Boat Stuff

2010-12-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

Build a Dinghy: Part 32: First Launch

2010-09-29T21:18:00.002-04:00

Launched the skiff as a rowboat today--I'm still working on the spars and foils. Here she is rolled out of the shop into the sun on the cart I built. I have clamped the oarlocks in place temporarily to see how the boat trims in the water before committing to their final placement. Brightwork is 3-coats Sikkens Cetol Marine Light. Topsides paint is Kirby Hatteras Off White; Interior Paint is Kirby Red Tint. Despite my efforts at lighting in the shop (ahem, garage), the sunlight revealed some holidays in the varnish I'll have to feather in. Small thing to a giant: I'm still pleased with the way she looks. Here, my Daughter Keira and I rolled her down the street to the beach, under the watch of Bart the Dog. The cart worked fine, and I'm glad I took the advice of fellow Wooden Boat Forum members to use a top-strap in addition to the notched "bunk." Here I am sitting on a milk crate--a removeable seat will be built once I determine the best location for it. Ideally, the stem and transom will just clear the water when my weight is in the right spot. Here, I am a few inches too far aft, and the transom is immersed. No good. Sliding a few inches forward, and the boat trimmed perfectly! With my two kids also aboard--one in the bow and one aft--the stem and transom just "kiss" the water. I marked the spot and will mount seat and oarlocks accordingly, She rows really nice , leaving a small, but purposeful little wake and seems to track ok. The 6mm ply bottom didn't oilcan as much as I thought it would--a pleasant surprise. I rowed around the bulkhead seen here and into the creek to cruise our community docks and met with a few wolf whistles and thumbs-up from some boaters on the dock battening down for the big blow that's due here tomorrow. My freind and neighbor Bill, an avid sailor, really liked her and met me back at the beach to see the boat out of the water. When he saw my cart, and the simple rope tie-down, he said," Wait here," and dashed off on his bike to his house. He returned with a small, ratcheting web trailer tie down to replace the line, saying: " Here, now I've contributed a bit to your beautiful boat." Real nice.Bill and his wife Jane both ended up coming to dinner and talked about rowing, places to row, etc. Now to build the sailing bits!

2010-09-28T19:41:00.002-04:00

Build a Dinghy: Part 31

2010-09-25T22:14:00.002-04:00

I had some cutoffs of the bronze half-round left over, so I shaped and fitted them to serve as transom capping.

Build a Dinghy:Part 30

2010-09-08T17:24:00.004-04:00

Installed my stem band today. Made from solid backed bronze half-round. Cut and shaped with hacksaw and files. Drilled, countersunk, screwed and glued.

Build a Dinghy: Part 29

2010-09-07T19:41:00.005-04:00

While the last coat of paint dries on the hullsides and with my cart built, I decided to start working on the skeg and stem guards. These are lengths of half-round solid bronze I purchased from Hamilton Marine. First they were cut to length with a hacksaw. Then the ends were beveled down with files to make them better looking and for streamlining. ( I dont have a pic, but the end that rests on the stem head was cut and filed into a spear-shaped point) Next, using a hammer, some heat and some "persuasion" I began shaping the bronze to fit the shapes of the skeg and stem resectively, bending the metal around the corner of each piece to provide good abrasion protection if (when) the boat gets dragged around a bit on the beach/shore. Then I drilled and countersunk holes for the bronze screws. Then I bedded the faying surfaces with epoxy thickened with cabosil and installed the skeg piece. I'll do the stem tommorrow. Here are two views of the skeg guard screwed and glued in place.

Build a Dinghy: Part 28: Small Boat Cart

2010-09-07T15:43:00.006-04:00

Getting close to launching my Summerbreeze design skiff as a rowboat, while I work on the sailing bits. In any event, I need a cart to wheel it the 400-feet to the bay. Here's what I came up with. First, I scavenged an old bicycle, some U-bolts, a scrap of carpet, some pressure treated 4 " x 4" lumber and a piece of pressure treated stair tread that washed up on the beach. I purchased a length of 3/8" all-thread rod for the axle. I ripped the stair tread to a narrower size, and cut the threaded rod to length. The tread had handy recesses in which to hold the rod straight and secure. Next I flipped the board and measured and marked for the U-bolts, drilling the holes and then using a spade bit to countersink the nuts. I layed the axle in the groove and secured it. Next, I cut the 4" x 4" into two sections and attached scrap carpet as padding using monel staples shot from a T-50 stapler. I secured the padded blocks with galvanized deck screws from below. I used 4-by material since the skeg on my boat is 4-inches tall, allowing the blocks to hold the boat upright while the skeg fits in the slot between them. Then I simply slid the bicycle tires on and secured them with double nuts. I say "simply" but I had to re-tap the nuts for the coarse thread rod ( I tried to buy fine thread rod to match the nuts but couldn't find it locally.) As a finishing touch, I secured a length of web strapping to the blocks with ss screws and cup washers. The idea is these will hold the skeg. I intend to place the stern/skeg in the slot between the blocks and push the boat across the street. The strap will keep the cart in place under the boat. Here's the finished cart.

Build a Dinghy: Part 27

2010-08-19T15:55:00.005-04:00

After the glue-up cured, I used a pull saw, rasp, files and sandpaper to cut and shape the oarlock pads to their final dimensions. Now to drill for the hardware--the oarlock socket seen here. This required a 3/4" spade bit for the center hole, where the locks go and a pair of stepped holes for the bronze, flathead wood screws that secure the sockets to the blocks. (The holes are stepped to account for the difference in diameter between the threaded part of a woodscrew and the unthreaded shank, just below the head. Here's how they came out.

