet.
boat math that will help you pinpoint how much
Pull on the starter cord. A good motor will spin
power you can have. But some numbers you might
through with a nice thunk-thunk, sound indicating
keep in your pocket are that a planing boat (wide
that there is good compression still in the cylinder.
deep transom) will need about 1 horsepower for
I think if the motor passes these tests, there is a
each 50 pounds of total boat weight. And a dis¬
good chance you will have a keeper. But, guess
placement boat (no transom in the water) will need
what? The most common cause of a motor that
1 horsepower for each 500 pounds.
won’t turn over is just a bad recoil starter! Often a
cleaning or a shot of oil into the recoil starter will
Used Motors get it back to new.
If your motor goes clunk-clunk instead of thunk-
I’ve never owned a new motor. But as I write this thunk you may have a loose piston or connecting
I have 11 used outboard motors in the shed! Used rod, which is not worth fixing. You can check it
outboard motors are like pet animals—as soon as quickly by removing the spark plug and inserting a
you go out and buy one, more abandoned ones long screwdriver into the hole and against the top
appear on your doorstep. of the piston. Feel the motion of the piston as you
Here is what I’ve found about old outboards. rotate the crank. The piston should move exactly
After about 1950 the modern outboard motor with the crank. If not, your motor is probably now
became common, with full gear shift and reliable a parts motor.
remote controls in the larger sizes. And basic things What I always do next is clamp the motor to a
haven’t changed much since then, if you discount saw horse and remove the spark plug(s). Spray
modern four-cycle engines (although Lauson and WD40 into the cylinder. Reconnect the spark plug
Homelite tried four-cycle outboards a long time wire, place the spark plug on the metal cylinder
ago). Bearings have improved such that fuel/oil such that the outside of the plug is grounded, and
ratios now are about 50:1 where the old standard pull on the starter again. It will turn over easily
was 16:1 (but owners of newer motors often add since the plug is out. Look for a good spark across
more oil to their gas just to be safe). Ignition cir¬ the plug. If so, the ignition is probably working.
cuits no longer have points to adjust (although the Right now might be a good time to change the
old point/condenser ignitions were very cheap to oil in the lower unit. There are almost always two
troubleshoot and repair). The old motors were holes—a drain and a vent—down near the prop
often lighter than newer motors and often had no which are sealed with screws. Remove the screws
plastic parts, using finely crafted aluminum cast¬ and drain the inside. If pure gear oil comes out,
ings and weldments, which stand up over the de¬ you are lucky. If nothing or pure water comes out,
cades a lot better than any plastic parts. When in you will have to watch the lower unit with care
proper tune they put out as much power as the new until you know it is okay. Often what comes out is
motors and did not burn significantly more fuel a milkshake-like mixture of oil and water. The
(again not counting the new four cycle outboards, usual refill procedure is to squeeze gear oil, which
ION £04T£VIISIMG FOR BEGIMHERS (AMI EEYOMI)

comes in a squeeze bottle with a nozzle, into the through that you can clean up and repair with
lower hole as air escapes out the top hole. When oil epoxy putty like JB Weld. Often the tank will have
comes out the top hole, the unit is full. Screw the a built-in finger strainer inside the outlet and it is
vent hole shut as you continue to apply pressure to itself a rust bucket or is completely clogged with
the squeeze bottle, and then quickly remove the rust or gunk. Remove it and throw it away. Most
bottle and replace the drain screw. likely you won’t be able to get a new one to fit, so
Check the prop edges for knicks and burrs. They you will have to adapt a new clear plastic inline
will usually smooth out very easily with sandpaper. filter, easily done. And you will have to replace all
It is amazing what a difference cleaning up the the old fuel lines and maybe the primer bulb if you
prop can make. I had one oldie that 1 thought had have a separate fuel tank. Plumb it all up, with the
lost its shear pin since the motor revved high with idea of replacing the fuel filter often to filter all the
all noise and no speed. The shear pin was intact junk from the system. (When you eventually go
and I was stumped until I sanded away a slight burr boating with the motor, take along a spare filter.)
that had formed on the leading edges of the prop. Usually right here I try to put a quart of fuel mix
That fixed it! into the system and start the motor on its carb. You
Now you need to mount the motor with the might try cleaning the carb first, I suppose, but on
lower unit in a tub of water such that water level is an older motor that can be like opening Pandora’s
perhaps 12" from the top of the motor mount. This box, and I’ve found it often isn’t required. You can
is to provide cooling water to the motor as we try use the choke, although I often go back to squirting
to start it for real. I have a big plastic trash can, less fuel into the carb throat to get a quick start. Don’t
than $10, that I use. It stays by that saw horse use starting fluid—remember that the only lubrica¬
mount all year for motor testing. NEVER START tion the motor is getting is from the oil in the fuel
AN OUTBOARD MOTOR WITHOUT IM¬ mix.
MERSING THE LOWER UNIT! The motor Expect to pull the cord a lot of times. I have an
head may not need cooling for a minute or so but old Sears 5 that always needs 10 pulls to start and
the water pump, which is usually a rubber star- then it runs fine. Most motors will start cold,
shaped piece spinning in a metal case, has to have choked, on about the third pull when all is proper.
water in the case to act as a lubricant. Running it Some will pop on the first pull! Once the motor
dry for even a few seconds can damage it. But, you has started to pop, be ready to open the choke.
say, you have an air-cooled outboard? There are Many engines need quick action to open the choke
very very few outboard motors that don’t have after starting.
water pumps. Even the air-cooled powerheads such Until you get the mixture setting figured out
as the Clintons and Tecumsehs and West Bends of there will be trial and error. Most small motors
old often had water pumps that cooled the exhaust. seem to use needle settings of one turn from closed
Next I mix up some 16:1 gas/oil mixture and as a good starting point, although the common and
squirt a bit into the cylinder. Replace the spark popular Evinrude/Johnsons (which were also sold
plug. Pull the cord a few times. After a few pulls the as Sea Kings, Brooklines, Gales, etc., by depart¬
motor should start and rev a second or two until ment stores) have a main jet setting of a half turn
the fuel that you squirted in is used up. If it does and an idle jet of one turn. When you turn a jet
that, you have another indication that the ignition needle to its closed position, be gentle so you don’t
is okay. Passing that test, I next squirt some fuel deform the needle or seat, which you may not be
mixture into the carb throat and pull on the starter able to replace. Also, you may be able to get manu¬
again. If it runs for a few seconds, you could think als that give all the proper settings for your motor
the reeds are working okay and that the crankcase plus basic overhaul information. One of the best is
now has a charge of fuel and lubrication. Clymer’s Old Outboard Service Manual. And you
At this point I would check the fuel system for should look into meetings of the Antique Out¬
rust and dirt. There will usually be screens and board Motor Club. Not only will there will be a lot
filters. One problem with most old motors is rust of old motor expertise walking around, but there
in the fuel tanks. There might be pinholes rusted are often good usuable motors for sale cheap.
 VSIlfO A POWERBOAT 109

Keep at it until you can find the exact combina¬ the spark plug and its wire at this point. Place the
tion of choke, mixture, and cursing that will start flywheel back on the shaft without tightening it.
your motor reliably. Place the spark plug against the engine metal. Any
If you get this far and the motor will start and good ignition that I’ve worked with would spark
idle and run okay, you might try taking it out on just by spinning the flywheel by hand at this point.
your boat. But remember, things can shake loose at If so, put it back together. It’s important to get
any time. My 12 hp Sea King ran fine in the test, the flywheel nut on tightly, since it is friction of the
tank but its old coils were cracked and one quit tapered hub that secures the wheel—the key is just
when it got damp first time out on the lake. Be for alignment. Not that easy to do, since everything
prudent during those first few hours of operation. can turn so easily. The way I’ve seen it done is to
So a safer approach at this point, knowing you put a wrench on the nut, tighten it by hand, then
have a motor that is mechanically sound, might be sock that wrench hard with a hammer to impact it
to check up close the ignition and carb parts. into position.
Off with the cowling. On some motors If not, you have detective work to do. I must
(Johnsons and Evinrudes) you can inspect the igni¬ admit I’ve had a few that I couldn’t solve, at least
tion goodies through a hole in the flywheel. Others where I couldn’t get new ignition parts.
require that you remove the flywheel. The flywheel On to that carburetor. If you get a rebuilt kit,
nut may be stubborn; you may need to soak it a few rebuild it. Have bright light and clean paper down
days with penetrating oil. Then you might put a on your work space because there may be lots of
long wrench on it and whack the wrench handle tiny parts flying around. Remove the carb bowl and
with a hammer to break the friction. If you have clean it all out. On the older motors you can
the luxury of a flywheel puller, use it. If not, remove usually figure out the fuel passages, so remove the
the nut holding the flywheel, replace it such that it jets and blow it all clean and open. Put it all back
has about an eighth-inch clearance with the wheel, together and hope for the best.
have someone hold the flywheel, and lift up to With luck your old motor will be not only as
carry the weight of the motor on the wheel. Then good as when new, it will be as good as a new
hit the flywheel nut with a hammer. It should pop motor!
loose.
Remove the flywheel and inspect the electrics Clamp It On
underneath it. The coil should not be cracked. If it
is you should try to replace it, although I’ve heard
Outboard motors come in different lengths.
the cracks can be doctored with epoxy.
The usual measurement of the motor length is
At this point you have dug deep enough that
from the top of the transom to the cavitation plate,
you really should replace the points and
which is the small flat plate right above the propel¬
condensor—if you can get new ones. Motors such
ler (it stops air from being sucked down the shaft
as Johnsons and Evinrudes shine here because
into the prop area). The usual advice for a small
from the 1950s into the 70s they used common
motor is that the cavitation plate should be about
parts and were made in such numbers that repair
1" below the bottom of the boat. So a “short-shaft”
new parts are still being made. You can go to an
motor usually needs a 15"-deep transom on the
auto parts store such as NAPA and get new igni¬
typical powerboat. And a “long-shaft” motor usu¬
tion parts and water pump impellors at a reason¬
ally needs 20". You may have to extend your tran¬
able price. Other motors such as Clintons and
som up or cut it down depending on what motor
Tecumsehs were adapted lawn mower engines, and
you are using.
often you can get new ignition parts from a lawn
Clearly the prop needs to be deep enough in the
mower shop. Other brands can be troublesome.
water. And the water pump must be immersed. An
Sometimes you can doctor up the points with a
audible sign that your motor needs to be deeper
fine file. Replace them usually with .020" gap set¬
down is when you hear the exhaust “popping”
ting (often the proper gap setting is marked on the
louder if you walk forward to the bow.
flywheel or the ignition plate). You might replace
Can it be too deep? Apparently enough is
110 C04TBVILD1NC FOR BEGI11ER8 (AND BEYOND)

enough. It it is deeper than enough, you will have and same speed as the first run but 300 pounds
deeper draft than you need. And your boat will be heavier!
slower because you will be dragging more lower That was an accidental lesson in trim if there
unit through the water. Experts take a while to trim ever was one. Trim is especially important in a
it just right with shims. displacement boat, like a rowing boat or sailing
boat. But we learned that you can get a lot more
speed out of a powerboat by placing the weight
Transom Tilt
forward, at least for a power skiff hull like AF. That
is also true when the boat is on plane. So experi¬
This isn’t too critical for small motors. The
ment with weight placement to trim the boat for
common rake of the transom is 15 degrees, and all
better performance. Max built his AF4 with remote
motors are adjustable to some degree. Oddly
steering that puts his weight just behind the cabin.
enough, I’ve found only the cheap small motors
On mine, I made tiller extensions that allow me to
can be adjusted to a plumb transom as found on a
sit up right behind the cabin when I’m solo. If I
sailboat. The more expensive motors must have
have a passenger, I use a shorter extension and
some transom rake.
have the passenger ride up near the bow. With my
Remember that the push of the outboard motor
wife up forward, the AF4 is as fast on plane as it is
is below the water at the prop, not at the motor
with me solo sitting aft!
head. With the thrust down there and the drag of
Here is how I made a tiller extension. I got heavy-
the boat opposing it a few inches above, there is a
wall PVC pipe that was just a little too small to fit
tendency, all other things being equal, for the boat
over the tiller handle. Then I slit the end of the pipe
to rotate nose-up under the thrust. Tilting the
that was to go over the handle, and heated that end
motor head back will tend to reduce that, and
over a flame until the PVC got rubbery. Then,
tilting the motor head forward will increase it. To
wearing gloves, I pushed that end over the tiller
tell you the truth, on the motor boats I’ve had like
handle. It stretched a bit to get over the handle and
AF4 with power below 15 hp, I really can’t tell the
then I smoothed it down to a tight fit with my
difference in boat handling with different tilts. But
gloved hand. It took a few minutes for the PVC to
it is one area worth experimenting with, especially
set hard again, but once cooled it had a tight fit now
with higher power.
on the tiller. Pushed it on and secured it with a hose
clamp. Smaller motors that do not have twist-grip
Boat Trim throttles don’t need the hose clamp—just push the
pipe over the handle for steering.
Here is a true story. I was running tests with my
AF4 and several motors with my motorhead friend
Fuel Consumption
Max. We clamped on a 5 hp motor , the boat more
or less totally stripped at maybe 550 pounds includ¬
What I’ve noticed about my old outboards is
ing myself. We went 6 mph. We clamped a 10 hp
that their fuel consumption is never per anyone’s
Johnson on the stern, perhaps an extra 100 pounds
book. You shouldn’t run an outboard at full throt¬
back there with its fuel, so maybe 650 pounds total,
tle all the time if you want it to last long. And I’ve
and speed dropped to 5 mph running with just the
found the old ones aren’t totally happy lugging at
5 hp. Max got in, so now we were at about 850
low speeds all day. They are happiest between half
pounds. We were running the rig over a half mile
and two-thirds throttle. That is where most of them
to measure the speed, noting that all the weight was
start best, too, and with the little ones you might
really slowing things down. The stern wake was
think they could live their whole lives starting and
getting bigger and bigger as we added weight. Then
running at one speed.
Max walked toward the bow, his weight pressing
I’ve tried fuel consumption tests on all my mo-
the bow down and lifting the stern up, and the
tors although getting such measurements can be
motor rewed up instantly, the wake reduced great¬
difficult. I think the 3 hp motors burn Vi gallon an
ly, and we were back to 6 mph again! Same power
hour at all throttle settings, so there is little point
 VSIMG A POWERBOAT 111

in slowing to conserve fuel. The 10 and 12 hp

engines seem to burn 1 or VA gallons per hour at
all throttle settings, so again there is little point in
slowing to conserve fuel. My old Sears 5 and the
Sears 7.5 I’ve used, both from about 1970 with
air-cooled Tecumseh power heads, respond well to
reduced throttle with the 5 burning 1/3 gallon an
hour at 2/3 throttle and the 7.5 about Vi gph at 2/3
throttle. It’s a bit of a surprise that these cheap
engines (very light, too, at about 30 pounds each)
outdo the far more ritzy motors in this respect.
The moral of the story is that there is quite a
range of fuel consumption from engine to engine,
and if you intend to cruise you need to scope out
your particular engine to see how much fuel you
will need.

Current, Waves, and Time

Don’t forget that your boat is still small even if it

has the power to go fast. In big waves you will have
to slow down to be safe. And don’t forget that if
your motors are like mine, when you throttle back
your gallons per hour is still the same. So your miles
per gallon drops way down as you slow. And now
that gallon of fuel sloshing around in your tank
that you hoped was going to take you 10 miles is
now only going to take you 5. Play it safe!
Current, of course, has a similar effect. Let’s say
your boat goes 12 mph and uses 1 gph. You have
2 Vi gallons on board: that’s 30 miles of range, you
might think. You launch into a river for a trip 12
miles downstream and back, 24 miles round trip,
and you might think that you will have fuel to
spare. There is a 6 mph current. Your speed going
over the bottom is 18 mph (12 mph for the boat,
plus 6 mph for the current) so you get there in 40
minutes. You have used 0.7 gallon of fuel and have
1.8 gallons left. Coming back upstream your speed
over the bottom is 6 mph and it takes 2 hours to
get back. Except you don’t get back because you
run out of gas a mile before getting there!
112 BOATBUILDING FOB. BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

Water Temp. Unconsciousness Death

32.5 under 15 min 15 to 45 min

32.5 - 40 15 to 30 min 30 to 90 min
40-50 30 to 60 min 1 to 3 hrs

THOUGHTS ABOUT 50-60

60-70
1 to 2 hrs
2 to 7 hrs
1 to 6 hrs
2 to 40 hrs
THE WEATHER 70-80 2 to 12 hrs 3 hrs to
indefinite
Over 80 indefinite indefinite

