16' Melonseed Skiff

[Don Scott]

You may remember me from some time back this year. I am building a 16
ft melonseed and some members gave me help by the way of information and access to photos.

I thought you might be interested in seeing a photograph of my progress so far. Today I completed the long job of getting out all the planks and
the whole hull is now dry assembled and ready for dismantling and the
final glue up. Many of you will have seen similar pictures but I have to admit that I am quite pleased with the build so far. I still haven't made contact with anyone who is building the 16 ft. version but if anyone out there is contemplating such a build, I might be able to save them a little bit of pain in certain areas of the build and some observasions I have made regarding the plans I have been using.

As you may have guessed, I have not used any of the conventional methods but relied on my past experience of building model boats...I just
pretended that I was building a very large model !!! However, I
didn't trust myself to glue the first plank then cut and glue the
next one as normal...this is why I cut everything out first to make
absolutely certain that every part would go together....a very long
and tedious job. Now I have reached the point of no return...the much dreaded and irretreavable epoxy job!!!

I will keep you all posted if there is interest.

Kind Regards,

Don Scott

[Don Scott]

I must apologise for the lack of pictures...it seems that my file sizes exceed the maximum allowable. So, if you really want to see the pictures you can e-mail me direct if that is allowable !!!

Very sorry about that.

[boatbear]

Don, I'm keen to see the pics. Most graphics programs will allow you to resize to allowable limits (the suggested max. is 500 pixels wide.) If you need help with posting pictures, Thorne has posted excellent instructions. I use 'Picturetrail' for image hosting with good results.

[Don Scott]

Sorry to have taken so long to sort this out but I do not claim to be very hot on the use of computers and the business of photo storage.

Anyway, I have at last placed a selection of pictures on a storage website called 'Photobucket'. When you get into that you should type 'melonseed16' which will hopefully get you into the 15 photo album of my build. There is nothing new or special about them, but I am sure someone will be interested. My main reason for bringing the subject up in the first place was in the hope of making contact with someone who had built this version, or better still, someone who was in the process. That hasn't happened so far, but I don't suppose there have been many 16' versions built anyway. Can anyone shed light on that area. Are there thousands, hundreds, or just a handful of these 16' wooden versions out there ?

I would be grateful if anyone would confirm being able to get into the 'photobucket' site...it will boost my confidence in being able to hack the system.

[Thorne]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/015.jpg?t=1185567470

You can post links to them here (as above) -- right-click on the image, then select "image location" (or whatever your browser calls it -- NOT the "link location", as you want to display the image not the page it is on). But since you are using Photobucket rather than Picturetrail or other service that allows direct display, you can only display the links...

...I'll try a hack, that is removing everything after the .jpg from the URL -

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/015.jpg

Ah HA -- it worked!! MMMWWWHahahahaha! <- Mad Scientist Ev-il Laugh(tm)

Here are my instructions, such as they are...

First - don't attach photos. Most web forums don't allow it, and space
limitations are the main reason why.

Second - Instead of attaching them to a thread, post the pics on the web
somewhere. You have a free website area with any paid ISP's email account,
or use www.picturetrail.com (http://www.picturetrail.com/) or other free hosting service. Once posted on
the web, right-click the image to copy the URL (web address). Always test
first by pasting the image URL into the window of a web browser and see if
the image displays.

Remember, the IMAGE URL will end in .jpg, not .htm or html. URLs ending in .htm are the page that the image is at, not the image location itself.

Third - once posted on the web, try this procedure while logged in to this
Forum:

1. Click the "User CP" link in the browser window in the top left of the
menu bar.
2. Click the "Edit Options" link about 1/4 of the way down the left column.
3. In the "Misc Options" at the bottom of the next page, select "Enhanced
Interface" from the pulldown list.
4. Once this interface has been selected, in any "Reply" window you can
click the "insert photo" icon --> a little yellow square icon with the stamp
in the upper right corner, the mountains in the lower center.
5. Once the little dialog box titled "Please enter the URL of your image"
comes up, paste the URL of the photo in the field.

If unsure of the procedure, test first by pasting the image URL into the
window of a web browser.

[Ron Paro]

Don, I was able to find your photos at http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/th_010.jpg

Looking GOOOD! - Ron

[boatbear]

Don, lovely boat and a beautiful job of planking. I attach several virtual pats-on-the-back!
Charlie

Damn, attachment didn't work. Thorne, how the hell do you attach 'pats-on-the-back'??

[Steve Lansdowne]

Very nice. Looks quite 'curvy' and smooth. I'm surprised how wide your sheer plank is at the transom.

[Don Scott]

Steve,

I have no explanation for that except to say that I had to work things out for myself in that area...there was no information with the plans other than the fact that seven planks had to be got out, including the garboard. The garboard size leaned heavily on what I was able to glean from Mark Cozzi's 13' melonseed and the rest was guess work on my part.

The sheer plank is 4" wide from stem to stern but it will look a little more balanced when it receives its 1" white oak rubrail. I will have a bit of control and leeway at both ends later in the glue up where I could give this plank a slight taper. This would, of course, would tend to lessen the curve of the sheer.

Anyway, I hope to add to the photo album as I proceed with the build... so it's watch this space all yee who would become melonseed builders. It really is a beautiful boat and much too good for duck shooting !

[Jon Etheredge]

I am curious about the plank just below the sheerstrake...

It looks like you have made saw cuts through the plank to allow it to conform to the curve of the transom. I haven't ever seen this approach used before, it is more usual to just cut a flat on the transom. Is the plank just kerfed on the outside face or are the cuts all the way through the plank? Are you planning to fill the saw kerfs with epoxy/filler as you glue the plank in place or will you insert splines?

By the way, it is more usual to run the grain of a wide transom across the face rather than up and down. This tends to reduce the amount of dimensional change as the moisture content changes in the wood.

Your boat is looking good. You are doing very nice work.

[Don Scott]

Jon,

You have caught me out on a number of points and they are very good questions that deserve an answer.

As a first time boatbuilder I have had to blindly go where no other boatbuider has gone before, mainly because the plans carried very little help by way of detail. May be I should have started with a more basic design that offered far more comprehensive instructions.

You are quite right about the saw cuts in the last but one plank. The cuts are through the plank and I intend to use short splines to back them up. The reason I did not cut flats in the transom was because I wanted to cut gains and follow the natural curve of the transom (as in the David Toner's 16' Melonseed "American"). I had already cut the transom before I found out that it was normal to have the grain running horizontal....HEH HO!

You didn't spot the biggest and first mistake I made...or maybe you did.
Something that was on the plans (which I missed) was an instruction to add 3" to the lower part of each station mold. I ended up with the sheer wanting to follow through the top of the Strongback at both ends. I took the easy way out and instead of adding 3" peices to every mold, I modified the front and rear of the strongback to allow the sheer to pass through!

By fixing numerous batons to work out sizes and where I was going to place the planks, I discovered that No.3 and No.10 mold did not fair properly and was able to adjust them by 'eye balling' (David Toner calls it 'eye sweet').

One other thing I discovered was that the rudder was laid out on a grid calling for 3" squares. It wasn't until I had wasted some good marine ply that I realised it should have been calling for 4" squares...so anyone who is about to build a 16' melonseed... beware.

I am working out my own system for the centerboard, a diagram of which I may later place on the photo website so as to attract comments, advice or otherwise.

There is little doubt that you learn by your mistakes but I may not be able to put such leaning into practice. This build is very much a one off and an exercise in woodworking...I do a bit of woodturning and model boat building, toy making, etc. Having said that, I am thoroughly enjoying this build and beginning to think that I might have missed my vocation all these years. If I had started many more years ago, I feel that I would have been building some pretty good boats by now.

Lastly, I have never set foot in a sailing boat other than "HMS Victory" and I am looking forward to having a go in this little boat...with some help from my friends! Although I am only an enthusiast builder, I would recommend anyone thinking of building a small boat to at least consider the Melonseed. Even though she was a design of the 1880s, I am sure she can still stand alongside the best of todays offerings of a similar type.

[Jon Etheredge]

You have caught me out on a number of points and they are very good questions that deserve an answer.


It wasn't my intent to "catch you out". I apologize for having created that impression.

Actually, I think your idea of kerfing the plank is very clever. I have seen it used in cabinet and furniture making but never seen it used as you have. My gut reaction was that I wouldn't do that. But on reflection, I think that my initial reaction is probably overly conservative. With the marine ply planking and modern epoxy, I bet it will work out just fine.

My only reservation is aesthetic. The small facets that will result from cutting the plank may look a little odd. But I am also pickier than most folks :)

Here is the photo being discussed if anyone is following along.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/011.jpg



May be I should have started with a more basic design that offered far more comprehensive instructions.


It looks like you are doing a great job. Better to build what you want in my opinion (at least when you are talking about small boats). It helps to keep you motivated. And you can always learn as you go :)



The cuts are through the plank and I intend to use short splines to back them up. The reason I did not cut flats in the transom was because I wanted to cut gains and follow the natural curve of the transom (as in the David Toner's 16' Melonseed "American").


I think that you could eliminate the battens on the inside of the plank if you filled the kerfs with epoxy thickened with a structural filler. Maybe micro fibers? I don't know this from experience though so maybe someone else will chime in on this one.

For future reference...

I might have tried lining the planks off a little bit differently in the stern to eliminate some of the curve across that plank. Maybe make the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd broadstrakes just a bit wider and the sheer plank just a bit narrower. Leave the 4th broadstrake about the same. This would make the plank below the sheer plank a bit narrower and moved it "up" (toward the sheer) a bit. I think that would have put the hardest part of the turn of the bilge on a plank lap. Then the curve would be shared between the 2 planks a little more.



I had already cut the transom before I found out that it was normal to have the grain running horizontal....HEH HO!


Looks like the transom is mahogany (which is a relatively stable wood) so I doubt you'll ever have a problem. You could put a thin overlay of mahogany with horizontal grain. If you paint the hull and do the transom bright with the hull color carried onto the face of the transom to the width of the plank ends then no one will be the wiser. This would look very traditional too.



I ended up with the sheer wanting to follow through the top of the Strongback at both ends. I took the easy way out and instead of adding 3" peices to every mold, I modified the front and rear of the strongback to allow the sheer to pass through!


Good solution!

Actually, I have done the same before on purpose. Saves a little material in the molds and makes them shorter so they are more stable and flex less.



Although I am only an enthusiast builder, I would recommend anyone thinking of building a small boat to at least consider the Melonseed. Even though she was a design of the 1880s, I am sure she can still stand alongside the best of todays offerings of a similar type.


They are nice boats. I built a 13' 6" 'seed in lapstrake ply for a customer. I only sailed it once before the owner took it away but a friend of mine ended up sailing the boat many times and raved about the sailing qualities.

Your photos show that you are doing high quality work. Please don't take my nit picking the wrong way. If you keep up the quality that you have started with, I am sure that you will end up with a very fine looking and performing boat.

[Don Scott]

Jon,

I took no offence at your comments, in fact I am pleased that you gave your time to make the observations. The more comments and advice I get the better my boat will turn out...that’s the way I look at it.


I am keen to make the transom look better and have not been satisfied with the vertical grain since the start, so I am going to try and place a veneer over it. That will take some imaginative cramping to stop any trapping of air in the sandwich.


I also agree with your observations on the plank widths at the stern but it is a bit late to correct that now. I may still have a chance to make it look better in the final glue up which is going on right now.


In a David Toner thread on the subject of getting out planks, he said that there were many ways to skin a cat and that his method was different to other professional boatbuilders. My (enthusiast) method may have been pure invention as I had worked it out before I read books that I should have read before I started!


To save material I didn’t scarf whole sheets of 8’ x 4’. Each plank is made up of three lengths, each individually scarfed after cut out using a little router jig that I knocked together. Therefore I was able to cheat by having slight joggles in the grain alignment. The scarfs were then glued as the planks were placed and glued...a bit laborious but it works and ensures that the planks fit correctly. I made another router jig to form the gains. These jigs are a bit ‘Heath Robinson’ but they work and produce a lot better job than if I was to use a plane, chisel and sander. The cuts are very precise.

Anyway Jon, once again, thanks for the comments and please keep them coming. It really does help me to make the right moves and correct things that I might otherwise have turned a blind eye to. That is pretty important to me and especially in the area of safe practice...I will be expecting my grandchidren to sail in this boat so there are a number of things that I cannot comprimise on. That is why advice from you, and others with previous knowledge and experience, is very welcome.