Build a Dinghy: Part 26

2010-07-10T21:23:00.004-04:00

Fixed the bike, picked-up the kids and it rained...so I got out of yardwork. Hence, I rushed to my bench, to start building the oarlock pads for my Summerbreeze Skiff. First, I cut some leftover chine stock into 10-inch long pieces and dry fit them together. Next, I coated the faying surfaces with straight epoxy; then buttered them with epoxy thickened with colloidal silica. I used wire ties to clamp the bundles together and a spring clamp to induce a little extra squeeze-out. Longitudinal alignment was achieved by eye, basically, as these 10-inch long blocks form rough stock for oarlock pads that will be 8-inches finished length. Hitting the road, so wont be back to this til next weekend, when, hopefully, I'll shape and install the pads and locks. Then all I need do is flip the boat and give the topsides two more coats of Kirby's. At that point it will be a completed rowboat. Of course, I'm building the sailing version.....but it will be nice to splash the boat while I work on the spars, rudder, tiller, and board.

Build a Dinghy: Part 25

2010-07-10T16:17:00.004-04:00

My breasthook is laminated from two 3/4" pieces of teak --cutoffs I had laying around. The glue-up was fine, but I didn't want the end grain exposed on the aft edge. So I fitted this "fashion piece" out of douglas fir to cap the end grain. It matches the inwales.

Build a Dinghy: Part 24

2010-07-06T00:04:00.006-04:00

Inwale Glue-Up I prepped by masking the boat, as I've learned that blobs of cured epoxy take more time to clean than to prevent. In this shot you can see the blocks, quarterknees, breasthook are ready to accept the rails. I dry fit them to be sure. During the dry-fit, I marked the rails so I would know where to apply a glue. I then slathered on thinned epoxy, to both the boat, and the rails, then buttered each with epoxy mixed with cabosil (colloidal silica), and snapped the rails in place. They stayed more or less put without any clamps, but I applied light clamping pressure to ensure good "squeeze-out." I let them cure for two days, then used block plane to tune everything together. Note that per the teachings of Greg Rossel, my rails display "virtual camber." That is, they are sloped outboard, giving a jaunty look. Much saltier than had I installed them horizontally. In this last shot, we see that I have planed the portside rail, but have not yet "tuned-up" the starboard rail, bringing the inwale, outwale, and spacer blocks into the same plane. Click the pic for a larger view.

Falvey’s Long Island Fishing Book Sighting | www.boats.com

2010-07-01T00:08:00.000-04:00

Falvey’s Long Island Fishing Book Sighting | www.boats.com

Build a Dinghy:Part 23

2010-04-29T12:37:00.004-04:00

Well, I started on my mast blank. I really need to sand the interior and get another coat of paint on so I can install the inwales, but I need this 10-foot long chuck of wood out of my way. So, I ripped a 2 x 6 out of the 2 x 12 of doug fir I had and then ripped that into a pair of 2 x3's. I pre-coated them with straight epoxy, then a mix with colloidal silica and slapped them together. Clamping pressure is light, using the solvent cans, and I achieved good squeezout. Once I clean up the squeeze a little, I'll clamp this lamination between two boardson which I stapled plastic sheeting so they wont stick. That should cure the slight misalignment seen in the pic. Getting there.

Build a Dinghy: Part 22

2010-04-15T22:50:00.004-04:00

OK, now that I've got two coats of paint on the interior, I dry-fit my inwales. I clamped them along the spacer blocks and then used my shop-made bevel gauge, a'la Greg Rossel to take and mark the angles on the inwale stock. (Store-bought bevel gauges are too big for the tight confines of smal boats. This one, made from an old hacksaw blade and a rivet is "just right.")I'm happy with how these cuts came out and will now remove the inwales, soak them and clamp them in place. When they dry they will be pre-bent and ready for glue and fasteners.

Build a Dinghy: Part 21

2010-04-13T21:25:00.003-04:00

My inwale spacer block and quarter knee installation came out fine. Prior to installing the inwales and mast partner, I painted the interior with a coat of Kirby's 'Red Tint." The paint was boxed by pouring back and forth into larger containers. Brushes are a Purdy sash style for cutting around the blocks and frame etc and a 3" Wooster brand recommended by Kirby. As you can see I had a helper: its her boat and she picked the color. Two more coats and then I'll install the inwales and partner. Sharp-eyed among you might notice that I forgot to mask off where the mast step goes. It gets epoxied in place, so I guess I'll have to "wood" that spot for good adhesion, yes? Exterior is white, the rails, stem, knees, teak plywood transom will be oil finished. I am debating what exact finish to use and so a question: Can I paint over Le Tonk, shop-mixed boat soup or tung oil?

Build a Dinghy Part 20: Ripping Spar stock and inwales.

2010-03-27T10:57:00.001-04:00

Ripped the stock for boom and yard (square pieces) and for inwales. I use a skilsaw and a scrap aluminum fence tacked in place to guide the cuts.

Build a Dinghy: Part 19 Spar Stock

2010-03-26T22:02:00.003-04:00

Here's a beautiful piece of CVG (clear vertical grain) Doug Fir from which I'll get out my inwales, as well as the mast partner, spar, boom and mast. This board is a nominal 2" x 12" x 14' and I picked through the pile to find the tightest grain and the least knots and pitch pockets.