I was watching a fascinating TV show where

modern mountain climbers were going up Mount
Everest to look for the remains of Mallory and The NOAA Radio
Irvine, two British climbers who disappeared a very
short distance from the peak in the early 1920s, Get a radio that receives the 24-hour broadcasts
about 30 years before Edmund Hillary7 and Tenz¬ of the NOAA, assuming you live in the U.S. Where
ing Norgay made it in 1953. The modern climbers I live they update the forecast and current condi¬
marveled at the abilities of the old climbers who tions every hour. Since I got mine about 15 years
nearly made it (may have made it) to the top of ago I’ve never been surprised by any weather.
Mount Everest with primitive oxygen gear and no You can also find good updated weather informa¬
modern materials. But then one of the most expe¬ tion online, at Weather.com or the National
rienced, who had been to the Everest summit Weather Service website, among others.
several times, added that a successful summit at¬ Keep in mind that a meteorologist has a differ¬
tempt depended on good weather more than mod¬ ent outlook on the weather than some of the rest
ern technology. of us. 1 recall an air force weatherman telling me
So it is with boating. A good day at the water will his forecasts were 95 percent accurate which I
revolve around good weather more than anything! thought to be a lot better than 1 had noticed. But
Of course, one man’s good weather may not be it he said it would rain on Sunday and you can¬
another man’s good weather. A good sailing breeze celed your picnic because of that, and it turned out
will drive a fellow paddling a big canoe crazy. that it didn’t rain until late afternoon and you
I’m going to try to give some guidance to the could have had the picnic anyway, you might say
beginning boater on what to look for in weather. that he missed the forecast. And he would say he
was right on.
The last time I got caught boat camping in the
The Newspaper rain was on a “30 percent chance of thunder¬
storms” forecast. I had a cuddy cabin sailboat
Newspapers always have the weather forecast, beached in a nook and sat in the cockpit eating
but they are printed a day or so before you have supper watching endless lightning to the north.
them in hand. They might also have useful stuff “Far away," I said to myself. A while later I could
like lake and river stages. Sometimes newspapers hear the rumbling of distant thunder. It got closer
will have the local water temperatures, especially in and closer. I took down the mast and secured
fishing articles. Very7 valuable during certain times everything just as the first blast hit the boat. It
of the year. Cold water is very dangerous, and you rained all night.
must be very7 careful about it. Here is a chart that My own experiences with forecasts around here
came with the last life jacket I bought: is that they usually predict the arrival of a weather
change a few hours early—that is to say, the pre¬
dicted weather arrives predictably late. Perhaps that
 THOUGHTS A BOUT THE WEATHER 113

is because they are also trying to accommodate the

Driving to the Water
areas west of here, where my local weather usually
comes from. I also think it is a policy perhaps, with
I have to drive about 25 miles on rural Midwest
the idea that fewer folks get upset if you cancel the
roads to get to my usual lake. Again, I keep an eye
picnic and the rain comes late than if you have the
on the vegetation as I drive to judge both the speed
picnic and the rain comes early and you all get wet!
and direction of the wind. About 5 miles from the
There is another grain of salt you must take with
lake I pass a hospital with a wind sock in the open.
the weather forecast. It the weather man forecasts
I think most wind socks stand straight out in a
“light winds” and you get in the middle of the lake
20-knot wind so I can make a good judgment of
in a small light boat and it is blowing 15 knots, you
velocity and direction again. In the same area is an
might think the weatherman missed the forecast as
overpass made from the dirt dug from a nearby pit
you fight off capsize and whitecapped waves. But
that now serves as a small lake for some rich peo¬
the weatherman again would say he was right on.
ples’ houses. I take a good look at the surface of
That is one area where the NOAA broadcast can
that lake, judge the wind again. One thing is for
really help. Just before you leave to go boating, you
sure—if the surface of the little lake is roiled with
get the forecast and the current conditions. See
whitecap waves, then the big open lake I’m heading
how they match with yesterday’s forecast.
to will not be boatable today with my little plywood
boat. Finally, as I near the lake, there is a restaurant
Looking Out the Window with flags flying high near its twin arches. One last
chance to judge the wind from those flags.
It’s always a good idea to look out the window You might ask why judging the wind is such a
before you go. I live in a rather sheltered spot, but big deal. First, NEVER TAKE A SMALL, LIGHT,
I can see if it is indeed looking like rain. More BOAT OUT INTO WHITECAPPED WAVES,
important usually, I can judge the wind since there ESPECIALLY A FLAT-BOTTOMED BOAT! I
are lots of big trees around. Look at the leaves on know it is done and it can be done but I can assure
the tops of the trees. If they are still it is calm, a you that those guys racing sailboats out there usu¬
great day for paddling or rowing or powering. If the ally have a lot of experience, and they always have
leaves are twittering but the branches are still, then a substantial “crash boat” nearby to save them. You
the wind is very light, probably 5 knots or less. A may have neither. Such conditions aren’t safe or
good day for rowing or paddling or powering a comfortable in the normal sense.
boat and maybe okay for a sailboat with a big sail You may think, “I can reef down and take this
that is not in any hurry to get anywhere. If the small wind.” True in protected waters that don’t get
branches are swaying in the breeze, the wind is rough, but once you are out in the whitecaps there
likely to be about 5 to 10, great for sailing almost is little you can do to ease the action of your little
any boat with good sail area. But a heavy sailboat flat plywood boat. A 2-foot wave that crashed into
may find it boring. A paddler or rowing boat may the bow of a 3-ton racing sailboat will make a lot of
find it too windy for going long distance. And it is spray and make the skipper wiggle his course, but
still good for a powerboat. If the large branches are that same wave that crashed into the side of a 300-
swaying, watch out! This is where a heavy sailboat pound craft might knock it silly. Even if you can
will take over, but all the other craft, including the keep the boat upright, you may not be able to
powerboat, will find it uncomfortable on the lake, maneuver properly. Light boats are difficult to tack
if not outright dangerous. It is the result of both through the wind in big waves, because the light
the actual force of the wind and the waves that are boat doesn’t have the momentum to carry through
kicked up by the wind. the waves. The bow gets knocked back downwind.
And in these cases someone must always be at the
tiller. If you are solo there will be no chance to reef
the sail, reset a line, or bail water.
As I’m writing this it has been a long time, about
15 years, since I capsized a sailboat. Once I had
114 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNER§ (AW® BEYOND)

been boat camping in a sheltered cove, snug as a In this case once the gust had passed, there was
bug, with no idea of what was happening out on lots of time to deal with the disaster because it was
the big lake. I stuck my nose out to find the wind calm again. I righted the boat and gathered up my
was blowing maybe 1 5 knots or more and had been floating mess. But the rudder had unshipped itself!
doing so all night, raising whitecaps all over. I was A nearby powerboater helped gather it up and I
ignorant at the time and sped on to windward, went sailing. But if that rudder had fallen off in the
crashing into and through each wave. After about first capsize, I’m not sure I could have sailed back
a half hour I thought this was uncomfortable and to the cove. So since then I always wire my rudders
decided to head back, anticipating a fast enjoyable in place to keep them from slipping out of the
downhill run through the waves. The boat gudgeons. I also make sure the mast can’t fall out
broached sliding down the face of a wave, which is of its step and try to keep everything tidy and
to say the bow dug in and was caught by the stern, stowed in rough going.
the boat turning sideways on the wave face, and Well, enough of the stories. The point is to be
slowly turned over on its side. There was nothing prepared and take the weather seriously.
to be done about it but hang on and right the boat.
It came up half full of water, rolling very deeply
with each additional wave with me thinking it was So, What Can You Do
going over again every time. But it didn’t. I was able About the Weather?
to bail it out slowly with a one quart container after
my fancy pump had failed on the first pull when it
One reason I watch the signs of the wind closely
swallowed a line. You know, when you capsize in
as I drive to the lake is that I have options I can take
rough water everything goes to hell. Anything not
that will allow me to go boating even when things
tied down is lost, in this case the anchor, floor¬
aren’t perfect.
boards, oars, etc. Eventually the boat drifted back
Here is a cartoon of my local lake:
in the general direction of the cove and I got it
going again on a reach to the cove and the smooth
railroad causeway
water and the ramp and then home.
There was no one around to help because they
weren’t as stupid as I was at the time and knew
better than to go out in those conditions. And I
learned something from that—if you look out on
the waters and it seems rough and there is no one
else out there, you might consider staying in a cove.
A year later in the same boat I capsized under
very different conditions. This day the forecast
might have been winds 5 to 15 with gusts. It was
mostly quite light but every now and then a big
blow would pass, lasting maybe 10 or 20 seconds,
and then it would be light to calm again. There
were no waves. But I got caught broadside by a big
gust with my sheets tied to cleats and not enough
This is a large shallow lake which whitecaps in
speed to give me steerage (your boat needs to be
winds over about 12 knots. This is in the Midwest,
moving a knot or so for the rudder to supply
and conditions vary a lot around the country. But
steering). So I couldn’t swing the boat into the
I’m fairly certain that if you boat on the Gulf Coast
wind to ease the force on the sail by luffing. I did
or on the Chesapeake, you will have a similar
get to the sheet in time to untie it, but being
situation. The road I take to the lake arrives near
broadside to the wind, the flapping sail had
ramp 1, and that is where I can see the flags near
enough drag in the big gust to capsize the boat!
the restaurant with the twin arches and make a last
Again it went over in slow motion.
judgment on the wind.
 THOUGHTS ABOUT X II E WEATHER 115

Let’s say the wind is out of the south or south¬ about 1980 when I first got interested in homebuilt
west, very common in the summer here. And let’s boats. I think I had a little Snark Mach 2 then, sort
say the small branches by my house are moving of an inexpensive Sunfish. As I drove to the lake I
pretty briskly and the wind sock at the hospital is saw all the signs of a brisk south wind and I left my
nearly straight out. Then I figure the wind is about boat in the pickup truck and watched the other
15 knots and there will be whitecaps on the lake. sailors. One fellow showed up with his small sail¬
But not everywhere. I would figure the lake will be boat and family, launched, and headed out into
like this: the big lake downwind to the north. I decided he
was a much better sailor than I to go out with
railroad causeway
confidence like that. But he wasn’t. An hour or two
later he was towed back to ramp 1 with his sails
down, having found he couldn’t beat back to the
ramp through the waves. As he neared the ramp he
cast off his tow and got out his oars to row the last
little bit. But you can’t row a sailboat in high winds.
He drifted off downwind again out of control and
had to be rescued for the second time! I always
refer to this story to illustrate two things: Never sail
in whitecaps, and never sail in whitecaps with your
family! Most likely the man learned his lesson
about sailing on rough days, and his family might
have learned they didn’t like sailing ever.
So I would launch at ramps 2 or 4 and stay close
to home, swimming and watching more than sailing.
So I would figure the options for the small boat Let’s look at the lake in a west wind:
would be ramps 1, 2, and 4. Ramp 7 might be a
possibility but you could not leave the cove. Same
with ramps 2 and 4. You couldn’t leave those coves
out to the open lake but you might be completely
safe inside them—a capsize would be a mess but
probably a safe mess.
Launching at ramp 1 presents an interesting
situation. You would there have a good wind for
reaching back and forth a mile or two across the
lake in the lee of the dam where the water is
smooth. Most likely all the powerboats would be
there too, since the water-skiers also love that
smooth water there.
But you must be careful at ramp 1. As you look
out over the water from ramp 1 you will see noth¬
ing but smooth water in the lee of the dam. The
rough water is out there, out of sight. In fact, even
if you could see out there to the rough stuff you All the ramps on the west side are usable since
might not recognize it as such, since you will be they are on the weather side of the lake, that is to
seeing the back faces of the whitecaps. And if you say the wind is blowing away from that shore. The
launch there and drift north into the rough water entire west side of the lake should be smooth, but
or sail there in ignorance, you may not be able to once out on the big lake you must be careful to stay
sail back to the ramp! near the shore. But if you do that you can get in a
My favorite story about this lake happened lot of sailing. You can reach up and down that
116 EO ITFl ILriSC FOR BEGI11ERI (AM® BEYOM®)

shore at high speeds in smooth water, a wonderful .Again, ramps 2 and 4 and probably 7 and 8 are
situation. It wu decide to “do the lake." you might sheltered and sate, as are the northern ramps.
find really hard going on the east shore, i ou may One thing worth mentioning is what you might
find once there that vou can’t get back to the west do it you were to get into the rough srutt, finding
shore because ot the waves. That might be true ot yourself in a small sailboat without the ability to
any small boat, including a powerboat. sail back to the northern ramps and with no one
Ramps 7 and 8 might be usable it you stay in around to help. Your best option is to sail on a
those coves. close reach to the nearest sheltered cove. Usually
Let’s look at the lake in an east wind: the close reach allows good control, the ability to
rum into the wind to luff the sail to kill its power.
Again, ramps 2 and 4 are totally protected.

Finally, a Word About

Thunderstorms

.Almost no small boat can withstand a thunder¬

storm. I’ve told you what can happen in 15-knot
winds. The winds in the thunderstorms around
here often run at 50 knots.
Don’t get the idea that you can keep a thunder¬
storm in sight and sail sately around its edges. The
wind pattern is totally disrupted by the storm and
will be changing in direction and intensity by the
second. It will blow 50 mph from all directions at
Just the opposite here, with all the east-shore once! Even ballasted cabin boats have sunk in
ramps usable. But note that ramps 2 and 4 on the storms around here on my lake.
west side are still in shelter and would also be
usable prouded you stayed in those coves and
didn’t venture out on to the main lake.
Finally let’s look at the north wind:
 117

CAPSIZE RECOVERY

This is a capsize test done by Herb McLeod

(Edmonton, Canada) on his then-new AF3. It
demonstrates what you need to do when you cap¬
size a sailboat that is not self-righting, but rather
self-rescuing. That is, you can get it back upright
and going again if you are properly prepared and if
the boat, like AF3, has ample built-in flotation or
airboxes to keep it floating high on its side as you
recover.
A few things I’d like to point out: 1) Herb’s tests best at 10 degrees of heel. I have an inclinometer
were done in very benign conditions, and if you on the boat (overkill I know) so I know that the
capsize in really bad conditions recovery would be angle of heel is a real measurement not a guess.
a lot more difficult or impossible. 2) If you tinker When sailing I had one puff that almost caused a
with a design such that you remove flotation or knockdown because I had accidentally cleated the
airboxes or enlarge hatches or move them off cen¬ main sheet. What happened is the boat heeled over
terline, etc., the recovery system may not work and dramatically and the sail depowered enough that
the boat may swamp to the point where you cannot equilibrium was reached and I was able to uncleat
recover. 3) If you have a design with no flotation or the sheet in time to prevent a capsize. Unfortu¬
airboxes at all, such as almost any traditional open nately I did not look at the inclinometer, as I was
boat, recovery is about impossible because the boat busy at the time.”
will swamp completely and be unstable even if it “How did you right the boat? Did you use the
doesn’t sink. leeboard?”
Herb McLeod had sent me some great pictures
of his AF3 and also some results of capsizing his
A
AF3, both intentional and unintentional. He
wrote:
“Hi Jim:
I now have 14 days of sailing in on the AF3.
Alas, no pictures yet of it sailing on the water for
the same reason as ever, no one else around to take
a picture. Most days I am the only boat on the lake.
Had one sail where we traveled 20 miles in one
day. We did a 6.5-mile section that day in 1 hour
10 minutes with the small sail (69 square feet) on a
beam to broad reach (lots of wind). Also managed
to turn the AF3 on its side that same day.
“The AF3 floated well and was easily uprighted, “Gord, the fellow I was sailing with, uprighted
boarded, and bailed out. Everything in the cuddy the boat while I swam off after our cooler that was
stayed dry and we managed to not lose any of our quickly blowing away. The water was shallow, so he
gear. was standing on the bottom. His comment after¬
“We were not sailing it at the time. We were ward was that he was amazed at how easily the boat
both standing on the cuddy deck fiddling with the came back up. The second set of plans for the AF3
sail in a good blow and it went over really fast. We that I purchased was for Gord, as after that experi¬
have regularly sailed the hull at up to 20 degrees of ence he was convinced that he wanted to build
heel and it does not feel unstable although I like it himself an AF3 this winter. We will see ...”
IIS BOATBVILDIIO FOR BEGISMERS (AND BEYOND)

“How did you reboard the boat.7” would tend to wallow with the water in the cockpit
“I climbed on from the stern. I have a small step it I was off to one side or the other. I found turning
on the stem that also doubles as a support for my the rudder 90 degrees and using it as a handhold
mast cradle. I put my hands on the stem deck and helped to reboard. For those with limited ami
placed my foot on the step and climbed on board. strength a step on the rudder or a rope step on the
With the step it was easy to reboard and I could walk stem near the midline would be a great help for
around in the cockpit with the water in it and bail it reboarding.”
out. Gord then reboarded over the side, which was
much more difficult and his choice not mine.

“What I will have to do the next time I am out

sailing will be to dump the boat in deep water while
watching the inclinometer and get you an answer.
The water should be warm this week as it is again
over 30°C today. Unreal for us as it is usually cool,
What I Think It All Means
no one has air-conditioning here.”
At summer’s end he wrote: The scenery of his sailing lake is certainly picture-

“I did get out sailing this Sunday. I rolled the AF3 book beautiful. He has warned me that the mos¬

solo both ways in deep water. The AF3 seemed quitoes don’t show in the photos.

stable to well over 30 degrees and I had the distinct The capsize with two men on the cuddy deck is

feeling that 1 could have pushed it back upright no surprise. The boat was not designed tor that. In

until the point was reached that the water started to fact the idea behind the slot-top cabin is to do all

come over the coaming of the cockpit. I had my sail handling from inside the slot. You can do that

large sail on the boat at the time of the test (103 if the snotter attachment is kept within reach of a

square feet, 24-foot mast). Winds were almost non¬ person with his feet on the boat’s bottom. I suspect

existent. When it was rolled with the leeboard down the high snotter attachment Herb is using is to gain

in the water righting the boat was an easy task as all more sail efficiency. That is true enough, but after

I had to do was put light pressure on the board. having snotter tackles fail in one way or another I

When the leeboard was up out of the water I walked learned to keep the them well within reach.

with my hands along the chine log (it makes a good Actually the AF3 capsize seems very similar to

grip) to the leeboard and then pulled on the board my experiences with capsizing my old Jinni. Both

to pop the boat upright. The comment from the boats capsize well before they take water over the

yacht club spectators on the dock was that it came side. Jinni had less flotation and I think took on

up too easily. They wanted to see me struggle for a more water. I was able to reboard Jinni over the

while. When righted the boat had 6" of water in the side. It had lower sides and there seemed to be a

cockpit against the center bulkhead. I pulled myself trick to rolling over the side just as the boat was

on board via the stern. I found it easiest to board rolling upright. Then I had to be very careful to not

directly in the middle of the stern because the boat recapsize the boat because of the sloshing cockpit
water. And like AF3, Jinni couldn’t quite roll up-
 119

right until I put some weight on the leeboard. The

Jinni had three skid/stiffeners on its bottom which
I used as a toehold to regain the capsized boat in EMERGENCY
the same way that Herb used the AF3 external
chines as a fingerhold. I may add some similar
FLOTATION
skids to the AF3 drawings.
Herb looks to have gone through all his tests
without disturbing any gear because he had it well Remember this photo?

stowed. Very important.

But a tightly secured cover of the cabin slot
would be a good idea in rough going. It should
help keep a big wave from sloshing into the cabin
and upsetting your day.
Here are a few reboarding gadgets:

Here Herb is climbing up the bottom of his

capsized AF3, putting his weight there which will
pull the boat back upright. What I want to point
out here is that the boat is floating high on its side
on purpose—it is designed to do that. The cabin is
watertight except for the top opening, which is on
centerline and well above the sideways waterline.
Similarly there is a buoyancy/storage box in the
stern to float that end high, and like the cabin, its
centerline hatch is above the sideways waterline. So
the cockpit floods a bit but the cabin and stem box
stay dry and float her high on her side as the boat
waits for you to put your weight on the leeboard
and pull everything upright again. There are other
ways to do emergency flotation.