[Don Scott]

I have just added a few more pictures to the album to show further progress of this build. Getting the planking right was a long and tedious job but worth taking the time over. Next step is to gradually replace the station molds with steamed ash frames. That should be fun...I only hope I don't damage my wife's pressure cooker !

Turning the boat over was managed by just myself and wife, Margaret. It was a bit precarious and a bit of a strain, but we just took our time and the job was done. I couldn't use ropes on cross beams because the roof of the building is not strong enough.

I have to apologise once again for my inability to place a link on here. I have tried and keep on getting a message that tells me that my file is invalid. I can only rely on some good soul to place the link here for me until I can crack this business. I am sure it must be quite simple but it won't be for me until I get it right just once....it's age related brain seepage you know !! RON PARO has kindly placed a link higher up the thread which allows viewing these extra pics, so all is not lost. I have to say that I followed Thorne's instructions to the letter and ended up with a frame in the top left corner of the reply box. It was made up of 8 small squares with an 'X' in the middle. Left clicking had no effect but a right click dropped a menu which gave me two choices. One of them gave me access to a very large portion of my own private collection of photographic files. At that, I panicked and terminated the whole attempt. Where am I going wrong ?...it really is frustrating and I am not all that thick.....honest !

I hope the pictures are of some interest. You old timers will have seen it all before but it might help a few of those newer guys who are trying to make their minds up about which project to choose.

I still haven't made contact with anyone who has built or is building this version of the melonseed.

[Don Scott]

He's got it, he's got it, my word I think he's got it !

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/?action=view&current=001.jpg

Well, I think I have....got it, that is.

__________________________________________________ ___
Just when I thought I had the answer.... I forgot the question !

[Steve Lansdowne]

Interesting. You made half molds and then fastened the two parts together. Makes sense assuming your fastening method works. At least you're sure port matches starboard. Boy, the rapid zooming in on the slideshow got me dizzy.

[Don Scott]

Steve,

I have already zapped the slide show....it was doing the same to me !

The one thing I don't seem able to fix is the picture sequence.

You have to start at the bottom right (001) and work backwards. Perhaps that's best for those folks who have already seen the majority and only want to see what has been recently added.

I did my back in slightly yesterday...leaning into the upright boat to clean out the remaining epoxy squeeze out. So, I did some easier bench work and knocked up the tiller and am now trying to sort out the centerboard housing. I have worked out the weight of lead for the board using the John Brooks formula from his book and was quite surprised that I only need about 20 cubic inches...around 6 lbs.

[boatbear]

Don, it is looking great.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/027.jpg

Isn’t it a joy to see her right-side up for the first time? I recall doing a few laps around mine, saying “Yes, Yes, Yes!” and then sitting in a comfy chair for some time, just grinning.

The Melonseed is such a beautiful boat, and you have done a really nice build. Now comes the next fun part – the internal fitout. Enjoy.

Look after your back. I am a bit disabled at the moment with a similar problem. I have learnt that the occasional lie-down on a thin mattress on the floor really helps. I have a bed in the shed for this purpose.

Charlie

[Don Scott]

Charlie,

Yes! The boat did look good when it was finally turned the right way up and... Yes! I sat down in a chair and gazed at it. There really is something about the Melonseed shape that grabs the mind and eye. I am a bit restricted here in that I can only get a reasonable view of it from the garden in front of the double doors. That's why most of the camera shots are a bit boring.

I have to state that I resisted the temptation to lie down beside it and roll in the shavings like one other dedicated Melonseed builder on this forum. If my wife caught me doing that I would have a hard time convincing her that I was indulging in some form of back relief!

Back trouble is no joke of course, especially when it seriously affects the sciatic nerve, and I have been laid low for 6 or 7 weeks in the recent past. It got so bad I was using a painkiller called 'tramadol' which I have just been told is normally given to those at the point of death and in great pain....

....well hang on a minute...wait till I've finished my boat !!!

Back to joyful things though, Yes! the Melonseed is a beautiful shape to behold and I can see why so many people love it. The trouble is that the building of it is so addictive that there are a lot of domestic jobs beginning to slide. I am in fear of ultimatums from my wife like 'You're going to have to choose between it and me'.

That is not a choice I would like to make as I would miss those delicious bread & butter puddings that she bakes !!!

[Andrew]

Nice work Don. Right now I'm stalled on a 13-1/2ft Mellonseed. Your post is just what I need to get going again. I'm at about the same stage. I developed the planking much the same way. I'm assuming you were following Tom Hill's method. In retrospect I think I'd include the second plank in the garboard. Possibly part of the next also, though that would mean atlering all the other planks. My reasoning being one less plank, a larger smooth surface under the water, and as my garboard is glassed, a larger glassed area for bottom protection.

I'm going with a center board also. In my waters it will double as a depth finder. I'll have a boomed spritsail. How about you?

[Roy Morford]

Beautiful job Don.
I'm in the process of building an Acorn 15 and could have saved myself a lot of work if I'd seen your build first. I'm particularly interested in the Heath Robinson jigs for cutting scarfs and gains - can you post pics or drawings of these? It's a bit late for me on the Acorn but will certainly help on my next boat (there is always a next boat, right?). Thanks Don and keep posting pics.
Roy.

[MiddleAgesMan]

Beautiful boat and very nice work, Don.

It would be very risky to veneer the outside of that transom without applying the same material to the inside. Covering only the outside you will be creating an imbalanced condition in the transom. Veneer running across the grain will lock it down dimensionally. With veneer locking down only one side you are guaranteeing the transom will warp as the inside shrinks or swells.

In other words, laminate both sides or neither.

--fwiw, ymmv

[Don Scott]

I am pleased to see all the comments and questions and glad that it has sparked off new enthusiasm for carrying on with projects. I often come to a grinding halt with some of my other activities and always get a bump start encouragement from others.

I will try and answer the questions....

Andrew : The sailing rig on this boat will be as drawn up in Mark Barto's plans which was the same as 'American' - built by David Toner. It is this man's project that has been my inspiration. I am sure that anyone who is interested in the Melonseed has drooled over his boat...it is somewhere on this Forum but I can't remember where. Suffice to say that I keep a photo of 'American' and drool over it regularly. I keep trying to see something new but I have exhausted every pixel by now! Anyway, it is 'Gaff' rigged, of which I know nothing. I have to admit that I do not know a thing about sailing but I am looking forward to my first time out maybe next year. Luckily, my son-in-law is a naval officer so I will be relying on him a bit. Getting back to the rig...there is a profile drawing of the 16' Melonseed in the WoodenBoat Store adverts for plans.

Roy : I will see what I can do about getting a picture of my 'jigs' They really are Heath Robinson and now slightly battered by slip-ups with my router. However, if they are of interest I will need to add a bit of text as they have to be used in a special way to get any benefit from them.

MiddleagesMan : Thanks for that advice...it hadn't occured to me that veneering just one side of the transom might cause warping but it figures. I will take your advice...two side veneer or none at all.

I have been playing with some Ash wood today. This 30-40 ft.tree was felled in our garden three or four years ago and now I have split a 30" length of trunk to some 3/4" x 1/2" strips to make the frames. My intention is to steam them but I was amazed to find how easy they are to bend and have already dry fitted No.1 and No.3 stations. I have read somewhere about the advantage of using green wood. Does anyone have any views on this ?

[MiddleAgesMan]

I work for a major manufacturer of wood components for the cabinet industry. One of our more troublesome designs is a solid wood slab door, glued up from strips. We stabilize it as best we can with battens top and bottom across the back. We do not glue the battens, just screw them in position. If we glued the battens we would be assured every door would warp at some point down the road because the glued battens would eliminate expansion or contraction across the back while the front is free to shrink and swell. Veneer on one side of your transom will do the very same thing a glued batten will do to a solid wood door.

Epoxy encapsulation might reduce this problem but nothing can eliminate it entirely.

[MiddleAgesMan]

Green wood is not much different from steamed wood. Steaming adds moisture lost in the drying process. Green wood has that moisture because, well, it hasn't been dryed.

[pipefitter]

Nice ,neat work and a sweet shape. . .Looks great.

[boatbear]

Don
My understanding on steaming is that the steam is only a controlled way to uniformly heat the existing moisture in the wood. I have found that there is a window where the wood will 'turn to rubber', and that it will stiffen up again if left too long in the steaming chamber. About 10 to 15 minutes will probably do, maybe only 5 minutes with ½” strips. Experiment with a few pieces first. I re-curve violin bows using dry heat, and it works very well.

A note on the transom – I used vertical grain for the transom on my dory and found that the only disadvantage is all that exposed end grain on the very vulnerable top surface. The timber I used is local ‘Victorian Ash’, a eucalypt, and after a few years of heavy use with insufficient maintenance found that some water had got in and stained the wood. I have since patched with epoxy and painted rather than varnished. Maybe a steam curved top capping, tongue-and-grooved to the top of the transom and bedded with flexible sealant could be a solution to that problem.

And Don, I personally can't see anything wrong with rolling in the shavings. I'm sure your wife would understand. It could even add some spice to the marital arrangements. Grin. And yes, damn that sciatic nerve. It is a bit too close to one’s soul, or something.

Also, the term ‘Heath Robinson’ is a little dated. I now refer to my jigs as the ‘Wallace and Gromit’ approach to jigmaking. The young ones instantly understand.
Charlie

[Andrew]

I think this is "American"
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid142/p2f1e0843f2dfccf6e3d4992bd0c93dfc/f6bf9799.jpg

This is the only picture I could find. Can anyone find more?
She has some details I'd like to copy, like that toerail.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Not to hijack the thread, but (particularly Andrew) here are some shots of my 13 1/2 foot Barto version, which will have a centerboard and now has glued cedar deck knees, as the green ash I tried to steam bend for these didn't work out. I have steamed oak frames. I'm going to start another post dealing with the sail rig.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2133050314

[Andrew]

Thanks for sharing Steve. Finished yet?

[Steve Lansdowne]

Not yet done. She is now turned over to get the centerboard slot cut and to finish out the bottom, then I'll right her again to finish the inside. Am considering a bird's mouth mast.

[Don Scott]

Roy,

As promised, I have put some pics on the album to give some idea of the jigs I was talking about higher up the thread. I understand from Charlie that Heath Robinson has been made redundant and that I should in future make reference to Wallace and Grommit whenever I refer to my bodging methods.

I am sure that I don’t need to go into any deep explanation of the jigs. Both of them rely on a sliding router that bares on a surface base that will force the cutter to slice through the 6mm ply at a fixed distance from that base and exactly parallel to it.

There are a couple of things to note when using the scarfing jig


The plank must be held firmly and you will see that I used a couple of panel pins/brads right through the jig and plank to do this (those raggy looking countersinks are to enable the pins to be removed after cutting). The holes in the plank are easily sealed later.
The free end of the plank must be sprung upwards slightly to ensure that the feather edge bares down firmly on the base…otherwise the router will shred the feather edge.
When making the cut, the router should start at the position as seen in the photo. It is then moved to the left which will just break the surface of the ply…taking the 2" pencil mark with it. Then it is brought down at right angles to the feather edge and the pass repeated until you end up off the bottom right corner of the feather edge. This ensures a good edge. I use a slow speed and a slow pass but you need to practice on a few pieces of waste.
For the scarf, I used a ratio of 8 to 1 which for 6mm (1/4”) ply is 2”. However, after reading John Brooks book on Lapstrake construction, I am inclined to agree with him that 6 to 1 might be better. There was a tendency to flat spot some of my planks at the scarfs. This may have been caused, to some extent, by over eager tightening to ensure a flush joint.The gains jig is fairly straightforward. It works on the same priciple as the scarf jig and relies on a gradient slide that cuts a ¾” wide gain through 6mm ply over a length of 12”. The router has a guide ring fitted that slides in the slot. Again, it must be ensured that everything is clamped solidly down to ensure a good cut and more importantly so as to retain all ‘pinkies’….that’s fingers for all you Wallace and Grommit fans !!

The offset top slider surface has to be turned over depending on which side gains you are cutting.

That’s the best I can do by way of explanation. I have already said that these jigs are simple and I have no doubt that other forum members use very similar methods. The pics are in the sub album marked 'Jigs'

Steve : I was pleased to see that you have got much further on with your build now. I had not seen the latest pics of your progress and it seems that I am not very far behind you now. I got too clever today with trying to bend green Ash and have snapped so many pieces that I now have them soaking in water. I might have to resort to steaming them after all. Nevermind, it's all good fun when you're building a melonseed !