Build A Dinghy Part 19: Fastening inwale blocks and quarter knees

2010-03-26T21:33:00.004-04:00

Here, I spaced the inwale blocks evenely alongside each side of the boat--taking into account the eventual position of my oarlock pads. To make sure they were even on each side (remember, these are curved surfaces) I used a technique called "horning." This entailed affixing a length of string at the bow and running the other end to a block, then swinging the string across the boat and placing the other block at the same length of string. Sounds weird, but if you visualize it, its simply creating a "virtual" isosceles triangle (Thats the one with at least two equal sides.) I clamped the spacer blocks in position, remeasured, the set back and eyeballed everything. Looked good, so I taped off the mounting line. If your sharp eyed, you'll note that the blocks are set a hair higher than the sheer of the boat. This is to create some flare or camber. Once the rails are installed, everything will be planed down flush, creating a slight outboard crown. I applied straight epoxy to both the boat and the blocks. Then I overcoated with thickened epoxy and clamped the blocks in position. Since the temps were to drop into the 30's overnight, and epoxy likes at least 50 degrees to cure, I created a tent over the boat with a blue tarp. I then placed a pair of 100 W worklamps in the boat. This kept the temp on my glue-up at 61-degrees F in my unheated boatshop --er, garage.(LOL)

Build a Dinghy Part 18: Inwales

2010-03-26T21:16:00.004-04:00

I've got 61 Hours in my Summerbreeze design skiff, though I started a year ago to date. Such is life. Here, I've cut 1 x2 lumber into 3-inch long pieces to use as the spacer blocks for my inwales ( rails that run along the sheer inside the boat, creating a sort of truss). Twenty blocks, all three inches long but for the two that support the mast partner: Those are 6-inches long. Cuts were made with precision using a simple stop on my bench saw. Rather than sand the end grain of each block one at a time, I clamped up a rack on my bench that secured the blocks end up. I then sanded the end grain of all of them simultaneously using a palm sander. Having no bottom, I simply flipped the rack to sand the other side.

Build a Dinghy: Part 17

2010-02-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

Here are my quarterknees, almost finished, Just a few more swipes of the plane....

My Other Blog

2010-02-13T23:11:00.004-05:00

Here's a post from my All Aboard Blog

Coastal Waters Forecast for Coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL out 20 NM (AMZ651)

2010-02-11T06:21:00.000-05:00

Here's todays Wx for tesing boats at the Miami Boat Show. Today I'm running a Luhrs 37 Canyon with IPS and a Formula 400 Super Sport with Joystick-controlled deisel sterndrives from Volvo Penta. Lucky me.. the guys running smaller boats are gonn get killed. Check the forecast by clicking the link. Coastal Waters Forecast for Coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL out 20 NM (AMZ651)

Recycling a Makita as a Boat Drill: Part 3

2010-02-04T22:30:00.006-05:00

Here's the completed drill. Works great.I can plug it into a recptacle aboard the boat and never worry for lack of power. Its also lighter , not having the battery in the handle, which is advantageous sometimes, like when I use it to give the interior of my Regulator a mid-season wax. I even use it in the shop: I have a 12-volt power supply plugged in at my bench (this powers a VHF radio I use to chat with my fishing buddies when I cant get out on the bay) so I just use it as a corded drill. It took about a half hour to make--a lot less time than it took to post the process to the blog. Click Here for Part 1 Click Here for Part 2

Recycling a Makita as a Boat Drill: Part 2

2010-02-04T22:13:00.007-05:00

To wire the Sealink plug described in Part 1, you'll need a small Phillips and a small slot screwdriver. First, remove the center screw holding the assembly together. Next, spin off the threaded tip, which conceals the fuse, and remove the fuse. Third, slip the slot screwdriver under the O-ring so you can grasp it and gently pull it off. Now separate the two halves. Step five is to remove the pair of Phillips screws holding the hold-down bracket and strain-relief boot. Remove both. After stripping your wires, loosen the screws for the wire clamps, slip the boot over your cable; Now insert the wires into the clamps paying attention to polarity. You can see where the positive and negative goes in the picture--or read the directions. Tighten down, pull to test the integrity, re-seat the boot and reassemble the works. Click Here for Part 1 Click Here for Part 3

Recycling a Makita as a Boat Drill: Part 1

2010-02-04T21:46:00.017-05:00

A cordless drill is a must tool for the boatowner. No shorepower cord needed. I fit them with paint mixers, use them for making repairs, installing accessories, attach sanding disks, polishing pads....it's my most used power tool. But my while my trusty 14-year old 12-volt Makita still works like a champ, batteries for this veteran are now hard to come by. Sure I can get them on EBAY, or I could repack the cells. But since I have a couple other drills, I decided to make a boat-specific drill instead. Since this model is 12-volts, all I had to do was make a wiring harness to connect to my boats DC power supply. Here's how I did it, in about an hour, using scavenged parts from the nooks and crannies of my shop. Step 1: I stripped both ends of a 12-foot length of ANCOR MARINE 16-gauge duplex boat cable. Duplex has both the (+) and (-) tin-plated conductors already wrapped in a jacket. Its my preffered wire for any boat work because of the tin-plated corrosion resistance-- and its rated fire-resistant to 105 F. I crimped -on spade connectors that mated to the battery contact plates inside the drill on one end of the cable; on the other end, I wired a Marinco SeaLink 12-v plug. I like these Sea Link plugs as they are locking, have an LED on indicator, and are O-ring sealed. I have used them for over a decade and they work great--in fact this one here is scavenged from an old spotlight on which I replaced the cheapo factory plug. The light finally died after 8 years of use. It lived on three boats, but the Sea Link plug is still like new. So I cut it off, chucked in a coffee can of spare parts about a year ago, where it resided( preserved in sawdust) and re-used it here. In Part 2, I'll show you how to wire this plug. Click Here for PART 2

Building the Marissa: Last Class

2010-01-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

Building the Marissa: Last Class What a great boatbuilding blog!

Eric Sorensen on Hull Design: Grady-White 230

2010-01-21T22:51:00.006-05:00

Here's my good friend, marine consultant, journalist, and boating expert, describing the "why" behind the shape of the keel aboard a Grady-White 230.Eric's website and book are HERE.

Build a Dinghy: Part 17

2010-01-17T18:19:00.001-05:00

So I deviated from the original plans, deciding to cut a rabbet in my rubrails in order to cover the exposed end-grain of the plywood at the sheerline. But...DOH...I didn't adjust the transom height accordingly. Now, I'll have to install a caprail to make up the height. Can't decide whether to laminate it from several thin strips, or simply bend one stick across the crowned transom and call it a day. Hmmmmm.......

