Stitch 'n Glue vs. Lapstrake/Clinker ply?

[Meerkat]

Someone I really respect has suggested that lapstrake/clinker ply is an easier construction method for a boat building novice then S&G for larger boats (size unspecified, but probably 16' and more). His position was that it's hard to get the panels accurate enough to have a nice straight boat and that clinker/lapstrake can hide a wealth of inaccuracies. With the S&G, you can end up with wavey panel join lines, but in clinker/ply, you can sight along the strakes and plane off the high spots...

(I know that lapstrake and clinker are the same - trolling for british/aussie input too ;) )

Comments?

[ 09-11-2002, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[Don Maurer]

Clinker/ply construction requires that you build a mould on a strongback. I have never built a stitch and glue boat, but I would imagine if you used a mould and strongback, you would have no problems keeping your S & G panels fair. I would think on a larger boat this would almost be a requirement anyway.

[Dale R. Hamilton]

Good plywood without any voids or plugs, will take a radius as fair as anything I know of- plus you can scarf join or butt block to lengthen. So pinch 2 pieces together and clamp or wire to hold them, and stuff epoxy glop into the joint- and Presto! you have a bow. Now make one clinker fashion.

I dont think there is anything easier than stitch and glue. The beauty is that it also turns out to be very strong and no internal supports to worry about. So it your design permits it- go for the S&G.

[John of Phoenix]

Sam Devlin does a great job of explaining the strengths and limits of S&G in Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0071579907/reader/1/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/102-5637101-1125720#reader-link)

Look through some of the sample pages and you'll see that fair lines are not an issue. On page 20 he says he's built sailboats as large as 42' and powerboats up to 43'.

An excellent book if you're contemplating a S&G boat.

[Bruce Taylor]

I've built two boats: a traditional lapstrake sailing canoe and a tack and tape motor skiff. To my surprise, I did not find the plywood boat easier to build. The Diablo required less thought, less care, less experience and less skill than Piccolo -- but it was not easier (and it certainly wasn't cheaper).

I found tack and tape difficult in much the same way as drywalling a ceiling in an oddly-shaped closet might be. Fairing the chines required a lot of tedious filling and sanding. Cutting panels was easy enough, but getting them to lie as they should was an irritating task (mainly because I had just 3 bulkheads and a transom over which to drape those floppy sixteen-foot-long panels).

Tack and tape is conceptually quite simple (no rolling bevels or keel rabbets to figure out). Surfaces are faired with putty knives and abrasives, rather than cutting tools. This puts it within reach of builders with minimal tools and little woodworking experience. However, if you're handy with edge tools you might well find clinker more satisfying.

Perhaps S & G entails less tiresome fairing than t & t -- I don't know (I did a bit of wiring on the skiff, where the side panels seemed determined to develop a queer bulge). As for lap ply, I haven't tried it, but it looks to me like a pleasant compromise between panel construction and traditional clinker.

In short -- depending on your skills and preferences -- your friend might have a point.

[ 09-11-2002, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: Bruce Taylor ]

[Meerkat]

JohnT thanks for mentioning Sam Devlin's book. I have it, have read it and others on S&G. Also have talked to Sam himself (heh, but didn't mention S&G vs. clinker - t'would be like asking the pope about christianity ;) ). WRT to Sam's boats and what he builds, he's a pro, has a staff and a commercial workshop, so he's going to do a better job then a novice for sure. Having seen some of his boats, his craftmanship standards are very high and he builds a beautiful product. (Unlike many designers, I belive he offers plans as an adjunct to his main business of building boats. I think this is part of the reason why plans for his larger designs are not available.)

BTW, Sam has himself a very nice new personal boat - about a 40' powerboat (sort of an aft-cabin wheelhouse affair converted fishing boat I think). Not his build, it's carvel smile.gif . He was at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend along with some of his own creations.