[Don Scott]

Andrew...for David Toner's "American" try this...

www.boat-links.com/PT/PT2003/ (http://www.boat-links.com/PT/PT2003/)

[Don Scott]

....and this....

http://www.imagestation.com/members/tonersboats

[Thorne]

Wow!

[boatbear]

I see what you mean about the American! Thanks.
Charlie

[Roy Morford]

Many thanks Don.
After just a few minutes I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. The pics and instructions are now safely tucked away for future use. By the way, I have no idea who Wallace & Co might be. But then these youngsters have probably never heard of Rube Goldberg either. I guess I was just born too early.
Thanks again Don for the help and the pics of your superb workmanship.

[Andrew]

Yeah. That's the pic I had in my "soft" memory.
http://www.boat-links.com/PT/PT2003/American-1.jpg

I hadn't seen the other pix. Lost of good detail there. Thanks

[Andrew]

http://img1.jurko.net/avatar_1394.jpg
Wallace and Grommet say Hi.

[Don Scott]

Another 14 images have been added to the 'melondseed16' album.
There doesn't appear to be much but they represent a lot of hard slog.

The frames were finally made up from 1/8" Ash veneers (four to a frame)as the use of solid green ash did not work out...too many breakages!
I tried bending on pin frames set on the molds but got fed up with it so I hit upon the idea of clamping the veneers direct to the interior of the hull by using the holes that would eventually be their fixing holes. The frames are glued up and clamped with little wooden blocks immediately to the side of their final positions. This method works out quite well as long as a strip of plastic is laid down first to stop any premature glue-up.

The centerboard housing is based very much on Mark Barto's original design but with an extension that gives more area above the pivot to bear on the side of the housing when the board is in the lowered position. The pictures should explain themselves. I wasn't too sure of the method of making and installing the mast step but just went for a strong setup.

Cutting the slot wasn't too painful but I lost count of the number of times I measured up for it !!! The next part is to cut and fix the deck beams and king planks. Then I have to work out a lot of shapes and sizes to make the top side look something like the 'American'. That will take lots of messing about with batons and looking at things from all angles...well, at least the angles from which I can view the boat. It might help if I had a bit of a clear out but I have a fixation with the build. I now know what that man in 'Close Encounters' was going through.

[boatbear]

The link to Don’s album, just so you don’t have to go looking for it above –

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/


Don, she is looking beautiful. Lovely woodworking too.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/039.jpg

Thanks for the update
Charlie

[Steve Lansdowne]

That's a clever way to hold your frames bent to the inside of the boat before you glue them up. On my 13.5 version I steamed them and then forced them into the notch in the chine log and clamped the top to the sheerclamp, pounded the end above the sheerclamp with a rubber mallet to seat it into the notch, and then scurried to drive screws through the planks into the frame, at times not hitting the frame at all ...

I really like your maststep setup. I followed the plans given for my boat but haven't installed it yet. I may try your way, as the hole is certainly self-draining and, it looks, more adjustable perhaps.

Nice work. Of course, you know the hardest part is yet to come -- choosing the color scheme!

[johngsandusky]

I admit I didn't build mine, but it is a truly great boat. An amazing sailor. Every time I go out it turns heads, or gets photographed. You'll be so proud when you sail it.

[Don Scott]

Steve,

The mast step is a glued up sandwich made of four peices of 1/4" (6mm) marine ply from the planking process. I have quite a few odd shapes and sizes which I am a bit loath to throw away, Hence, I am making all my deck beams in this way from the same material...except those which carry the loads of the mast. These are made from some well seasoned oak which started life as part of a chapel altar, then part of our mantlepeice... No one is going to accuse me of leaving a large carbon footprint.

I have already bought the paint for the boat. At first it was my intension to have exposed woodgrain inside and out until I realised that there were too many flaws on the outside hull (I think that photographs sometimes make a build look better than it really is!). On my boat, every plank is made up of three parts, so that adds up to 24 scarf joints which don't shout out load but I know they are there! The inside is a different kettle of fish because I made sure that every scarf joint here would be covered by a frame. So the inside will have exposed/varnished grain.

I am using 'Blakes' paint which is a popular but expensive product over here. It's a two pack coating and the colour is Raphsody Blue (a bit lighter than the 'American' hull which looks to me like a navy blue in the photographs). The inside will be a two pack polyurathane varnish on the exposed grain and a sort of light 'duckegg' blue in the for and aft sections behind the bulkheads.

Good luck with your build...I will be looking out for more photos of your progress.

...Oh! and thanks for putting up the link again Charlie. Hope your back is behaving itself.

[Don Scott]

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/

Just a few more pictures added for those who maintain an interest in Melonseeds.

Had trouble getting timberyards interested in cutting some wood for masts,etc. Ended up having to buy a length of Douglas Fir 24' x 8" x 3",,,,the only cutting they had time for was to saw a bit off the end so as to get it into our mobile home !!! This is a hefty stick and I am only just managing to cut it up for the spars with my Startrite bandsaw.

The gaff spar (8') is my first attempt with the gaff itself made from some Spanish Sweet Chestnut I had lying around. The oars are off the same length of DF with blades from left over Cedar. Yes, I know it's a bit soft but it is also light. If I have trouble I reckon I could tip and edge them with Oak or similar.

I have it on good authority that by using the stronger DF instead of Sitka Spruce I can make the masts a bit smaller in diameter. So the largest diameter, at the partner, I will reduce from 3" to 2.5".

As for the rest of it, the crossbeams either side of the mast partner are Oak and the bulkheads are 4mm marine ply - same as the stuff I am going to use for the decks. I fancy using some 1/8" teak strips to 'plank' the decks but not sure about this. I keep reading that teak doesn't take kindly to epoxy so if anyone can reassure me otherwise, I might go for it.

I must stress again that I am well aware of those many readers of this forum who are, unlike myself, very experienced in wooden boatbuilding and that this thread is aimed more at the novice like myself. I do not profess that any of my materials or methods are the best or even advisable but I do admit to having a great time building the thing and sharing the experience for what it is worth.

One other admission may be one too many. I constantly find myself building this boat in my mind as soon as I wake up in the mornings and before I go to sleep at night. I have done this with other projects in the past but never to the same degree. I am at the thick end of 70 years old now and the question is...."Do I need treatment?"

I retired almost ten years ago but now find myself getting up regularly in the mornings and going straight to the 'boathouse' where I put in a full five day week and sometimes more. I must say that there cannot be anything better than having something to get out of bed for each day and this Melonseed Skiff does it for me. Three cheers for Mr. Barto !

[boatbear]

Great progress Don. She is looking beautiful. http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/045.jpg

I love the gaff jaws.
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/049.jpg

Quote "Do I need treatment?" Yes - and you'll get it when she's on the water. Do you dream about sailing her? As obsessions go, building a sweet little boat is one of the best. Thanks for the update.
Charlie

[Steve Lansdowne]

Looking good. What are your plans for deck knees? I tried steam bending green ash for mine but they all had grain runout, so I made a cardboard pattern and used scraps of solid Atlantic white cedar for mine, with a C-shaped hole along the inner edge placed just so in order to support an stored oar on each side.http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p1114d91a8675b7034a9fec76bb95a522/e81b5817.jpg

[Don Scott]

Charlie....No, I don,t dream about sailing as I don't know how to sail!
I have been toying with the idea to go to a local 'pond' and get some lessons on sailing. I am going to have to do that sooner or later anyway.

Steve....I have just started with the knees and messing about with various ideas. One idea is to make 6mm ply knees each side of every frame within the cockpit area and fill the gap with lightweight cedar. This will form a sandwich of the carlins, the upper parts of the frames and the cedar infill. I will take a close up pic when I do the next batch of photos.

Stowage of the oars is a bit of a problem because the 16' Melonseed needs at least an 8' oar. This creates problems with stowage. I have ended up with the best solution - the blades go through slots in the aft bulkhead (right back to the transom) and the knees have cutouts where necessary to stow the shafts - similar to your design. The rear part of the centerboard is also in the way of a good rowing position but I have got a couple of ideas to sort that out.

I am a bit worried by the 4mm ply I have just bought for the decking. It is more like 3mm so it will definately have to be planked with something. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Meanwhile, things are going fairly well. I think the main reason for this is the fact that I dry fix everything as far as I possibly can and only when I am dead certain that no part of the future build sequence is going to be comprimised by bad fitting, wrong angles, incorrect fairing, etc., then I go to the glue pot! This means constant dismantling but it is well worth the time and effort spent.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Actually after my steam bent ribs plan fell through, I planned to make my deck knees just as you plan to do. The angle of my ribs was not as perfect as I'd have liked (the sides of these were not totally in the same plane as the side of the short beams that connect the sheerclamp and the carlin) so at that point I decided to just use plywood on one side of the cedar 'filler', and omit the other side of the plywood/cedar sandwich. At that point I realized that if I oriented the grain of the cedar the correct way, I really didn't need the plywood 'bread' in this sandwich.

The way I finally ended up doing this was to attach one piece of plywood 'bread' to the cedar with screws, putting waxed paper between the two as I screwed these together while they were clamped in the correct position to fit onto the boat. I then slathered epoxy along the edge of the cedar where it contacted the rib and underside of the deck beam and held the whole thing in place using clamps between the plywood and the beam and rib. Once this dried, I removed the clamps and screws and waxed paper, leaving the cedar glued to the hull with no plywood or screws attached. We'll see how this holds up. Pressure from the plywood deck that one may sit on is going downward, thus I figured that having the cedar in the space where a steamed knee would go would suffice without really needing the plywood.

Getting the pattern for these cedar knees involved a process of paper pattern for the plywood later transferred to cardboard pattern trimmed to exact size that was used to make the plywood piece. I traced the outline of the underside of the beam and edge of the rib onto the cardboard, cut that out, and used that as the pattern for the cedar. That was lots of pattern making, but it worked.

My Barto plans call for 6 mm plywood for the deck. I imagine that 4 mm is OK but your deck beams may be closer together than mine. I keep telling myself that any pressure on the deck is downward and while the boat is in the water, the boat settles lower in the water with this weight. Sitting on a deck when the boat is on the trailer or on land might do deck damage, while doing the same while the boat is in the water would not. I'm not really sure this is true, but somehow it makes sense to me.

[Don Scott]

Steve : Take a look at this extract from a paper I wrote in connection with an iron cannon I acquired for the Rotherham Museum Service in the 1980s. I won't go into too much detail but suffice to say that 79 of the 105 guns aboard "Victory" at the Battle of Trafalgar were cast by the Walker Company of Rotherham. There are ordinance lists for the period to proove this. This info just confirms what you said about weight effects on seacraft depending on their being in or out of water.....


....It should be noted that the cannon now to be seen on the decks of "H.M.S. Victory" are wooden replicas and only those immediately surrounding her on the dockside are real. As a matter of interest, it was common practice to remove guns from the decks of wooden ships that needed dry dock facilities for maintainance. Under normal circumstances, the strain of the weight of guns acting on a wooden hull (200 tons on the "Victory") was counteracted by the displacement pressure of water acting upon the hull when the ship was afloat. If the guns were left on board when a ship entered a dry dock facility there was some risk of distortion and fracture of the hull timbers when the water surrounding the ship was pumped out, hence their removal before draining the dock. Although "HMS Victory" is now in a dry dock situation, it has been possible to give an idea of what the ship looked like with her full compliment of guns aboard by using much lighter wooden replicas.

As a matter of further interest, there are many Walker cannon in existence today especially on your side of the pond and they can be identified by the letters 'W&Co' impressed on the end of the left trunnion. Only those with a GeorgeIII cypher on the barrel were cast in Rotherham. Post 1820 Walker cannon (with GeorgeIV cypher) were cast at Tipton, Staffordahire.

Anyway, back to Melonseeds....mine will not be carrying ordinance by the way!

[Don Scott]

Steve : Take a look at this extract from a paper I wrote in connection with an iron cannon I acquired for the Rotherham Museum Service in the 1980s. I won't go into too much detail but suffice to say that 79 of the 105 guns aboard "Victory" at the Battle of Trafalgar were cast by the Walker Company of Rotherham. There are ordinance lists for the period to proove this. This info just confirms what you said about weight effects on seacraft depending on their being in or out of water.....