The Sample Boat

The illustration in Figure 1, below, shows the

“boat” I will use in the examples. It’s not much of a
boat but has the overall size of a small sailer. Its main
attribute is that, being rectangular in every' way, it
makes figuring volumes in the coming examples
very simple.
The boat weighs 100 pounds and is intended to
float two people who together weigh 300 pounds.
120 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (All® BEYOND)

attitude will completely push the boat under. (But

if this were a heavily planked boat weighing 300
pounds with 10 cubic feet of wood, we’d have over
600 pounds of displaced water when completely
submerged. That would float the heavy boat plus a
big man on top of the swamped hull.)
Look at Figure 2B. Here the boat is being
righted without anyone depressing the hull with
their weight. Half of the structure stays submerged
in the process. She’ll roll up one-quarter full, about
12 cubic feet of water on board, about 750 pounds
worth! Sometimes if you try to retrieve a flooded
hull like this, it will collapse from the weight of the
So the total floating weight is 400 pounds. Since water.
fresh water is supposed to weigh 62 pounds per Many boats are righted after capsize by placing
cubic foot, the boat will displace about 6.5 cubic crew weight on the centerboard. That weight de¬
feet of fresh water. On this hull, that occurs when presses the hull such that much more water is
the hull sinks 2.2" into the water at level trim. (The taken on and the righted boat can be awash. The
density of seawater varies but is usually about 5 problem can be compounded by an open center-
percent greater than fresh, so the draft of the boat board or daggerboard case that doesn’t come up to
there would be about 5 percent less) the level of the rails. Tire open top may be sub¬
Capsize! merged in the swamped hull and water can stream
in freely as you try to bail.
As 1 recall, L. Francis Herreshoff once wrote
72>* goo/Avr
about reboarding a flooded pram that had no
flotation besides its own wooden structure: Swim
alongside and bail with your hat. Or shove the
swamped boat hard forward while swimming to
make trapped water surge over the stem. Then
reboard over the stern. I think he used the word
“heartbreaking” somewhere in the procedure.
It’s interesting to speculate about what happens
if you rotate the capsized hull to the inverted posi¬
Figure 2A shows the open hull knocked on its tion as in Figure 2C. It looks like an air pocket of
side and flooded. The crew has abandoned ship. one-quarter the hull’s volume will be trapped—that
An open wooden hull with no ballast or extensive is about 750 pounds of potential buoyancy-
use of metal parts should float about half in and enough to float everyone high and dry if the boat
out of the water when on its side. Here is why. The can be kept from rolling and letting the air out.
density of dry wood is usually about 30 pounds per
cubic foot, about half the density of water. So this
Stability
100-pound wooden boat has about 3.3 cubic feet
of wood in it. If completely submerged, that would
If you have the buoyancy needed to float every¬
displace 3.3 cubic feet of water or about 200
one in the recovered boat, you may not have suffi¬
pounds’ worth. Half submerged it would displace
cient stability to reboard. Here is what happens. As
100 pounds of water, that is, the weight of the
you grab the rail and try to pull yourself up into the
empty boat. And that is where it would want to
boat, you heel the hull to your side. That causes the
float on its own.
free water in the recovered boat to slosh to your
Anyone who weighs more than 100 pounds
side, and with it comes its considerable weight. The
trying to sit on top of the swamped hull in this
heel will continue to increase. The rail may go
 EMERGENCY FLOTATION 121

under and recapsize the boat. I think the best the hull is floating in just a few inches of water, a
solution is to reboard over the stern. You’ll likely big wave can come along and slop into your
need a solid ladder or toehold to do that. Some¬ hatches—and there goes your flotation. The big
times the rudder can be rigged to be a step. I’ve open space between the boxes makes a good cock¬
never had luck with a rope ladder because my feet pit and sleep spot.
would swing under the boat as I tried to reboard.

Bottom Boxes
End Box Flotation
What if we put the airbox in the bottom half of
Next try an improvement. Figure 3 shows the the boat instead of in the ends, as in Figure 4? If we
boat fitted with watertight airboxes in each end, make a double bottom 9" above the real bottom
each 3 feet long such that only half the boat is the capsized boat will float 21/2M deep on its side as
open. We’ll assume the weight stays at 100 pounds. before.
Now what happens in a knockdown?

Figure 4

But when the hull is righted, it works out that a

lot less water remains on board than in the previ¬
Floating on its side with no crew weighing her ous example. In fact, with this layout there is no
down she will sink only 2Vi" instead of the 18" of reason to not put drain holes through the side just
the open boat! above the double bottom and let the trapped water
When righted that 2Vi" will amount to about drain out on its own. The volume between the
100 pounds of water, about one-seventh of the bottom and double bottom would displace close to
water in the open boat. It’s about 12 gallons that 1,500 pounds, plenty for you and your crew. Your
will need to be bailed. You could easily reboard boat is one step away from being a Sunfish-type,
and sai with that much water on board if the that is, totally decked and water shedding.
stability of the sloshing water were not a problem. I see some problems with the bottom box setup.
But it probably would be. I think my first try would Rot might be a trouble in a wooden hull because
be to reboard over the stern, bail the water, and the narrow volume would be hard to ventilate.
bring on the passenger. Also, the low narrow volume may not be a friendly
The end boxes can have a huge volume and place to stow gear.
buoyancy. These will float about 700 pounds each. And it might be heavy. The deck must be stiff
You can climb on board the upset hull from either and strong enough to support the crew. The previ¬
end and it will stay pretty level. You can’t submerge ous example didn’t have that problem because
it with your weight. But if you try to do the same crew weight is also supported by the water directly
job with a single box, say in the bow alone, she may below the bottom and the end decks need not
try to float straight up and down like a buoy. She support any crew.
may be very difficult to recover indeed. I’ve seen several fiberglass boats that used solid
This system of end boxes is my current favorite. foam slabs to effect a solid double bottom. That
I use the end boxes as storage volumes with access had large openings in the transoms to drain any
provided by narrow covered hatches on centerline. water. I’ve seen some with no transoms at all! In
My customers like to make the hatches bigger and truth these boats are really foam boards with fiber¬
bigger, but you must remember that even though glass-streamlined bump shields. But watch out.

A
122 BO.iTMJILIlNC FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

Foam weighs more than people realize in the vol¬

umes needed. In the baby barge example we’d have Effects of Hull Shaping
24 cubic feet of it—maybe 60 pounds and a 60
percent increase in bare boat weight.
Unlike my sample barge, most real hulls have
pointy ends. In every scheme of flotation I’ve men¬
Side Boxes tioned, the pointed ends would take away some
airbox volume. So I’d expect the emergency flota¬
What if we put the emergency flotation volume tion to be decreased compared to the barge case. In
in the sides of the hull? addition, pointed ends can reduce the volume in
those extremes and make reboarding over the ends
riskier.
However, the effect of a sweeping sheer is usually
f-Vs*-
quite good for swamped stability. Airboxes in the
hull’s ends are well above the swamped center. Roll
will be resisted, and even if the rail goes under, she
should roll upright again. She may refuse to stay
inverted. But a hull with double bottom may be¬
have the opposite way. That may be more stable
belly-up than down.

On its side this empty hull will float in just over

an inch of water! If the crewr hops onto the side¬
ways boat she will sink down less than six inches
provided the side boxes are at least that deep. And
when righted there will not be a drop aboard. She’s
ready to go.
This setup is often seen on side-decked daysail-
ers that were common in years past. Those boats
usually didn’t really have boxes along the side
decks, but if water doesn’t slop over the edge of the
decks, the effect is the same. Sometimes these boats
can have air bags or slabs of foam secured under
those side decks just in case.
Deep side boxes cut into the living space of a
boat, and that can sometimes be a problem. In a
narrow boat it usually means the crew must sit on
top of the boxes instead of down inside the hull. It
works tine in some cases, allowing for comfortable
hiking.
Birdwatcher-type cabin sailers use this side box
system very effectively. Wide side decks are raised
above the heads of the low-seated crew, who now
view the world through watertight plastic windows.
The crew’s low-down weight and high wide side
decks make this type of boat about unswampable
even without ballast. There are no boxed cham¬
bers, and all the interior volume is usable.
 123

slick mahogany plywood, with a lead keel and

totally decked over to be self-righting. But I saw a
problem right away. Where the designer had
HATCHES placed a single vent on centerline on the aft bulk¬

AND VENTS head, the builder of this boat had substituted two
vents, one on each side of the bulkhead like this:

BULKHEAD VENTS SHOULD BE LOCATED ON

REMEMBER THIS: HATCHES AND VENTS
CENTERLINE!
NEED TO BE NARROW, UP HIGH, AND ON
THE HULL’S CENTERLINE.
VENTS ON SIDES WILL
VENT PROPERLY
FLOOD IN A KNOCKDOWN
LOCATED ON CENTERLINE
All of your boat’s hatches and vents, any open¬
ing to the inside of a sailing boat’s hull, need to be
narrow, high, and on centerline. Here is why:

BOTH BOATS HAVE BEEN KNOCKED DOWN AND ARE LYING

ON THEIR SIDES. BOATVS NARROW HATCH IS WELL CLEAR
OF THE WATER. B0AT2'S WIDENED HATCH HAS DIPPED INTO
THE WATER AND THE BOAT WILL FLOOD.

If this boat had been knocked down, the boat

hatch would have flooded through those side vents and
1/ this lead-ballasted boat probably would have sunk!
And a few years later he showed up again with
another pocket cruiser he had bought up north.
This boat had water ballast and had been sailed for
a few years. Again, right away I saw a problem.
BOAT 1 BOAT2 Where the designer had designed solid watertight
aft decks, the builder had made the aft deck side
seats removable. Lift them up and they were like
lockers, completely open to the interior. Again, if
Boat 1 has been knocked down 90 degrees and this boat had capsized and the locker lids were not
has its hatches on centerline. As long as it doesn’t watertight, this boat would have flooded fast be¬
roll, inverted water won’t enter the watertight vol¬ cause the openings were about 2 feet wide and 6
umes required to float the boat high on its side. If feet long! There have been fiberglass production
the boat has raised draining decks and enough boats built this way too. Like this:
ballast, it should self-right and shed all of the water
like a duck and continue sailing with nothing
added but a scared skipper. lift lid locker type
solid watertight
Boat 2 is the exact same boat but has its hatch seats will flood the hull
seats will not flood
in a knockdown!
widened a lot or placed off centerline. If the hatch
is not watertight, the boat will flood. Hatches held
down by bungee cords are good for keeping rain
out, but in a capsize, where strong forces of water
could lift the hatch off, the bungees won’t do much
to resist.
It’s as simple as that! I’ve seen it happen.
KEEP SEATS WATER TIGHT!
A few years back someone stopped by with a
unfinished pocket sailing cruiser project he had
found in New York. Very nice job, too, made from
124 BOATBVILIIITG FOR BECIMXER8 (AMD BEYOND)

So the basics are simple. Your boat will flood way to clamp the cover down hard.
through its openings. Keep them as small as possi¬ Removable commercial deck plates like the ones
ble and on centerline and you will stand half a that Beckson makes also are pretty good, I think,
chance of not swamping (or sinking) in a knock¬ and not too expensive. The larger ones will allow
down. you to reach a hand into the airbox to place small
items, but that is about it.
I’ve used very simple hatches on my boats, like
Now for Some
Piccup. A simple coaming is made around the
Hatch and Vent Details opening as shown in the figure. The ends are
interlocked so that hopefully there will be no leaks.
All of my sailing boats, except for the tiny dinks,
have airboxes that provide emergency buoyancy. I
don’t think any part of a boat should be sealed
solid. To do so prevents airing out the moisture
and water that might accumulate and cause rot.
The airboxes are almost always used as storage
boxes, too. It’s true that anything you put in there
will decrease the emergency buoyancy. But let’s say
you put 50 pounds of stuff, which is a lot of stuff,
in Piccup Pram’s aft or fore locker. Those lockers
have about 6 cubic feet of air inside, and each
would need about 360 pounds on top to submerge
the locker. So with the storage you still have 310
pounds of emergency buoyancy. It’s a good trade, I
think. The stuff in those boxes is out of the way, The hatch covers that I have used are even
never underfoot, and usually stays dry. Now for a simpler. They aren’t nearly as effective as the ideal
hatch for access to the storage area. cover/coaming system, but here in the Midwest we
I think really proper hatches have coamings and can get away with it in the same way we get away
covers like this: with using common plated hardware. For fair-
weather sailing these things work. For green water
they won’t. Anyway, my hatch covers have an inner
HATCH HOLD down clamp lip usually made of /V'-square wood that simply
locates the hatch in the coaming opening. I use no
rubber seal. (Though a bit of closed-cell foam
weatherstripping available at the hardware store for
a couple of bucks would serve the purpose.) Here
is what it looks like:

DECK
A PROPER HATCH COAMING

HOLD DOWN SHOCK

CORD
HATCH

The ideal has a double coaming, one inside the

cover and another outside the cover to deflect JJ V COAMING

water as a first defense. The outer coaming has DECK

T HATCH UP

drain holes here and there to drain water that gets

into the slot. The hatch cover has a lip extending
down into the slot between the two coamings, a The cover is held down with a shock cord
rubber seal over the inner coaming, and a positive stretched over it. The shock cord “hardware” is just
 HATCHES A N I) VENTS 125

small eyes screwed into the coaming. There are

usually three eyes, two on one side of the opening Construction is pretty simple. There are two
to which the shock cord is attached by passing it triangular sides made of 3A" lumber that form the
through the eye and tying a stop knot to retain it sides of the vent. The third side is just a plywood
there. The third eye is on the center of the opposite piece epoxied to those side pieces and held in place
side of the hatch. To secure the hatch cover you with two small screws. The external seams have
simply stretch the cord over the cover to the third epoxy fillets and the bottom seam sealed with glass
eye and snap it over the eye (not through it). From tape set in epoxy. A screen piece over the outside is
the top it looks like this: a nice touch, although I’ve gotten by with a
scrunched-up piece of mosquito net stuffed into
the vent from the inside. Indeed, if the breeze
through the vent is too much for you, stuff a (clean)
sock or two into the vent to “adjust” it.

Walkway Covers

The walkway slots that I use in a lot of my

designs present an interesting situation. Here is
such an opening on the mini-shanty Harmonica:

Vents in cabins are pretty7 important. I think the

one in the front bulkhead of my AF4 is about 4"
deep and 8" wide, and that is enough to keep me
alive inside with the other openings all covered
over. Vents need to be high and on centerline as
mentioned earlier. And they should have a rain
trap to keep rain and spray out of the boat. Here is
a simple rain trap that I copied from Bolger, but it
On AF4’s predecessor I made a set of plywood
has probably been in use a long, long time:
hatch covers that interlocked and could be held in
place with shock cords as described above. They
worked, but I gave up on them and went to a fabric
soft cover that snapped in place and used bows to
prevent water from pooling on the flat fabric. Karl
James made a set of plywood covers for his Jewel-
box. Later he went to a fabric cover also but kept
the hard covers just for trailering. Pete James tried
fancy segmented hard covers that slid to the side.
But he also replaced that with a soft cover. I think
the moral of the story is to try a soft cover first for
these slotted walkways. They can be rolled up com¬
pactly with their bows inside. If you bump them
from the inside, there is no harm done. No, you
can’t stand on them.
There seems to be general agreement that Sun-
brella is not the cloth to use on these flat covers. It
126 B04TBVI1DI1G FOR BEGIMMERS (AW® BEYOND)

has a weave that will allow a spray of water to come But wait a minute! It you make a fabric cover
through in a hard rain. Cheapo guys like me use a that snaps in place from the outside, how do you
cover made of polytarp with no problems. There secure it from the inside? What I have done is to
are woven cloths like Docksider and Aqualon that put the snaps in place so I can secure it all around
have a film applied that will not allow water from the outside. But each end also has a small
through. PVC pipe sewn in a hem with a shock cord loop
Marc Smith came to our messabout with a Bird¬ running through it. About 6" from the end of the
watcher with a fabric cover over the slot. He had walkway or door opening I put a small cleat or eye
some neat bows that he had made of small-diameter around which to snap the shock cord loop. To
PVC pipe like this: secure the cover from the inside, you snap-fasten
everything except the last 2 feet or so, a space large
enough to pass through. Then from the inside you
grab the shock cord loop and snap it over the cleat.
--J
>sv. this distance is about 1/8" more than width Like this:
of opening

It cost nothing and it worked very well.

 127

driving an Escort with roof bars). Also, the man

who designed the Yugo was probably much more a
boater than a driver, giving it fine bumpers and
gutters and not much else. A good roof rack system

CARTOPPING BOATS for gutterless cars will cost about $150, not a bad
investment if you plan on doing lots of boating.
A very short trunk or a station wagon will make
loading easier, too.

If you’ve got a light boat, cartopping can be a

great way to move it around. Your boat is up and The Boat
out of the way—almost a portable carport. Com¬
pared to trailering, cartopping allows more normal You should be able to load your boat easily by
maneuvering and parking and freedom from fees yourself. If you can’t you should get a trailer. As for
and maintenance. I wouldn’t consider going on a weight, a 100-pound hull is the heaviest I care to
car vacation without a good rowboat or canoe load. Lighter is better, but to tell you the truth, a
strapped to the car’s roof. 70-pounder is about as easy to load as a 50- pounder.
The only things carried in the car’s trunk are the So building an ultralight hull to the point of de¬
cushions, PFDs, and rowlocks. And if your hatches grading strength or increasing costs can be a mar¬
are well secured, you can stuff all that into the ginal decision.
upside-down boat. As far as length goes, it is nice if she doesn’t
The convenience of it all struck home one time overhang the car’s ends very much. The long ones
when we were leaving for a nonboating weekend. are actually easier to get up to the rooftop but must
“Where’s the boat?” my wife asked. It turns out it’s have their ends tied to the bumpers to be secure.
a lot easier to find the car in a shopping mall That takes a little time, but, worse yet, many cars
parking lot with a boat on top! don’t have suitable bumpers. I think the day has
arrived when we’ll drill holes in the fenders of our
cars to install eyebolts to secure our boats.
The Car
But I’ve found that hulls under about 12 feet
long will stay put without bumper lines, as will
I grew up in a time when everyone drove Detroit
some long slender canoes and kayaks. The short
iron. Even family sedans had chassis and drive
ones are much less affected by wind and turbulence.
trains roughly equal to today’s half-ton trucks. You
As for shape, a springy sheer line is not good for
could stand on the roof, hood, and trunk without
cartopping. Inverted on your roof, the boat’s ends
buckling anything. Rain gutters and bumpers were
will droop down in your view. It’s also harder to see
bull stout.
when you’re loading the hull on the rack. Lift the
Those days are gone forever, and it is probably
stern to see what you are doing and the bow dents
just as well. Those cars got 10 miles to the gallon of
your roof. It’s happened to me.
gas, wore out a set of tires in 10,000 miles and went
If you’ve got a springy sheer and a double-ended
to the junkyard before 100,000 miles. New cars
hull, as in most canoes, you’ve got troubles. She
weigh half as much, get 40 miles to the gallon, and
will have no natural stability inverted. That’s great
50,000 miles to a set of tires. But, hey, Mr. Design¬
on the water, but having her self-right when you’ve
er, what happened to our rain gutters and bumpers?
got her halfway to the cartop is a guaranteed dent.
I’m not certain if any new cars have gutters and
My first homemade boat, a Teal skiff, had this
bumpers designed for moving boats. Even some
problem. Eventually I bored holes in the stern just
new pickups lack them. But there are still some
under the wales and, after inverting the hull on the
suitable used cars. If you insist on gold plate, I’ve
ground in preparation for the lift to the roof,
noted that some BMWs and Volvos have excellent
passed a section of broomstick through the holes.
gutters, and Bolger once suggested that a low flat
That kept her from getting self-righteous while
car like a Ferrari is ideal (although I noticed he was
loading. I called it my “tlippin’ stick,” although
128 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (ANT® BEYOND)