Bruce Taylor: thanks for those comments. Since I'm a solo novice boat builder, the prospect of handling 16' floppy panels is daunting in and of itself! Of course, my other fear is beveling LOL. I also loath the idea of fairing, probably for the same reason as I am nervous about beveling - how fair is my eye?

I really love the look of clinker compared to the relatively slabby chines of S&G, and by the time you get good curvature in the hull, you're up to 6-8 S&G panels per side any way... (at least in boats I find attractive - YMMV of course).

It strikes me that having to build a mould could be seen as a "get your feet" wet first step towards boat building that has the virtue of using "cheap" wood where a serious mistake won't cost nearly as much as blowing an expensive marine ply panel.

Please keep those comments coming! Book suggestions too please!

[ 09-11-2002, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[Carl Simmons]

I would have to agree there isn't much easier construction then a Stitch and Glue. I built a piroque using that S&G in about two weeks working only on weekends and after work including painting, seats, decals and oars. I have since built a cedar strip over moulds (May to Sept) and currently building a sailboat plywood planking over frames. For a first timer the S&G is a quick way to see results and have fun in the process.

Carl.

[Jeff Kelety]

Built (or mostly built) a S&G Pygmy Wherry. Goes together easy enough, but becomes bothersome if the pieces don't fit just so. If gaps exist and you try to pull 'em together too much, you get some unfair lines. The fix is to loosen up the "stitches" a bit and fill with googe. Haven't built lapstrake, but I'm guessing there's a little more forgiveness in overlaps vs the butt joints of S&G.

jgk

[ 09-11-2002, 06:11 PM: Message edited by: Jeff Kelety ]

[MikeP]

Meerkat,

but in clinker/ply, you can sight along the strakes and plane off the high spots...

I'm a novice builder and this is so true. The first step is to get all the frames or strakes lined up precisely on your strongback. Fair and plane the plank lands on the strakes.

Once this is done making the pattern for the planks is quite easy. Reproducing the shape of the pattern on a plywood plank is easy with a router and pattern bit. The fit will be perfect. Make two planks at a time, one for each side of the boat. Little fairing is required.

I'm building a 23' Grey Seal. As soon as I can get to the Image station site I'll post a few pics of the hull.

MikeP

[Jeff Kelety]

MikeP -

Building a Grey Seal? Wonderful. Have suggested this boat to a friend who is a sailor, not a builder. Know if any of these come up for sale? Probably not likely as there probably aren't a whole lot of them built yet. But if you hear, do holler.

Jeff

[ 09-11-2002, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: Jeff Kelety ]

[Bruce Taylor]

the prospect of handling 16' floppy panels is daunting in and of itself! Of course, my other fear is beveling LOL. I also loath the idea of fairing,Well, 16' floppy curved planks aren't much better.

If you're worried about your "eye," you might be better off with s & g or t & t, because in that style of construction the designer establishes the curves for you. Lining off a clinker hull requires a good eye (unless, of course, the plan you're using stipulates plank shapes & dimensions).

Correcting local wobbles and bumps is definitely quicker in lapstrake (a couple of licks from the block plane, and you're done). However, there's nothing difficult about getting a fair chine in panel construction. Instead of planing off lumps, you sand 'em off. If you sand off too much, you add some more gloppity-glop, and you're back in business. If you're patient, you can't really go wrong.

What you say about mould-making is true, I think. Building moulds before investing in good lumber can be a way of easing into construction, testing your skills & commitment, etc.

Really, you should just pick a design you love, and build it. If a human has done it in the past, you can do it too.

[Meerkat]

Bruce Taylor - During the discussion of S&G vs. Lapstrake, it was mentioned that one could scarph on the mould.

Has anyone done this?

Went and bought Ian Oughtred's clinker-ply construction book and also Thomas Hill's Ultraligth Boatbuilding based on some reader feedback on amazon.com that Hill was better for the absolute novice then Oughtred. After review, one of them might go back.