2010-01-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Bob Villa of the Sea

2010-01-10T19:19:00.001-05:00

Check out this video....my video test drive debut!

" Falvey's Guide" wins more acclaim!

2009-12-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Check out this flattering review from the East Hampton Star or click here: http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/HolidayBook/AFEWGOODREADSFORTHEOUTDOORSBOUND/tabid/10629/Default.aspx

Build a Dinghy: Part 22 Quarter Knees

2009-11-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

As described in Part 21, these quarter knees were cut carved and shaped from a glue-up of 1" x 4" pine . That way I didnt end up with "short grain" along one of the "arms" ( You always want wood grain to follow the load paths.) Shaping was done with a low angle block plane, a spokeshave and a rasp. The rough shape was cut with a jigsaw. These will be installed 1/8" high of the sides and transom, then planed flush for a mating fit.

Build a Dinghy: Part 21

2009-11-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

I made my quarter knees--the corner braces at the transom-from a glue-up of 1-by pine.I lapped the corners and and sed four boards for each "blank." I the cut the actual knees to shape, beveling their sides to fit the flare of the boat sides and the rake of the transom. Gluing up this way allowed me to orient the grain in the direction of the stresses. It is stronger than a solid piece of wood and easier than laminating curved pieces or steam bending. Here's a pic of the blanks in which you can see how I arranged the overlapping glue-up. I will post a picture of the final shaped knees later. Here, I have beveled the arms that rest along the transom, using a block plane. More shaping and beveling to come.

Build a Dinghy Part 20

2009-11-01T00:33:00.000-04:00

First coat of paint went on and I'm happy with the job I did sanding and fairing. Cant see the 'glass om the chines. Ok, I can, up close, but it came out really good. If you are sharp-eyed, you'll notice I have'nt yet painted the port side of the boat--thats the side on the right in the photo. There, you can see the biaxial glass cloth. I'm treating this first coat as a prime coat anyhow: it showed the high spots and other minor imperfections that where hard to see on the unpainted wood. Most of this coat will get sanded off, then I'll aplly the "real" first coat--and then one more!. That messy rubrail low in the picture? Thats masking tape. Those rails are going to be finished natural.

Build a Dinghy: Part 19

2009-10-12T16:23:00.000-04:00

After installing the rails and breasthook, I flipped the boat over and glassed the chines. I used 6-inch wide biaxial tape, which is lower profile than woven cloth.( Its knitted, so doesnt have the ins and outs of a weave). It also doesnt have a hard selvage edge to have to sand and fair in smoothly. Its also stronger.

First I dry fit a cut piece of biax. Then I applied epoxy resin to the chines. Then I smoothed the fabric in with a plastic spreader. then I used a spreader and brush to apply more resin atop the fabric, wetting it out.

After that cured for 24 hours, I applied another coat of resin to fill the weave, "painting" it wide of the fabric edge to help fair it in. After that cured, I mixed Microlight fairing filler with resin and "bogged" the chines, making a real smooth transistion from glass to wood, as you can see.

I then coated the entire hull in epoxy. I wasnt planning in this--its optional really, adding weight and expense--but I had som many drips that I brushed out from apllying the 'glass to the chines, that the boat was half-coated already. So I just rolled on another coat,tipping-off with a foam brush to remove the stipple.

Finally, you see the glass-like surface and the new "owner" in the shop for a progress check (my daughter Keira)

Build a Dinghy: Part 18

2009-10-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

To put the guardrails--rubrails, guards, pick your term--I had to soak them in water for a few days. I used a piece of gutter to do this, blocking the ends and filling with water. Then I weighted the wood to keep it submerged.

When I tried dry fitting them, they crackled alot at the transom, where in addition to a good bend, the rails also have to twist to follow the sheerline. Soaking them made them pliable. I then clamped them in place, then let them dry for three days, removed them, applied glue and put them back. This is every boat builders favorite shot: every clamp in the house (almost--49 clamps; I own 58!).

Youc can see in the top pic how the rails over hang the transom. After teh glue dried, I cut them flush using my Japanese flush cut saw. Using the boat to make cuts that way ensures a perfect fit every time.

Build a Dinghy: part 17

2009-10-12T15:54:00.000-04:00

Here is my skeg, cut from 5/8" teak plywood. I shaped it and cut it flush with the transom after it was glued and screwed. The first step is shown here, where a pencil sliding on a wood scrap is used to scribe the shape of the bottom rocker onto the skeg.It fit PURR-fectly!

Build a Dinghy: Part 16

2009-09-21T20:44:00.001-04:00

I cut and shaped the skeg out of 7/8" teak ply--marine grade. Glued it in and it looks sweet. I have the rails--the gunwales or guards if you prefer, soaking to make them easier to bend. Pics soon--promise!

Build a Dinghy Part 15

2009-08-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

When the spiders have laid eggs in and around your project, you know you've let it sit too long. Well, I'm back a'building! Glued and nailed the keelson to my Summerbreeze. The designer calls for placing the boat on the floor, getting in and using your weight to keep the keel tight to the hull bottom while nailing. When I tried that, I was able to get the keelson on center at the transom and stem, but it "wandered" amidship (delflected to the side). Here's how I did it intstead.

1. Marked centerline on boat bottom.

2. Placed center of keelson on the C/L, clamped it down, traced it.

3. Removed the keelson and drilled pilot holes within the tracing from outside. (hull bottom)

4. Buttered hull and keelson with epoxy, nailed it down into the transom, applied a clamp bar, and nailed into the center frame as well.

