cabin sole and floor timbers

[SScoville]

I recieved and have been reviewing the plans for the Atkins' River Rat. I am having trouble determining how I determine the height of the floor timbers. I had thought that the cabin sole would rest on the floors and that this is how I would determine their height. The plans seem to show the cabin sole resting on the floors in some places while other places there appears to be another piece on top of the floor, supporting the sole. The sole is level, but the floors are not.

Anyone have any insight?

[Jay Greer]

More often than not, in order to get a flat run and vetilation between the bays the cabin sole support timbers pass over the floors.
Jay

[SScoville]

I'm not clear on that. Are the "bays" the sections between the frames? And when you say the cabin sole support timbers "pass over the floors", are these supports perpendicular to the floors? Do they rest on the tops of the floors?

[Jay Greer]

I'm not clear on that. Are the "bays" the sections between the frames? And when you say the cabin sole support timbers "pass over the floors", are these supports perpendicular to the floors? Do they rest on the tops of the floors?
Here is a no man's land of choices, unless the designer has specified the location to the support timbers for the cabin sole. In a small boat, indeed floor boards may rest directly on the floors. But often this does not allow a smooth or level run fore and aft. Some times it is most desireable to fit floor boards in such a way as to be fully removable to allow for cleaning and painting of the bilges. My own prefence is to allow air space under the floor boards, for as long a run as is practical. This may involve construction support cleats that will partially rest on top of the floors or it may be a series of timbers that land above the floors entirely and fasten into the frames or are laid on a stringer.
Jay

[holzbt]

From the description in volume 32 Atkin states that "The floor timbers will be made from 1 1/4" white oak to the depths shown, all not being of equal depths. It will be noticed that the cabin floor boards rest on the tops of the floor timbers, therefore the reason for the unequal depths."

The section through station 6 shows the frames but apparently not the floor timbers. As this is a V-bottom and the deadrise changes throughout the length of the boat the height of the sole is close to the tops of the frames aft and quite a bit higher amidships where the V or deadrise is greater. You will need to loft the boat to determine the height of each floor timber.