I also got the WB catalog today, and there's a brand new book out on clinker-ply construction by the buy who builds Melonseeds (IIRC). If anyone has had a chance to read it, a brief review would be welcome.

This is really helpful - please keep 'em coming!

[MikeP]

Meerkat,
I hope these pic post ok

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid17/pdf29f1d6ec10c6e679d7b57ee5eccc64/fdf9ad57.jpg

plank 2 pattern construction.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid31/p065667bf5fc9726daf7fcf7e1e445c08/fd4854f2.jpg

Plank 3 ready to be glued on. Plank and frame lands were sanded where goo was to bond the plang to the fram and previously installed plank. Guiding the 26 foot plank into place is aided by clamping temporary rails at frames 4 and 6, dividing the glued plank wobble factor in thirds. The plank is slid down the rails to its resting place and clamping begins from the center and continues in both directions.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid31/p2a9c32b0e7de8c32b73e7f5d2c25dae6/fd4854f6.jpg

Here is plank 4 clamped in place. The plywood clamps and wedges were made from scrap 3/4" ply.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid31/p108c9845da2d7c95c6bb38d8a310aebc/fd48558e.jpg

Here is the hull with CPES from the stem.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid17/pc35387e96f2787f52f2c7d12e8b10cdd/fdf9ad4d.jpg

Another view from the stern.

It can be done, I had no second pair of hands helping. Plan your work carefully. ALWAYS dryfit your plank before mixing the epoxy.

MikeP

[Mark Van]

After building 3 stitch and glue boats, and two larger boats, one strip planked, and the other plywood, I would not consider building a stitch and glue boat over 12 feet or so. If you haven't built a boat before, it wouldn't be a good idea to build one any bigger.

I think bevelling chine logs and frames with a good sharp plane a lot more pleasant than messing with glop, and all the sanding that is required for a smooth finish. I don't think there is much difference in labor hours between the two methods.

My last stitch and glue boat was a 12 foot Glen-L power skiff. When I was building it, I promised myself that I will not build another stitch and glue boat again, any size.

Mark

[Meerkat]

MikeP!

All I can say is WOW! Pics came through most excellently - thank you so much for posting them!

You say you're a novice builder - is this your first boat and do you have any previous experience working with wood? I am so clueless, that I'm taking a one day basic woodworking class at the local Center for Wooden Boats on 28th September.

Mark Van, I hear you about building something smaller at first. Maybe a Oughtred Whilly Boat or something like that. Hopefully he shows the plank shapes on his plans...

By the way, this is utterly premature, but how difficult is it to repair clinker/lapstrake?

[ 09-12-2002, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[EdenRose]

Meerkat, I am a novice and have just finished glue lapstrake planking on a 16' Paul Fisher designed swampscott dory, the first boat project I have ever tried.
I read Devlin, Hill and Oughtred books before deciding on technique to use, as well as rowed
and touched several stitch and glue boat. I decided to go glue lap for many reasons and I
found that to this point it has taken a little longer but was easy and pleasant work. I have done
my fair share of fiberglass sanding and epoxy fairing in the past (required in stitch and glue), and find it unpleasant. Taped seams and fiberglass cloth take a heck of a lot of work to hide In addition, I did not like the sound, feel or look of stitch and glue finished bright. The best professionally built boats, once fiberglassed and varnished seem
very plastic, the grain very distant from the surface. The sound in the water is not like wood.
In my case, I wanted a wood boat so I could learn some traditional technique and most of all for
the esthetics (look, sound and feel) of a wooden boat. Glue-lap has made that end attainable for me, the novice builder. If my only choice for building myself was stitch and tape, I would prefer to purchase a built boat.

[Meerkat]

Gee EdenRose, I wonder if you're the same guy on SFD_Builders with the initials "HS". How many swampscots could be abuilding on the Olympic Peninnsula? smile.gif

Hopefully, I can ask you a bunch of questions when the time comes!