“anti-flippin’ stick” would have been better. around the interior section of the crossbar. The
Later I built a Bolger dory whose tiny transom free end goes over the boat, under the crossbar,
was only about 10" wide on top. That’s all it took and belays on a sturdy 6" cleat, which is well fas¬
to stabilize her when inverted and I didn’t need my tened to the bar. You can secure the rope very
tlippin’ stick. I’ve learned my lesson and haven’t tightly and quickly. My system has no redundancy.
designed any double-enders for cartopping. If any line or cleat comes loose, the boat comes
As for aerodynamics, I’ve cartopped big dories loose. So everything needs to be solid and secure.
to little prams and I think they’ve all degraded the The benefit is that there is a minimum of things to
car’s performance about the same. Gas mileage on attend to.
my Escort dropped from the high 30s to the low Nylon straps are easy to find these days. They’re
30s, no matter what was up there. So I’m doubtful strong, adjustable, crankable, etc. They’re great for
about some promised hull or setup having shock¬ holding down a boat.
ingly improved aerodynamics for your cartop. But
it could happen. The Loading
As for boat details, it’s best if there are no lumpy
or bumpy things on the wales to interfere with
With the major elements in place, it’s time to
sliding the inverted hull onto the racks. Also, on an
load up. Practice helps a lot. First place the inverted
open rowboat or canoe, 6" cleats mounted inside
boat next to the car. (If it worries you that all this
on the stem and stern will make tying to the bum¬
flipping and dragging will scratch your boat, most
pers very quick, tight, strong, and easy.
likely you are correct and will be better off with a
well-padded trailer.) First lift the bow and swing it
The Racks up to the aft crossbar and rest it there. Now lift the
stern and push it forward. After a few times you’ll
The roof-to-rack brackets I prefer were pur¬ get a good feel for where each position is in relation
chased years ago at a canoe shop; it says on them to your car.
“Quick n Easy Industries, Monrovia, CA.” They Experience will show how far forward the boat
are bulletproof and attach with clever and fool¬ should be, and you might experiment. I prefer the
proof over-center lever latches with no tools. Both boat shifted slightly aft of center. Also I find shift¬
racks go on in about a minute. ing the boat to the right side of the rack reduces
I think the Quick n Easy brackets are too beefy buffeting from passing trucks. Don’t go to an ex¬
to fit in the gutter slots of many cars. If you need treme, though, because it’s best if the ties pull
to, visit a yuppie bike shop for roof racks for gutter¬ mostly straight down.
less cars. They’ve got new-tech gear, but keep in If your boat is too short (or your car too long) to
mind they’re putting a 20-pound carbon-fiber bike bridge the span from ground to rack, then try an
on a Porsche. alternate method. I use this for short dinghies.
Perhaps we’ll see the return of suction cup racks. Position the boat to the side of the car and swing
Perhaps we’ll be drilling holes in our roof and the bow up onto the side edge of the front crossbar.
installing permanent pads with sealant and strong Then swing the stern around onto the rear cross¬
blind rivets. Why not? Try it on your clunker first bar. Be very careful she doesn’t fall off the front
and tell me how it works. crossbar as you swing the stern around.
My crossbars are made from 2x4s although fancy The hard work is done. You shouldn’t have
pipe bars are available. Make your bars a foot wider lifted more than 50 pounds at one time.
than the boat so you can strap oars and sail rigs up Securing the boat starts with tying on a W line
there too. Add blocks to the top ends of your to keep her from shifting fore and aft on the rack.
crossbars so your hull won’t accidentally slip over I cartopped for years without this line, relying on
the ends while loading. friction alone to the job. But when friction gives
My tie-downs are Vi" lines. You want big stuff out, things get exciting. Once, while exiting the
here that won’t stretch and make them plenty long, interstate in Birmingham, Alabama, at night, my
too. One end is secured with a loose bowline dory slid forward on the rack a foot or more and
 CARTOIIISG BOATS 129

every line up there went slack. Luckily I was coming Driving straight into high winds is primarily an
to a stop anyway and retied the boat. But when that inconvenience, but high crosswinds can be danger¬
happens while you are being passed by a convoy of ous. I almost lost that dory, and maybe the car, over
semis in a crosswind, you’ll get some new gray the side of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in a crosswind.
hairs. The fore-and-aft line cures that problem High crosswinds can always make for spooky han¬
completely. I usually tie it through an oar socket dling, especially when the boat on the roof is al¬
but it could also be permanently attached about most as big as the car.
anywhere in the center of the boat. Pull tight on The second warning involves turbulence near
one end and belay on the cleat on the front cross¬ large trucks. Car transporters seem the worst.
bar. Pull the other end tight to the aft bar and cleat Never stay in the turbulence near a truck on the
there. Now your boat is secure fore and aft. highway. Your boat will start dancing around on
Pass the large Vi" lines over the hull, pull tight, the rack and add jerking loads to your rack. Either
and belay to the cleats right over the fore-and-aft pass that truck or drop back clear of his wake.
line. Now she can’t go up, down, forward, aft, or If a truck approaches you at speed in the oppo¬
sideways either. For a boat about 12 feet long or site lane of a two-lane road, get as far to the right as
less, this is all you need. Skinny low canoes a bit possible. His bow wave will pass quickly but can
longer than that will be okay too. give you a good jolt. The wave seems to attenuate
The whole process from flipping the boat to rapidly with distance, and a few extra feet of spac¬
drive-away takes less than five minutes. ing on him will make a difference. That’s why I
If you have a longer boat you should really suggest loading a hull on the right-hand side of the
secure the ends, at least the bow, to the bumpers to rack.
keep it pulled down and centered. The best way is The combination of the truck wake in a cross-
to have 6" cleats screwed to the bow and stern with wind is the worst case.
long lines tied permanently to them. Pass each line
around a bumper support on one side and pull
tight, then around the other support, back to the
cleat on the boat, pull tight and belay. The line
forms a triangle from bow to bumper corners and
back to the bow. She can’t go up or sideways.
Oars and sailing spars can go up there too,
secured instantly with bungee cords.
Here’s a major suggestion: Once you’ve mas¬
tered the solo loading process, don’t accept help no
matter how well intentioned. You may get some
new roof dents or, worse yet, be distracted from
some important tie-downs. Your “help” needs to be
well educated in your system first.

The Drive

The beauty of cartopping is that now you can

drive around as you normally would. Well, almost.
1 should warn you about two things:
First is high winds. Once I drove the beautiful
hills of western Kentucky on a sparkling autumn
day with my sixteen-foot dory atop a 1.6-liter car,
pushing straight into a 30 mph wind. Full throttle
gave me about 55 mph on the flat, of which there
ain’t none in western Kentucky.
130 BOATBUILDING FOB. BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

I’ve found it very convenient to finish a boat to

the point of painting the bottom and turning it
upright for the last time and then mounting it
straight on the trailer to complete the interior and

BOAT TRAILERS top. It’s sort of a work site on wheels. Wheel it

around the shop as required.

Custom Bunks
When to Trailer
Most likely the trailer you get will be set up to
A boat weighing over 100 pounds will be diffi¬
carry a flat-bottomed or V-bottomed fishing hull
cult to cartop solo. Get a boat trailer. Also consider
with a long straight run. The bunks usually are
getting one if your boat has lots of pieces to be
padded 2x4s running fore and aft.
assembled with each use, if you load a lot of
fishing gear every time you go boating, or if your
car isn’t suited to roof carriage. If your constant
boating buddy happens to be strong and the two
of you can lift your 160-pound boat easily, then
cartopping is still an option, sort of. But trailering
will begin to make sense if you ever find yourself
without lifting help.

Tow Vehicle

I’ve found it prudent to tow about half the

manufacturer’s rated tow weight. I don’t think the
guys who rate tow weight are concerned with your
vehicle’s longevity or its ability to pull the weight boBom cJeUmS
up a steep slippery ramp. I’ve seen several times
where a vehicle could pull a boat on the highway,
but couldn’t pull the rig up a ramp. You may have to scrap that bunk system and
build a custom set for your boat. Most home-built
sailboats and rowboats have enough rocker in their
Trailer Types
bottoms to contact those longitudinal bunks only
in one spot. The entire weight bears on that one
In general, traditional boat trailers made of gal¬
spot and the hull will deform there. We’ll return to
vanized channel are best. Frames of tubing are
this subject after we’ve found the best place for
stiffer in torsion but can rust out from the inside
your boat on the trailer.
without warning. The simplicity of traditional leaf
spring suspension is nice. Use “Bearing Buddy”
type hubs. I’ve heard it’s preferred to pump grease Tongue Weight
into the hubs at the ramp just before launching the
boat so there will be no air pockets in the bearings First you need to locate your boat fore and aft on
when they go into the water. the trailer such that the tongue weight (the weight
A low trailer is best. that rests on the hitch ball) is 10 percent to 15
Used trailers are often pretty inexpensive but percent of the total. I doubt if there are a dozen
can be hard to find. Look around for one as soon people in the world who know the weight of their
as you think you’ll need one—say, as soon as you boat/trailer combination. A 15-footer like my ply¬
start building a boat. wood AF3 probably weighs 500 pounds with a
 BOAT TRAILERS 131

typical trailer. So 50 pounds would be a good points such as bulkheads to avoid deforming the
tongue weight. (It is also all most of us care to lift hull. A V-bottomed hull with a lot of rocker should
and push around. If your trailer tongue is too heavy be supported the same way.
to lift with reasonable effort, you will need a
wheeled trailer jack on the tongue.) Slide the hull
fore and aft on the trailer until you’ve got it. Be
ready for a surprise. Most likely a sailing or rowing
hull will be well aft of the typical power fishing boat
location the trailer manufacturer expected. I found
a trailer meant for a 12-foot powered skiff is just
right for a 16-foot plywood trailer sailer.
Some trailers will allow you to adjust the tongue
weight by shifting the axle fore and aft. They have
their suspension simply clamped in position. Un¬
clamp the whole works and shift it to relocate the
wheels and change the tongue weight.

Now for Those Bunks

Then a third possibility is pictured below: a
With the boat located fore and aft, we’ll size up
plywood sheet as wide as the bottom forms a
some custom bunks. I can think of three ways to
“sling” and distributes the load over a wide area
support the typical rockered hull, and none in¬
instead of just at a couple of points. This is proba¬
clude the 2x4 longitudinal bunks that come with
bly the most gentle system and has other advan¬
most trailers. See the illustration below. Here a
tages such as being able to do general hauling. This
flattie is mounted on two crosswise bunks, one
type of bunk doesn’t need padding, but the other
forward and one aft, such that the weight bears
two types might.
only on the chines. The chine corners are very stiff
and strong and nothing will happen to her.

w/cict<l+-
bears nert

Winch Post
Then the next illustration shows a multichine
boat supported similarly. With no hard chine to Keeping in mind the tongue weight conditions,
carry the load, she must be carefully cradled. The the winch post must be shifted to meet the boat
cradles should be located directly under hard and not vice versa.
132 BOATBVILJIIC FOR BEGIMMERS (AH® BEYOND)

This part provides a strong point for a winch To launch a boat from a trailer with goalposts,
and tor a rubber block that acts as a forw ard stop for you back down the ramp until the boat is almost
the hull. With the hull sitting on its bunks, the bow totally afloat—perhaps only the bow is resting
line to the winch should be almost all forward force lightly on its bunk. You disconnect the bow line,
with little down force. I’ve seen boat bottoms de¬ push the boat aft, totally afloat now, beyond the
formed by being winched down tighdy at the bow. goal posts, and pull the boat back to the ramp on
For lighter boats—say 500 pounds or less—you the dowmw'ind side of the trailer.
might try7 going winchless. Fasten a very sturdy People wrho go fishing every7 day get very good at
belaying cleat or bar to the winch post. Push the this. They untie the boat before backing and retie
bow hard to the rubber stop block and belay the the bow line to the trailer with lots of slack. They
boat’s bow line to the post. back down the ramp until the boat is nearly afloat,
jab the brakes, and drive forward a bit. The boat
jerks off the trailer w7hen the brakes are applied, the
Goalposts
bow line catches it after it has drifted past the end
of the trailer. Then the boat is pulled forward by
Trailers should have at least a pair of goalposts
the vehicle until its bow rests gently on the ramp.
to keep a boat well aligned with the trailer as the
The driver now only disconnects the bow line
boat is floated in a crosswind. Without the posts,
which is totally high and dry7 at this point. Essen¬
launching and retrieving solo in a crosswind is
tially he’s launched his boat without getting out of
about impossible without getting wet and strained.
his car. Takes practice! (I saw this done once with a
You may not need posts if you have a V-bottom
jonboat, and the bow7 line broke as the boat drifted
sitting in high cradles that act as goalposts:
off the trailer. Not only that, but the boater had
forgotten to install the drain plug, so the boat w7as
drifting free and sinking at the same time.)
To retrieve you put the trailer on the lee side of
the boat and, holding the bow line, push the boat
beyond the goalposts and let the wind (or momen¬
tum) drift it between the posts. Then pull it onto
the trailer with the bow7 line, secure it, and drive
off. Powerboaters often just drive their boats onto
the partially submerged trailer.

Side Bunks

With a goalpost on each side of your trailer your

boat can still try7 to escape at an angle between the
posts. The solution is another set of posts forward
with padded boards connecting to the aft posts. You
I've seen fishermen use very tall posts with trailer create a slot in w hich to berth your boat. It’s proba¬
lights mounted on the tops. Not only does that bly the most secure bunk system.
preclude having to disconnect the lights w'hile I recommend you make the side bunks fit into
launching, but the trailer is better illuminated in sockets for quick removal. I did that with my twenty-
the driver’s rearview mirror at night. (That’s a four-foot Birdwatcher and have no trouble launch¬
problem with normal trailer lights. Sometimes you ing and retrieving solo. Here’s how:
can’t see your own boat and trailer tagging along Arriving at the ramp I take close note of the
behind you.) At any rate the posts need to be tall wind direction and remove the bunk that will be
enough so they stick up about a foot out of the upwind during the launch. I back down the ramp
water w'hen the trailer is immersed. Then you until she’s just afloat, tied loosely at the bow, and
know exactly w7here your trailer is. the wind pushes her against the downwind bunk.
 BOAT TRAILERS 13)

oar sockets so it won’t slip on the hull.

Side bunKi
Between the two lines and the goalposts, there is
redundancy. Only two of the three are needed to
secure the boat. And yet untying the boat is a 30-
second operation with no loose lines to keep track
of. The bow line stays with the boat and the aft line
stays with the trailer.

Lights
\ v,
Cross oinks —'
_f Trailer lights should be unplugged before dunk¬
ing in the water.
For a long sailboat that protrudes way beyond
the end of the trailer, make a board that holds the
Now I need only untie the bow and pull the boat
lights to the stern of the hull, up high so you can
off to the upwind side of the trailer and beach it
see them yourself in the mirrors at night. It should
next to the rig. I don’t have to push the boat aft
be clamped or tied to the hull but quickly remov¬
through the goalposts and float it to the downwind
able. I mount the license plate up there too, but
side of the rig, which can get pretty frightening with
I’m not sure if that is legal. As for wiring, simply
a big boat in a big wind. The downwind bunk is
have a long loose lead that you unreel from the
always there to catch and hold the boat. Retrieval
board down the boat’s center to mate with your
is the reverse of the loading.
tow car’s plug. This sort of rig is far better than
normal trailer lights, which are mounted low and
Tie-Downs often short of the hull’s stern.
If your lights stop working and you’ve checked
Heavy boats will need winches to be pulled all the plugs and switches, just remember the ad¬
securely to the winch post. (You’ll be surprised how vice Dirk Fraser shared with me at a messabout:
greasing the trailer bunks makes this easier.) Then “It’s the ground, stupid.” Yes, it was.
the boat is secure fore and aft. With the elaborate As you motor along with your trailer tagging
bunks that fishermen use, the hull is secure side¬ behind, always assume the trailer lights aren’t
ways, too. And that’s all that’s really needed. Some¬ working.
times the stern is also strapped to the end of the
trailer.
Finally
With a sailing hull that weighs less than 500
pounds, I forgo the winch. I leave the hull tethered
Keep in mind that your trailering should be a
loosely to the winch post while she’s still on the
quick, safe, and easy operation. After each use give
ramp. The goalposts secure her sideways. Once I
some contemplation to any irritations and dream
pull her up the ramp and onto the parking lot, the
up some solutions.
hull settles onto the bunks and I shove it forward
hard against the winch post stop. Then I retie the
bow line by belaying it to a heavy cleat on the
winch post.
Next I have a VY'-diameter line tied to the trailer
frame, near the aft bunk, which I pass tightly over
the hull and down to a stout cleat on the other side
of the trailer frame, to which I belay the line. I
prefer the pull of that aft line to be not only down
but slightly forward to provide a backup for the line
to the winch post. I usually run the aft line through
APPENDICES
 137

POWERBOAT MATH

If you were building an outboard powerboat,

you might ask yourself, “How much power can I
safely place on my boat?” It’s a good question.
This is the chart for smaller boats with the factor
The Coast Guard wrote up a pamphlet that
of 52 and below'. To put this in perspective, my
addresses that question plus other important ones
power QT Skiff design with length of 13' and width
about safety in home built powerboats.
of 3.5' would have a factor of 46 and be limited to
The placard you see on commercial powerboats
7.5 hp on this chart.
agrees with the limits given in the pamphlet. The
The Coast Guard comes down pretty hard on
pamphlet gives the reasoning behind some of the
flat-bottomed hard-chined boats, as you see. To
limits, always a troublesome thing to do because
quote the pamphlet, “Why? Because with a hard
sometimes the logic leaves you wondering. I think
chine and a flat bottom you must turn more slowly
the limits given in the pamphlet are based on
to maintain stability.” Okay, I’ll buy that while at
experience and are pretty reasonable.
the same time pointing out that the same flat-
bottomed hard-chined boats with inboard power
Horsepower Limits would have no limit to power according to the
on Outboard Boats same pamphlet.
Next I’ll try to conjure up the chart for boats

This you can figure for your boat. The factors with factors above 52.

involved are length, transom width, transom

height, steering method (remote or tiller), and
chine type. Weight doesn’t figure into it although
it is a primary speed factor in a powerboat.
You first measure the overall length of your boat
in feet. For example if your boat is 17' 7" long you
would convert it to decimal feet to call it 17.58' long
Then you measure the transom maximum width
in feet. Let’s say you measure 5' 2" which you would
convert to 5.17'.
Next you multiply the length times the transom
width to get the “factor.” In this case it would be
20" trans + remote no remote or >20" “• * flat herd chine
17.58 x 5.17 = 90.88. Then you round off that to
the nearest whole number; in this case the factor
is 91.
Here we have three selections. The solid line is
The pamphlet next has several categories of
“For outboards with remote steering and a transom
hulls and ways to figure safe power for each. I’m
height of at least 20 inches.” I’ve limited the factor
going to try to present the info as two charts, one
to 200, which would be a pretty large boat—25'x 8'
for smaller boats and one for larger.
for example. But in the pamphlet there is no limit
 138 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

to the factor, so to power an even larger boat you water and can be thought ot as a limit that a
could extend the straight line as far as needed with displacement boat can’t overcome. The hull speed
the same slope. is usually figured to be (in knots) 1.34 times the
The dashed line is "For outboards that do not square root of the waterline length (in feet) of the
have remote steering or transom height is less than boat. So a l.OOO'-long ship would be limited to a
20 inches.” top speed ot about 42 knots, a kV boat to 13.4
The dotted line is “For flat-bottomed, hard- knots, a 25' boat to 6.7 knots, a lo' boat to 5.4
chined outboards that do not have remote steering knots, and a 9’ boat to 4 knots.
or transom height is less than 20 inches.” That is not to say that length is the only factor.
Okay, the obvious question is what about flat- Shape counts for a lot. Some 10’ boats are a lot
bottomed boats with remote steering and 20" tran¬ taster than others. For example, the 14’ Robote
soms? I’m pretty sure the writers didn’t mean to shown in this book will probably row at twice the
place them in the high-powered category. For ex¬ speed of Jonsboat, faster yet in rough w ater. But
ample, my stock AF4 has a 15" transom with 18’ ev en with Robote the hull speed would be limited
length and 4.5' transom width for a factor ot 81. By to about 5 knots. If you tried to row faster than that
the third line it would have a max safe hp of 25, you would find a wave starting to follow you that
and ha\ing used AF4 I would agree with that. your ami power is creating. And the more power
But if I raise the transom to 20" with a long shaft you put into the oars, the larger that wave becomes
motor and add remote steering, do I now jump to while the speed stays at about 5 knots.
the solid line and go to 72 hp? If the problem with What would happen it you put, say 5 hp—
the flattie is handling in turns I don’t see how the perhaps 50 times your human ami power, on the
deeper transom or the remote steering makes it stem ot Robote? It would try to go faster than 5
safer for triple the power. (No doubt it would be knots, but the stem would be greatly depressed and
safer, though.) But a literal reading of the pamphlet the bow would point toward the skv! It would not
makes it appear that w’ay. be safe.
My Jonsboat design with 16' length and 4’ width That is what powerboating was like in the early
has a factor of 64 and xvould be limited to 17 hp. 1900s. Racing powerboats were nasty-handling
And if the purpose of the long-shaft motor with beasts with huge engines. A lot ot experimentation
its deeper transom is to keep water out of the stem, took place, and it was found that a boat with a big
what about a short-shaft motor sitting in a writer wide flat transom with a straight bottom in the
tight draining well, as with AF4? stem would allow the boat to stay in control. A lot
Well, the pamphlet can’t address every case. So more power could be delivered sately, and boats
as always, use some judgment. got faster and taster. They started to “plane” under
control. The new boats actually climbed out ot the