5. Climbed under boat and nailed through pilot holes into keelson, stopping at the center frame.

6. Moved the clamp forward of the center frame, --half way to the stem--and applied a second clamp to the keelson at the stem

7. Climbed under again and finished nailing through the pre-drilled holes.

Here are pictures of my clamp, the resulting glue line, and the aft end of the keelson, nothced to accept the skeg ( I have to make the skeg next). Wouldnt want to put the keelson on without cutting that notch--would be difficult to cut it after its glued in place! The tan strips either side of the keelson are plastic strapping tape, used to keep squeeze out from making a mess.

Hi! Atus!

2009-07-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! I Just got re-employed and been busy making that transition. The Summerbreeze "Princess" will resume building soon! Kevin

Build aDinghy: Part 15

2009-06-09T10:13:00.000-04:00

While its helpful to have an array of tools, glues and equipment when building a boat, there's one piece of equipment that rarely gets mentioned in how-to articles: an eraser.

Here you can see how, after snapping a centerline, I laid the keel-shoe on for test fitting offset from center. Of course I didnt catch this until after I had traced its outline in deep, dark pencil lines. I need the outline to drill the pilot holes for the screws that hold the keel. These are driven from the inside so the pilot holes will guide me when I'm under the boat.The large childrens eraser shown is my constant companion. I've since re-measured and re-marked the lines.

Old Saying: Measure once, curse twice!

Build a Dinghy: Part 14

2009-06-01T23:09:00.000-04:00

Last time, I detailed how the oversized bottom was dry fit and cut to size. Here, you see the results of all that planning, marking and measuring. After buttering the chine logs, the stem and the transom with straight epoxy adn letting it soak in for a few minutes, I next applied a thickened glue mixture containing colloidal silica and milled wood fibers. ( The silica spreads out smooth, a charachteristic I'll appreciate when tooling the squeeze out into beads, called filets ( fill-its) along the chine and bottom. The milled fibers offer greater adhesive strength. So I mixed the two to take advantage of the best properties of both.

After the glue was set, I used a putty knife ground to shape to make my filets and a another putty knife, this one filed knife-sharp, to scrape excess squeeze out. If you catch epoxy at just the right time, you can scrape it smooth. Its way easier than sanding. After the glue fully cured, I used a plane, and then sandpaper, to round the chine and transon/bottom joint so it will take fiberglass better. Glass cloth reinforcement doesnt like sharp corners. I'll be applying +/- 45 6-0z biaxial cloth. Since its not woven, the individual strands dont make all those in and out bends, which is weaker. Additionally, the +/- minus business means the fibers run at a 45-degree angle to one another, instead of at a right angle. When laid across the chine, all the fibers will contribute to strength. With woven cloth, only half the fibers are working, the other half are just along for the ride. Knitted fabric is great. I'll be using peel-ply to provide a smooth finish.

In these pics, you see the chine joint after glueing, scraping, planing and sanding. Looks great, right? Also shown are two views of the dry fit stem. this was machined from VG doug fir, 3/4" x 1." Its glued, and screwed onto the boat with 1-1/2" silicon bronze flathead, square-drive, wood screws. You can see the counterbores I made along its centerline pretty clearly.

The keel adn skeg are next, then the boat gets turned over to work on inwales, outwales, breasthook and quarter knees. Joinerwork--real fussy stuff. But very rewarding.

Build a Dinghy: Part 13

2009-05-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

After installing the chines and sanding/planing them flat as detailed in last post, its time to dry fit the bottom. The bottom is built oversized. I had already marked centerlines on the bottom, as well as on the transom, the frame and the stem of the boat. So after laying the rough cut bottom atop the upside down boat, I crawled under and lined everything up. Then I came "topside," checked everything again, and tacked the boattom to the chines, transom, stem and center frame with brad nails.

Next, I traced around the bottom overhang. I sanded a pencil flat to make this line as close as possible. Then I removed the bottom and clamped it to a scrap sheet of plywood. I set my circular saw for a shallow and cut out the shape just outside my line. Then I placed it back on the boat, and used a plane and sandpaper to bring the bottom to its exact size, rounding it somwhat at the chine so it will take fiberglass cloth better.

Next, using a shop-built spacer gauge, I pre-drilled the holes in the bottom through which the 1/2" screws into the chine would go. This gauge was the designers suggestion and a good one. Another tip I got from a friend, was to "knock down" the little bumps left by the drill with sandpaper to ensure a flatter fit on the chine ( Thanks Bob!). Finally, I applied a straight coat of expoxy, followed by a thickened mixture and screwed the bottom on. Check back to see the results--I've got squeeze-out to manage!

Build a Dinghy:Part 12

2009-05-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well, spring is here, and with it, yard work and two fishing boats to get into the water. Slowed my progress a bit for awhile. Got back to building and dry fit the chines.Had a problem in that I overcut the notch in the frame. You can see it in the photo. I made the depth OK, but was too wide. I used a short piece of chine as a marker to make the cut, but unfortunately, that little cut-off was thicker than teh rest of the chine. Sloppy dressing on my part. Oh, well. I'll fill it with thickened epoxy adn move on. You can also see here where the chines butt against the transom an stem. Those fits came out great. I used the technique of clamping the pieces in position and then running a saw through the joint several times to make a perfect fit. The idea comes from Greg Rossel's book, "Building Small Boats."

When I had the chines clamped in position, I drilled and countersunk for the 1/2" silicon bronze screws. The chines are glued with epoxy and screwed. (The designer calls for nails, but I chose screws for the additional control in such long skinny pieces. I countersunk them just a hair, as the plywood is only 6MM, or 1/4". Though I have drills and power drivers, I drove the screws with a manual screwdriver, loaded with the appropriate size squre drive tip--better control. Also, note how I taped the handle so as not to befoul it with epoxy.

After screwing and gluing, I cut the excess chine nearly flush to the sides with a pull saw, then a cheese grater( surform tool). Final dressing to flat was done with a low angle block plane, using a level to make sure I was flat to provide maximum gluing surface for the bottom, which goes on next.

