Deck House Planking Material

[BuccaneerCapn]

I am interested in building a walk-in deck house on my schooner and would like to get recommendations for a light but durable wood for the 2 x 6 planking for the sides.

[paladin]

HOW BIG a schooner...beam...how big a house???

[Bob Cleek]

If you are thinking about a "walk in" deckhouse with 2" x 6" siding plank, weight is the least of your problems. If the vessel is large enough to carry a deckhouse with standing headroom, weight isn't going to be a big consideration, relatively speaking. I'd be more concerned about windage than anything else. In any event, you want a light wood with relatively decent rot resistance, which would be a cedar, more than likely. Alaska yellow cedar is good. Doug fir wouldn't weigh that much more, though.

[BuccaneerCapn]

Weight is not a major issue except in handling materials. The boat is a 48'wood schooner with a 13'beam. It's displacement is 25 tons. I am looking for a wood that is strong, decay resistant, and paintable. The actual deck house will be 7.5' wide by 8.5' long. I was thinking about fir, but this is a southern boat and I'm concerned about the quality of the fir that I can buy locally.

[Venchka]

High quality cypress, which might be harder to find than quality doug-fir. How far are you willing to go for decent lumber? WoodenBoat magazine and this Forum have sources for cypress in the SE. Robichaux Lumber in Raceland, LA for cypress and doug-fir, Taylor Lumber in Thibodaux, LA and Jimmy's Cypress in New Orleans are possiblilities. Have you given any thought to plywood? All of the national vendors, M.L. Condon, Harbor Sales, etc. will ship to you. Domestic fir plywood or premium MDO might work also.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[ 06-26-2005, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Venchka ]

[Bob Cleek]

You know, given the dimensions you've stated above, I'd strongly advise you to find a good naval architect to take a look at the boat and give you some advice. I can't imagine a box that big not looking like hell on a boat that size. Why do you need such a thing?

[BuccaneerCapn]

I,ve seen similiar cargo type hulls with almost exactly the deck house I intend to build on them and they look very attactive. Second, when we go on extended cruising trips, I am tired of baking all day in the sun and freezing in the rain, and riding out near gale force weather, which I have, all in an un-protected cockpit. It only makes sense to get out of the weather if you can.

As far as a naval architect, don't need one, as there is a base deck house that already exists, about two foot high, and I plan on extending it up to become a walk-in, using the same construction techniques that exist and been commented on in previous surveys as well overbuilt. The base deck house is 3 x 7 white oak planks, and I know I don't need to take that much weight up that high so I am just looking for ideas for another suitable plank material. I know longleaf yellow pine would be fine, and I have a source for it, but if something less expensive, and similiarly durable is available, I would like to consider other options.