Strange Wenda Progress

[Dick Wynne]

Constance, my Albert Strange 'Wenda' build, is planked up. The bad news is, Fabian Bush the builder just broke his leg and is out of action for 3 months...

Lead keel 1350 lbs
http://photos7.flickr.com/6626778_074099a08c.jpg

Backbone is of Elm
http://photos7.flickr.com/6626779_01d6c4ebb6.jpg

Lining out for 14 planks a side
http://photos8.flickr.com/6626780_f06cbb1270.jpg

Planked up
http://photos4.flickr.com/6626782_ce3717f258.jpg

A stern to die for
http://photos4.flickr.com/6626783_e01f39e4bf.jpg

Steel centreplate & case. The plate is L-shaped, the lever projects through the deck. Case around lever not yet built up.
http://photos3.flickr.com/6627148_ff2b987523.jpg

Rudder trunk & mizzen step
http://photos6.flickr.com/6627147_d289eda530.jpg

Two planks at the bilge have a sacrificial extra layer for grounding, fishing-boat style.
http://photos5.flickr.com/6627149_2f792ca6e5.jpg

Larch on an elm backbone with oak stems and frames (when they go in). Ply deck, spruce spars, standing lug yawl rig, tan sails by Steve Hall at North Sea Sails. I think Fabian's done a cracking job of lining out, and captured that subtle sheerline, and gorgeous stern, to perfection. And that longish c/b case isn't going anywhere either!


Constance Photo Album (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36229642@N00/sets/165297/)

[ 03-15-2005, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: Dick Wynne ]

[Jack Heinlen]

Hm. Lapstrake. I look forward to seeing your boat go together. I've always loved that design, and always thought of her smooth planked, but lapstrake works. It makes a lot of sense in a boat that size, and your builder(judging from the pic) has done a very nice job of lining plank. So important in lapstrake!

Good luck to you and your builder. May he mend well.

Learn how to post pics so we don't have to sign into Imagestation.! smile.gif

[PaulC]

Very sharp boat!

Was the mold for the keel lined with sheet rock (also called gypsum board or plaster board in the US)? That looks like it could be an outstanding way of safely and easily creating a keel. Any warnings or things to watch out for?

[Dick Wynne]

Originally posted by PaulC:
Very sharp boat!Thanks, I can only claim credit for good taste, Albert (and Phil Bolger) and Fabian did the work and deserve the lion's share.


Was the mold for the keel lined with sheet rock (also called gypsum board or plaster board in the US)? That looks like it could be an outstanding way of safely and easily creating a keel. Any warnings or things to watch out for?[/QB]Yes it was, helps to retain temperature so it doesn't cool as you pour it, which would result in discontinuities. There was a little shrinkage and cavitation at the top surface, which was filled with epoxy.

[ 03-15-2005, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: Dick Wynne ]

[Dick Wynne]

Originally posted by Jack Heinlen:
Hm. Lapstrake. I look forward to seeing your boat go together. I've always loved that design, and always thought of her smooth planked, but lapstrake works. It makes a lot of sense in a boat that size, and your builder(judging from the pic) has done a very nice job of lining plank. So important in lapstrake!Yes, the simple hull form with no reverse turns simply screams lapstrake / clinker. Also, it seems difficult to get down to the designed displacement with carvel construction and laid deck, with enough robustness.

[grange]

Man, that is just beautiful!!

[Wild Dingo]

Dick mate shes a beauty! :cool: Dont sweat it mate sounds like the builder will be back on deck soon as he can... arent there some jobs you can do while you wait? just to keep the momentum up ;)

Shes goin to be a ripper man I do like that look :cool:

[Keith Wilson]

My God, what a gorgeous hull !! He did a superb job of lining off the planks. (Cleaning the drool off my keyboard) Keep posting photos as it progresses. Let's hope Mr. Bush recovers quickly.

[ 03-16-2005, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[Bruce Hooke]

Beautiful! Good to see another Strange coming into the world...

[gert]

I think Wenda is one of the most beautiful double enders ever; this particular rendition is going to be exceptional. Please keep us informed with images.
many thanks for sharing.

[JimD]

Fabulous! Thanks.

[Bill Perkins]

Your Wenda looks outstanding Dick . I'll be watching for updates .We've got to give due credit to our host publication as well .Without WB's invovement the design would have most likely remained as "Paper Architecture " in an antique plans book .