Build a Dinghy:part 11

2009-05-05T23:10:00.000-04:00

Business travel, spring yard chores, building docks and getting my big boat ready have taken most of my spare time. Today, I dry fit and glued the major parts together, converting a pile of wood into a boatlike object.

I used plywood pads and machine screws to assmble and test fit. The pads prevent the head of the screw from creating a bigger hole to fill later. I attached the stem at the bow, using a length of cord wrapped around the planks to bring them together. I then attached the frame. Moving aft, I used more cord to pul the planks against the transom sides. Doing so revealed that I needed to bevel the sides and bottom of the transom some more. So I dissassembled adm reassembled 2 more times, shaving the bevel with a fine set plane til I had good mating surfaces. Epoxy is great and fills gaps, but good wood to wood fits are hard to beat.

Once the fit was right , I drilled pilot holes for my permanent fasteners. I dissassembled everything again and coated the surfaces to be joined with epoxy. This soaks in to the wood, so that my subsequnet thickened mixture doesnt soak in and starve the joint. I let that gel, then I applied the thickened mixture and re-assembled everything, this time with silicon bronze ring nails (transom and frame) and silicon bronze wood screws (stem.)

It was 50-degrees F tonight. Using the fast hardener gave me about an hour to do all the gluing, reassembly and clean up of drips, spatters and squeeze out. I masked the permimeters of the joints with packing tape (epoxy doesnt stick to it) which made cleaning easier.

Build a Dinghy: Part 10

2009-04-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

This picture shows the scarf joint after sanding it out. I used a Fein Multimaster http://www.feinus.com/ to bring the glue line close to flat. Since cured epoxy is very hard, and I wanted to get the glue line flat without sanding through the plywood veneers, I used the Multimaster to sand just the glue-line. This tool has a variety of attachments perfect for finish work in tough situations, and where precision is required. I highly reccomend this tool for boatbuilders.

Once the glue line was nearly flat, I finished sanding the old fashioned way: with sanding block and long board.

No that I've pre-fabricated all the major parts, the next post will show initial assembly. She's gonna look like a boat soon!

New Reality: Boats Built to Order?

2009-04-15T10:07:00.000-04:00

The changing economic scene may drastically alter the way we buy new boats in the future. Many senior executives at boat manufactures I've spoken with recently have hinted that the days of dealers having boats in stock ready for delivery, may be coming to an end. Instead, we'll go to a boat show, see a model, and then place an order. If you want a 23 and all they have built is a 25, then you'll be told " its the same as the 25 except a little smaller." Waiting 2-3 months for a boat will become the norm. Its not just that consumers arent spending, but commercial banks are changing the way they loan money to boat dealers ( and RV, lawn equipment, piano, and other high end products). In the past, a dealer would get financing from a company likey GE Capital http://gecommercialfinance.gecapsol.com/cms/servlet/cmsview/ComFin_Corp/prod/en/main/index.htmlthat would allow them to purchase boats interest free for about 6 months. After that, they would have to start paying nominal interest, say 1-percent a month. After a year, the boat would have to be paid off in full. This worked for dealers because it enabled them to stock boats with little cash outlay. Once they sold a boat, they would pay it off. Remember that it can take 4 months or longer to sell a boat. So with the free interest, the dealers ability to discount the boat to the consumer looking to haggle was possible. But now, the floor planning banks require 5-percent of the loan after 6-months, followed by another 2 percent every month til the end of the term. At todays boat prices, a 20-footer costs $30K, its not hard for even a small dealer with light inventory to still have millions of dollars in inventory . With just a mil in inventory, a small amount, that guy has to come up with $50, ooo after 6-months and $20K every month following. Its crushing, it takes the ability to discount the boat away as profit is eaten by interest. So what are dealers doing? They arent ordering boats from the factories for stock. Now the model of ordering a boat and waiting months for it is already established, in the high end boats and in larger boats targeted at wealthier customers. Knowing they have a sale, an ordered boat can be discounted somewhat and the dealer is happy to make and service the sale becuase he's making profit. But for "Joe Sixpack" this means buying something sight-unseen, and probably at a higher cost, because the boat will no longer be produced in high volume. For the dealers who service and sell smaller boats, the diminished profit potential, and the loss of "impulse" sales, means its not worth being in business--they will do something else ( I would). Many who choose to stay may die trying. The landscape is going to change dramatically.

Build a Dinghy: Part 9

2009-04-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

OK, I told you all about the sweet piece of VG fir I got to machine into various structural members for the Summerbreeze I'm currently building. Here's how I got out the rub rails from that board. The plans call for a 1/2" to 5/8" thick by 1.5" wide strip to be utilized for the gunwale, or rubrail, or guard,if you prefer. This is the batten that's installed on the outside of the planking at the sheer. I was fine with that, but concerned about the exposed end grain at the top of the plank. I could just install this rail, then install a similiar rail inside as an inwale and then cap the top with a covering board. BUT....I want open gunwales, with spacers, both for the aesthetics, and for the functionality of being able to turn the boat over after a sail and having all the water run out. So here's what I came up with.

I measured and marked the width of both rubrails on the edge of my board, adding, and marking for, 3/8" wide rabbet( short L-shape) to be cut out. When installed, the rabbet will cover the exposed grain of the ply at the top of the sheer. I tacked my trusty aluminum channel as a fence, set my saws depth of cut to 6mm (1/4"), the planking thickness. I then made two very accuarate cuts with the aluminum guide, each side of my marked width. I then used the saw free-hand to make about 20-kerfs(cuts) between the accurate cuts. I then chiseled out the waste. Voila! Rabbbeted rubrails! All I have to do now is remove the rest of the waste, then mark an cut down the center and I'll have two rails with protective sheer rabbets. ( Hey, did I just invent a new term?)