....It should be noted that the cannon now to be seen on the decks of "H.M.S. Victory" are wooden replicas and only those immediately surrounding her on the dockside are real. As a matter of interest, it was common practice to remove guns from the decks of wooden ships that needed dry dock facilities for maintainance. Under normal circumstances, the strain of the weight of guns acting on a wooden hull (200 tons on the "Victory") was counteracted by the displacement pressure of water acting upon the hull when the ship was afloat. If the guns were left on board when a ship entered a dry dock facility there was some risk of distortion and fracture of the hull timbers when the water surrounding the ship was pumped out, hence their removal before draining the dock. Although "HMS Victory" is now in a dry dock situation, it has been possible to give an idea of what the ship looked like with her full compliment of guns aboard by using much lighter wooden replicas.

As a matter of further interest, there are many Walker cannon in existence today especially on your side of the pond and they can be identified by the letters 'W&Co' impressed on the end of the left trunnion. Only those with a GeorgeIII cypher on the barrel were cast in Rotherham. Post 1820 Walker cannon (with GeorgeIV cypher) were cast at Tipton, Staffordahire.

Anyway, back to Melonseeds....mine will not be carrying ordinance by the way!

[BrianR]

Bravo! I love the work you've don Donn! I love the lapstrake look too. I built the 13 footer off of the Barto plans. I stuck with the daggerboard configuration, as I was afraid to mess up performance to convert it. I also used cove and bead construction - western red cedar, and glassed it. Finally, I used a Balsa top (Baltek) which is actually Balsa on end sandwiched between fiberglass, then a rough coat of glass with minimal epoxy for the top. Gave it a little slip resistence. The rest is self explanatory (pretty much), but I'm sure glad to see more seeds being made out there. Especially the fine work you're doing there! Can't wait to see it done! All the best.

My seed:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4287820309

[boatbear]

Sweet boat Brian. Cute name too. Thanks for posting
Charlie

[Don Scott]

Brian....Great to hear from another Melonseed man.

I enjoyed looking through your picture album and wondered if I could borrow your Reverend when the launchtime comes...I can supply the bubbly!

I haven't got a guard dog either so I reckon I could borrow him too. I bet there are not many uninvited guests get very close to your little boat when he's about.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Don, I've gotta say that my weight doesn't rival that of a cannon, but still it is nice to see my hunches validated by the Royal Navy!

Brian's boat looks quite good. I saved some of his pictures a year or so ago to drool over while I build mine.

[botebum]

Brian, what a beautiful job! I really enjoyed looking through your albumn. Thanks!
Don, keep those pics coming. I'm excited to see what comes next. I still gotta fix the house but Tonya has allowed that I can start a boat as soon as I can afford it. Should be soon- job is fixin' to rev up;) Mine's going to be a bit less classy(15'- 16' outboard punt) but I've got a few ideas for jazzing it up a bit. Can't wait to start my build thread!

Doug

[boatbear]

Quote - "I can supply the bubbly!"
Please guys, such waste. Pouring good bubbly all over the front of a boat is irresponsible. Sift it through yer kidneys first. ('Grin' emoticon here, just in case.)
Charlie

[BrianR]

Thanks for the kind words guys! As far as keeping people away, I say let 'em on! I like to share. I'll get Rev. McNaugton to say a few words, I'm sure, and you can have my dog Rocky, as soon as you pry my jealous wife's hands from him!

Best advice I got when I started: I had posted a question as follows - "hey guys, how long should it take me to build this thing?" I'll never forget the best answer: "If youre counting the hours, you've missed the point. Its not the destination - its the journey. Enjoy the process - it'll make the product that much sweeter."

So, so true. Savor the beauty you add each time you work, Don.

Good luck.

[pdrowe]

Quick question...

What shape of a rudder will you be using? The original design or something with a bit more depth?
After hearing hints from Melonseed sailors/builders that this is the one element they would consider changing, I've been playing with my pencil and cogitating.

By the way, looks beautiful.

Patrick

[Don Scott]

Brian...I agree with you about the journey... and if the destination is as enjoyable then I have more pleasure to come.

Patrick...I am using the rudder design as shown on the Barto plan (as seen on the 'American'). For anyone contemplating building this 16' version you should note that the rudder must be laid out on 4" squares and not 3" as shown on the plan. I know I have mentioned this before but I'm not griping... just trying to save someone their precious wood.

I have read somewhere that operation of this rudder can be a bit alarming in that 'grip' can be lost in choppy waters due to its very shallow draft. I am sure that there are better technical terms to describe this situation but at worst the boat could be overturned by the resulting sudden lurch away from its heading. Perhaps someone else can explain this better.

The line of the bottom edge of the rudder runs straight off the boat bottom and so there is no tendancy for it to snag on underwater objects. No doubt this was a deliberate design feature for a boat that was meant for use in shallow waters in the pursuit of duck shooting, etc.

I have turned the beautiful curve of the rudder to good use by repeating the shape in other parts of the interior construction and this will be seen in future photos. At the moment I am having fun making masts, mast hoops and spars which are not really very photogenic.

The weather is beginning to cool off here in England now and we are getting some very heavy frosty nights...not the thing for playing around with epoxy resin...nor even rolling around in the shavings...eh! Charlie ?

[Don Scott]

Just a few more pictures to add to the 'sequence of build' album in 'photobucket'.

The blocks are made from English Oak (ex- kitchen unit doors) and just need the hardware and finish.
The sail is made in the traditional style from poly/cotton and still requires the hardware - eyelets, etc.

I am pleased to say that I have now made contact with David Toner, the builder of "American", and he has been of great help and advice with some of my building problems and questions. The idea for use of belaying pins on this boat was his, although I have seen them used on similar types of boat on this forum. I think it is a very nice touch for this particular design. We will have to see if it is going to be practical.

One general question for anyone out there...what, if any, are the consequences of using epoxy resin below the recommended 15 degrees Centigrade ? Can I just bring the shed up to temperature later and finish the cure without any detriment?



http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/053.jpg

[Andrew]

You don't have to bring the whole shed to temp, just the epoxy. Shop lamps, Heating blankets etc will do the job.

[boatbear]

Lovely work as always, Don. And I reckon the kitchen table is the best place to do epoxy work in the winter.
Charlie

[pdrowe]

You don't have to bring the whole shed to temp, just the epoxy. Shop lamps, Heating blankets etc will do the job.


Or if you are living in my neck of the woods, where it's -26 C at the moment, then you find some non-epoxy chores to do ;).

(I think -26 C converts to "bloody cold" in Fahrenheit)

[Don Scott]

OK Charlie....How do I get a 16' Skiff onto the kitchen table ?

There are some places that are sacred in a woman's home and I guess you have just touched on one. It was all I could do to pursuade her to get her furniture out of the lounge so as to allow me to loft the sail. There are not many women in this world who would let their husbands to hammer nails through the carpets into a composite floor. There again, I was able to con my way through it all by telling her that it was good for the floor and very similar to the benifit a lawn derives from being aeriated. She was off like a shot to get my hammer and nail box...

...and if you beleive that, you have been at sea for too long !

[boatbear]

Hmm, ok - the whole boat, eh? You just have to convince 'her indoors' that her future as first mate (read 'boat ballast') is assured and will be worth the extra effort.

I have been led to believe, and the logic sounds ok, that you are best to bring the temperature up before epoxy application and then let the work cool to prevent 'out-gassing'. (there are some threads on the subject somewhere).

I've used cheap electric radiators - the type with a glowing bar and reflector - to do winter work. Just point them at the boat for a couple of hours. They'll keep you warm, too.
Charlie

[pdrowe]

Those blocks look beautiful. Almost makes me want to take the kitchen cabinets apart.

Another quick question...
In your conversation with Mr Toner, did he say whether he encapsulated? Come to think of it, did you? The Barto plans recommend it but the ongoing debate on this forum has me wondering.

Also, in followup to a previous question I raised, I've gone with the traditional rudder, which I'm working on and is small enough for the kitchen table.

Patrick

[David Toner]

Yes, I encaplsulated all wood in epoxy, both inside and out. I also sheathed the bottom up to the broadstrake land with glass and epoxy but only for abrasion resistance. It certainly doesn't hurt anything on a trailered, dry stored boat and it makes a good, stable sealer for further coatings. On the downside it adds cost, time and dust. It also adds a few steps when repairing small dings but in the end I believe it makes a better boat. David

[Don Scott]

Now hold on there Patrick, you have to get the sequence right. First you have to buy in enough flat packs, etc. to install a brand new kitchen for her and then the old bits are all yours. In my estimation I have enough old oak door units to make blocks for about another 63 Melonseeds. However, I may just limit that to 62 as I am not a greedy soul. Besides that, how many of these little beauties could a man possibly want ?

I see that David has answered your question about encasing the hull in epoxy and that is the way that I will go with my build. I am glad he has come onto this thread because now others can ask him more questions directly and benefit anyone who is building, or intending to build, a Melonseed. My boat is in winter hibernation mode at the moment so I am desparately trying to think of something else I can do on the kitchen table....any ideas Charlie ?

[pdrowe]

Yes, I encaplsulated all wood in epoxy, both inside and out. I also sheathed the bottom up to the broadstrake land with glass and epoxy but only for abrasion resistance. It certainly doesn't hurt anything on a trailered, dry stored boat and it makes a good, stable sealer for further coatings. On the downside it adds cost, time and dust. It also adds a few steps when repairing small dings but in the end I believe it makes a better boat. David

Thank you most kindly.
And may I say, you have created a work of art. Bravo.
Patrick

[Duncan Gibbs]

Bump! Anything happen since your last posts Don?

[Don Scott]

Duncan,

You must be psychic because I have just started up again this year after some pretty lousy weather for many months. I have been waiting quite some time for the mean daily temperature to break 15 degrees so as the epoxy will go off naturally. That has happened only in the past week or so and I have put in about 3 days work. The basic top deck is now on and needs to be planked (2" x1/8" teak). I laid the guide lines down as you may see in the photos. It will then be down to all the detail work like cockpit combing, toe rail, rub rails and fittings, etc.

I have taken only two or three pictures which I will put up on 'photobucket' in the next day or two. On reflection, I seem to have been a bit over enthusiastic in my sequence photos. About half as many may have been too much so I will kerb things a bit from now on. If anyone has any questions they can always ask.

With one or two domestic and health problems, I have been neglecting the boatbuilding side but there is nothing better than to receive encouragement through this forum. So, if anyone else needs a kick start to get on with their Melonseed build then here we go again.

[Don Scott]

I hope that I have got this right. If not, where are you Charlie?

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/060.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

... Looking very nice Don! Had this thread bookmarked and I thought it'd been a little [I]too long since we've last heard from you. I hope you've managed to sort out you domestic and health problems and can now continue in ernest on this beauitiful vessel.

Cheers Don!

PS: Don't hold back on the photos... That's a true no-no here!! :D

[boatbear]

Ah, Don; such a beautiful boat. I attach a huge mound of praise and encouragement. May your back be strong and flexible, your hands steady, and your long-suffering wife tolerant. And of course, may the temperature gods smile on your epoxy work.
Charlie

[PAJ]

That's a beautiful boat Don. Keep it up!
Patrick

[Don Scott]

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/

Here's a few more pictures of the build...maybe too many again but anyone interested should be able to pick out the detail. I started this reply with quite a bit of text but somehow lost the lot and I just can't go through the whole thing again. If anyone has any questions though, just fire away.

Charlie, you might want to put a picture up on this screen from 'photobucket'. I am not going to try again as that was how I lost all my text in the first place!

[Don Scott]

Forgot to mention that I tried the mast in place prior to fitting the planks and rails....
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/077.jpg

[boatbear]

Great to see that mast up, Don.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/073.jpg

And that decking work is just stunning. Thanks for the update. V. inspiring.
Charlie

[David Toner]

Outstanding work Don. And what a view from the shop. What type of wood is your deck? What is the thickness and what did you glue it down with? I like the way the shroud fittings ended up, very clean. You sure work fast!
David

[JeffSteele]

i dont know if this has already beens asked but are you building from our hosts copy of the plans or the smithsonians?

[Don Scott]

Thank you all for the encouragement and I will try to remember the text which I lost yesterday.

David : Yes, that is a lovely view to the South over the fields from our little village. Just beyond the trees in the background there is an oval shaped field (some edges ploughed out but still recognisable on Google Earth) that is reputed to be where the first St. Leger horse race was run. The site of Park Hill Hall (demolished 1934), once home to the St. Leger family, is off to the right of that picture...but back to the questions...

