Rascal plank question

[DavidS]

It's taken a while but I'm getting closer to starting on the Rascal runabout. Plus, I've finally found a couple of guys who said that they can do the resawing necessary for the 4/4 mahogany planks for the outer skin of the boat.

The plans call for planks that are 16 ft. long and 10 inches wide, but shorter planks can be used.

Question: if shorter planks are used (e.g. 8ft. and 10ft.) then is the 10 inch width still required, or can I get by with planks that are 8 inches wide?

Thanks.

[Speedboy]

Dave, you can get buy with narrower planks, but it depends where on the boat you decide to make your butt joints, and the length of the pieces you decide on. I believe you can get away with using some planks that are only 7 to 8 inches wide. Here is my recommendation. Don't buy any planks until you get the first layer of plywood on the boat. After the plywood is on, you will need to line off the boat to get the four planks on each side proportioned properly. The lines should be drawn in pencil on the sides of the plywood. At this point, you can figure out where you want to put the butt joint in each strake. Next, you can take a spiling batten and figure out the rough shape of each plank. You can then transfer the plank dimensions to a temporary piece of wood, or posterboard. Once the plank shape is defined, you can then figure out what width plank you will need for each piece on the boat. The planks hook down toward the front of the boat, and this is where the bulk of the 10" width is used up. If you are not familiar with spiling, order Ken Bassett's video on how to build the boat, and you will see the method he uses. He shows you how to approximate the shape of each plank. With that information, you can figure out what width planks are required. I also had trouble locating a lot of pattern grade mahogany in 10" width and 16' lengths. Best wishes.

Speedboy

[Memphis Mike]

Hey Speedboy! How about some progress photos of your Rascal?

[Speedboy]

Mike, if you look on page 2, you will see a Topic "Rascal Finishing Schooner Varnish.... It has my latest progress showing the 14 coats of varnish on the side. I am currently varnishing the deck and just finished putting the last coat of varnish on the dashboard and cockpit ceiling. I will post more pictures as soon as the varnish dries. I am picking a color for the deck seams now and hope to fill them soon, before the snow starts to fly. Started looking at motors, but the prices are scaring me. Sure wish I could find a good used 50-60 HP outboard. Been looking for over a year. Most of the Ebay outboards looks like scrap metal.

Speedboy