[wolfietuk]

Meercat, I am currently building a Devlin boat. I am hppy with it and Joel (Yard formanI believe at Devlin) has been helpful and nice. I would have to say I will never do it again.

S&G or T&T are good methods for building a boat. But if I ever have to mess with googe again Ill scream. I have burnt out one sander, half a ton of paper and probably done permanant damage to my sinuses. Also the boat doesnt look like a wood boat. Many of the T&T builders are the, grab some ac ply at Lowes and build a boat in one day type. Paint it with latex housepaint and use it till it rots away type. That isnt what I wanted. To do one right takes time. Next one will be clinker or at least planked.

Rick

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

As a compromise to the two methods being discussed, you might want to investigate a small stringer built boat. All the charming appearance of a clinker built but a lttle easier than traditional.
I have never built a stitch and glue boat so I can't comment, but I have built tradtional lapstrake and stringer. Stringer built planks are easier to spile and pattern, not as much fun to fasten.

[Keith Wilson]

Well, I'm certainly an amateur, and I've done both - two taped-seam boats and two ply lapstrake boats. The difference is not so much in the amount of work as the type of work.

Taped seams tolerate very inaccurate fits and less-than-perfect plywood; any goofs are covered in glass and goop. For small boats at least, the shape of the boat is defined by the panels, which saves the work of building a mold. OTOH, there is a lot of work with unpleasant goo, and a fair amount of of drudgery involved in getting a good finish; lots and lots of sanding. It's possible to build a very good boat this way, as anyone who has seen Sam Devlin's work will attest.

Ply lapstrake requires that you build a mold, which is a bit of work - rough work and quick, but still some time. It's very important to get the plank lines right and the edges even and fair, because any uneveness shows and can really make the boat look ugly. It's not difficult, but you do have to be careful. I've always used Tom Hill's method, which defines the plank shapes by stringers on the mold. Once the plank is shaped, however, the rest is almost trivial. There is very little sanding involved, particularly if you use a heat gun and scraper to clean up epoxy drips. First-class plywood is essential.

Personally, I much prefer glued lapstrake. I like the look of the boat better, there are fewer restrictions on hull shape, and the type of work is more pleasant, although somewhat more exacting. To some extent, taped-seam construction (and stip planking to an even greater degree) substitutes drudgery for skill, very moderate skill in my case.

I'm sort of at a loss to understand why anyone would scarf a plank on the mold. It seems so much easier to do it on the bench where you can position it conveniently for planing the scarf, and where clamping is relatively easy. I suppose it might be a better idea for larger boats?

Good reference books:
Tom Hill's "Ultralight Boatbuilding"
Iain Oughtred's "Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding"

[EdenRose]

Meerkat,
Yes, we are carrying on conversations on two different websites. I am the HS of the Selway-Fisher builders forum. Give me a call
when you are passing through Kingston again and I will show you where I am at on the boat.
Have you built a Fisher boat or considering one?

[Meerkat]

Hi Edenrose;

I'd love to come and see your swampscot! Do you live close to the ferry terminal? I could come over as a walk-on passenger some day to see it if that's ok.

Yes, I am considering a Selway-Fisher design.

Drop me an email and let me know how to get in touch with you!

[ 09-12-2002, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[MikeP]

Meerkat,

Yes, I'm a novice boat builder, the grey seal is my first boat. I took a couple boat building courses. Take a lofting course if you can find one. Lofting takes the mystery out of line drawings. I have average wood working ability.

MikeP

[DavePulaski]

MikeP,

Wow! Congrats on a gorgeous job. Thanks for the inspiration: I'm a wannabe first-time builder, thinking seriously of Iain's 10' Acorn dinghy as my first try.

Question: what kind of plywood did you use on your grey seal? Is that okoume, mahogany, or something else? Are you going to finish the outside clear?