How Fast Will It Go7. hole that a displacement boat sits in and got dy¬
namic lift ox er the water like a airplane. The waves
made by a planing boat got smaller and smaller as
The Coast Guard’s advice on safe power for
the boat went taster and taster.
your boat doesn’t tell you how fast it might go.
And planing hulls can handle well at low speeds
Here are some basics I’ve seen firsthand that you
xx hile displacement hulls get out ot control at high
might remember.
speeds. Thev are slightly less efficient at loxx speeds
A “displacement” boat is designed to push its
as far as speed/horse is concerned by maybe 20
way through the water. Little canoes and huge oil
percent (just a guess).
tankers are in this category. They go slowly and can
So why are displacement boats still made? Be¬
move big weights with little power. Essentially they
cause light weight is critical tor planing boats, like
can’t exceed “hull speed” under almost any circum¬
airplanes, and carrying large loads xvill require huge
stance.
poxver and fuel consumption. That is not as true
Hull speed is something defined by scientific
for displacement boats. A displacement boat can
19th-century studies of ships. It is related to the
do xvell xx ith a horsepoxver tor each 500 pounds.
waxes a boat produces as it pushes through the
 POWERBOAT MATH 139

HIGH SPEED BOATS

and a planing boat needs a horse for each 50
pounds. Quite a difference—a factor of 10!
*4

Displacement Boat Calculations

Here is a chart that shows the usual relation

between speed and the factor “pounds per horse
power” for speeds below “hull speed.” These
speeds assume a hull well shaped for low speed
efficiency. If you have a clunker or a hull shaped to
plane, you won’t go this fast.

LOW SPEED POWER

;,r
i 2,0

Sfl&O W K-sJoTS

200 P'SA.-

the bottom. So boat length is no longer a factor as far

/
as speed is concerned. The only things that matter,
•Voo assuming a hull shaped for high-speed efficiency and
control, are weight and power. So a short boat could
^ S'aa--
be lighter than a longer boat and therefore faster. But
%-t 606-
the long boat should be easier to control, especially in
700” 5= C XT5) ! rough water. I’m told that really short boats, like
8-long hydroplanes, can need very extreme starting
Soo ■ / JuwsA wajJt(fP)
techniques since their transition from a very slow
/ displacement hull speed (resulting from the very
?<*>■■
short length) to planing is a big jump.
/.o IS 2-0

S/u ftArio
Electric Power
You can see the main factors here are length,
weight, and power. Want to go faster? Then you Electric trolling motors are pretty inexpensive,
need longer, lighter, and more power (more sail, less than $100 new in a small size. But even the
bigger muscles). small one will push a canoe or rowboat or a small
The upper regions of the chart are usually called sailboat at hull speed. Piragua in this book is a good
“semidisplacement,” where the boat will be starting candidate for an electric motor.
to plane. Semidisplacement is considered to be a There is one area where electric boat propulsion
nasty region in which to operate. It means big waves. is way ahead of all other methods—it is totally quiet.
Some large power cabin cruisers operate here. Better There is nothing like it.
to power up over that region to a real plane. But you need to take care in the details of your
battery bank to have a happy electric boating experi¬
ence.
Planing Boat Calculations

Here is a chart for a planing boat of speed vs. The Real Basic Basics
pounds per horsepower.
As the boat goes above planing speed, less and Here is a sketch of a lead-acid battery. Lead-acid
less hull is in the water. A fast-planing boat has only batteries are often still the best for this type of
a small portion of its stern bottom skimming across work. They are actually light and compact com-
 140 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

pared to most other batteries, and they are fairly a rate proportional to the resistance of the gadget.
cheap and available. Properly cared for they can be An open circuit, which has almost infinite resis¬
recharged hundreds of times. tance, results in no flow, and the battery stays
charged. A short circuit, which has almost no resis¬
tance, results is a drastically rapid flow that can
melt things. As the electrons flow from anode to
cathode, the chemicals in the battery return to
their uncharged state. If you double the voltage by
using two cells, you would double the flow ot
electrons, assuming that the gadget’s resistance is
unchanged.

Amps
What we have is two lead plates dipped in sulfuric
Amperage is a measure ot how many electrons
acid. If the plates are connected to a charger or
are flowing through the wire. The flow is often
another batters’ such that one plate gets a positive
called “current," and I recall being told in the mis¬
charge (the anode) and the other plate gets the nega¬
sile factory by an electrical engineer that it can be
tive charge (the cathode), the lead plates undergo
also called “juice” although he added that “juice”
chemical changes such that when the charger is re-
was a technical term that he didn’t have time to
moved, an electric potential exists between the plates.
explain.
My ancient handbook says the basic chemistry is
like this: Pb:0: + Pb +2H:SC>4 = 2PbSC>4 + 2H:0.
The reaction goes back and forth with charging/ Amp-Hours
discharging. The old handbook also adds,
“Between the extremes of complete charge and If your battery has capacity such that it can
discharge, complex combinations of lead and sul¬ deliver, say, 5 amps for 20 hours, it w'ould be called
phate are formed. After complete discharge a hard a “100 amp-hour” battery.
insoluble sulphate forms slowly on the plates, and
this is reducible only by slow charging. This sul- Power
phation is objectionable and should be avoided.”
So a prompt recharge is in order. Volts times amps is called watts and is a measure
A lead-acid cell has a natural full-charge voltage of of pow'er, just like horsepower. In fact 1 horsepower
about 2.1 volts measured across the anode and is about 750 watts, easy to remember. So if you
cathode. If you gang three of the cells in series you could put an ammeter and a voltmeter in the circuit
will get what is called a 6-volt battery. Gang six of the to measure the current and voltage of the juice
cells together and you have a 12-volt battery. Gang flowing through the gadget powered by the battery,
two 12volt batteries in series and you get the equal you could know the power it is taking in.
ot a 24 volt battery (which is actually more like 25 If you make the comparison to a gas engine, you
volts). .And so forth. But remember that the number might say the electric motor has a certain power,
of electrons stored in the thing is actually deter¬ and that the battery is like the gas tank. So the
mined by the raw size of the cell and area of the question is how' much power is stored in the bat¬
plates, not the number of cells that determines the
tery. It’s is done by multiplying the amp-hours
voltage. So a really big hea\y 6-volt battery (like a golf
times the voltage. For example, a 100 amp-hour
cart batten) can carry around a lot more stored
battery (that delivers 5 amps for 20 hours) that is a
energy than a little 12volt motorcycle battery.
12volt battery, is said to store 100 amp-hours x 12
Now if you connect the anode and cathode of a
volts = 1,200 watt-hours.
charged battery with an electric gadget, like a troll¬
That is actually a pretty common size for a troll¬
ing motor, the electrons flow through the gadget at
ing motor battery that you can buy at Wal-mart for
 POWERBOAT MATH 141

maybe $70. It will be about 14" long, 7" wide, and Remember that the horsepower shown here is
9" high and will weigh about 60 pounds. That’s the “electric” horsepower based on 750 watts per
about twice the weight of a typical car battery, even hp. So the first 12-volt motor drawing 36 amps is
though both are 12 volts. It has more lead and acid using 12 x 36 = 432 watts, which is 432/ 750 = .55
and thus more electrons. hp.
Let’s look at the first motor for a while, .55 hp,
Battery Realities 36 amps, and 12 volts. At first glance you might use
that motor with the above 100 amp-hour, 12-volt
trolling motor motor battery and think the motor
There is a big difference between a battery and a
will run 2.7 hours (100 / 36) at full power on a full
gas tank. A gas tank will deliver all its fuel until
charge. Nope! Look at the chart and figure that the
empty, at any rate of delivery provided the pipes are
motor will run for about 1.4 hours before the
large enough. The battery won’t. If you discharge a
battery gives out due to the high rate of discharge.
battery rapidly, as you would by running a large
But even then you would be wrong, according to
electric motor, a lot of its energy gets lost in the
Little. Totally discharging a battery is really tough
transfer as the energy also goes to heating up the
on the battery and bound to ruin it in short order.
circuits, the motor, and the battery itself. In fact, in
Little would limit the battery’s discharge to 70
the U.S. batteries are rated at how many amp hours
amp-hours to give it a good service life. Then you
they can deliver over a 20-hour period. For exam¬
might limit the full- throttle operation to .7 x 1.4 =
ple a 100 amp-hour battery can deliver only 5 amps
1 hour, 37 percent of the first glance.
for 20 hours. But that 100 amp-hour battery will
To recap, Little’s recommendations are that you
deliver about 17 amps an hour over a 4-hour peri¬
shouldn’t discharge the battery more than 20 per¬
od, a total of about 70 amps. And only about 43
cent of its capacity per hour, and never discharge
amp-hours over a single hour. (British batteries are
the battery more than 70 percent of its total.
rated over a 10-hour period, so their 100 amp-hour
I think the upshot of all of this is that you need
battery gives 10 amps over 10 hours, maybe 10%
a good trolling motor battery to get good use of
more than the U.S. battery). A graph of the U.S.
even a small electric boat. If you try to operate with
100 amp-hour battery goes like this:
a car battery, the endurance becomes pretty dismal.
I’ve tried that with my smaller boats like Mayfly 14.
TYPICAL DISCHARGE CURVE FOR 100 Ah BAT.
A full battery charge gets you about a mile from the
ramp, say 20 minutes of operation, and then it will
slow dramatically. You will be lucky to get back to
the ramp under electric power. I always ended up
rowing back.
Little would have you run a small motor at half
throttle, or about lA hp, about the power of two or
three men pulling oars. That would mean about
750 / 4 = 190 watts per hour or about 16 amp-
hours at 12 volts (190 / 12 = 16). So we are below
the 20 percent limit of a 100 amp/hour trolling
I can tell you the authoritative book on this
battery. In theory that trolling battery should oper¬
subject is Electric Boats by Douglas Little. Little
ate for four hours at that rate, perhaps 10 to 15
measured the electric consumption of different
miles of range in good weather for a typical canoe
typical 12V trolling motors (submerged motors).
or rowboat hull.
Here is a general description of his tests:

Motor tvpe Current draw Static thrust HP

12V 36 33 0.55
24V 22 22 0.70
24V 41 40 1.30
 142 fiOATBVILKIl C FOR BEGIMER9 (AH® BEYOND)

overboard the boat will bear off downwind without

you.
If the centroid is aft of the leeboard, you will
SAIL AREA MATH have “weather helm,” a much better situation. The
rudder must be deflected to push the stern toward
the wind, and the force on it is subtracted from the
If you look at the picture below of the sail rig of load on the leeboard. Not only that, but when you
Mayfly 14 you will see on the sail some writing that release the tiller as you fall overboard, the boat
says “75 square feet" to the right of a small circle should head up into the wind and stall and wait for
that represents the center of that area. you if you are lucky. It’s a good deal, but if you
overdo it you can end up with too much load on
the rudder.
This balance problem is actually one of the few
things about sail rigs that is not arbitrary. The type
of rig and its area are pretty arbitrary depending on
how fast you want to go, how much you weigh, etc.
But balance is quite important and is one of the
areas where backyard boaters get into trouble,
sometimes changing the boat or rig with no
thought of balance. So before you do that you
should do a little homework. This essay will tell you
how to figure sail area and find the centroid.
One last item: The balance situation shown for
Mayfly 14 is what I have found to be best for this
type of boat. Boats with large fin keels don’t bal¬
ance that way—usually the sail centroid is well for¬
ward of the keel centroid. That distance is called
the “lead.” That type of boat is not within my
personal experience and I’m not going to get into
that. But you still would have to figure the area and
centroid.

The center of that area is often called a

“centroid,” and you will see it is placed more or less
Three-Sided Sails
directly above the center of the leeboard’s area.
That is very important.
As you might imagine, a shallow flat hull like
AREA=1/2 BxH
this with a deep narrow leeboard wants to pivot
around that leeboard. If the forces of the sail,
which in a very general way can be centered at the
sail’s centroid, push sideways forward of the lee¬
board, the boat will tend to fall off away from the
wind. You should be able to hold the boat on
course with the rudder but in that case the rudder
will have “lee helm” where you have to use the
rudder, to push the stern of the boat downwind.
That load on the rudder will add to the load of the
leeboard. Sort of a “two wrongs make a right”
situation and generally very bad for performance
FIGURE 1: AREA OF A TRIANGLE
and safety in that if you release the tiller as you fall
 SAIL AREA MATH 143

This one is really easy. The area is just the base

times the height divided by 2. Any side can be the
base, and the height is always at a right angle to the
base.
So when you lay out the sail you draw it up on
thin paper to the same scale as your hull drawing
with the leeboard (or daggerboard or centerboard)
lowered. Draw a line through the center of the
board straight up. Now we’re going to locate the
scale sail on the boat such that its centroid falls very
close to that line.
Here’s how you find the centroid of a triangular
sail.

FIGURE 3: AREA OF FOUR SIDED SAIL

CENTER OF Now to find the centroid of the four-sider. Start

SAIL AREA by finding the centroids of the two triangles that
make up the four-sided sail as shown above. Now
draw a line from one triangle centroid to the other.
The centroid of the four-sider is on that line some¬
where.

FIGURE 2: CENTER OF AREA FOR TRIANGLE

Find the midpoint of each side and and draw a

line from that midpoint to the vertex opposite it.
The three lines will intersect at the centroid. Actu¬
ally you only need to find the intersection of two
lines, but the third line is a good check.
That’s it! Now you can take your scale sail draw¬
ing and slide it around your hull drawing until the
centroid is on that line drawn up from the hull’s
board. Move it up and down and tilt it until you
like the way it looks. But don’t cheat much forward
or aft of that line. FIGURE 4: CENTER OF FOUR SIDED SAIL

Four^Sided Sails
To find exactly where the centroid is on that
To find the area of a four-sided sail you just
line, measure the length of that connecting line.
divide it into two triangles, find the area of each
You need not use the same scale as is used on the
triangle as above, and add the two together.
drawing. I prefer to use a millimeter scale for this
measurement. Then get out the calculator and
 144 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AH® BEYOND)

work the formula shown in the Figure 4. Let’s say

that the length of the connecting line on the scale
drawing measures 120mm (that is measurement
L). Let’s say the example sail has a lower triangle
area of 50 square feet (that is Al). The upper
triangle is 35 square feet (that is A2). So the total
sail area is 50 + 35 = 85 square feet. The length LI,
which will exactly locate the sail’s total centroid, is
LI = 120 x 35 / 85 = 49.4mm. So you take that
millimeter scale and measure up from Al centroid
on the connecting line 49.4mm and make a tick
mark on the connecting line. That is the centroid
of the total sail.
Another way to find the centroid, especially of a
really odd-shaped sail, is to take the scale drawing
of the sail and cut it out. Then balance the cutout
on a knife edge and mark the balance line, rotate
the cutout on the knife edge about 90 degrees and
Figure 5
rebalance and mark the new balance line. The
centroid lies at the intersection of the two line.
Another way is to dangle the cutout on a pin as efficient as its area suggests so it needs to be a bit
stuck through a corner and into a wall marked oversized by normal rules, fudging the total cen¬
with a vertical line that passes through the pin¬ troid aft. I think in general the aft sails operate in
point. Mark the line that passes through that pivot the scrambled flow of the forward sail, causing loss
corner and a vertical. Then rotate the cutout to of force back there.
hang it from another corner, and mark a second
line through the second pivot corner and a verti¬
cal. The centroid lies at the intersection of those
two lines. Back at the missile factory the designers
had a favorite place, complete with pivot pin
socket hole and vertical line, to hang these cut¬
outs, and that place was known as the “weighing
wall.” Meanwhile the supercomputer cranked
away next door but its answers weren’t to be
trusted unless they agreed with the cutout hanging
at the weighing wall.

Rigs with Many Sails

Figure 5 shows the rig for Viola 22. It has a main

gaff sail of 177 square feet, and a mizzen sail of 45
square feet. Where is the centroid of the assembly?
It’s done exactly as with Figure 4. Draw a line
connecting the areas of the two sails. Measure the
length of the connecting line. Then run through
the same equation as in Figure 4. Nothing to it.
One thing I might point out about the Viola 22
rig is that the total centroid falls near the aft edge
of the leeboard. By my experience the mizzen is not
 145

What is good about it? It’s pretty simple to

visualize and make. If the fastening is good, you can
make the joint and go right on building without
waiting for the glue to set. Another neat thing

JOINING PLYWOOD about this plain butt strap joint is that, with a
typical flatiron skiff type of assembly, the bottom
SHEETS: panels need not be joined before assembly onto the
hull. In that case you will have the hull inverted on
BUTT STRAPS sawhorses ready for the bottom. Then you put the
first bottom piece on, attaching it to the sides.
AND Then you install the first butt strap at the end of
that piece. Then you install the next bottom panel
SCARFING to that butt strap and the sides. And so forth until

METHODS the entire bottom is planked, like laying bricks.

I might mention now that I think butt straps
and plates should be well rounded at the ends to
avoid trapping dirt and moisture. In boats that
have taped seams I advise stopping the butt strap
short of the edge of the panel so you will have room
to run the tapes undisturbed. This is especially true
The Payson Teal Butt Strap of butt straps on the bottom. You should have a
clear limber channel around the perimeter of the
bottom. In that case I stop the strap about Vi" short
of the side, add a fillet of thickened epoxy around
all bottom/side and bottom/bulkhead joints to
Topical Pay son Bu44 _Wnh
keep water and dirt out, and tape over the bottom
of the joint with glass tape and epoxy. Usually I
don’t put glass tape over the outside of the side
panel joints. But butt joints in any deck should be
A I*
,^7\CimcWa Copper mils well sealed with glass and epoxy. Here is an end
■y \
' \ view of the treatment:

U— .t .
side bu-tt s4ro.p j

3 lue. ifjlrvt plywood huh- plale. v I

Y / 7
Side pant!