The overall basic deck is formed from 4mm marine ply coated with epoxy both sides. The planking (2” x 1/8”) is a wood that few would recommend but I just had to give it a try. The wood is Jelutong and has been traditionally used for making the finely carved parts of rocking horses, etc. The reason I used it was because it was available, light coloured and straight grained, similar to balsawood, but it is much tougher and a hardwood. It cuts well and is very easy to work with. I figured that it will stand up to some reasonable wear after being encased in epoxy resin. We shall see! The gaps between the planks (approx ¼”) will be filled with epoxy/filler tinted with some of my wife’s black acrylic paint from her art box. I must say that the basic idea for planking stems from David Toner’s build of the “American” which has been, and still is, my whole inspiration. I have photos of it hanging up in the boat shed and I only have to go and look at them to keep my enthusiasm alive….well, sometimes the build gets a bit tedious!

Also dry fitted are the cockpit combing strips and toerails (mahogany) and rub rails (American White Oak), the latter is extremely tough and should do a good job. I am not sure if I should keep it square section and apply a metal 'D' section strip or make the rail itself 'D' sectioned like the plans suggest. I had a bit of trouble with the bonding of the splices on the Oak rubrail… two of them popped. However, I think this was more to do with not allowing enough time for the epoxy to go off.

Unseen are the various under parts of the decking which are sufficiently beefed up to accept the strain of the stainless steel fittings such as the cleats, mast side shroud and traveller eyelets. Also strengthened, are areas for a mast partner (not fitted yet)and rowlocks.

The oars were originally meant to be stored with blades pointing aft but you will see that they are now mounted forward. Reasons for that is so as the blades don’t drip water into the aft compartment after use and I think, from a practical point of view, they will be easier to run out from that stowed position.

I cut the ‘hole for the pole’ and stepped the mast for the first time the other day and thought that it looked very, very tall. However, the drawings say 14’ 6” and that is what it is. I must say that I am very pleased with the way it is all going together and the ‘Melonseed’ shape just has to be gazed at from time to time from various angles…just like Charlie says. I have promised the boat to my son-in-law and grandson down in Portsmouth, but am now having serious second thoughts about that.

Jeff : I am building this Melonseed from the Wooden Boat Store plans which were produced by Mark Barto. I could not have built the boat without those plans and all the basics are very good. However, although I have done plenty of general woodwork in the past, I had no previous knowledge of boat building except for an old battered local library throwout called 'Dinghy Building' by Richard Creagh-Osborne (1963) which I have read many times over the years. Then one day I was trawling through the internet,as you do, and clapped eyes on 'American'....that was it, I had to have a crack at building a Melonseed...and it had to follow somewhere along the lines of David Toner's boat. This it has done, more or less, with a few innovations and methods that are my own so I would not recommend them to anybody.

I am 70 now, so if someone asked me to hand down only one bit of advice to younger folk contemplating the building of a wooden boat, or any other build for that matter, I would say this. As you progress with the build, run through the next steps in your mind as many times as you can. Do the job over and over again in your mind...for days if necessary until you can almost carry out the job automatically without further thought. It may not work for everybody but it works for me.

[RodB]

Don,

Really nice work... thanks for the post..

I am wondering... where are the plans available for this 16' design..and if this design exists in a larger size....

I am asking to save time searching...and I figured some here will know all about this type of boat.

thanks in advance

RodB

[pdrowe]

Don,

Really nice work... thanks for the post..

I am wondering... where are the plans available for this design..and if this design exists in a larger size....

I am asking to say time searching...and I figured some here will know all about this type of boat.

thanks in advance

RodB

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=400%2D119

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=400%2D120

[RodB]

I remembered the smaller version... I guess I miss remembered the 16 foot version being available form WB.. thanks.. I still wonder if this hull has been sized up larger than 16 feet?

Thanks for the links...

R

[Duncan Gibbs]

Beautiful work Don! I love the spring flowers sprinkled over the path to your shed and the rolling countryside in the distance with your splendid creation holding the centre of our view.

Grand! Simply grand!! :)

[Don Scott]

Duncan,

Yes, the view is great from the boat shed and Firbeck is a lovely place to be living. That front lawn grows like a meadow every year because we don't put any chemicals on it.

Nothing to do with boats here but...I mentioned in a thread above about Park Hill, now long gone. However, just in case there is anyone reading this with funds enough to save another building that stands only 300 yards from here...Firbeck Hall. It is now in private hands but might be open to a good offer in the present circumstances. Here is a picture of it in its heyday c.1935 as a country club that was attended by Royalty, Aviators and all manner of celebrity. You will find most of it still intact on Google Earth. See also a number of websites to give background. This may be relegated to the 'bilge' but it is worth a try to see an old building saved for posterity

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/Miscellaneous/Firbeckhall005.jpg

[Paul Girouard]

I am 70 now, so if someone asked me to hand down only one bit of advice to younger folk contemplating the building of a wooden boat, or any other build for that matter, I would say this. As you progress with the build, run through the next steps in your mind as many times as you can. Do the job over and over again in your mind...for days if necessary until you can almost carry out the job automatically without further thought. It may not work for everybody but it works for me.



Excellent! Nice job , GREAT photo's ! Thanks !:cool:

[Paul Girouard]

Inventive as well,

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/047.jpg

Is that a Record Lathe?

[Don Scott]

Yes Paul....some of my workshop practice is unsafe ! Luckily, I did not wrap this gaff spar around my neck. However, at a very slow speed it is very handy for sanding to the round after taking off the corners...but still, don't try this at home kids !

The lathe is a Poolewood Euro 1500. It is a very good machine and has a direct drive electric motor with a pretty accurate electronic speed control 0 - 3000 rpm.

[Paul Girouard]

Yes Paul....some of my workshop practice is unsafe !


The lathe is a Poolewood Euro 1500. It is a very good machine and has a direct drive electric motor with a pretty accurate electronic speed control 0 - 3000 rpm.



Safety wasn't my point .Hell if you've made it to 70 and still can build like that, you know whats safe for you. I really thought it was a inventive way to extend the bed lenght. :cool:

So they make a swivel head lathe as well , I've never heard of Poolewood , looks hell for stout , a good thing!:)

[Duncan Gibbs]

Bumpety bumperama! I hope you've been building and taking pictures along the way Mr Scott. You must be thinking about a name and a bottle of the fizzy stuff with which to launch her by now.

[Don Scott]

At the moment I am doing all sorts of 'bitty' work that isn't very photogenic, like making up the rudder and the centerboard. The latter has now got about 6 lbs of lead set into the lower end and I am just about to rub it down and sheath it in fibreglass. The rudder is pretty straight forward but the problem is that there is not enough room at the back of the shed to work around the transom area. So, I am going to shorten the strong back and fit a set of sack barrow wheels (ebay) to make it mobile. Then I can pull it in and out of the shed quickly (to beat the showers).

The deck planking is being a real pain. The last pictures shown were before I made up the black filler for the gaps. That went in OK but after I rubbed down the first overall coat of epoxy the second coat didn't take properly. The best way to describe it was like when you butter toast and spread runny treacle/syrup on it. Instead of lying smooth, it draws apart and leaves little craters all over the place. Rub it down again, apply another coat and the same thing happens. Well hardened epoxy isn't exactly fun to rub down! So, I've given up for the moment and am about to turn the boat upsidedown again so as to finish the bottom and fit the centerboard. I intend to sheath the flat bottom and the garboards with fibreglass. I will take a couple of pictures in the next few days but I can't say that they will be very exciting!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Not exciting??? It's all exciting and photogenic my dear Don! Every part of you project... 'God' is in the details as we architectural types are fond of saying! Get ye to thine photobucket account me old china! :D

[boatbear]

Don, have you tried a cabinet scraper on that naughty epoxy? I find that a frequently sharpened traditional scraper is somewhat more controllable than abrasives when removing a layer or two of something.
Oh, and I've had a similar problem along the way with epoxy (too far back in the mists of time to be able to describe it in as colourful a manner as you have) and have assumed that it is the 'amine blush' issue, but am not sure. Since then I've washed the surface with soapy water (dishwashing detergent) and it hasn't happened again. Dunno if it will work in your case. It can be a pain sometimes if bare wood is showing through in spots where you've been sanding or scraping - it should dry thoroughly first.

All the best, Don. And what Duncan said. Plus, everyone loves centreboards and rudders - moving parts - your interface with the beautiful machine ...
Charlie

[drift montana]

Don-
I haven't been following your thread, but "WOW". Putting my little 13.5' 'seed to shame! Well done!

-Tony

[Don Scott]

Charlie, I will take your advice and try your suggestions on how to beat the epoxy problem. I must say that with each coat, things get slightly better.

Well, there are 6 more pics on photobucket (078 - 083) but I had to stuggle to find any to take. Most of the work has been epoxy coatings which take up a lot of time with not much to show for it.

078 & 079 show the ongoing work with the centerboard and rudder.

080 & 081 show my state of the art 'outdoor workshop'. You should compare this with Len's setup further down the page (that's the Brewer Catboat). The interesting items here are the table which is part of an old church altar and the weeds which I will have to zap before they zap me. In the second of these two pics you will note in the shady background, three of my pals. These are wild Mallard ducks which are a feature of this village and they visit me daily along with a few others...my feeding them may have something to do with that. There is a stream just five yards to the left which forms a garden boundary which is also an attraction for them.

082 & 083 are two shots of the transom and rudder which I can now get at (care of the sack barrow wheels that are temporarily attached to the strongback). So those are the pics.

In answer to some of the questions...I am going to name the boat 'Mallard' which may not seem very imaginative but it is appropriate for the reasons already mentioned above. There is another reason however which may only reflect my eccentricity. You gentlemen across the pond may never have heard of an A1 Locomotive which was the trainspotter's dream when I was a lad in the 1940s - 50s. However, one of them broke the steam loco speed record in 1938 reaching 126 mph, which has never been beaten. The locomotive concerned was called 'Mallard' and it is argueably the most famous steam locomotive in this country (now in the National Railway Museum at York). That record was broken 70 years ago and I am 70 this year...need I say any more, except that the original Melonseeds (1880s) were designed for use in shallow waters and duck shooting, etc. So, my little skiff will be a floating memorial to all the poor Mallards that came too close to those early Melonseeds.

It only remains now for me to get up enough 'steam' to finish this project but I wont be breaking any records!


http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/083jpg.jpg

[Don Scott]

Apologies to Jim Ledger...I referred to him as 'Len' which can only be put down to a senior moment on my part!

[boatbear]

Lovely, Don. And I like the name.

Here's the link to Don's photos, from post #77 http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/
Charlie

[Duncan Gibbs]

That deck looks great Don! You seem to have gotten it down pat:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/079jpg.jpg

How did you go casting the lead? What was your process and timing?

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/078jpg.jpg

Looking better and better all the time!! I cannot wait to see a shot of you with a big grin, a glass of bubbles and Mallard with her sail up. BTW with the epoxy over bare timber, have you tried using a heat gun over the surface prior to applying the first coat? The timber seems to have been magically sucked in the epoxy when I've done it.

[Steve Lansdowne]

I'll comment on the lead, which can be easily fitted by getting sheet lead from a plumbing supply. The piece I got was a tube about 4" in diameter and 12" tall that is normally used to connect a toilet drain to the flange which sits on the floor to which the toilet is bolted. I cut this down one side with a hack saw and pounded it flat. That's my 'sheet lead.' From there it is a simple matter to cut (hack saw or chisel) pieces to fit the size of your centerboard or rudder hole. Next, tightly tape waxed paper or plastic sheeting to one side of the hole and put that side down on a flat surface. Clear plastic package sealing tape works well, as it is very thin. Insert enough lead to fill half of the hole, then tap 2-3 small brads/finish nails into the sides of the hole, leaving 1/4" or so exposed, then add the rest of the lead. These exposed nail heads keep the lead from shifting to the side later on. Next, add weights, such as gallon paint cans, to the board to hold it flat against the bench you have it on. Now pour epoxy over the lead in the hole, tap the top piece of lead it a bit to get the epoxy to settle, and let it harden. Actually along the way you can add epoxy to the top of each piece as you lay it into the hole. After the epoxy thoroughly hardens, remove the wax paper/plastic and tape. You can plane the lead and/or epoxy on the bottom surface to get it smooth, and add any extra epoxy to the top surface if it is not flush.