[Bill Berrisford]

MikeP: You did a great job! You may be interested in the "In process" pages on our website- <www.skiffcraft.com> -Bill

[bud]

Dave, you might want to start an "acorn" thread. Bring out the guys who have made them, I think there're several scattered about.

[MikeP]

Dave,
The lapstrake material is 1/2" okoume plywood. The CPES was the last clear finish on the exterior. It was followed by epoxy/Al powder and then it was painted. Here's a bird's eye view before it was rolled over.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid12/p40cac496edaab08b475a907db85ed150/fe16fead.jpg

Here it is back in the boatshop upright and ready for the interior work.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid20/pc165a7a37d770221aef0a45d5c3daaac/fdc06587.jpg

I want to get the boat on the water and I don't want to fuss with a bright sided boat. There will be more than enough wood trim to keep up with.

Bill,
Thanks for the web address. :D Great Site. I have to bookmark it! Fascinating process of glueing up lapstrake. What is the cockpit deck material on the 31' skiff?

I have a few other images at: Album: grey seal pictures (http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292205887)

I will have to scan some more pictures to get it up to date.

MikeP

[Meerkat]

MikeP, I'd be very interested and greatful if you would mention the parts you found to be the most difficult. In particular, how did you find lining off and the releaving of the plank ends at the bow and stern, and anything else of course.

[MikeP]

Meerkat,
One could write a book about this process and Iain has done an excellent one at that. Building is such a learning experience. Everything you do, you'll do again and again.

Tips?
-Frame laminations,or any lamination, must be at least 5 layers so they will hold their shape and not spring back.

-Get a rabbit plane with a skew blade and fence to make the gains where the planks join at the stem and stern.

-Make your plank patterns a foot longer than each end. Use 1/2"x3/4" douglass fir battens to make the patterns. The pattern will be:
a, the thickness of the plank,
b, On the pattern mark where the frames are, mark where 4" (8 X 1/2" thick) scarf overlaps will occur, mark the plywood and label the pieces so they will go together in the correct order.
c, cut the plywood proud of the line, it is faster and the assembled plank edge will be finished with a router and a pattern bit.
d, Scarf the plywood and glue the pieces together on the pattern so they retain the shape of the pattern.
e, trim the edgeswith a router, transfer the frame marks from the pattern to the plank, dry fit the plank.
f, the extra length at the ends helps with applying the leverage to bend the plank into place, especially at the stern of the boat.

Make yourself lots of plywood clamps. Cut 3/4" thick plywood into 5" X 16". Use a 2" Hole saw to cut a hole 5" from the end. Draw two parallel lines from the other end of the plywood to the outer edge of the hole so the clamp will have 2" thick arms. Draw a diagonal from one of the lines at the end of the plywood to the other line at the hole. Cutting along those three lines will yield the clamp and two wedges. As you add more planks to the hull you can shorten the clamps. I made about 60.

This should get you started

The next hard part :rolleyes: was making the shear clamp....

MikeP

[Meerkat]

I haven't comitted to building a Grey Seal as of yet, but I'm starting to lean that way.

Do you think buying Okume vs. Meranti (mahogany) (both BS1088) is worth the premium? Here, it's about $7/sheet more for 9mm (3/8") (don't worry - different potential project) and 6 pounds heavier (for the Meranti).

Does Mr. Oughtred happen to mention the height from cabin sole to overhead and/or from seat top to overhead, or can you tell those numbers from your plans?

[EdenRose]

Meerkat (DLB)
I used a mixture of Meranti and Okoume in my boat.
The Meranti low in the floor and garboards, where I wanted strength and weight. I used Okoume for the upper planks, because out here (EdenSaw in PT) you can get 5x10 Okoume 1088 and for the longer upper planks of my boat, it made for less waste and fewer scarfs. (The only 5x10 sheets they had were Okoume 1088)In the long run it was cheaper than using cheaper 4x8 sheets of Meranti because of more efficient use of the sheets. You have to look at the plans to see if larger panels work better for the boat
you will build.