I think this type of joint was described in

Payson’s great book Instant Boats. I used it on my
Teal, which was my first homemade boat. The side
panels were lA" thick on my boat; the bottom 3/8".
The butt straps were 3/8" plywood, 6" wide. So the
effect of the joint was similar to a 12:1 scarf on the
W ply sides and about 8:1 scarf on the bottom. What’s bad about the plywood strap? I think in
The nails were supposed to be copper, but I think Maine you aren’t a man until you’ve made a boat
Harold might have also suggested copper rivets or with clenched copper nails or rivets. Not so where
short bolts for fasteners. I live—can’t buy them anyplace I know of. I got by
 146 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AW® BEYOND)

with bronze boat nails, but they really aren’t flexi¬ This is what I usually advise now. Not much to
ble enough for the job. They didn’t look too cool. it. Very quick and easy to make. Some say it looks
And the edges of the plywood butt straps didn’t too clunky for their tastes.
look too cool either, wanting to have gaps and If there has been any structural problem with
splinters showing. It takes a while to finish them. the above butt plate, it is at the ends of a plate that
And, of course, you have a lump at each joint and joins the bottom panel, ending short of the sides to
folks will ask, “What’s that?” allow a limber path. If the ends of the plate are not
By the way, when I built my Toto I used the solidly glued and fastened to the bottom panels,
simple plywood strap method with no fasteners. I the butt plate will eventually loosen at the ends. I
carefully placed the ply panels over the straps, think that is due to the rapid change in flexibility
which were well buttered with glue, weighed it all in the system where the plate suddenly ends. A
down with concrete blocks to provide pressure, better solution might be to taper the end of the
and stayed away for a few days until I was sure the bottom butt plates starting maybe 3" in from the
glue was totally set. end of the plate and tapering down to maybe 3/8"
thick at the ends. That will allow a gradual change

The Birdwatcher Butt Strap in the flexibility and prevent a stress riser at the end
of the butt plate.
By the way, for any bulky butt joint care must be
BuH Plafe, taken in design to see that the joints don’t fall in
places where the butt plate will be in the way. The
scarf joint doesn’t have that problem.

s+acK of Iwo plywood buff plafes Light Fiberglass Butt Joints

fiberglass sef in e.povy

plywood ^ Ordinary bocd nails dL

When I built my Birdwatcher in 1988 I think I plywood

piled on more layers of plywood straps such that I
wouldn’t have to bend over the nails. By that time
I was more expert at finishing the edges of ply¬ Both Harold Payson and Dave Carnell pre¬
wood. It worked but it was very obvious that I sented this one to U.S. readers in the 1980s but I’ll
could have done the same thing with regular lum¬ bet the English inventors of taped-seam boats did
ber and saved a bit of work. it earlier. Simple as can be in theory. Just a layer of
fiberglass tape on each side of the plywood.

The Lumber Butt Plate Dave Carnell has done scientific load tests of
these joints and says the joint will be as strong as
the base wood if you use one layer of fiberglass
cloth in epoxy on each side of W plywood, two
luwber bull plftfe. layers on 3/8" plywood, three layers on Vi" plywood,
and four layers on 3/4" plywood.
At first it would appear that the joint is easily
made by laying the ply pieces on the floor, taping
one side with fiberglass, waiting to cure, flipping
the panel, and repeating on the other side. But I
n wood Screws (or nads)
 BUTTSTRAB§ 147

found that often plywood on its own does not want

Traditional Scarfed Joint
to lie flat enough to get a smooth fit, so 1 had to
place the joint over a board and screw the pieces
down flat. Next, the idea of flipping the panel with
Scarfing is done by planing or otherwise shaving
only one side taped doesn’t work well because that
down a smooth taper on the end of a piece of
one layer of glass has little strength by itself. But it
plywood or lumber, and gluing it to an exactly
can be done carefully.
matched taper on another piece. I’ve never done
Better yet is what both Payson and Carnell ad¬
this in plywood, although I’ve made a lot of scarf
vise: Glass both sides at once. Lay the first side of
joints in plain lumber. The two overlapping faces
fiberglass layers wet with epoxy, on a protected flat
are tapered and glued together such that both
surface (protected by waxed paper or heavy sheet
joined faces remain smooth. If you are building a
plastic, which won’t get stuck to the epoxy), lay the
traditional lapstrake boat from plywood you have
plywood to be joined upon it, lay the second side
to join the plywood sheets this way because the
of fiberglass over the top of the joint, cover with
planks will need to be the same thickness all along
plastic sheet, and weigh down with concrete
the length.
blocks. The plastic sheeting not only protects every¬
What’s good about it? The faces are smooth on
thing from gooey epoxy, but should provide a
both sides. Essentially you have a single piece of
smooth final finish if you are lucky. No filling or
wood to work with after making the joint. It is
sanding required afterward.
quite strong—as strong as the base wood provided
the taper is long enough. I’ve seen the taper range
The Payson Heavy Glass Joint from 6:1 to 12:1. The shorter tapers are easier to
make and probably just as good given modern
glues.
What’s bad about it? The tapers can be hard to
make properly although thickened epoxy has made
Several layers of -fiberglass
experts of most of us. Some experts have special
saw rigs to cut the taper. Most use power hand
planes or belt sanders. When gluing the joint you
must press it up against a firm surface while the
—
glue cures, making sure nothing glues to that sur¬

hghi layer of -fiberg/asS ma-H- face, and making sure the two pieces are secured
lengthwise so the tapers don’t push them apart as
you apply clamping pressure.
Harold Payson did a little more work on the There is one more warning for instant boat
glass butt joint. To hide the buildup of glass on builders concerning the scarf joint. Almost all in¬
thicker plywood, he recessed the surfaces roughly stant boat designs have panel layouts that assume
with a sanding disk in a drill. Then he added a layer you will not be using a scarf joint. If you join two
of light fiberglass matt to the wood before pasting 8-foot panels with a scarf joint, you will NOT end
in the glass. Fiberglass matt is generally thought to up with a 16-foot panel. It will be shorter by the
provide better adhesion to wood than glass cloth overlap amount. That might be just enough to
although by itself it has little strength. Harold is big negate the ply panel layout.
on using polyester resin on his boats instead of
epoxy, so perhaps the matt is more important for
the polyester users. But you can see the advantage
of the system: The final joint can be more or less
invisible as the multiple layers of glass are recessed.
 14S B04TI17ILIIHC FOR BEGINNERS (AM® BEYOND)

builders use these to cut scarfs on plywood, but the

Scarfing Lumber
plywood has to be thin. The usual circular saw
protrudes about 3" maximum below the saw bot¬
There will be times when you can’t buy lumber
tom, so if you are scarfing at an 8:1 ratio, the
as long as you will need. This will be especially true
thickest wood you can cut this way is 3/8". Still, for
for masts, but it can also be true for elements like
a pro scarfing plywood it is very useful. But useless
wales and chine logs. At my lumberyard many
for scarfing TV lumber.
boards max out at 16-feet long, although some such
as 2x1 Os can still be gotten in 20-foot lengths (if you
can lift them). The standard solution to the length
problem with lumber is to scarf it together.

Here is what a proper scarf joint looks like:

length of scarph joint

about 8 times thickness t

The reason scarf joints have always been used to

joint lumber pieces lengthwise is that a butt joint,
Let’s say you need to join TV x 1 Vi" lumber to
where one end of a board is glued directly to the
make wales or chine logs for your boat. An 8:1 scarf
next board with cuts at 90 degrees, never works,
in TV thick lumber will be 6" long.
even with modern glues. The joint is all end grain
It’s easy to draw the cut on the end of your
to end grain with no chance of getting a good glue
sticks. You can try cutting it with a really good
line as you would with a scarf joint, or even with a
handsaw. It pays to practice. I’ve been able to cut
butt block doubler joint as you might use with
the stick with a really good saber saw or circular
plywood where the glue is loaded in shear instead
saw, but the guide has to be set exactly at 90 degrees
of tension. By using a scarf with a 6:1 slant, the
and you can’t waver in your cut. If you get a bad
glued area is over six times the area of a straight
cut, you can try again on the same end. In fact, it
butt joint.
pays here to start with extra lengths of lumber so
I’ve shown how to piece plywood sheets together
you can try several cuts on each board until you get
with butt plates instead of scarf joints, to make
the knack. You can also try working the cut to
sheets longer than the standard 8-foot lengths.
shape with a plane or rasp. If you have a power
That usually won’t work well with lumber ele¬
plane, you might try whacking the scarf to shape
ments. For example, if butt blocks were to joint the
with only that. When you think you have two good
boards that make up your mast, the butt blocks
ends cut, clamp one against a firm surface such as
would have to be on the outside of the mast to be
a length of 2x4, like this:
effective. It could be done but would look clunky if
nothing else. As for length, if you were joining 3/4"
lumber with a TV-thick butt block, the block would
need to be 12" long to get the 8:1 scarf ratio that
might be considered to be the minimum.

Sawing the Scarfs

Actually scarf joints are easy to make except for

cutting the scarf angle. There are fixtures made for
circular saws that cut a scarf automatically. Pro
 SCARFING 149

Slide the mating piece into position and check router is turned on and worked around the fixture
the fit. Remember that as you glue these up they until it has cut all the available material. Like this:
must be straight. I think they should fit within
about 1/32" to make a good glue joint with thick¬ slide roukr bacK and

ened epoxy. Like this:

hvs fit here should

tx wAUm 1/is. slide the second
, board under I he
\ / first
. ' — > \ /

Then the board is unclamped and slid forward

into the fixture such that once more the router will
slice off another V4" of material, only this time there
will be a lot more wood to cut. And so forth until
the the entire scarf is cut. Or is it? I’ve found it best

Routing the Scarfs to avoid a total feather edge at the end of the scarf
cut—leaving about 1/32" uncut seems to work best,
like this:
When I built a Birdwatcher a while back I
needed to join a lot of lumber since the boat was
slide router bacK and
24 feet long and the mast longer. I built a simple
fixture for my router for cutting the scarfs. It looks
like this:

That’s all there is to it. One of the nice things

about this fixture is that it is pretty compact. So
instead of moving those long boards to the fixture,
it is usually a lot easier to move the fixture to the
boards, a nice feature when you start working with
The base plate of the router needs to be removed
really long boards.
(three screws) and replaced with a one wide enough
to span the fixture opening in all positions. The
fixture needed to be wide enough to scarf the Gluing the Scarf
3"-wide boards I was using for the mast. I made an
extended base out of W plywood. Now it is time to glue the boards together. Best
Here is how I make a scarf cut with this fixture. to glue them up on a piece of 2x4 such that they
The board is clamped into the fixture such that the will be straight as you glue them. Cover the 2x4
router will cut no more than about V4" deep. Tire with waxed paper so that the backup board doesn’t
 ISO B04TBVILIIN G FOR BEGIIflfERS (AW® BEYOND)

become a permanent part of your boat! Clamp the DON’T DISTURB THE SCARFED LUMBER
first board on like this: UNTIL THE GLUE HAS CURED REALLY HARD!
It may take a few days, depending on your glue and
your climate conditions. Almost no glues set well
below about 70 degrees. When I did the Bird¬
watcher mast scarfs it was in the middle of a wicked
winter. I cut the scarfs with the router fixture, glued
and clamped them up, covered them with a blan¬
ket and blasted a salamander kerosene heater un¬
der the blanket. It got well over 100 degrees under
there and they cured very quickly. Those scarfs are
still holding!
Once your glue is completely cured, the joint
should be as strong as the basic wood, and you can
go on building as if there were no joint there. But
it doesn’t hurt to be prudent. I try to locate the
scarfs in wales and chine logs where the curvature
will be the least. I try to locate the scarfs in masts
Trial-fit the second board. Butter it well with toward the top, where the bending loads are the
epoxy thickened to about mayonnaise consistency. least. And on elements that have several boards
Push it into place but not so hard that all the glue with scarfs, such as wales with multiple laminations
squeezes out. Now clamp the second piece to the and boxed masts, I stagger the scarfs such that they
backup 2x4. If you are going to have problems with are not all one atop the other.
gluing the joint I think it will be with glue squeez¬
ing out too much and also with lifting of the first
board at the feather end of its scarf. You can help
that out by carefully drilling a pilot hole for a screw scarf irvfirs4- laminafon

right through the scarf and carefully installing a

temporary screw with a backing washer like this:

Temporary screw wifh large, washer

Scarf in second lannirwHo'O
fa clamp down on feoihered edge of scarf. The second scarf is nof here
Be sure, fa drill a. pi I of hole. in line wifa fhe firsf scarf.

Bes+ -fo sfaqaer scarfs in sfauefures wi+h multiple scarfs

That temporary screw will help a lot for overall

alignment while the glue sets. It’s a fact that glue is
very slippery until it sets up, and tapered clamped
joints like this can slowly slide apart without really
good clamping.
 151

BEVELS The Dufy 6evc|

Most likely your boat will have bevels cut on the

edges of its bulkheads, frames, transom, and stem.
-frarlSom ply prebcvclrd
Even taped-seam boats might need bevels. (You \ Stir K.
might ask why I use beveled sticks on a taped seam
boat. The answer is that I personally find it much
-V
easier to set up a boat initially with glue and nails
to firmly establish its shape without relying on
wired seams.)
When I figure out the dimensions of the ply¬ side bevel measures 16 degrees at that point (the
wood piece that forms the shape of the bulkhead bottom edge bevel is 31 degrees). How much larger
or transom, I take its dimensions off my lines does the forward edge need to be over the basic
drawing as if the piece had no thickness. dimension given for the transom? The Mayfly 14
But the real panels do have thickness. So I rig it transom is supposed to be W plywood with a
such that one face of the panel lies on the plane 1 VY-thick framing stick, for a total of 144" thick. So
where I took the panel dimensions and mark that to allow for the 16-degree bevel each side needs to
face “Dimensions to Here.” If the side or bottom have 1.75" x tan 16 = 0.50" extra material, which is
panels are sweeping in from the dimensioned face, Vi" to most of us. But when I build one of these
then the other face of the bulkhead or transom will outies myself, I pay no attention to that extra thick¬
need to be smaller than the dimensioned face. Let’s ness. See the figure above to see how I do it on my
call this one an “inny.” It will look like this: own boats.
First I cut the side sticks on the table saw to the
The Inny bevel correct bevel. (I’ve found the best tool to cut
straight bevels is a table saw.) Then I cut the tran¬
A/i som panel out of plywood to the basic given dimen¬
sions with no bevel, just a square cut. Then I glue
and nail the beveled sticks to the plywood piece
such that a straightedge along the beveled stick will
just kiss the “Dimensions to Here” edge. That’s it.
I haven’t fussed with that “extra material needed”
measurement at all. This gives a nice straight edge
to the right dimensions and it doesn’t really get
l: MoKe u/o square.
involved with thicknesses—if you use thicker or
thinner wood than specified it will still fit.
And sometimes the side or bottom panels are “But,” you say, “there’s a little triangular area on
sweeping out from the dimensioned face and the the edge of the plywood that isn’t right.” True. I fill
other face of the bulkhead or transom will need to that with glue when the panel is glued and nailed
be larger than the dimensioned face. Let’s call this to the side. In this case that triangle isn’t very big.
one an “outy.” It will look like this: On this 16-degree bevel it would max at .07". No
Let’s take this case where the adjacent panels are problem. To me the glue there is really a hope of
sweeping outward from the dimensioned face, the sealing the grain on the edge of the plywood, not a
outy. The transom bevel on Mayfly 14 and on strength issue, since a lot of that ply edge will be
almost any boat is an outy. The dimensioned face end grain anyway and about useless for glue
of the Mayfly 14 transom is on the plane of the end strength. The bottom edge bevel of 31 degrees is
of the boat, and the transom’s forward face needs more extreme, and the little open triangle would be
to be slightly larger than the dimensioned face to about 0.15" wide, but thickened epoxy can still
allow for the outward sweep of the side panels. The handle it.
 152 BO ATBUI III JTC FOR BEGIN1ER.8 (AMD BEYOND)

Now let’s talk about the “inny.” The two bulk¬

heads on Mayfly 14 are innies. Let’s use bulkhead
4.2 as an example. The basic dimensions of bulk¬
head 4-2 were taken 4' 3" aft of the bow tip of the
boat. That is the actual location of the aft face of
the bulkhead, the face marked “Dimensions to
Here.” At that point the sides are sweeping inward
14 degrees as they go forward. This bulkhead is also
V4" plywood with 3A" sticks for a total of 1" thick. So
the aft face of the bulkhead needs to be 1" X tan 14
= 0.24" smaller on each side edge than the front
side edges.
Innies are a little easier to picture. You could
make all the edges square to the basic dimensions
and then run them through a saw set to the proper
bevel to shave off the extra material. I used to do
them that way and still do on occasion. The prob¬
lem I have is that I use a bandsaw for this which
doesn’t care to cut exactly straight. And a large
bulkhead is a beast to run through the saw all at
once. You could try a saber saw or circular saw set
to the proper bevel if you think you are good
enough at it to keep the blade just kissing the edge
marked “Dimensions to Here.” I’m not. Or you
could plane the bevel by hand.
I’ve gone to making the inny bulkhead the same
way as I make an outy. First I prebevel the framing
sticks with a table saw. Then I cut the plywood
panel to shape with no bevel, just a square cut. Then
I glue and nail the sticks to the sides of the panel. If
the bevel is severe, I do try to line up the face of the
bevel stick with the “Dimensions to Here” edge of
the plywood. Then I will have a small triangle of
plywood protruding from the beveled face. I can
trim that off later. In the case of a small bevel, I
don’t do that. I just line up the stick with the back
edge of the panel. When I assemble it to the sides
there will be a little triangle to fill with glue again.
And the panel will be slightly wider than what the
lines call for. In the case of Mayfly’s bulkhead 4.2
the error would be .25" X tan 14 = 0.06". Nothing to
worry about.
 153

plans. Lots of good building advice on their site (see

“Shop Tips”) and in their forum. Order their cata¬
SOME GOOD log; it’s beautiful.

