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InTheBeech
05-02-2008, 07:39 AM
It seems as though this specific forum is more applicable to my "designs" question in spite of the fact that there is another that is more accurately titled. Her is where the real builders reside it seems (with due apologies to any who are offended).
I am finishing up (last coat of paint,skeg, wear strips and oars) my first boat, a flat-bottomed, lapstrake rowing skiff of ten feet. I have finished Chapelle's and Bud's books on building but don't feel quite ready to go it alone with but the typical set of plans by themselves, given that I'd now like to truly experience traditional construction (carvel, steamed frames, sawn backbone, half-deck'd) as well as go up in size and investment. The individual skills such as steaming, planning gains, spilling, lofting, copper rivetting, were all learned building my current boat, but considering that I am looking at a class of boats in the "O'boat" or Atkins' "Catnip" category (14-18 foot, beamy daysailer) with half-decks, real keels, centerboards, standing rigging..., and that I'm comming from a boat who's construction booklet described the sequence as well as every size screw to be used everywhere, I am stepping up considerably. So I'd like to find a design with an accompanying construction booklet that may be compared to the How-To's that exist for such boats as the Catspaw, Shellback Dinghy and others; but there doesn't seem to be this auxilliary information for those boats that are a level above in size and complexity. Perhaps there is just another boatbuilding text that comes closer to being capable of walking an intermediate through the process, that I don't know about? It need not be specific to a particular design as long as it is sequential and intended to be followed (and of course the plans be more detailed than most which is a search that I am currently undertaking).
Thanks All,
Ed

Woxbox
05-02-2008, 08:02 AM
There's more than one builder who have gone to great pains to show the entire build process of some nice boats on the web. And right here, of course, there are builders who have posted tons of info and pictures. Say, for example, you picked Joel White's Marsh Cat. You just might find more than enough help with photos, advice and more. And you'd wind up with a beautiful boat.

Garth Jones
05-02-2008, 08:11 AM
Well, there's the Haven 12 1/2. Plans and a book are available from WB. They're beautiful boats and sail very well, but they are complicated - 21 stations in 16 feet, if I remember correctly. Building one would be a real education. If you look around on the internet, there are a number of sites for Haven's that people have built.

http://home.swbell.net/dmcconnl/havensailing.jpg

Cheers,
Garth

InTheBeech
05-02-2008, 01:17 PM
Garth,
How I missed this is no great riddle. I haven't really done much surfing and don't use forums and such. But what a find. This is an excellent boat; very near exactly what I'd like to build and the text you mentioned is indeed what I was trying to describe. I will be spending my time while the Interlux dries learning more. Thanks again.