JD, Dory, and Me Makes Three (No Camera)

Due to a severe lack of camera, I haven't taken any pictures in the boatshop in quite some time. This is part of the reason why there have been so few posts (none) since October. The other reason is that I haven't been in the boatshop very much at all. I have however been there a little. And JD has been here since my last post, and he is in fact here, in Olympia today. Which is why I'll be at the boatshop, and also why I'm posting now. Some explanation must be made, pictures or no, of the progress that has occurred and what we intend to happen from here on out. Here we go.

Since the last picture that showed the boat, I've added the next row of planks. This involved cutting a bevel into the top edge of the garboards so that the next plank would lay neatly, and with a good flat gluing surface. Once the mating surface was prepared I made a spiling pattern out of doorskin, and scarphed the planking stock for the topsides strake. Then I had to figure out how to handle the long planks , get the surfaces glued and attach them while keeping it positioned just so. I succeeded fairly well I think, but there's definitely some fixing to be done as we move on to the sheer strake.

Yesterday JD and I devised a system for pulling the lumps out of the topside plank so we can accurately cut the new bevel and fair for the sheer plank. I think we can cut the bevel today. Then we can make the pattern for the next strake. I'm thinking that it would be good to use 1/4 in. plywood for the pattern making, because it will bend more like the actual plank and won't deflect when I'm laying out the pattern to mark the spiles onto the planking stock. This probably doesn't make any sense, but it will when you see the boat. In your gut you'll know that I was spiling, avoiding deflection, cutting bevels, correcting errors, etc. and that it all adds up to a beautiful hull, right?

The big goal is to have the boat moveable by May. I'm going to be really busy, but it's a totally achievable goal. And it will put us well on track to rowing on the Sound this summer. Yesss!

Patterns and Spiling

I've finally finished all the fairing.  The new battens (thank you John Gardner and Howard Chapelle for the dimensions) made what was once almost impossible into a relatively easy task.  I still spent several days working my way along each frame, making the bevel just right to accept the planking.  

Yesterday, I ended the day making the pattern for the garboard plank.  This is really exciting because it means we've made it to the next major part of the project (and the part that makes the boat a boat).  We're now separating the inside of the boat from the outside, making it a floatable object.  

Today I finished making the garboard pattern, and spiled the shape of the plank-to-be onto it.  Spiling is the process of transfering a three dimensional shape onto a flat piece of something (probably wood) that's held against the object.  In this case the object is the hull of the boat, the transfer tool is a compass, and the flat spiling stock is 1/8 inch plywood bent around the frames of the boat.  (The pictures will make it a little clearer.)  

After finishing the pattern and spiling, my problem this morning went something like this:  I have one eight by four foot piece of plywood to make the garboard plank with.  The plank is about 17 feet long by twenty or so inches wide with a big curve.  How did I get 17 feet out of 16 feet?  Very carefully.  Look at the pictures to discover my fancy style.