White Oak Sailing Dory

[Doug Tutty]

My wife has developed multiple-chemical sensitivities and we have to move to a new residence. One of the viable options is to live on a boat. The goodnews/badnews is that the only material that she can tolerate is white oak (fiberglass is plastic, plywood has glue, pine has terpenes). I'm thinking of a 35' dory made of white oak (basically double the size of a an 18' banks dory), decked with cabin, gaff-schooner rig for flexibility. Jane can't tolerate petrolium smells, so no engine. We live in Parry Sound so would have to cope with both shoals and deep water of Georgian Bay. Thinking cruise during spring/summer/fall, and haul-out and live abord durring winter.

Does this sound feasible?

[ErikH]

Dories aren't very big. Too bad it needs to be mobile; houseboats are, of course, much roomier for their length. You might also consider one of the Dutch-type double enders; they're HUGE for their length and draft. Not the best upwind peformance, but probably nicer than a dory when you're snoed in on the hard.

And of course you realize that living aboard a woody in the winter may not be so hot, as if she shrinks she won't be as tight and you'll be drafty. Although of course woods a better insulator than uncored plastic.

And I'm sure you know this, but a boat probably isn't the cheapest way to go about the no-plastics route smile.gif Maybe build a smaller boat and a cheap house; the combination may give you a better cruise and a larger house! It's easier to deal with a cramped space when it's nice out (eg while cruising) and nicer to be able to have a 'real' house in the winter IMHO.

[Paul Griffin]

Doug

That's to bad about your wife. I would build a log cabin in the woods. What would you do an a boat as you get older? The cold, the small size, falling down the ladder getting up to the boat in the winter.
That's my 2 cents.

Paul

[DavesFlatsBoat]

Doug

I don't presume to know anything about your wife conditions so I am asking in total ignorace:

What about using vegetable diesel as your fuel and vegetable lubricants (peanut oil?) and see if powering your boat is possible.

Having power makes your goal easier to attain - I think

Dave

[Ken Hall]

Jay Benford has several sailing dory designs that offer relatively shoal draft and respectable interior volume. Available in sizes from around 26' up to at least 37', as far as I remember. The most famous Benford dory is probably Badger, owned by Pete and Annie Hill of Voyaging on a Small Budget fame. As to building in white oak, Mr. Benford seems to be approachable and communicative.

Best of luck to you both.

[TimothyB]

This is definitely a pickle. Hmm.

No Epoxy, so that means all traditional construction. You should be able to use resorcinol glues, or simple carpenters glues like Weldwood.

Do you want to have a vessel that is decent room for less money, and can safely coastal cruise then?

If I were you, I would look at a Scow Schooner, not a dory. This is because, while Dories are easy to build if you use Epoxy and plywood, they are difficult to build otherwise. If you need a planked boat, then I would be looking at a scow schooner, or cutter. Such a boat would have a centerboard or leeboards and has maximum room for the length. Not real manueverable, but then you have said it needs to be a home first.

There are numerous designers whom have done sailing scows and other vessel types in the size range you mention. Look around a bit. Here are a couple:

Reuel Parker (http://www.parker-marine.com/) who is pretty well regarded. He would have to be asked if any of his designs for scow schooners could be done without epoxy.

There is also Thomas E Colvin (http://www.thomasecolvin.com/cargo_fishing_schooners.htm) who has a line of cargo schooners that could fit your requirements.

Lastly there is George Buehler (http://www.georgebuehler.com/) who has done a number of very solid, economical and traditionally constructed designs in your size range. Juna (http://www.georgebuehler.com/Juna.html) springs to mind.

[ishmael]

This is a tough one. Problem is, oak is not going to make a very good dory, it's too heavy. I agree with Tim that a scow might be something to look at. Oak, while not great in either case, would make less of a problem in a scow hull form.

The other issue is, even a traditionally built boat uses all kinds of chemicals. G'luck.

[Doug Tutty]

I'm very pleased with the great suggestions and opinions I've received. Thank you all very much. I'll try to add a few details and answer some of the suggestions; I haven't followed any of the links yet:

Jane has an appointment in Toronto in two weeks after which we hope to have a better idea what materials will work for Jane.

Right now , concrete doesn't work, so a house would be built up on piers and the underside planked just like the sides of the house. It sounds like a boat on stilts, so why not make it a boat (cost of materials is probably comparable).

I'm not sure that I've seen a dutch double-ender; I'll keep looking. A house boat wouldn't survive Parry Sound, yet alone Georgian Bay.

I haven't seen any log cabins made of white oak.

I'm allergic to peanut oil, and hot oil of any kind (even olive) can be a problem.

I will look at the benford.

I can't use either resorcinol or carpenters glue. I can use fish flue but its not water resistant. Any joints I've had to make, I use traditional joinery with pegs or wedges.

I considered a Scow Schooner; it would be easier to build, but how sea-worthy are they? If Parry sound area doesn't work (re smog) and I have to sail for newfoundland, would a scow do it? I will look at the links provided.

What kind of boat, in the 30-40' range is best built with oak on oak; where anything else would be a comprimise? If I had my druthers (a.k.a. winning the lottery), I'd buy the Baltic Trader.

I considered a theames river barge, but how are they in blue water?

Thanks all.

[DavesFlatsBoat]

Another Idea....

A hay bale house using organic hay, oak flooring & roofing.

Not trying to talk you out of a boat ... just looking at alternatives

Dave

[Aramas]

Or how about a mud brick house with a white oak fitout? If galvanised iron is a problem you could roof it with slate (I'm assuming cedar is out).
It takes a certain dedication to live on a boat, and it lacks the illusion of security that most women require. Particularly if the boat isn't intended for long distance cruising, a cabin can do the same job cheaper and better. There's probably no better place in the world for a cabin by the water, so if you could swing a cabin with a summer boat at the dock then you can have the best of both worlds - and building a boat will give you something to do out in the woods smile.gif

[Doug Tutty]

Thanks for all the great advice on this and other topics I've posted. I'll answer here then lock this topic.

My understanding of straw-bale is that it still needs a foundation, and concrete is out (so's mortar )

The problem with and oak cabin by the water is that the oak cabin will use more oak that a house (siding outside, panneling inside, in addition to oak ceiling, floor, and underside, [roof hasn't been solved unless its oak too], whereas a boat can get away without much 'ceiling' if one goes with the rustic boat look inside.

I know it will take years to complete either the cabin or the boat; we'll just be living in it before its completed.

The other problem with the cabin by the water is that land here with waterfront (not navigatable) goes for about $100K (CDN) per acre, navigatable with year-round road is more like $3-400K (CDN). The price of land has tripled in the past 3 years (when I bought my acre and built a house) but the price of land with a house on it has not increased.

Thanks again all,

Doug.

[ishmael]

How about a cob house? Essentially, clay and sand and straw? I believe they can be built on a rammed earth foundation rather than concrete. Do a search under the author Becky Bee to turn up a good book on building them. CHEAP to make, especially if you have the proper clay about.