Boatbuilding Detour: Canadian Light Bateau

[L.W. Baxter]

My brother has been boatless since the strip canoe I built him suffered an accident:

tree kills canoe (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009052)

As another summer season nears, said canoe continues to hang from my rafters, awaiting repair or a merciful death.

Unable to summon enthusiasm for the stripper repair, I reasoned that, using cutoffs and leftovers from other projects, I could build a simple plywood on frame river boat.

I chose the 18' Canadian Light Batteau from John Gardner's The Dory Book .

First step was "quick and dirty" lofting of stations:


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p2c654a9b777293ccbdd450b50e32fbaf/f4def2c6.jpg

Gardner's plan, as taken and modified from the 1901 publication Practical Boatbuilding for Amateurs by Adrian Neison, calls for frames at 12" centers. I figured that I could get away with 24" centers--just the station lines, in other words--especially considering that I planned to use 3/8" plywood for the bottom (cutoffs from my Bartender project)rather than the 1/4" Gardner calls for.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p136902a131937f678b83999bbc3c70f6/f4def2cb.jpg

Without full lofting, I took details like the angle of stem rake directly from the book:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/paa1eb14a6de3aa13421341b9b6e02db7/f4deefc5.jpg

Then set them up in place on the jig:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p2dd3a9a6de7f454e37d5c7078643bb06/f4deefc6.jpg

Frames and stems were beveled in place with the help of a trying batten:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p1011d23cf9482b529e925b32236ec9a1/f4dc943d.jpg

I used a 12' mahogany board "leftover" from last years' Swampscott dory project to get chines and gunnels. Here, I've cut scarphing bevels on the whole pile at one swipe:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pff3ad43812e78f9312cd7063f9829303/f4deefc9.jpg


I made up a "spiling batten" from scrap plywood, to give myself an idea of the shape of the side planking, and to help with fairing the frames:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p93b47af9576f69a52e159a25784a5b5c/f4deed21.jpg

I planked the sides with 1/4" okoume, with cuttoffs from the Bartender, plus one sheet purchased. This picture I call "Bottomless Boats."

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p91f21e8242e12229dc8b7a97b1c3b8eb/f4d9e950.jpg

continued...

[ 03-20-2005, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: L.W. Baxter ]

[L.W. Baxter]

I planked the bottom with 3/8" okoume ply, then glassed using remnant fabric from boats gone by. The weave was filled with graphite mixed with the epoxy. Here, my brother the Professor helps out, on his spring break last week:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p044ea9c71bc2e4fc5a2f80d4b65cc1df/f4d089b6.jpg

Flipped over, here's a look at one of the floatation chambers before I put the lid on it:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p34b7621800446d323a5760b2bd9fe13a/f4d089b9.jpg

I fitted three thwarts, per plan. I made them of mahogany, I just couldn't help myself. But first, to avoid spoiling an expensive board, I made quick patterns from construction grade spruce, like so:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p9ae6961baa1daca32d04e26852871c10/f4d089b1.jpg

Then I made the real thing. I left out the risers, figuring to glue the thwarts to the frames and planking (shudder down the traditionalist spine). This reduces weight and clutter, and the sides seem plenty stiff without risers.

Dr. Baxter tried his hand with the plane, bullnosing edges of a thwart:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p7121683d8460161e2e2a11fd00c985f7/f4d089b4.jpg

My brother helped for several days. Here he is rounding the frame heads with a surform plane. You can just see the end of his broken canoe in the upper left corner:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p34500110243dc6bc260b04ba89c2f5fc/f4cec6e7.jpg

Here I am planing the planking down to the sheer:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p43fa784188a108fc698662352d90ce37/f4cec6e0.jpg

I made coamings for the end decks. Here I am fumbling with the bandsaw.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p28b22c3140641cb7d5f25817abc08255/f4cec6e2.jpg

This is how things sit for now, waiting for the coamings to be finished and fastened, then the interior cleaned up for varnishing (!!!), and the exterior painted. Brass half round will be added to stems, and brass pipe installed in holes in the stem for painter lines.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/p67177c84c94eaa262db460e2df66b670/f4c554f9.jpg

[L.W. Baxter]

For those who don't think I've posted enough pictures ( :D ) here's the link to some more:

18' light batteau (http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2129676055)

--Lee

[Venchka]

Fantastic! Another Gardner boat comes to life! Great use of leftovers and "free" plans. Boatbuilding on the cheap at it's best! :cool:

I hope Bro is paying you BIG BUCK$!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Bruce Taylor]

http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif
http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif
http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif

[Bruce Hooke]

Well done! I've got a boat built to that design about 3/4 done but it's been in my parents basement for the last 20 years because I haven't got a big enough space to work on it. One of these years I hope I will finally be able to finish it...

[Harry Miller]

Bruce, that's more than half your life. Better give it away. smile.gif
Nice work Lee. Is your brother as smart as you? smile.gif

[L.W. Baxter]

Harry, my brother is a Doctor of stream ecology, and I've got a vocational degree in messing about. :D

Anyway, you can understand how inappropriate it is that he should be boatless. And he's kicked in for the materials. It's like a subsidy for my habit; I'm just glad to have a good excuse to build another boat. The other plus is, it stays in the family, so I'll get to use it!

[BHM]

You've got great talent my friend!

Brent

[DugT]

Bruce,

Now I don't feel so bad about my unfinished boat. You've got me beat by LOTS of years! :D

[JimD]

Thanks, Lee smile.gif

[Garrett Lowell]

Great work! Looks like you'll be ready just in time for the season!

[Bob Smalser]

Really cool.

Love Gardner.