flat bottom skiff

[flight193001]

Does anyone know of a way to make a cross-planked bottom skiff tight when it will be stored on a trailer and only put in the water when it is to be used? Would sheathing it with fiberglass-epoxy be a solution? Thanks. Tom

[landlocked sailor]

No don't do that! If you don't want to use plywood you can use one of two methods. I used two layers of stock planed so that the final thickness is the same. Both layers are laid across ship with the seams offset and the layers bedded together. I put the first layer on before the side planking, nailed to the chines, and the second layer after the planking is on. I did get some leaks when the planks split while drying out but some "slickseam" solved that perfectly.

[landlocked sailor]

The second method is better, and is the one used by Harry Bryan for "Daisy" in WB 122 (I think). The first layer is athwart ships as above, nailed to the chines. The second layer is longitudinal bedded and nailed to the first. I chose the first method because I had a lot of short cedar stock. Rick