This technique is very easy when you're chisleling across the grain. Here, I had to do it along the grain, which is very splintery work. You go easy, pushing the chisel slow and steady. I also wore leather gloves which saved my from getting porcupined about a hundred times.

Build a Dinghy: Part 8

2009-04-13T22:57:00.000-04:00

Whether its a go-fast, a sportfisherman or a little plywood boat like this Summerbreeze I'm building, when you build light, you have to build stiff. Stiffness is what maintains the hull's shape. Here, stiffness is acheived largely by the use of rails cut from dimensional lumber. I'll need to cut Gunwales, inwales, a keel ( shoe) and chine stringers.

I selected a 1" x 12" x 12-foot long piece of vertical grain Doug Fir for these parts. Douglas fir is strong for its weight and glues better than oak. The vertical grain insures better bendability and increased reliability. It has less chance of cracking or splitting in service because with such straight grain I can cut it so that the load paths all run along the grain. If the grain were wavy, the forces exerted on the parts in service would find a "way out" following the grain to the edge of the board and cracking it. Hey, buying a board like this is no guarantee, it just ups the odds. Nor is it cheap. I paid 60 bucks for it.

Of course I'll get my two chines, two rubrails, and my keel shoe from this one board. I'm going to use pine for the inwales, as I have a nice length of it. Plus, the contrast with the fir, which is a tad darker than pine, will look good when all is varnished.

Notice how I'm using one piece of plywood set up on horses as the bench for this boat. In the background is my bottom, glued up and waiting to be trimmed to shape. In the foreground is the board I'm cutting my rails from. I use a circular saw set to the design bevels and run it along a piece of aluminum channel as a fence to keep me cutting straight. The board is clamped, the channel is tacked to the work station and my cutting lines are heavily marked.

Build a Dinghy: Part 7

2009-04-13T22:33:00.001-04:00

The Summerbreeze design has a number of goals. Its to be a lightweight boat, under 70-lbs or so. It's a rowboat that can sail reasonably well. Its interior is kept wide open for sprawling space by using a leeboard instead of a centerboard or daggerboard to get upwind.

Its also designed to be easy and inexpensive to build. One way of keeping costs down is to use materials to the fullest, and designer David Beede accomplished that goal with Summerbreeze: it requires just two sheets of plywood.

How we made the 11'6" hull sides (planks) out of two 8-foot sheets--by using the scarf joint-- was detailed in the last post.Here we use the other common method of lengthening sheets of plywood in small boat construction: the butt block.

To make the bow of this boat, I cut two 32" long trinagles off the corners of a sheet of ply. These are flipped and attached to the front of edge of the sheet using butt blocks. The blocks are 3-inch wide strips of 1/4" (6MM) ply. Thats a 12:1 width to thickness ratio, the same as the scarf bevels, interestingly.

After cutting the triangles, I do a dry fit, and mark everything : centerlines, outlines, etc as shown in the photo. Next, I wet out the joints with straight epoxy and let it soak into the veneer for about ten minutes. This prevents the dry wood from sucking all the glue out of the joint. After the wet out has soaked in, I apply another coat of epoxy, this time with a thickening agent, to all the mating surfaces. This coat is the thickness of stiff batter. Then all the parts are laid in place and pressed in gently.

I used paint cans for clamping weights, using packing tape or other plastic on their bottoms to prevent them from sticking to the glue. Also note how I used the squeeze-out to form a filet (bead) along the butt blocks. Filets make the joint even stronger. You want squeeze-out becuae it shows you that you have complete glue coverage. But cleaning up the hardened epoxy is tough....

Build a Dinghy: Part 6

2009-04-07T10:09:00.001-04:00

Here's the results of the scarf joints detailed in Part 5: 11'5" planks from 8-foot plywood. Once bent around the frame, flare and curves will be induced, transforming these straight cuts into sweet lines. ( I will probably have to round the angle aft, where the stern rocker forms, just a little more.)

The other photo shows a closeup of the joint itself. You can see I'm about 1/64 high on one side, a result of my temporary table ( 3/8 plywood) deflecting under clamp pressure. No biggie, just means a little more sanding and filling than anticipated.

Build a Dinghy: Part 5

2009-04-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Last time, we saw how mating bevels were cut prepatory to joining two pieces of plywood to achieve a length longer than the standard 8-feet. Here we see the glue-up. I use epoxy, as it is tough and strong. Others have had success with weldwood, resorcinol, and even contruction adhesive out of a tube. I'm comfortable with epoxy, having used it for decades. Comfortability with an adhesive's properties and working times is almost as important as what glue to use, as you can "blow" a glue up if the unexpected happens--like the glue setting up before you've aligned your pieces.

Here we see the mating bevels first slathered with straight epoxy, which is allowed to soak into the grain. This prevents a "glue-starved" joint. After a few minutes, I apply a thickened mixture, adding colloidal silica to the glue mix, and paint that on. The planks are flipped, the bevels mated and all is clamped, weighted and screwed to the work table. I applied lights for heat, to help the cure. Note that the clamping bar (the shelving) and the work table are covered with polyethylene film to prevent sticking to the work.

I'll leave this clamped up for at least a day, then stow the planks in a safe place while I glue up the bottom. This design uses a cool technique for getting an 11-foot boat bottom out of a single 8' sheet of ply.....

Build a Dinghy: Part 4

2009-04-03T21:40:00.001-04:00

This boat, a Summerbreeze, designed by David Beede (http://www.simplicityboats.com/) uses plywood, 11'6" long for the sides. To get the length, I used a scarf joint and glued two sheets of ply together. This involves cutting mating bevels on the pieces to be joined. Here we see the begginning of the bevels; and then the nearly complete bevel. I did the cutting with a low-angle block plane and then finished with a sanding block. You could also use a power plane, a belt sander or a grinder. I like the zen aspect of hand-planing: here I put on some Pink Floyd, a pot of coffee, and just zoned-out for an hour.