BOATBUILDING http://groups.yalioo.com/group/bolger/ — Yahoo

WEBSITES newsgroup: a lively and informed group discussing

home boatbuilding, focusing primarily on the de¬
signs of Phil Bolger, but open to discussion of Mi¬
Of_course, first and foremost:
chalak designs and many other subjects of interest
hftpi77homepages.apci.net/ 'michalakA — Jim
to home boatbuilders. The over 20,000 archived
MicfiafakV-owTi website. Don't misy-Tne links to
messages (searchable) contain a great deal of infor¬
prior issues, especially the “Way Back Issues,’’ which
mation.
include an alphabetic index to all topics covered on
the website, and an index to all of Jim Michalak’s
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Michalak/ — A
designs. A wealth of information.
newer newsgroup, dedicated specifically to building
the designs of Jim Michalak.
www.boat-links.com — “The Mother of All Mari-
Time Links,” kept by John Kohnen. An astonishing
www.georgebuehler.com—Website of George Bue-
array of links to everything boaty. See the
hler, designer of big heavy-timbered, ballasted keel
“Boatbuilding <Sc Repair” section. You could spend
boats for the home builder. His philosophy is
days and weeks looking through everything here.
refreshing and his boats make for big dreaming.

www.Duckworksmagazine.com — A wonderful
site maintained by Chuck Leinweber, consisting of
dozens (maybe hundreds) of articles by and for
home boatbuilders, plus regular columns by ex¬
(Feel free to inform us of good sites to add to this
perts, a new discussion group, and plans for sale
list for future editions of this book. E-mail
from Jim Michalak and John Welsford.
Boats@breakawaybooks.com.)

http://home.clara.net/ gmatkin/ design.htm —

Gavin Atkin’s “Free Boat Design Resources,” an
extensive list of links to sites offering free boat plans,
or articles on boat design and building.

www.woodenboat.com — They don’t post articles

from the magazine, but a wide array of plans is
available from their store, and the Forums are an
inexhaustible source of boatbuilding information.

www.bateau.com — Jaques Mertens’ site, with free

plans for a D4 dinghy, and good stitch-and-glue
information.

www.glen-l.com — Glen-L Marine Designs. A huge

variety of designs for home boatbuilders, from
canoes to houseboats.

www.clcboats.com — Chesapeake Light Craft. A

good variety of stitch-and-glue canoes, kayaks, and
even an 18-foot sharpie, available as kits or simply
 154 BOATBVILDIHG FOR BECIMERS (All® BEYOND)

FURTHER READING
This is an incomplete list. But for those who are curious Good Skiffs, by Karl Stambaugh. A thorough treatise
and wish to expand their knowledge of boatbuilding,
on the history and building of traditional skiffs.
these are a fair start.
Most of these books are available new, from your local
Buehler’s Backyard Boatbuilding, by George Buehler.
bookstore or from the big online booksellers; or from the
WoodenBoat Store at 800-273-7447. Also, if you want How to build heavy-timbered, ballasted-keel cruis¬
to search for cheaper used copies, try Bookfinder.com. ing boats on a budget and with only moderate
woodworking skills. Perhaps not truly “traditional”
Instant Boats and Their Relatives to some, but very entertaining and inspiring.

Build the New Instant Boats, by Harold Payson. An Lapstrake

excellent stitch-and-glue primer, featuring the 16-
foot Bolger Gypsy, with plans for seven other boats. Ultralight Boatbuilding, by Thomas J. Hill. Good for
building light canoes in glued lapstrake, with rib¬
Instant Boats, by Harold Payson. The precursor to bands along the strongback to keep the thin ply¬
the above title, featuring the 12-foot Teal, and wood from deflecting at the molds.

including several other nail-and-glue plans.

Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual, by Iain

Build the Instant Cathoat, by Harold Payson. Thor¬ Oughtred. Also, an excellent resource on glued
lapstrake. Very good treatment of lining-off.
ough instruction and full plans for building Phil
Bolger’s Bobcat, a stitch-and-glue version of the
Canoes and Kayaks
12-foot Beetle Cat.

The Strip-Built Sea Kayak, by Nick Schade. A clear

The Sharpie Book, by Reuel Parker. Taking instant
and well-illustrated guide to making a sea kayak
boats a step farther and to a larger scale, making
from inexpensive wood strips.
some traditional-looking, fast-sailing, shallow draft
boats from 14 to 38 feet. Good instruction on
The Stripper’s Guide to Canoe Building, by David
interior chine logs, centerboard cases, and rounded
Hazen. Same technique for canoes.
sterns.

Canoecraft, by Ted Moores and Merilyn Mohr.

Devlin’s Boatbuilding, by Samual Devlin. Everything
More strip-building.
you ever wanted to know about stitch-and-glue.

The New Kayak Shop, by Chris Kulczycki. Building

Traditional Boats
a stitch-and-glue kayak.

Boatbuilding, by Harold Chapelle. The bible of tra¬

ditional boatbuilding. Fairly advanced discussion
of carvel planking, and some lapstrake and strip-
planking. Excellent treatise on lofting. (If we’ve left out an important book that ought to
be added to future editions, let us know: E-mail
Building Classic Small Craft, by John Gardner. The Boats@breakawaybooks.com.)
man largely credited with the wooden boat renais¬
sance of the 1970s gives plans and instructions for
a wide variety of traditional boats.
 155

MATERIALS
SUPPLIERS
Jamestown Distributors An excellent source for
Raka.com Good cheap epoxy and fiberglass, plus
all manner of fasteners: bronze, stainless, galva¬
fillers and accessories.
nized, etc., plus many useful tools and paints. Get
41 North Congress, # 8 B
their catalog.
Delray Beach FL 33445
500 Wood Street, Building #15
56D229^929^
Bristol, RI 02809
www.raka.com
800-423-0030
www.Jamestowndistributors.com
U.S. Composites Excellent prices on epoxy,
fiberglass^ andiillers.
dOl Georgia Avenue
Hamilton Marine Good all-around marine suppli¬
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
er, with many fasteners, rope, and such ordinaries
561-588-1001
as life vests, anchors, and rain gear.
56^58£858£4ac-
100 Fore Street
www.uscomposites.com
Portland, ME 04101

Fiberglass Coatings Good prices on fiberglass and 207-774-1772

epoxy. or

Fiberglass Coatings, Inc. Route 1

3201 28th Street North Searsport, ME 04974

St. Petersburg, FL 33713 207-548-6302

727-327-8117
727-327-6691 fax )efender Good source for cheap Dacrtm^sail-

800-272-7890 cloth, and fiberglass alternatives like Xynole

www.fgd.com Dynel. Many other boat-related supplies. Get their

catalog.
42 Great Neck Road
Sailrite The source for Dacron sailcloth, basting
tape, rope, and other sundries. Waterford, CT 06385-3336

305 West Van Buren Street 800-628-8225

www.Defender.com
Columbia City, IN 46725
260-244-6715
800-348-2769
Also, as of this writing, Duckworks Magazine
260-244-4184 fax
(www.Duckworksmagazine.com) sells Dacron sail¬
www.sailrite.com
cloth for a very low price.

Polysails Best source for white polytarp, and poly-

tarp sailmaking kits. Lots of good sailmaking infor¬
mation on the website.
David Gray
22 Sunblest Court
Fishers, IN 46038
317-915-1454
http:// members.aol.com/polytarp/
MORE DESIGNS
 159

More Designs

All of these boats are designed to be built of plywood in a way that requires no building jigs or lofting: either
with glue and nails, or with taped seams. They all contain dimensioned patterns that are scaled up directly on
the plywood sheets, cut to shape, and assembled.
Some of the designs use a single chine joint. These are particularly easy to build and require no fiberglassing
talents to make a sound hull. The other designs have two chine joints per side. These joints are fabricated with
the “taped-seam” method. These hulls are slightly more difficult to build than the single chine hulls but have
performance advantages, especially in rough water. Both types can be built by the first-time builder.
All of these designs are intended for use in shallow waters. Even the biggest draws less than 12 inches of
water, and most draw about 5 inches. Sailing boats have pivoting leeboards, which I’ve used since 1981, and
the kick-up rudders that complement the shallow draft and allow the boats to be driven right onto the beach.
Tine shallow features make trailer launching very easy.
All of the sailing designs use unstayed rigs which can be set up very quickly. They are also cheap and stow
compactly and out of the way.
Several of the designs—Piccup, Roar2, Moby, Toto, and AF4—were built and tested by me. These plans come
with detailed building instructions. All come with keyed specifications which provide material sizes and basic
assembly instructions.
Since I live out here on the prairie, I’ve had to learn to make my own sails and oars. Thus most plans contain
patterns for building oars and sewing sails.
I’m continuing to add designs and offer a constantly changing catalog of prototypes, designed but not yet built.

PICCUP SQUARED
Row/Sail Punt
1P x 4’
90 pounds empty

Piccup Squared is a simple flat-bottomed version of the original Piccup Pram. It is otherwise the same size
and layout and uses the same sail rig. She displaces 415 pounds at 5" draft and weighs 90 pounds stripped,
Piccup Squared has the simplest sort of boat shape for building and by some theories for best performance in
a flat-bottomed hull. She’s very much like a classic garvey or punt. She won’t perform with Piccup in rough
conditions but in smooth water would be about equal. Some might find her more comfortable with her wider
bottom plank. She is a bit easier to cartop because her sheer is flatter and she is slightly narrower on the top.
Piccup Squared requires four sheets of W plywood. The simplest nail-and-glue construction is used with just
a smattering of fiberglass/epoxy used to armor the chines against abrasion. No jigs or lofting needed.
160 BOATBVILSIHG FOR BEGIllE RS (AMD BEYOND)

Anyone contemplating building a large boat should build a dink first. Not only can you test techniques and
materials on a cheap and easy project, but you will get a dink you will use all the time.
Two sheets of !4" plywood will build Moby. She’s stuck together with glue and nails in the old-fashioned way,
and anyone who has built a birdhouse in school shop can build Moby. The prototype Moby took me 60 hours
and $160 to construct, including the sail. (Sail rigs usually absorb about half the cost and labor of any sailing
project, large or small.)
Moby is a good sailing trainer in protected waters. Her 45-square-foot gaff rig is compact and efficient. It takes
a while to rig because there are so many lines, but the result is a sail that can be very well controlled. Moby has
a simple pivoting leeboard and kick-up rudder.

Mixer is a stab at mixing some features of my prams with the features of the original Roar rowboat. The
prototype was built to perfection by David Boston of Factoryville, Pennsylvania. That’s him sailing on vacation
in Maine. Mixer’s beam is halfway between that of Piccup, which has “stand up and walk around” stability, and
that of Roar, which is too tippy for serious sailing. They all have a similar multichine cross section. Dave was
very happy with the stability' of the prototype. He reports sailing in whitecaps with no troubles.
 MOEE DEilONS 161

Mixer’s got the exact same interior layout as Piccup for all the same reasons. So here is a cartopper with
capacity for two adults or for camping one adult, with a flat floor large enough to sleep on and lots of dry
storage. The sail rig is also identical to Piccup’s.

TOTO
Double-Paddle Canoe
13' x 30"
45 Pounds Empty

Toto has been my most successful design. Initially she was an experiment to test a new bow shape—a deep V
bow that blends into a multichine well aft. There’s a twist in the bow bilge panels, and at the time I didn’t know
how to expand those panels on the drawing board. So I built her without them and then sized them by cut and
fit. Then I recorded the shapes on the prints.
The boat is an easy prefab job from two sheets of 5mm lauan underlayment, still very cheap at maybe $9 to
12 a sheet from the lumberyard until the rain forests are gone. Marc Smith came to the 1994 Midwest
Messabout with two of these Totos strapped to the roof of his Birdwatcher, They were built by two 12-year-old
girls under Marc’s guidance. Marc said the girls did all the work including using the power tools.
It’s fun to compare Toto with the dinks at the front of the brochure because they all come from the same
pile of stuff and effort. Toto has covered the 6,000-foot-long dam at Carlyle Lake in 14 minutes with a moderate
paddling effort for 4Vi mph. She’s more seaworthy but she’s wetter when pressed because of paddle splash. She
has a buoyancy/storage chamber aft. It will keep your shoes and stuff dry while you splash around; and I believe
it has about 180 pounds of buoyancy volume if the hatch cover stays watertight. The open cockpit is large
enough to allow sleeping inside, as I have done many times. She’s shaped for easy cartopping. In good
conditions she’ll paddle two adults. The long lean bow seems to ignore an overload—unlike plumb bows, which
can become cranky when immersed. She’ll take you through some very rough stuff if you are solo. But the dinks
have their place too. They can have sailing stability, and many will find their elevated seating more comfortable.

Plans come with complete instructions including the details of taped seam construction and drawing of a
simple paddle that works. No jigs or lofting required.
162 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

LARSBOAT
Double-Paddle Canoe
15' 6" x 30"
61 Pounds Empty

Larsboat was built by Lars Hasslegren of Huntley, Illinois, to replace a Folboat type that had finally met its
end. Lars wanted capacity for two, plus decking.
I took Toto and lengthened it with a 30" plug in the middle to gain capacity. Lengthening a hull with a
straight plug like this usually improves a boat in almost every way and Larsboat should be faster than Toto in
good conditions. In this case the plug also meant I didn’t have to refigure the shape of the twisted bow planks
as I would if I’d lengthened Toto with an overall stretch.
The decking was quite simple because even the original Toto could take a forward deck of flat sheets. I
should add that I feel the decking is very optional. This prototype weighs 61 pounds, and deleting the decks
might cut 10 pounds or so. The undecked boat also would have a better cartopping shape. I’d keep the stern
chamber. It will ease your mind about taking a big wave over your stern.
This would be a preferred project for someone who intends to do a lot of cruising and camping. In the Toto
camping I’ve done the sleeping room has been okay but the storage is limited. Larsboat would be better both
because of its increased capacity and because there is dry storage under the bow deck.
The basic hull is taped-seam construction needing four sheets of 5mm or V4" plywood for the decked version
and three sheets for the undecked version. No jigs or lofting required. Plans are two blueprint sheets with keyed
instructions plus detailed taped-seam instructions.
 M ORE DESIGNS 161

PICCUP
Row/Sail Pram
i r x 4' 6M

Piccup Pram, the first of my designs to be built, was originally to be the best boat I could slide into the bed
of my pickup truck. Now I cartop her exclusively.
When I drew Piccup I had one eye on a Bolger Nymph and the other on a Herreshoff Marco Polo tender.
For her size and weight she is very roomy and able to take rough going. The flat pram bow provides capacity in
the boat equal to that of a pointy-bow hull 2 or 3 feet longer. Her multichine shape gives soft shoulders that
prevent waves from rolling her has they would a flattie.
Her balanced lug sail, now enlarged to 68 square feet, stows rolled up in the cockpit while her pivoting
leeboard and kick-up rudder raise instantly for rowing. These lug rigs can be built effectively from ordinary
materials, including discount store polytarps. Piccup will row 7 miles in two hours in calm conditions and will
rig for sail in a couple of minutes if the wind pipes up.
Piccup has a flat bottom panel that keeps draft to 6" with two adults aboard, allows level beaching, and is big
enough for a sleep spot. I’ve camped in Piccup many times. The ends have buoyancy/storage chambers of about
6 cubic feet each—enough for two or three days’ supplies for someone used to roughing it. I don’t take a rain
tarp, being careful to camp on a no-rain forecast. The lug sail can be rigged as a rain fly to a certain extent. A
bug net is mandatory.
Construction is taped-seam V4" plywood, five sheets required. All parts are cut to the shapes shown on the
drawings and pulled together with twisted wire loops. No jigs or lofting are required.
164 SOATMJUDIIC FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

1MB
Sail Beachboat
1 y 6" x 5' 6"
350 pounds empty

IMB features a “Birdwatcher” cabin, full length with panoramic windows and a center walkway slot in the
roof. Everyone rides inside. This style of boat was invented by Phil Bolger in the early 1980s.
These boats can be self-righting with minimal ballast because the crew weight works as ballast. They sit down
low on the floor looking out through the windows (although standing in normal winds is quite acceptable). The
cabin sides provide lots of buoyancy up high to ensure a a good range of stability. IMB, which is small and has
no ballast, will probably self-right from 60 or 70 degrees of heel.
These boats are operated from within the cabin, like an automobile. No one need ever go on deck. For
boating with children I can see no equal.
These are cool boats. The tinted windows cut the sun’s power. The crew can sit in the shade of the deck.
Downdraft from the sail cascades through the walkway slot.
IMB has an 8-foot long cabin on a multichine pram hull. The prototype was built to perfection by Gerry
Scott of Cleveland, Texas. IMB takes two sheets of Vi" plywood, 8 sheets of V4" plywood and one sheet of 3/16"
Plexiglas. Taped-seam construction using no jigs or lofting. Sail rig is a 104-square-foot balanced lug, with
pivoting leeboard.

SPORTDORY
Fast Rowboat
15' x 4'
70 pounds empty

Sportdory is an attempt to improve upon a Bolger/Payson dory 1 built about 15 years ago. This boat is
slightly smaller than my old dory. The bow is lower in hopes of cutting windage, thus it doesn’t have the
swooping sheer of a traditional dory. The little tombstone stern is mostly similar. The center cross-section is
about identical. The bottom has slightly more rocker. These boats are fast and seaworthy but they take some
getting used to. You can’t stand up in one with safety because the waterline beam is just over 2 feet wide, and
that, no doubt, is what gives it speed. John Bell, of Kennesaw, Georgia, built that prototype and reported
 MOKE DESIGNS
165

averaging with medium effort 4.3 mph over a 1.3-mile stretch—and I think that is pretty typical. In good weather
and with a little practice you can average 4 mph for several hours. This boat will have good flow lines as long
as the total weight is below 400 pounds. The hull with its gear will weigh about 100 pounds.
The hull of this one is quite simple and light, made with taped-seam construction from three sheets of 1/4"
plywood, totally open and no frames.

RB42
Fast Rowboat
18' x 45"
90 pounds empty

RB42 is a rowboat for two! The prototype was built by Herb McLeod of Edmonton, Alberta. Look
closely and you will see a lot of Toto in RB42. It has the same long lean bow and multichines for smoother
going in rough water. The stern is wider on top but the lines of these boats at the water always sweep upward
and taper to nothing. The stern has a buoyancy/storage volume with a hatch. The bow has another buoyancy/
storage area with access through a deck plate in the bulkhead.
Although designed to be rowed by two people, this boat might be fine with a solo rower in many conditions.
The long waterline should give extra speed over a shorter boat, although it’s not all that simple. Frictional area
might be increased and windage drag should increase over a shorter boat. But RB42 is a bit lower and sleeker
than my other rowing designs so it’s hard to tell.
RB42 is built with taped seams from six sheets of W plywood. No lofting or building jig required.
166 BOATBUILDING TOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

ROAR2
Rowboat
14' x 45"
60 pounds empty

Roar2 is the original Roar with a nose job copied from Toto. It has a deep V entry’, which is carried well aft.
Roar2 behaves very well in all aspects of wind and waves and is more capable in rough water. I suspect the
original shape is slightly faster in smooth water, but the new bow has the advantage everywhere else. She’ll row
at 4 V2 mph with medium effort using the 7-foot oars detailed in the plans. Adding a passenger will hardly slow
her, although acceleration and deceleration are affected.
The stern cross bracing in these boats is mandatory for use as a passenger backrest. Without it, the passenger
will soon lean to one side or slide aft against the transom, throwing off the trim in a way that will drive the
oarsman crazy.
These are excellent camping boats. Light enough to solo cartop, large enough for much gear, and with a flat
bottom plank long enough to sleep on while the whole rig sits upright. Kevin Garber took a Roar2 on a
three-day row of the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande, seeing no humans from put-in to take-out. He brought
a folding chair, a barbecue, and a tent fly with poles. In camp he set up the fly over the hull and slept in the
boat. Plans are available for Roar2 or the original plumb bow Roar, or for a 12-foot version of Roar2 called
Smoar. Each needs four sheets of !4" plywood. Taped-seam construction. No lofting or building jigs.
 MOKE DESIONS 167

VAMP
Light Rowboat
12' x 3' 6"

After the success Frank Kahr had with Robote I designed a smaller version. The idea was to get a fast and
seaworthy boat that would cartop so easily that you would want to leave it on the cartop more or less all the
time, ready to go at a moment’s notice. From cartopping small boats like Toto I had found that they hardly
slow a compact car. I also knew that about 90 pounds is the most a fellow would want to cartop. The prototype
Vamp was built by Ken Prims of Layton, Utah.
Why not stick to a canoe like Toto? A good rowing boat can be as fast, drier, and can take a passenger
with more ease. The only problem I see with Vamp is that her V-bottom can make beaching more challenging
than a boat with a flat bottom plank.
Construction is with taped seams from three sheets of 1/4" plywood, the same bill of materials as for the
larger Robote. Robote will be a better boat if you are rowing a passenger all the time.