[MikeP]

Meerkat,

Height from the cabin sole to the cabin top is 4'8", Seated head room at midship is about 3' 2". This about all one can get from a short waterline length.

MikeP

[Meerkat]

Thanks for all your help everybody! From all your input, I"ve decided to build the lapstrake double-ender "Whilly Boat" by Ian Oughtred. I've started a thread "Whilly Boat Deja Vu All Over Again" in honor of all the Whilly Boat builders who have come before and to get their advise - already got some great tips!

This will be a learning experience before I tackle the larger boat.

[Keith Wilson]

VERY nice boat, good choice.

Now that I know the design I can say something about plywood. Meranti is stronger, heavier (20%, maybe 30% as a guess), and cheaper than Okoume. It is considerably darker and redder when finished bright, prettier IMO, although the color is quite variable, so try to get sheets of similar color if you want to varnish it. Assuming the boat will be carried on a trailer (if you can cartop a Whilly Boat, I don't want to arm wrestle with you) and won't be raced, the weight difference is not significant IMHO; might even be an improvement. As far as resistance to rot when wet, Okoume isn't that great; I doubt the Meranti is any worse. I haven't had any rot trouble with either, but then my boats are kept out of the water unless they're being used. I'd use the Meranti if it were my boat.

I haven't been able to tell any significant difference between BS1088 and 65-whatever, but that's a very small sample.

[Meerkat]

Hi Kieth;

Thanks for the comments on the ply.

I got this info from Edensaw by phone (their site has incorrect values for some weights and they know it):
(both to BS 1088 standard - these are average values)
9mm 4x8 Okume 30# = 1.06#/sq ft.
9mm 4x8 Meranti 36# = 1.12#/sq ft.

.06#/sq ft. difference which I think I'd be hard pressed to notice. (I might have done the division backwards and those are sq. ft./lb instead of lb/sq. ft., but either way the difference is hardly worth mentioning.)

I have a friend who is a professional saw mill manager, wood expert and naval architect. He agrees that tropical woods like Okume, Sapelle (sp?) etc, generally have the rot resistance of toilet paper if not well protected.

The boat is going to have to learn how to follow my car cuz it's not going on top! Fortunately even my Suzuki Esteem 1.6 litre sedan can haul that light a boat! I've heard it can tow up to 800# with the auto transmission but I wouldn't do more then 500# all up. I suppose I won't get the 40 mpg on the highway though.

[ 09-15-2002, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[Keith Wilson]

I think you have a math error there - Okoume works out to .94 lb/sg ft (30 lb / 32 sq ft). Meranti is 20 percent heavier. I think I'd still use the Meranti for anything but a boat that will be portaged.

[Meerkat]

I thought I might have gotten the math backwards - thanks.

That makes:
Okume .94 lb/sq. ft.
Meranti 1.125 lb/sq. ft.

That's .131# difference - about two ounces/sq. ft.? I don't think that's going to be significant for a 14'6" boat using 4 sheets of (actually lighter 6mm) ply.

I'd rather have me on the boat then the boat on me, so no portaging anticipated. I agree that Meranti seems like the way to go from cost, strength and durability.

[ 09-16-2002, 02:29 AM: Message edited by: meerkat ]

[EdenRose]

I wish I had known the weights on the Edensaw
site were wrong, as I based my purchase on it.
I would have used all Meranti, I really like the piece I bought for the bottom. I was working on
the assumption that Meranti and Fir weighed much more than Okoume than your calculations indicate.
Anyway, on a 14' boat you should not notice the difference. From handling the two woods in the shop, the Meranti seems stronger and it much easier to cut scarfs. The color contrast between the ply layers are much greater than Ocoume 1088 and that makes it easier to cut a nice straight angle for your scarf faces.
(If you were considering butt joints, don't...
scarfing plywood is easy, even for the novice.)