A scarf joint is as strong as the original plywood and, when bent, wont show a hard spot like a butt block does. In Part 5, I'll detail the glue-up.

Build a Dinghy: Part 3

2009-04-03T14:10:00.000-04:00

Here's a closeup of the limber hole in the frame. This allows any spray to flow aft where its easier to sponge out. I cut the limbers by butting another piece of one-by wood to the frame, then used a plug cutter in a drill motor to make the a circle. When I removed the sacrificial piece, I had a perfect half-circle. To protect the exposed grain inside the limber from water intrusion, I glued in PVC tube the OD of which matched the ID of the cutout. When the glue cures, I'll plane or sand flush with the bottom of the frame.

Build a Dinghy: Part 2

2009-04-03T11:53:00.000-04:00

To get started building your small boat, select a plan and then collect materials. I chose to use Marine Plywood, made from Okuome, a tropical hardwood. I ripped the panels into planks using a piece of aluminum extrusion as a straight-edge set 3-3/4 from the cutting line (the distance between my saw's shoe and blade.

Interestingly, the "marine" designation doesnt mean rot-resistant. It means that it has more veneers for a given thickness, in this case, 5-veneer 1/4" (or 6mm). It also means there are no voids. I can attest to this, as when I cut the sheets into planks, there were no voids to be seen. Voidless means stronger--important in a lightweight structure. It also means it will bend "fairly" producing sweet curves.

You'll also need some dimensional lumber to make the frame and transom. Here's picture of the frame for the boat I am currently building. I used Douglas fir 1" x 2" and plywood gussets , cutting the angles and bevels per the plan using a handsaw. The frame is glued with epoxy and fastened with silicon bronze screws through the gusset. Note the "hole" I filled with thickened epoxy at the intersection of side, bottom and gusset pieces.

Bilge Pump Blues

2009-03-30T15:37:00.000-04:00

The only item replaced more frequently aboard a boat than a bilge pump switch is fuel. The reason they break? Most of these float switches are powered by a tiny, 18 or 22-gauge wire at the hinge point of the float. Everytime the float rises, that teensey wire gets bent. After a few more cycles it gets kinked. Finally it just breaks. Connection lost. While electronic or other solid state switches prove generally more reliable, they too are not foolproof. Additionally, replacing your float switch with one of these may mean making a change in the installation, some re-wiring, possibly even relocating the entire pump/switch assembly in order to make things fit. Your decision then is to easily replace, plug-and-play fashion, the one you probably have. Or spend a little more time, and a little more money for superior technology. Me? I stock a couple of replacement switches and have wired a waterproof plug on to the lead from the battery. (ALWAYS "hot wire" automatic bilge switch) I can swap one out in 10-minutes, simply crimping a mating plug to the new switches wiring. I did the same thing to my washdown pump, another piece of equipment that seems to need frequent replacement. Of course,that setup also cost me some time and money. Hey, its a boat. Get over it.

Tradition and Heritage

2009-03-30T02:20:00.000-04:00

I'm proud to carry on the tradition of service to the boating community started by my great-great-great-great-very great grandfather, Jerry Falvey. Jerry was the premier purveyor of fishing tackle on New York's Fulton Street, back when it was real working waterfront. I am honored to have a split bamboo rod fitted with the patented reel seat mentioned in this obit from the NY Times.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9500E1DD1F30E733A2575BC2A9629C946297D6CF

Falvey's Guide To Fishing Long Island

2009-03-30T00:52:00.000-04:00

Geared-Up Publications www.geareduppublications.com is the publisher of Falvey's Guide To Fishing Long Island, the most comprehensive guide to upping your catch of striped bass, fluke, weakfish, sea bass and more.

Build a Dinghy:Part 1

2009-03-30T00:31:00.001-04:00

Every boater should build a small rowboat, or preferably, a so-called "sail and oar" boat like the one currently under construction in my shop. Building your own small boat provides a saltier, classier dinghy than the ubuitous inflatable or roto-molded plastic models available in the catalogues. I cant refute the seaworthiness of the former or the economic practicality of the latter, but building even a simple plywood rowboat like this one grants insight into all kinds of boating minutia. Hull shape, the balance ( or conflict) of weight versus strength, storage, capacity and more become different animals when your the decision maker instead of just kibbitzing after the fact. A boat a'building makes you a better judge of boats and boat construction in general. That you get a custom, lightweight dinghy made and finished exactly like you want is a great bonus. These little boats cost a few hundred in materials and about 40 hours to complete as a rowboat that can take a small outboard. Add another 20 hours if yuo elect to build the sailing bits and rig. They weigh about 60-pounds. Imagine, as you row the waterfront, someone ashore notices the little head-turner under your command and asks, "Where'd you get that?" Your reply, without missing a stroke on the oars --or as you tack smartly--is the real payoff: " I built it."

Are Inboard Engines Dead?

2009-03-30T00:22:00.001-04:00

Volvo Penta"s IPS and Cummins Mercruiser Deisel's (CMD) Zeus make bigger boat propulsion choices more demanding than they were just a year ago. Add to that a growing number of large , outboard-powered cruising, sport and fishing boats built by the likes of Everglades, Intrepid, MjM and SeaVee and for the first time, the venerable conventional sahft-and-rudders inboard's position as the power of choice for "serious " boats between 3o and 50 feet is threatened. In a running series of posts, we'll examine the pros and cons, look for your feedback and reach some conclusions you can use when makiing your propulsion decision. Check this video from the helm of Everglades new 35 Express with trip 350 Yamahas.

The first thing most guys say when they first see pods, like the IPS installation in the picture is: " Man, I'd hate to hit something with those things!" My response is: " If I hit something hard offshore, I'm gonna have a bad day regardless of what makes the props turn." C'mon...bring it on.