VIREO
Light Rowboat
12' x 45"
60 pounds empty

Vireo is a lot like Vamp but has a warped V bow. More work, no doubt, but most people would prefer its
looks and perhaps it is softer going into a wave.
Frank Kahr, who built Robote, has one of these and wrote, “Yesterday I accomplished a long-term goal by
rowing from Providence to Newport in a Vireo I built from your plans. This was a trip of approximately 26
statute miles which took 6 hours, 12 minutes. I had a little help from a fair tide but this was still a good time
for a long trip made without great physical effort.”
From three sheets of V4" or 5mm plywood with taped seam construction.
168 BOATBVILDIHG FOR BEGINNERS (AW® BEYOND)

SCRAM
Sail Beachboat
16'x 6'6”
500 pounds empty

Scram Pram was designed for Wil Gordon of Houston, who built the prototype. It has a Birdwatcher-type
cabin where everyone rides inside in the shade, an excellent situation for a family boat. It has 300 pounds of
water ballast below a false floor and is very self-righting with the ballast. The boat also has a multichine shape
for smoother going in rough water, and a step-through bow transom for easy boarding from a beach.
Sail area on the original was a whopping 173 square feet, all in one balanced lugsail. A second prototype
built by U.T. Roberts of Savannah has a more modest 150 square feet of sail, and that might be a better deal
given a good motor in very light winds. Scram has a small built-in motor well.
Scram requires one sheet of 3/16" dark-tinted Plexiglas, five sheets of lA" plywood, and nine sheets of 3/8"
plywood and uses taped-seam construction.
 MOKE DESIGNS 169

HARMONICA
Mini Shanty
13'x 5'
400 pounds empty

Harmonica is a tiny shanty boat that sleeps two. There is a porch up front suitable for lounging and a small
utility room in the stem for the kitchen and water closet. For protected waters only. The prototype was built by
Chris Crandall of Lawrence, Kansas. Chris built his Harmonica inside his rec room and had to hire help to
remove a glass wall to extricate the finished boat. He said four men grabbed the boat and walked it outside,
then they put the wall back in place. He brought the boat to our Midwest Homebuilt Boat Messabout with the
paint more or less still wet, towing behind a compact car. He had a 1.2 hp Tanaka motor clamped to the stern,
which pushed the boat with three men inside at a slow walking pace, making a lot more noise than speed. He
has since given it a plush 5 hp motor.
This boat was originally called Fusebox and was intended to be an electric boat. Later 1 noticed that the nice
small conservation lakes we have here that would suit the boat well had no electric hookups at the docks. So I
rethought the problem and now advise an outboard of about 5 hp to make sure there is enough power to push
it on a windy day. I would not use any more than that. But the second Harmonica to get built (by John
Applewhite in Horida) did have an electric drive. It was a big one, though—3 hp, and two golf cart batteries,
and a gasoline motor just to be sure! I’m told the electric worked fine except in river current.
Harmonica soaks up four sheets of 3/8" plywood and six sheets of 34" plywood and uses very simple nail and
glue construction.
 170 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

AF3
Cuddy Sharpie
16'x 5'
250 pounds empty

The AF3 (Alison’s Fiddle #3) prototype was built by Herb McLeod of Edmonton, Alberta, in 70 hours. He
used spruce exterior plywood made at the plant he has to drive past on his way to the lumberyard. The AFs are
all simple sharpies with traditional looks.
The sail rig is the exact one I used on my old Jinni and also found its way onto the Pencibox. I align the sail
area directly above the trailing edge of the narrow leeboard on sharpies. If weather helm becomes a problem
(hardly ever happens), you can dial it out by sweeping the leeboard aft. Traditional teaching would have the sail
much farther forward, but that guarantees undesirable lee helm in a boat like this. I’ll bet the old rule about
“lead" in sail layout applies well to the sharp deep cutwater designs of traditional planked boats.
Also, I’ve shown external chine logs on AF3 and all my sharpies. They are an easy, quick, and strong bottom
attachment, but many can’t accept their looks. Use traditional interior logs if you wish. Better yet, use
epoxy/fiberglass tape chine joints with a healthy interior radius. That makes for a really clean-looking layout
and the worst rot area in wooden boats, that chine log, is totally eliminated.
AF3 uses six sheets of lA" plywood and two sheets of Vi" plywood.

AF4
Cuddy Power Sharpie
18'x 5'
350 pounds empty

AF4 is a simple low-powered cuddy cruiser intended for protected water. I built the prototype myself.
This sharpie shape won’t handle rough water like a dory, but it’s very easy to build and is roomier. AF4 has
an open bow well for anchors and junk. The cabin is 8 feet long and 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide for minimal
camping. It should be comfy for one and snug for two. It has a slot top to allow stand-up boating in good
weather. The cockpit is a full 6 feet long and 4 feet wide and totally open. Aft of the cockpit is a draining motor
 MOHE DESIGNS 171

well. For power I would say 15 hp maximum. With an old 1956 Johnson 10 hp, mine goes 17 mph full throttle
and cruises comfortably at about 12 mph at about half throttle.
AF4 uses simple nail and glue construction. Five sheets of lA" plywood and four sheets of Vi" plywood.

AF4 Breve
Cuddy Power Sharpie
15’ 6" x 5'
350 pounds empty

Bruce Givens of Virginia Beach, Virginia, didn’t have the shop space to build the 18-foot AF4 so we
scrunched up the design to 15' 6". The cabin was shortened to 7 feet, the cockpit to 5 feet and the motor well
to 1 foot. The overall width and depth are the same as AF4.
The result was a completely new set of drawings, although it can be possible to stretch or shorten a boat
without new drawings by altering the length dimensions. In that case you will have to refigure the bevels as you
build, but it has been done. Other changes in AF4B, introduced after my AF4 experiences, were a thicker
bottom and a shallower anchor well in the bow. That was about it.
I would still say 10 hp maximum.
AF4B uses simple nail-and-glue construction. Four sheets of !4" plywood and four sheets of Vi” plywood.

JON JR.
Power Skiff
12'x 4'
100 pounds empty

Jon Jr. is a small jonboat, sort of a personal boat that will take two normal-sized adults. It’s a perfect “hack of
the pickup truck” boat. It could also be cartopped, its empty weight being about 100 pounds.
As for power, I’d suggest 5 hp max. This boat with a light motor will weigh about 150 pounds ready to go,
 172 BOATBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

say 350 pounds with a man and a bit of gear. So 5 hp might just do it. Besides, this boat is too small for big
waters and covering a lot of distance.
Construction is of the simplest “instant boat” type from three sheets of lA" plywood. All nail-and-glue
construction with a smattering of epoxy and fiberglass to fortify the chine corners.

JB JR.
Sailboat
15'x 5'
400 pounds empty

This is Jewelbox Junior, a 15-foot version of the original 19-foot Jewelbox. It is also narrower to the point
where the bottom is planked with just two sheets of Vi plywood. Perhaps the best comparison of the two boats
would be that Jewelbox needs 16 sheets of plywood while JB Jr. needs 9. In particular, I hoped that Junior could
be towed behind a small car. The prototype JB Jr. was built by Erwin Roux of Mifflinville, Pennsylvania.
I did some studies involving the self-righting abilities of Junior. With its lighter bottom planking, Junior is
bound to be less able in that department than Jewelbox, which Karl James says has righted from having its
windows submerged. By my studies, which assumed the worst condition of a light crew, Junior should self-right
from rolling to about 65 degrees. Beyond that and she would roll another 15 degrees and become stable on her
side. She won’t flood due to her Birdwatcher cabin. If you couldn’t rock the boat back upright you would have
to exit, right it from the water, and climb back in. These are just paper studies. More weight on the bottom,
especially another layer of plywood there, would be a good investment if you could tow the extra weight. The
hull shape will have no trouble floating the extra weight.
I’ve shown Junior with a sharpie sprit rig, same as the AF3. But you could substitute a lug sail of similar size,
or perhaps slightly larger, if you wished. Simple nail-and-glue construction with no jigs or lofting.
 MOKE DESIGNS
173

NORMSBOAT
Cuddy Cabin Sailboat
18' x 5' 6”
600 pounds empty

Norm had joined a group that travels rather far with their trailer sailers. He wanted the ability to motor, the
possibility of self-rescue, and ease of rigging and trailering. The prototype was built by Cullison Smallcraft of
Silver Springs, Maryland.
Normsboat has a short motor well. Just forward of the well is a buoyancy/storage chamber, then a 6’ long
cockpit with bench seating, then a IVi-ioot cuddy cabin with a slot top, and finally a small bow well.
Almost every feature of Normsboat is something I learned from Bolger: the highly rockered sharpie hull, the
double-planked bottom (strength and weight where they are needed, but this boat is not self-righting), the
draining wells bow and stern, the emergency buoyancy system, the slot-top cuddy, the lug sail with off center
mounting, and the single pivoting leeboard.
Fourteen sheets of 3/8" plywood with simple nail-and-glue construction. No jigs, no lofting.

AF2
Cuddy Sharpie
2O’ x 5' 6"
600 pounds empty

The AF2 is the ancestor of both the AF3 and the AF4. The prototype was built by Richard Spelling of Sand
Springs, Oklahoma. AF2 is almost 5 feet longer than AF3, and is 6" wider and deeper. The result is a boat that
is a bit more of a cruiser than a daysailer. The cabin is just tall enough to allow you to sit up, and that allows
low seating in the cockpit. Like AF3 this boat has no ballast, and keeping the crew weight low is important. AF2
is not self-righting in a knockdown. But I hope it will right when the skipper puts his weight on the leeboard,
 174 BOATBUILDING FOB BEGINNERS (AND BEYOND)

as does the smaller AF3. (If you raise the cabin in a boat like AF2, you will need to raise the cockpit seats, and
soon you will need to add ballast, and you quickly end up with a totally different boat in a quantum jump.)
The plywood bill looks like six sheets of W, seven sheets of / ",
3 8 and erne sheet of Vi. I used a gaff rig of 114
square feet on AF2 to avoid a really tall mast. She has my standard pivoting leeboard.

FROLIC2
Cuddy Sailboat
20’ x 5'
400 pounds empty

The prototype Frolic2 was built by Larry Martin, then of Coos Bay, Oregon. Frolic2 was designed with rough
water in mind and is long and lean, especially in the bow. That plus the multichine cross section make for a
good rough-water boat. But remember, Frolic2 is unballasted and can capsize. Then the skipper should be able
to self-rescue because the boat has large flotation volumes fore and aft, assuming the cabin and aft hatch
openings are securely covered. She has a slot-top cabin big enough to sleep in, and a 6-foot long cockpit with
benches, also big enough to sleep in.
The lug rig is for quick and easy stowing and rowing. It may be too large, but these sails reef well. They can
be closer winded reefed than when full, perhaps because the yard is better controlled. She has a pivoting
leeboard as do almost all my sailboats.
Bigger boats can row well if there is no wind or waves. But I’ve put a small motor well on this one and 2 hp
is probably a realistic max.
She needs eleven sheets of V4" plywood and two sheets of Vi" plywood with jigless taped-seam construction.
 MORE DESIGNS 17?

CAPRICE
Sailboat
25' x 6'
900 pounds empty

This one is a 25 percent enlargement of Frolic2—at least the main hull lines are. A straight scaling of an
existing design hardly ever works perfectly for one reason or another. In this case I raised the cabin deck to get
more headroom and had to shift bulkheads around to get some more living space. The prototype was built by
Chuck Leinweber of Harper, Texas, who edits the great website www.Duckworksmagazine.com.
I drew in four separate water ballast tanks totaling about 700 pounds of water, which should keep her on
her feet. The layout is pretty routine for a boat this size: The first two feet are open well for the anchors and wet
stuff, followed by the bunkhouse for two, then the decked over raised cockpit that sheds water, followed by an
open motor well.
The sail rig uses the balanced lug main that I like so much. The main mast is just 16 feet long, setting 190
square feet of sail. It steps on a tabernacle that is off center enough that you could use the boat as a motorboat
with the rig folded and still have the hatch openings clear. The small mizzen will steady the boat at anchor or
while reefing the main.
Caprice uses a rather large pile of plywood with taped-seam construction. Eight sheets of V4" plywood, nine
sheets of 3/8" plywood, five sheets of Vi ply, and one sheet of TV ply.

CORMORANT
Sailboat
31' x 8' 2500 pounds empty

Caprice’s big sister is a trailerable sailboat that can accommodate a family of four for a week or two easily.
 Contact information:

Jim Michalak
118 East Randle Street
Lebanon, 1L 62254
E-mail: michalak@apci.net
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SPECIFICATIONS

1. Temporary forms 2 and 8 from 3A" x 3 Vi" —Then screw temporary form 2 in place. Then
lumber. Mark centerlines boldly. No bevels nail and glue stem in place. Keep assembly
required. straight and untwisted.

2. Bulkheads 4.2 and 10.7 from V4" plywood 6. Chine logs from 3A" x 1V4" with constant
with 3A" x 1 Vi" framing. Note that the top edge 10-degree bevel presawn.
of bulkhead 4.2 has doubled framing to
strengthen the attachment for the mast partner.
Mark centerlines boldly. 7. Wales from two laminations of 3A" x 1 Vi".
Inner lamination should have 10-degree bevel
as shown to allow flat surface to attach decks.
3. Transom from V4" plywood with 1 Vi" square
framing and center plate of 3A" x 3 Vi" lumber.
Note that extra material is required beyond the 8. Bottom from Vi" plywood with butt plates
basic dimensions to accommodate the bevels. from 3A" x 3 Vi" lumber or equal. Trim and
Mark centerlines boldly. (The top needs a radius corners.
beveled cut, too, on its top edge, to accept flat
decking. Because the angles are equal, you can
cut both the top and bottom pieces from one —Armor bottom with one layer of 6-ounce
2x4, making the angled cut only once.) cloth set in polyester or epoxy, plus an addi¬
tional layer of 3" glass tape around corners.

4. Stem to full-sized pattern, approximately 22"

long to be trimmed to length on assembly. 9. Decks from W plywood. Attach with screws
Mark centerlines boldly. and latex caulk to allow for future removal.

5. Sides from W plywood to pattern shown. 10. Coamings from 3A" x lVi" lumber.
Butt straps from 3A" x 3 Vi" lumber or equal.
Mark form and bulkhead locations boldly.
11. Hatch covers from V4" plywood with 3A"
square locating cleats. Secure with shock cords.
—To assemble hull, screw sides to temporary
form 8.
12. Outer stem (optional) from 1 Vi" lumber.
—Draw ends together with ropes and install
bulkheads with glue and nails.
MAYFLY SAIL RIG KEY

A. Rudder from double Vi" plywood to finish J. Mast step from 1 Vi" laminated atop W thick
1" thick. Lead weight approximately 3 pounds. bearing plate. Note drain slot in step hole.
W pivot bolt.

K. Mast partner from 1 Vi" thick lumber. Bolt

B. Rudder cheeks from double Vi" plywood to to bulkhead with V4" bolts,
finish 1" thick. Standard pintles and gudgeons.

L. Sail from 3- or 4-ounce sailcloth, or polytarp.

C. Tiller from 1 Vi" lumber. 5/16" pivot bolt.

D. Leeboard from double Vi" plywood to finish

1" thick. 3/8" pivot bolt.

E. Upper leeboard guard from four layers of W

plywood to finish 1" thick. Mold layers to
approximate curve of sheer. Attach to wale with
six V4" bolts and glue.

F. Lower leeboard guard from 1 Vi" lumber.

Trim outer face such that leeboard hangs verti¬
cally and is parallel to hull centerline.

G. Mast: solid, round or octagonal.

H. Yard from lVi" square or equal, 11' overall.

I. boom from lVi" square or equal, 11' overall.

PIRAGUA PLANS
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 CnhAHcWa K4«5 ISBN HNHM..N-*
/

yes, you can build a beat!

It’s one of the most enjoyable, rewarding things you can do.

This book contains full building plans for 6 different boats,

including a 14-foot sailboat, a 2-person canoe, 2 rowboats, and
2 motorboats. And it contains instructions for making your own
oars, making your own sails, and a wealth of other practical
information.

Includes C full sets cf building plans

This book takes the complete novice—armed only with a

gleam in the eye, and a basic knowledge of hammer, saw, and
screwdriver—and walks him or her through the process of
building a boat. The basic materials are easily available from
any lumberyard: plywood, boards, nails, and wood glue. The
process is simple, the result is extraordinary—your own boat,
ready to take you over the water, built in your spare time, for
a fraction of the cost of buying a factory-built (boring!) boat.
And the sense of accomplishment is beyond compare.
Full plans and detailed step-by-step instructions are given,
with over one hundred drawings and photographs. Those
instructions can be applied to any of the plans included: for a sailboat, a motorboat, a rowboat, or a canoe.
This book goes beyond just building your boat: it includes chapters on making your own oars and sails; making
kick-up rudders, pivoting leeboards, flotation compartments, and hatches; tips for cartopping and trailering your
boat; information on fixing used outboard engines; and much more. It is an introductory book that will continue to be
pored over as the beginner transforms himself or herself into an experienced boatbuilder.
Also included are a catalog of 23 other boat designs for dreaming over, a guide to boatbuilding sites on the web, a
guide to materials suppliers, and a bibliography of further reading.
A great book for families, for scout groups, for school shop classes, for anyone who enjoys messing about in boats.

JIM MICHALAK is a former aerospace engineer who has become one of the foremost designers of homebuilt boats in
America. He lives in Lebanon, Illinois.

Building plans included for:

Mayfly: 14' sailboat
• Piragua: 13' pirogue, or simple canoe
QT Skiff (rowing version): 13' rowboat
QT Skiff (motor version): 13' motorboat
Jonsboat: 16' jonboat
Robote: 14' taped-seam rowboat

AE\C ICCM BREAKAWAY BOCKS:

The Working Guide

CHEAP to Traditional Published by breakaway books
OUTBOARDS Small-Boat Sails www.breakawaybooks.com
ISBN: 1-891369-29-6 $24 95
ISBN-13: 978-1-891369-29-2

5 2 49 c

The Beginner’s Guide to

Making an Old Motor
Run Forever
DAVID NICHOLS
Max E. Wawrzyniak III 781891 369292