[Don Scott]

Well, Duncan, Steve has just about answered your question to the letter. That is precisely the way that I did the rudder weight job except that I didn't use the brads (I would have if I had thought of it!). There are around 15 x 1mm sheets of scrap lead in the gap and each is sandwiched beween a thin layer of epoxy/filler mix and there is a good amount of the stuff around the edges to get a grip of the wood. The fibreglass wrap should take care of the rest.

Two reasons for the shape...
1. Coundn't be bothered to cut out all those circles in sheet lead and...
2. The necessary circle would have come too near the edge of the board for comfort/strength.

The shapes were stacked and placed between a couple of stiff flat boards first on a hard flat surface and given a good 'broddling' (a Yorkshire word) with a mallet to flatten the stack.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Bump! Anything happening Don?

[Don Scott]

Well Duncan, thanks for keeping me on my toes, but I haven't got much to show at the moment. Not that I have been doing nothing with the boat all this while. Unfortunately, I am at the point where surface finishing comes in and I am pretty poor in that department. Consequently, I have spent hours epoxy coating and rubbing down but that stuff is tough. Anyway, I have been wondering just what scheme to use for the bottom and have decided to paint just the bottom keel board and garboard with the blue paint I mentioned before. I reckon that I have spent too many hours on the rest of the boards to just cover them up with paint. So all the rest of the boards will show the grain even though a lot more will show but the overall effect of glossy boards looks fine. I can live with the 'grotty' bits !

It cost me £60 to buy enough SS strip (15mm x 3mm)to lay on the keel and round the centerboard slot. When I looked for SS on the internet I typed in SS strip and the word Sheffield in the hope that I would not have to travel far. The first option listed was for lonely Sheffield wives looking for some action !!! However, I didn't push the boat out on that kind of 'strip'.

I will be able to add a few more photos soon but nothing grand. I put the first blue undercoat on today and it looks rough....lots of further rubbing down. I might just pass on the pursuit of perfection here because it is, after all, just the bottom! I can't wait to get the boat right side up and get on with the final detail but I think the launch date will be next year now. My twelve year old grand daughter starts some sailing lessons next week so that department is now taken care of. In the meantime I offer sympathy for anyone who is at the same stage of epoxy coating and rub down....what a pain!

[gavinpascoe]

That's looks very nice timber you have on the deck. what is it?

[Don Scott]

Gavin,
The wood is Jelutong and the last time I used it (in blocks) was when I made a rocking horse for my grandson. I mentioned it in an earlier post but I chose it because it was available, straight grained and although it looks a bit like balsa wood, it is much tougher but just as easy to cut and work with. As you say, it has a nice colour to it when given a few coats of epoxy. I did a test with some short pieces before I committed to using it for the deck.

[Don Scott]

I thought that it was about time to bring this thread up to date before it slips away into the dark ages of the message board!

I have slowed down quite a lot this year but the weather hasn't always been too grand and it is now at that time of year, once again, where epoxy coatings don't take very well as I don't have any heat in the shed.

Anyway, I have put another 20 pics on the photobucket album but they don't really show how much time has been taken in epoxy coatings and rubbing down. Equally, there is no trace whatsoever of the pain of it all. I have to be honest and say that the finishing touches will not come too soon and I am looking forward to the launching....hopefully next spring. Having no experience of sailing whatsoever, I am going to leave that part to a folk singing friend of mine who has been sailing all his life and well into his eighties. I only hope we don't have to write any old shanties like 'Heave ho and down we go'! and stuff like that.

There is not much detail in the picture captions but they are fairly self explanitary and you all know the ropes anyway. If you have any questions, please feel free. As you all know by now, I won't be able to answer any sailing queries at all.

Things are getting pretty close now and as you can see, this little skiff has had her first good sniff of the air outside the boat shed.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/084jpg.jpg

[Don Scott]

Sorry, wrong picture....this was the one I thought I had put up on the board!

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/099.jpg

[Don Scott]

...and this will give you access to the whole build album to date............

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/

[PaulT]

Don:
The boat look great. Clearly a huge amount of work. Take a moment to stand back and admire what you have done. Excellent! And thanks for the link to the photobucket slide show. Great chronicle or your progress.

Sincerely:
Paul

[drift montana]

Outstanding! Though the wheels on the trailer look a little small;)!...

-Tony

[dennisbur]

Just a few more pictures to add to the 'sequence of build' album in 'photobucket'.

The blocks are made from English Oak (ex- kitchen unit doors) and just need the hardware and finish.
The sail is made in the traditional style from poly/cotton and still requires the hardware - eyelets, etc.

I am pleased to say that I have now made contact with David Toner, the builder of "American", and he has been of great help and advice with some of my building problems and questions. The idea for use of belaying pins on this boat was his, although I have seen them used on similar types of boat on this forum. I think it is a very nice touch for this particular design. We will have to see if it is going to be practical.

One general question for anyone out there...what, if any, are the consequences of using epoxy resin below the recommended 15 degrees Centigrade ? Can I just bring the shed up to temperature later and finish the cure without any detriment?



http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/053.jpg


Industrial Formulators have a product called COLD CURE that works at temperatures as low as 2C or 36F. just be sure to use it by itself - it gives a very orange peel surface over other epoxies. trust me on this one you don't want to have to sand that much.

Dennis

[Thorne]

Looks lovely, and the mini-wheels make it appear to be the largest Melonseed in the universe...

;0 )

[boatbear]

Exquisite! Such a pretty boat, and fine workmanship, Don. Thanks for the excellent pics

I'm not at all sure about the wisdom of leaving the 'skippership' to "a folk singing friend of mine who has been sailing all his life and well into his eighties".

You do realise that the skipper has power of life and death over the crew, don't you? You may well be keel-hauled or forced to walk the plank for some minor indiscretion. I know; I let an eight year old take the helm once and had to walk the plank for not displaying sufficient respect to his authority. Fortunately I survived the shark infested waters, crept back on deck under cover of darkness, found a cutlass and a pistol and engineered a mutiny. The brutal captain was, of course, treated humanely. I'm not a vengeful person.

[David Toner]

Simply beautiful Don! The plank lines and shear look just right. Great job and thanks for the update, I've been anticipating a fresh peak at her for a while now.

[Don Scott]

Well, thanks for all the kind words and encouragement, folks. For those of you who have been following this particular thread, you will see that the detail on my Melonseed owes a lot to David Toner's "American". That is no accident as I have always had it in mind that this should be so. Of course, there is plenty of leeway in this design to add individaul strokes that ensure that no two 16' Melonseeds look identical and so there are a few minor differences here and there. Without wishing to embarrass him, I have to say, just once again, that it was David's boat that started me down the track to building one myself and I owe him for that. Those of you who have seen his "American" will know what I am talking about and if that little gem couldn't inspire you to build a Melonseed, then nothing ever will !

I changed my mind about painting the whole of the exterior hull as I thought it was a pity to cover all that wood grain...even though there are plenty of flaws to find if you look close enough. However, this is a working boat and if it was perfect I would be a bit miffed if it got scratched. I had to use the blue paint somewhere because I bought it a while back and it wasn't cheap.

I have an idea to bring the halliards down to blocks fixed to the lower part of the mast so as they carry over the top of the forward coaming to the belaying pins instead of through them. We will have to see how that works out. So far, all the metal fittings and screws are stainless steel which is quite expensive these days...even if you buy in the Sheffield area. The strips on the keel cost £60 (you will have to work that out in dollars for yourselves because the exchange rates are up and down like yo-yos at the minute).

Those little wheels form part of a temporary 'bogy' so that I can move the boat forward and get at the transom to fix the rudder fittings which have yet to be made. I hope to use those wheels on a lauching trolley that will ride on a road trailer but that too, is all in the future. I only hope that I can get everthing sorted ready for a launching next spring time. We will see about that and I am amazed at the number of people who want to be there at the launching. They may just want to be there for the champagne ceremony but they may not like the idea of it being flushed through the kidneys before dowsing the boat.

Charlie, this kidney flushing thing is your idea and you are going to have to explain just how we tranfer this liquid from the said organ to the Melonseed bow without causing flushes to the faces of some innocent bystanders ?

[boatbear]

Ah well now, this is a conundrum certainly, if one keeps such polite company. Contributions from the ladies can be awkward too, if decorum must be maintained. Perhaps it would be best to stick to the traditional method; splash a little of the bubbly over the stem and drink the rest. I have heard that champagne of the most expensive variety is so dry that if it spills from the glass it will evaporate before it hits the ground, but this is unconfirmed. It's the waste that alarms me.

Don, my memory is poor and I don’t have time to go back through this thread just now – has a name been chosen for this beauty?

[Don Scott]

Charlie...this quote from an earlier post answers your question...and your modified use of precious liquid will do for me!

"In answer to some of the questions...I am going to name the boat 'Mallard' which may not seem very imaginative but it is appropriate for the reasons already mentioned above (that wild Mallards abound in our village). There is another reason however which may only reflect my eccentricity. You gentlemen across the pond may never have heard of an A1 Locomotive which was the trainspotter's dream when I was a lad in the 1940s - 50s. However, one of them broke the steam loco speed record in 1938 reaching 126 mph, which has never been beaten. The locomotive concerned was called 'Mallard' and it is argueably the most famous steam locomotive in this country (now in the National Railway Museum at York). That record was broken 70 years ago and I am 70 this year...need I say any more, except that the original Melonseeds (1880s) were designed for use in shallow waters and duck shooting, etc. So, my little skiff will be a floating memorial to all the poor Mallards that came too close to those early Melonseeds.

It only remains now for me to get up enough 'steam' to finish this project but I wont be breaking any records! "

[Don Scott]

This is the other Mallard....with more curves than a Melonseed !!!

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/Miscellaneous/DSCF0003.jpg

[boatbear]

Ah Don, yes of course, 'Mallard' it is. It's all flooding back now. It's a fine name as long as it isn't translated as 'bad-fat', which definitely would not suit such a sleek and beautiful boat. Grin.

Mallard the locomotive is a fine handsome beast. With a few of those on the tracks one could easily become a trainspotter.

[bob easton]

What a fine looking boat. Simply gorgeous!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Terrific thread and even more terrific boat Don. I love the choice of colour scheme. I'm now in two minds about mine: Black or white?? If only I had such perfect grain to work with, as you do.

Lovely stuff Don!! Bloody marvellous!!

I second Charlie's christening method as well: Pour and drink!

[melonhead]

Don,
Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the inspirational boost. I too bought the Barto plans for the 16'. Have made a 1/8 scale model exactly like the full size (1.5"=1ft.) this yields a 24" long model. I planked her with apple and black locust, framed with each as well. Rudder is apple, so is stem. Tiller is locust.
The process was same as full size, so learned much.

[boatbear]

Welcome aboard, Melonhead. It would be great to see some good model pics - maybe start a thread - it might bring some other model makers out of the woodwork. Will you make a full sized one now? It is easier, but takes a bit longer in my experience.

[Don Scott]

Welcome Melonhead. Pleased to see somone else falling for this little skiff. I hope you take heed of Charlie and start a thread to keep us up with the build. A picture of your model would do for starters. I am no seasoned boatbuilder but will help if I can.

Charlie, your request for a model picture is answered in the one below. Nothing to do with melonseeds but it is made of wood with all detail in plastic sheet, including the scale hull plates. It is 1/24th scale (57" long) and fitted with radio and a motor from a BMW heater unit....and I might finish it one day!

The real 'Beamish' was built on the River Trent in 1944 as 'Empire Paul' (steam). As a lad during the 1940s/50s, I watched her working on the River Tyne. Later, she crossed the pond and ended her days in the Great Lakes (Canada) as 'Thunder Cape' (deisel) and scrapped there in the early 1990s. Anyone over there got any bits from her....like the bell for instance? I have plenty of photographs of her through all five name changes.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/Miscellaneous/010.jpg

[boatbear]

Beautiful Don. The detail is astonishing, and a fine handsome boat. Thanks.
I made a few balsa models years ago, pretty basic stuff and no photos taken. While making a model one night it suddenly dawned on me that a full sized boat was exactly the same, just bigger. I cleared a space in the shed the following day.