[Dick Wynne]

Originally posted by Bill Perkins:
We've got to give due credit to our host publication as well .Without WB's invovement the design would have most likely remained as "Paper Architecture " in an antique plans book .That's true! Mike O'Brien in particular, who rediscovered her in the 1906 Folkard book 'The Sailing Boat' and rescued her from oblivion. (The book is available from Dover as 'Sailing Boats of the World'). I'm still amazed that, despite the flurry of interest WB generated, there aren't more examples afloat today. What more could you want in a trailable classic yacht? Four berths, galley, chart table & engine I suppose! She is getting one of these though:

http://photos5.flickr.com/6677755_6b114e08d3.jpg

a 'Sea Urchin', aka Portland Stove (an old stove pattern) from

Navigator Stove Works (http://www.marinestove.com)

I don't think you'll find it on their website yet.

[landlocked sailor]

Heartstoppingly beautiful. Rick

[Lion]

Georgeous! Poetry! Inspiring!

Thanks for posting and hope Fabian recovers quickly.

Meant to also say clinker planking looks superb. Did you use any glue or jointing compound on the plank lands?

Lion

[ 03-16-2005, 08:30 PM: Message edited by: Lion ]

[landlocked sailor]

Dick, I have been thinking (obsessing?) about Wenda for awhile and your progress pictures have fanned the flames! Do you think that she is really trailerable? If so, how will you rig the mast? With a tabernacle? What are the cabin arrangements? BTW, that clinker is the clincher ;) Rick

[Dick Wynne]

Originally posted by Lion:
Did you use any glue or jointing compound on the plank lands?

LionWell I'm not the builder but normally I believe you only use sealant on the garboards, and occasionally towards the plank ends where you have to, as it's a tricky twisting bevel etc, and if you look at the snaps, that's exactly what Fabian's done here I think. But he may hop on here and correct me!

[Dick Wynne]

Originally posted by landlocked sailor:
Dick, I have been thinking (obsessing?) about Wenda for awhile and your progress pictures have fanned the flames! Do you think that she is really trailerable? If so, how will you rig the mast? With a tabernacle? What are the cabin arrangements? BTW, that clinker is the clincher ;) RickDo you remember Jake Roulstone's 'Sally', WB 142 of 1998 I think. She's a modified Wenda, same hull and weight. Jake trails her on a low-slung roller arrangement, launches her right off the beach, says she is the easiest to launch that he's had. But I'll let him tell you if he's listening!

The mast may get a retro-fitted tabernacle one day, but I didn't want to complicate the initial build so for now she'll be keel-stepped, and a 2-man job to rig and unrig her. I won't be trailing her that often, maybe a couple of jaunts per year. Spars are solid Spruce, mast is quite short being a lugger and weighs about 70 lbs I think.

Of course I would agree with you about the planking! But with this shape any method works well, ie strip, cold-moulding, carvel, clinker ply. In fact before I saw sense and went to Fabian I fantasised about building her myself, which would have had to be strip-planking as I have no woodworking experience. If you go here:

Jib & Mizzen magazine (http://www.albertstrange.org/assets/applets/JibMizzen_1.PDF)

you'll find on p10 an article about the birth of this project. Since that was written I have decided on painted topsides and varnished sheerstrake, and oak rubbing band & coamings. Fabian knows to just plant the right ideas and wait for me to come round.

Cabin arrangements? Just a sleeping platform either side of the very low c/b case. I would like one day to make fold-up backrests from their rearmost couple of feet, for two comfortable aft-facing seats with good headroom under the cabin top. That and the little stove in a rear corner form the limit of it, think of it as camping on the water.

[ 03-17-2005, 04:15 AM: Message edited by: Dick Wynne ]

[Canoeyawl]

It is a trailerable boat; I have taken Sally all over the US and launched at all types of ramps, shallow, deep, overhead wires…(what were they thinking???) yes even the beach. It is not difficult and takes about an hour to set-up or take down the rig. The overhead clearance is 9 ft. The weight is the only real issue. You must have some respect for that, if you get between it and a hard place while launching you might lose a finger or worse. I have a proper two-speed winch (manual) that is rated for about double the weight of the boat to insure control while in transition between the trailer and the water. Normally she is towed with an F-250 two-wheel drive pick-up. If we are launching on the beach, I insist on some back up, FWD or a tractor, just in case.
http://www.canoeyawl.com/boatimages/Picture036.jpg

[Frank E. Price]

Absolutely, stark raving gorgeous. In my opinion Wenda is the ultimate canoe yawl, and Constance has to be one of the finest Wenda's yet. Not that I've seen a bunch. What a treasure.

Frank

P.S. Yes, Rozinante not withstanding.

[Jay Greer]

BRAVO!!!!

[Dave Fleming]

That fellow is one fine mechanic!