[Bill Berrisford]

MikeP-
We cover our decks with a vinyl fabric made for us by Omnova. It's not very traditional but it's very durable. By the way CPES is a commonly used product in our shop.
-Bill

[wscherf]

I hate even writing this because it makes me feel like a dumbass all over again. Tried to make an Oughtred Acorn 15 last spring and just couldn't do it. The plank laps would not come out fair no matter what I tried.

Makes me feel extra bad to read about all the guys that are telling you how easy it is.

After sulking for a month, I got a set of T&T plans from Paul Fisher in England for a 16 foot daysailor, a six strake, traditional looking boat.
Built a scale model to ensure that the dimensions were right and I liked the look of it (I did), and am now installing the first plank.

Perhaps in the future I will try glued lap again. The boat school in Port Hadlock has ran a class in this method in the past, and will again if there is enough interest.

Hope your skills are better than mine.

[Keith Wilson]

I really like Tom Hill's method, where the shape of the planks is determined by stringers on the mold. One can spend as much time as necessary adjusting the stringers without cutting into that lovely expensive plywood. Very forgiving for those, like me, of modest skill and budget.

[Meerkat]

wscherf, which of Paul Fisher's 16-footers did you pick?

I gather "T&T" is the same as "S&G" but aside from one of the "T"'s probably being 'tape', I can't figure it out... ?

[Barrett Faneuf]

"Tack and Tape"

smile.gif

[EdenRose]

I second the Tom Hill method for beginners. My plans from my Paul Fisher 16 foot dory even had printed on them... "Use Thomas Hill method described in "Ultralight Boatbuilding."
I combined that book with Ian Oughtred's book
on glued lapstrake, the building plans, help on the Fisher forum at Yahoo and even some Chapelle's "Boatbuilding."
I was able to cut planks easily from the ribbands on the mold.
My next boat might be built more traditionally, but the Hill method allowed me to learn the important concepts I will need later in a more foolproof first timers method.

[wscherf]

Dear Meerkat:
The design that Paul Fisher did for me was a modification (really an extension) of his Stornoway series. It is shown in his website under the dinghy heading.

I am not interested in cruising and wanted an able seaworthy dinghy that I could take into the open Pacific from Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. This boat has plenty of built in buoyancy, a plumb-stem tradional look, and lovely (to me) lines.

Wish you well in your project. If I can figure out how to post pics on this site, I'll try to post a few.

Walt

[Meerkat]

Walt, I actually do recall Mr. Fisher's mention of a dinghy design for someone in Oregon, without even looking (for the 10,000th time) at his website.

I was really interested in the Stornoway's construction method. Can you tell us anything about this girder style?

(Ok, so now I look! smile.gif

The Stornoway 16 has been designed for Walt Scherf of Oregon USA and continues the lovely rounded lines of the Stornoway family with their firm bilges flowing into an attractive and not too deep transom, making them both excellent sailors and easy rowers.
Like her smaller sisters, she has a narrow bottom plank with a further 6 planks per side — 5 or 6 planks per side seems to be a good compromise between having enough planks to give a nicely rounded hull shape and not over complicating the construction with too many planks. Construction follows the same procedure as the Kingfisher 14 and Stornoway 14 with a rigid backbone consisting of forward and aft girders connected by the centreboard case. Again, as with the Stornoway 14, we have included mould shapes and building jig details for those who want to use the clinker/ply method — the same details may be used for strip planking too.

She has a sunken foredeck and side benches as standard but she may be fitted out in a number of ways (ie. with raised foredeck and side decks etc). We have given her a gunter rig but she could take any of the other 4 rigs given for the Highlander 16 (lug, sprit, bermudan or yawl).

LOD 16’ (4.87m); Beam 6’ (1.81m); Draft 9”/4’ (0.23/1.2m); Sail Area 138 sq.ft. (12.87 sq.m.); Approx. wht. 450 lbs (204 kg).