[melonhead]

Thanks. I love this site, and especially melonseeds. I've been "chafing at the bit" to build the full-size real deal. My problems are funds and space. The funds problem could be overcome slowly, but the lack of adequate space is tougher. Ironically, after stating my intentions and showing the plans to several friends, I was gifted a beautiful set of spars. I'd guess them to be from a boat built around the early 1900's, all Douglas fir, with all of the original bronze hardware (gooseneck, blocks shackles-everything for a gaff rig). The mast is exactly what Mr. Barto calls for dimensionally. The boom and gaff both have bronze sail track, but are slightly longer than specified, so I called Marc (Barto) and he gave it his blessing. The difference adds 29 sq. ft., making the toal 119 instead of the 90sq.ft. design. Marc didn't think that performance would change much, other than better going in kight air. I still plant use two reef points, as shown in the plans. One concern is that even though the mast is perfect dimensionally, it is solid, and makes me wonder about weight aloft. With the gifted spars, the center of effort is moved back and down by a few inches each way. I have since stripped, sanded and refinished all three members with 2 coats of epoxy and 4 coats of Bristol Finish. They're beautiful. The hardware was almost all sand-cast finish. I've power-sanded and polished, buffed and waxed all bronze surfaces. Also had to re-make the gaff jaws (originals were red oak) and used black locust with parrell beads of same. I made a Jonesport cleat for the bow (taken from WoodenBoat mag.)from locust with 3/8 dia. bronze cross-rod, finished with Bristol, so slowly getting details for the real boat out of the way. Doing the model plank by plank with the stem, transom chine logs etc. was very helpful. I've kept the pland patterns for future (full-size) reference.

[boatbear]

Melonhead, having those spars is a great start to your project. All you need is space, time and money, eh?. If you have been through all of Don's thread you will know how little space he had to work in. You seem pretty resourceful; I'm sure you will find something. Whereabouts are you? It's a good idea to indicate your location in your profile.

[Don Scott]

Hello again Melonhead (I hope you let us use your given handle soon!). As Charlie said, I was fairly restricted in space although I could have made my shed bigger if I had known that it was going to become a boat shed. The original purpose was for early vegetable growing and may revert to that one day!

The shed is 18' x 10' and ideally it would have been just a couple of feet longer for building the 16' Melonseed. This would have allowed me to work around the transom/rudder area without having to open the double doors and push the boat partially out of the shed. With 20' x 10' you would manage very well but you would still have to do a lot of the work and construction in another area. I have another smaller shed with a bandsaw and Kity woodwork centre.

Although I have many tools, the bandsaw has been the most useful and has enabled me to to produce just about every part of the boat including mast and spars from very large chunks of Douglas Fir. The next most useful tool has been a beautiful pull saw called a Tsubasa. After using one of these tools I would never again want to 'push' a saw through wood. They really do lend themselves to accurate cutting but once they have lost their razor edge they are finished. The down side is that replacement blades are quite expensive here. Now you all know what I want for Christmas from any kind readers across the pond !!!!!!

I have just spent three solid days of finishing off the sail with eyelets, etc. My fingers are still very sore from stitching on the boltrope by hand. What a job that was...but it is done now and behind me. I have now started a list of all the little finishing jobs still to do now that there are a good number of them. Instead of bouncing from one to the other I just go to the list and fixate on one job, then come back and cross it off. It is far better to keep looking at the small picture so as things don't get on top of you. Today I have been working on the rigging blocks but I am not looking forward to the rope splice work on them.

[melonhead]

It's been awhile since I've even been online. I'm located in Sweden, Maine, USA. Sweden is about midway up from the coast, on the western side of the state, roughly 20 min. from the N.H. border. I will attend to the oversight with my location. In the matter of photos, I am currently trying to decide on a digital camera that's within my budget. Then I'll have to closely review the posted instructions on how to post the images.

[melonhead]

Don,
Did you have previous experience with sailmaking? If not, did you consult "The Sailmaker's Apprentice"? Sounds like you are determined to construct every aspect of this vessel yourself. I admire that outlook. I imagine the old boys (and gals) of 1or 2 hundred years ago had to do it that way! Today, it's taking that nice indepedent feeling all the way.
Oh yeah, my name is Brad Dunlop.

[melonhead]

Sounds like you may be familiar with "The Rigger's Apprentice" as well.

[Don Scott]

Hello Brad,

I have to say that I am not familiar with either of those book titles you mention and the books I used were...

"Make your own sails" by R.M.Bowker & S.A.Budd. (1957)
Revised Edition (1975) reprint (1979) Published by Macmillan, London.
Note : This book was perhaps the most useful and has a chapter on the Gaff mainsail.

"Sails. The way they work and how to make them" by Derek Harvey (1997)
Published by Adlard Coles Nautical, London.
Note : There was a computer aided design disk available with this book but it had been lost by the time the book became available to me on the internet....(Amazon.co.uk)

I had a struggle with the design of my sail but eventually worked out the various tucks and allowances and stitched it all together on my wifes domestic sewing machine. By far the worst part was hand stitching the boltrope. Of course, the sail may not be as efficient as it should be...we will find that out when we sail the boat next spring...luckily there will be a set of oars on board, just in case we have to row back home!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Bump!

It must be getting warmer up top since it is getting cooler down here. Any progress (launch???) Don? Sail making over winter? That sort of thing?

[Don Scott]

Hello Duncan,

I might have known that you would give me a wakeup call about now and you are about right with the weather predictions. I have been doing a number of other 'indoor' jobs during the winter and just about to stick my nose out of the door. I will endeavour to get some work done soon and post a few pictures. There is not a great deal left to do now....rudder attachment, rigging, fit centerboard and a few other bits....then it's down to the sea...well, the lake probably. I have lost count of all the people who want to be there for the launch but I think they only want to be there for the beer!

Watch this space....

[Michael Wick]

I am building a 16 foot cold-molded Cortez Melonseed designed by Roger Allen in Cortez, FL. She was molded onto a male plug (an unfinished hull wrapped in plastic drop cloths) with epoxy and two layers of 3mm occume using the Ashcroft method where all planks are parallel but the joints are staggered between the inner and outer layers. This has made a very strong and light hull. It has taken a lot of effort to clean up epoxy that leaked between the joints of the inner layer. She popped right off the mold without any problem and was trailered away by her new owner. More information in the ASH BREEZE which I co-edit. Mike Wick

[Duncan Gibbs]

Watch this space....

Great to know that you haven't dropped off the edge or anything Don! My eyes are fixed!! :)

[Don Scott]

Well, at last I have started some work on the Melonseed this year. It has been so cold and not the kind of weather to play in an unheated shed. Anyway, there is not much to show so far but I thought you all might like to see a test 'hoisting of the sail that I made. It is only tacked onto the mast and spars with a few bits of cord to check that it is the right shape before I get down to the detailed work of rigging.

The top shroud fitting is also just a bodge up to see how ropes and wires interfere with eachother when in position. I am glad that I have done it this way because there is a good bit of modification to do. None of the detail comes with the plan so you have to work it out for yourself as you go along.

As far as the sail design and its efficiency is concerned, we will only find out on the water but a light breeze almost tipped the boat off its temporary trolley when I was taking these photos. There are many parts yet to make so don't be surprised if you think something is missing...it probably is! The support ring for the Boom Yoke for instance.

There are 10 pictures all together but I have only put one up on the board for a taster and the rest you can see in my Photobucket album. I will add more as the build continues this year. There is not a lot left to do now though and I hope to get it wet in the not too distant future.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/109.jpg

[Duncan Gibbs]

Such a lovely wee boat Don. Are you going to paint her name on her transom, or just have a builder's plate?

Great to see you making progress: I think at this rate you'll probably get Mallard wet before I get the Pippin going! :o:)

[David Toner]

Great to see that you're back at it Don. I too have been eagerly anticipating your updates. What are you using for the forestay and shroud turnbuckles? My eyes can't quite make them out. The melonseed that I've been working on should be completed about the same time as yours.
David

[Don Scott]

Thank you both for the comments.

David, there are three 8" SS turnbuckles holding the shrouds to the bow. The one on the stem is well held by an extention to the keel strip (sorry! I can never think of the nautical descriptions for all the parts!!) . The two side turnbuckles are attached to 6mm SS eyelets that are backed with penny washers to a very much beefed up english Oak rib (I can't remember if it is the 3rd or 4th station). I still haven't worked out just how to attach the rudder but I think I might have to 'buy in' a bit of SS welding.

I am hoping that the link below leads to the Photobucket Album without anyone having to go to page 1 of this thread for it. There may be closer views of the turnbuckles in some earlier pictures.

I will probably put the name on the bow but there is a 'Mallard' motif at the peak of the sail in a special fast dye which was first sketched on with a pencil.



<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/?action=view&current=105.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/105.jpg" border="0" alt="Belaying Pins"></a>

[Ron Paro]

Don, Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. Your workmanship and photos are wonderfully inspiring. Here is a link that will show your photo album: http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/
The links in your last post only opened the picture with the belaying pins. (which I think is a great shot) - Ron

[boatbear]

Thanks Don for the update. It is an exciting moment, seeing a sail on fresh new spars.

[davebrown]

i haven't been much interested in these until now. this boat is stunning. i downloaded one of your photos and saved it, and i am comparing this boat to a similar LOOKING boat (but from the plans they may be quite different), the delaware ducker.

[Don Scott]

I am getting very close to finishing now and there are just a few loose ends to tidy up. There are 15 more pictures on the Photobucket website.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/129.jpg

Go to Ron Paro above for the web address that will take you to all 129 pictures. Those of you who have visited this site before will see that I have now rearranged the pics to show the very first image in the series first. So the latest ones are now on pages 6 & 7.

There might be only one more set of pics to complete the series and then I will be seeking to get the boat wet. Of course, I will put a few photos up to show that. I am now looking for a suitable trailer but not sure what type would be best for the 16' Melonseed. In the meantime I must thank everyone who took an interest and although I am only a handyman with a few tools and no expert (look closely and you'll see the boobs), I hope that the build encouraged others to pick up a chisel and get cracking. I have thoroughly enjoyed building it and all who see it 'in the flesh' drool over Melonseed's beautiful hull shape and general appearance.

There are no prizes for spotting things like the missing rudder hinge plate bolts. I have just figured out a way of getting bolt heads on both sides. You simply use a tapped tubular spacer in the sandwich and fit short bolts either side. There are a few other unfinished bits but they are all in hand and are slowly being tidied up.

See you all again soon with the last few pics of the series. If I can be of any help or answer any questions, fire away.

Regards, Don Scott

[Duncan Gibbs]

Absolutely gorgeous work Don. I do know what you mean about the mistakes, but when you've got a fine vessel at the end of it all and can enjoy a relaxing sail, then these things will no longer figure... Not until the next build anyway!! :D

Well done old chap! :)

[Steve Lansdowne]

Top notch!

[River Sailor]

So sweet, Don — great job! It's been a lot of fun to follow your progress. I'm glad you've updated the photos.

I'm curious about the belaying pins. Looks like you might have a screw in the end? Is that just reinforcement, or what? I'd love to know more...

John

[Don Scott]

John, They are studs, similar to those that were used to attach the leather work. No particular reason for fitting them...they just happened to be lying around.

The rowlocks are off the shelf black plastic. I haven't seen any metal examples that I fancy yet but I am sure that one will turn up soon.

I will be getting someone to sail the boat at first as I know nothing of the art of sailing but there is one thing that puzzles me and it is this....

The center board is raised using the rope but, "how does it stay fully down against water pressure which I would assume is always trying to force it back and up into its housing?"

That brings me to another question..."Is there ever a 'need' for the centerboard to be fully down or is 45 degrees sufficient in most cases." I would have thought that the lead plug might be enough to counteract the water force at this angle.

All answers on a $1,000 bill please.

[boatbear]

..... but there is one thing that puzzles me and it is this....

The center board is raised using the rope but, "how does it stay fully down against water pressure which I would assume is always trying to force it back and up into its housing?"

That brings me to another question..."Is there ever a 'need' for the centerboard to be fully down or is 45 degrees sufficient in most cases." I would have thought that the lead plug might be enough to counteract the water force at this angle.

All answers on a $1,000 bill please.

Don, I searched and searched and could not find a single $1000 bill. So I'll owe you, if that is ok.

The centreboard on my dory has about 2kg of lead and hangs down to about 1 metre max. In practise, the board stays where it is put, with the bit of friction from the side of the case. I have a knot in the length of rope that hauls it up, placed so the board will hang almost vertically at full extension. Most of the time the board is nowhere near this point; it is a means of adjusting the balance of the boat for different points of sail. Most of the time it is between 45 and 60 degrees from horizontal. On a downwind run it is hauled right up.

To lower the board there must be no sideways forces on it, else the friction will snag it. It'll stay there quite happily until you hit something. Be wary that if you run aground and the board is forced up into the case, that the slack rope may jam it there. You may have to get into the water to pull it down again. Don't ask.

The boat is looking quite complete now, and is just about the prettiest I've ever seen. Be proud of your achievement, mate. Feel smug even. A big THANKYOU for the excellent documentation - I'm sure it will inspire many in the years to come. I'm looking forward to the launching and sea trials. I'll be there in spirit, ok?

[Don Scott]

Now hang on a minute Charlie...you've got me worried here!

"You may have to get into the water to pull it down again. Don't ask." eeerrrr, what is it I mustn't ask Charlie?

Then you say.....

"I'm looking forward to the launching and sea trials"

Sea trials??? Is there something in the water Charlie....you know, when I have to get into the water to unjam the centerboard....you know Charlie....the thing I don't have to ask about !!!!

It's not SHARKS... is it Charlie ? Not SHARKS....aaaaahhhhhhh !

[boatbear]

There now, Don. Don't you be worrying about what may be down there in the water. Put any thoughts of mouths full of jagged, razor sharp teeth out of your mind, mate.

Sharks are very discerning creatures; old farts do not appear on their menus - they detest tough, stringy old meat and arthritic bones.

[Ron Paro]

Hi Don, did you launch Mallard yet? Any on-the-water photos and impressions? - Ron

[NYCKiwi]

Don,
You've done a terrific job. Congratulations! I hope you'll have a wonderful time sailing her.

This shot from your album really appeals to me...

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/077.jpg

...with your shop set amongst England’s green and pleasant land.

Some forumites have very elaborate shops. Your's is more simple, but you you produced exceptional results from it.

So now the ten pound question: what are you planning to build next?

[Don Scott]

Thank you both for bringing Melonseed back to the surface again....on page 1 I mean. Your post is very timely because a lot has happened in the very recent past and I will complete this thread very soon when I have sorted out the photographs, etc......so all I can say folks, is....watch this space !

[Don Scott]

At last I have got things sorted out and now able to bring you up to date with the final episode of this Melonseed build.
I have placed the final selection of photos (130 to 153) on the ‘photobucket’ storage site which sort of wraps things up in that department but I thought you might like to hear about the final stages that led up to the launch on Wednesday, 16th Sept.

The bench seat ‘lash up’ with adjustable footrest was done so as to test the boat out with no sail or rigging, i.e. just a rowing test and check for leaks, etc. However, it didn’t happen like that and the boat was placed in the ‘deep end’ straight away and fully rigged for sailing. Luckily, all that bench affair was not a permanent fixture so it is no longer a part of the boat...also thankfully...the boat didn't leak. That rowing seat looked a bit Heath/Robinson anyway but I will have to put in some sort of seating arrangement later as it is a bit uncomfortable trying to move an old creaky body like mine from the 'bum in the bilge' position!

On the magical day 09.09.09. my wife, Margaret and I, went across to a place near our home called Rother Valley Country Park, which has a large body of water shared by the sailing fraternity and a few species of water birds. The resident ‘Firbeck Sailing Club’ was open but there were very few people about and to cut a very long story short the Club Secretary, Derek Kellard, (a yachtsman of many years experience) invited me to sail in his own self build boat ‘Boink’……don’t ask Charlie !

I am 70 years old and this was my first ever ‘ride’ in a sailing boat. Derek then suggested that we bring our Melonseed (Mallard) to the park and he would put it through its paces. This was done and ‘Mallard’ was launched and sailed for the first time yesterday (16th September). What a day that was, after two and a half years of work to be gliding across the lake. Derek was full of praise and reckoned that it was a superb design and behaved perfectly on the water. Then after only 20 minutes we changed places and there I was ….at the helm but under his instruction of course. I did only a few simple manoeuvres like running and tacking but it was magic for me. There was only one other boat on the lake so there was little danger of collision but we had squadrons of Canada Geese doing low level stuff at very close quarters…I think they actually enjoy these flights!

Anyway, I think I have said enough and I would sincerely like to thank you all for your interest, your encouragement and very kind words along the way. It spurred me on many a time when my own enthusiasm waned from time to time. So, all yee who would build a sailing boat for the first time…don’t give up and remember this.... Don’t try to look at the big picture when you are building. Put the blinkers on and concentrate just on the part you are working with. After many small jobs and some considerable time you will look up and suddenly find there are no more small jobs to do and your boat is finished….
So get cracking there and don’t forget the wise words of a wise old hairy ‘Aussie’ who will hopefully be reading this. When launching, use only a small amount of ‘bubbly’ liquid to splash on the boat. The larger part of the volume should be flushed through the kidneys….
....isn’t that right Charlie?

I won't be building another boat but I will be keeping an eye on this forum to see who is doing what.

Kind Regards to you all,

Don Scott


Below...Margaret gets ready with the Bubbly !

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/148.jpg

[Ron Paro]

Hi Don, great to hear from you again, and to catch up on your fantastic story.

Just to make it easier for those who may be seeing this thread for the first time, here is a link that will show your photo album: http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/ (http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/)

Congratulations on completing and launching a very fine looking and performing small craft! You have provided a shining example of what is possible, and a confirmation that lifelong learning and 'doing' is what keeps one interested and interesting.

Thanks again for sharing your journey. - Ron

[David Toner]

Congratulations Don. What a fantastic success. Mallard turned out perfect and it looks like she sails as good as she looks. I hope you you have many great adventures with her.

[Don Scott]

Hello David,

I am glad you posted on the thread. I have to say that I am very pleased with the results and once again must remind everyone that my inspiration came from a chance discovery of your 'AMERICAN' whilst trawling the internet. 'Mallard' owes a great deal to the Melonseed that you built and anyone who has looked at the original drawings will be able to see that.

I am going to make a few modifications on advice from the man who tested our skiff, Derek Kellard. It could benefit from some sort of seating arrangement but I haven't put my mind to it yet. I wasn't happy with that bench arrangement at all but it needed some sort of cross seat from which I could row if the need arose. The reason for that awful shape was that I couldn't build in a proper thwart because the oars would have been trapped. I think first of all I will re-position those oars. Perhaps I could halve them and use a metal tubular slotting arrangement...then they would easily store up in the bows. Of course, I don't want to move too far away from the classic design. That was part of the attraction in the first place.

David, if you have any photos or ideas for seating I would be very pleased to see and hear of it.

Lastly, I am now in a position to recommend anyone who is contemplating the building of a new boat to consider the 16' Melonseed Skiff. You will enjoy building it and not only does it sail majestically but someone with a lot of experience and knowledge has praised it to high heaven for its beautiful lines, gentle response and lack of any nasty habits........that just sounds like the kind of ideal woman a man would want to meet!

...so now I have both !!!

[Steve Lansdowne]

Way to go! Your thread has attracted something like 12,000 views. Let us know if you plan to sail across the pond and we'll all gather to meet you on the East Coast!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Terrific Don! Well done and I hope you have many hours of great sailing! Looks like you had a better breeze than I did for my launch:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/152.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/153.jpg

[George Jung]

I just happened on this thread - beautiful! Can't wait to see 'The Launch'!

(Whoops! missed that last page - looks great. Congrats)

[Larks]

What a lovely job you've done Don, she looks stunning, "Beautiful lines" indeed! But just in time for winter?

[Bongo Boy]

I first found the Melonseed design about a week ago or so, while browsing plans online. At the time I thought it was a possibility for me. Next came this thread, a reference to the WB article, then the photo of American. Finally, this evening, I got a chance to read nearly every post in this thread and to browse most of the photo gallery.

Thanks so much for taking the time to create this thread, Don, and to post up the photos. Just as David inspired you, you have done the same for me and I'm sure for many others. Thanks, and curses to all of you!!!

Seriously, what you've done here is truly an inspiration--and a beauty to behold, as well.

[Don Scott]

Nice to see Melonseed on the first page again and even more pleasing to hear that yet another man has 'bitten the dust' and fallen for this design. Not surprising of course because she is a fine looking skiff. 'Mallard' has certainly attracted people here because there is nothing else quite like her on the waters over in UK....as far as I know.

Three pictures below take us right up to the minute as the first was the scene when we looked out of the window this morning. As you can see, Mallard is covered up for the winter. Our MG RV8 has now reclaimed her 'garage' space in what had become only a temporary boatshed for the past two & a half years.

The other two pictures show ongoing modifications to create a better and more practical inboard layout. Not shown is a recently home made winch to help my wife operate the centerboard when we launch once again in the new year.

Mallard has been in the water only once (16 Sept. 2009) so there is still much more to be learned about handling her. We have acquired a small camper van to which I have fitted a towbar so we are hoping to get further afield in 2010....Wales and West Scotland where there are some very beautiful sailing possibilities. We are looking forward to it all.

Meanwhile, I hope that 'Bongo Boy' and others remain inspired to start building their own Melonseed. I am quite sure you will derive much pleasure in both the building and sailing of this fine boat.

If I can be of any help at all, please get in touch but remember that I have very little knowledge of the art of sailing. I may, however, be able to give better explanation of how I got round some of the few problems along the way of building.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/156.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/067-1.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/melonseed16/066-1.jpg

[Bongo Boy]

What impresses and inspires are a few aspects:

1) you weren't a sailor when you began
2) you didn't choose a project because it was typical or easy
3) you stayed with it even though I imagine you suffered a setback or two
4) you didn't have all the perfect resources available (permanent boat shed, etc)
5) you made it your own and apparently didn't panic at each little detail missing from the plans

So, if anyone thought I was inspired simply because you built a pretty boat, that's not quite it. Tenacity, patience, thinking ahead, adaptation & improvisation--and of course experience with tools--together seem to have overcome significant obstacles. I think all beginners should sit up and take notice. We often drift off into a dreamy world where if one only has the right tools and materials, things get done. Fortunately for everyone, that world doesn't exist. In its absence, folks actually accomplish stuff through determination. Look what you now have, forever, even if the Mallard were to be lost tomorrow (heaven forbid)!

NOTE: One of my favorite photos is the shot taken trailered with the tiny wheels. I almost gasped...thinking you'd built a 42' super-skiff in the likeness of a Melonseed. Save that one, in case you ever want to sell her on eBay!

[Tractor]

Don,

I echo all of Bongo Boy's praise for your boat and the build. I have but one small question. The first roll, you still had all those insanely heavy MDF forms in place. I have shifted enough of that material around to know just how heavy it is. So my question is how many people helped you with the roll or did you have some ingenious method?

Mike

[Don Scott]

Good question Tractor.

You are quite right about the weight with all those MDF formers but my wife and I managed to roll the boat over by ourselves. We used a number of large old upholstery cushions from settees to ensure that there would be a soft landing if things went wrong.

The whole operation was very delicate and just a bit dangerous but we managed it with only a few swear words when it seemed like we might lose the balance....and balance was what it was all about really.

I reckon we must have dumped more than half the weight of the boat when those MDF formers were removed. The one thing I have not sorted out yet is to find out just what the completed weight of this boat is. I have guessed at about 400 lbs but I will have to get it onto a weighbridge to be sure.

[Bongo Boy]

My 16' Melonseed plans arrived today. The headscratching has begun, and I may print out Don's entire build log and plaster the shots to my workroom walls. Thank goodness for your good photography, Don.

This is the first time in my lifelong experience of building things that I have the opportunity to work from 'plans' where many of the materials are specified with just one or fewer dimensions, and I feel lucky to get that. Can't wait to get started. :)

[Don Scott]

Congratulations Bongo Boy and enjoy your journey. As the lines of your Melonseed develop on the strong back you will be inspired and encouraged to continue to the end. You only need to keep two big pictures in your mind....."AMERICAN" & "MALLARD". All the rest should be small pictures of the individual parts you are working on and in this way each part will reflect your best craft skills and be the result of a concentrated mind....and No! I am not a philosopher. I just know what works and you don't want the thoughts of the whole build to weigh you down. Building and completing the Melonseed is a long hard road and quite an acheivement when you get to the end of it. You will want it to be of your best work and nothing less will do if it is to warrant all the hours you are going to spend building it. Anyway, enough of this heavy stuff....if there is anything I can help you with, you only have to ask.