Glued seam ohlson 36

[seo]

I recently looked at an Ohlson 36 that has been out of the water for a while. She is either tight seam or glued seam construction-in any event, no caulk. A lot of her seams are opened up, and you can see daylight through them. Seems to me that it would be a good idea to keep her wetted down for a week or so before launching, to make the truck ride easier and the launch less traumatic.
Also, I've heard that these boats are prone to tension-broke frames at the turn of the bilge. Anyone seen or heard of one with sound frames that wouldn't take up? Then what? caulk her? Seems like a questionable idea.
SEO

[Bob Cleek]

IIRC, the Ohlsons were "strip planked" and indeed had glued seams. The tightly fitted glued seams did have a tendency to bust frames when they expanded. This is an inherent problem with strip planking. This method of construction really is a bugger to repair, compared to standard carvel planking. Many were eventually routed out along the seams and splined, as there was no way to caulk them properly once they started opening up.

[peter radclyffe]

I recently looked at an Ohlson 36 that has been out of the water for a while. She is either tight seam or glued seam construction-in any event, no caulk. A lot of her seams are opened up, and you can see daylight through them. Seems to me that it would be a good idea to keep her wetted down for a week or so before launching, to make the truck ride easier and the launch less traumatic.
Also, I've heard that these boats are prone to tension-broke frames at the turn of the bilge. Anyone seen or heard of one with sound frames that wouldn't take up? Then what? caulk her? Seems like a questionable idea.
SEO
sister the bilge frames, then you can grind a 3 inch circ saw blade to taper cut seams with a follower, then push cotton in by hand with a knife or feeding iron rather than mallet, then epoxy primer, then sika or other mastic, how patient are you, its a ...... of a job,

[Larks]

SEO my H28 is resourcinol glued strip planked huon pine and some of the seams have opened up, the advice that I've received so far has been to do just what you suggest and wet her down before launch, possibly using some lead putty where the seams don't close up sufficiently to keep a flood out. I have also had the suggestion of splining, per Bob's comment, so I'm interested to know what you come up with for this problem
cheers, Greg

[seo]

As seen, this boat seems to swell up tight when it gets wet, and doesn't leak much. I can see caulking her below the waterline, but her topsides are varnished, and a bright hull with caulk seams is an unfortunate look.
It may be just an issue of terminology, but I think of a "strip-planked" boat as having almost square planking, soft of cove-jointed so that they'll go around turn of the hull and maintain a pretty tight joint, edge-fastened one plank to the other with nails, and nailed or screwed to the frames, which were spaced pretty wide.
There were some strip-planked workboats built that way in Maine in the 50's, and I'm told that it's a simpler, messier undertaking than building a carvel planked hull.
The Ohlson hull is nothing like that. It is possibly the neatest job of planking I've ever seen. But dealing with leaks does seem like a daunting prospect.

[Larks]

As seen, this boat seems to swell up tight when it gets wet, and doesn't leak much. I can see caulking her below the waterline, but her topsides are varnished, and a bright hull with caulk seams is an unfortunate look.
It may be just an issue of terminology, but I think of a "strip-planked" boat as having almost square planking, soft of cove-jointed so that they'll go around turn of the hull and maintain a pretty tight joint, edge-fastened one plank to the other with nails, and nailed or screwed to the frames, which were spaced pretty wide.
There were some strip-planked workboats built that way in Maine in the 50's, and I'm told that it's a simpler, messier undertaking than building a carvel planked hull.
The Ohlson hull is nothing like that. It is possibly the neatest job of planking I've ever seen. But dealing with leaks does seem like a daunting prospect.

Yes, that's pretty much how my H28 was built (@1967), though as well as being edge nailed and roved to the frames each 1" square huon pine strip "plank" is is edge glued with resourcinol.

[Roger Cumming]

I would not put anything in the seams except Slickseam which will prevent most of the water from pouring in at launching time but being very soft will not prevent the planking from swelling up nor injure the planks as they swell. I think Jamestown Distributors sells Slickseam.

[peter radclyffe]

I would not put anything in the seams except Slickseam which will prevent most of the water from pouring in at launching time but being very soft will not prevent the planking from swelling up nor injure the planks as they swell. I think Jamestown Distributors sells Slickseam.
the concept of strip planking, is that it does not leak, so when it does leak, its the design which is a joke, it treats timber as being inert, when dealing with fluctuations in temperature, strip planking only seems to work when its covered in cloth, material of some sort

[Larks]

... so glued seams, hull launched, timber swells, fibres compress, haul out boat, timber dries but fibres remain compressed, seams pop....bugger!!!

Slickseam sounds good...

[seo]

With various types of tight-seam boats I've had good success with spraying the hull inside and out for several days prior to launch. Even more important, in my opinion, is getting her tightened up before picking her up and rattling down the road.
As an alternative to slickseam I have used bars of ivory soap forcefully massaged with a bit of water until they become putty-like, then worked into the seams. If the hull is launched and kept for a few days in still water the soap is pretty good about staying in the seam, but then squeezes out and washes away once the boat is in use.

[NorthStar]

I bought a 36' 1965 Ohlson four years ago. She was out of the water for two years. When you went below out of the water you could see through many of the planks. Under the starbord side cockpit sette at the bend of the bildge there were 5 broken ribs it looked like someone took a circular saw to them they were broken so clean. I put sister ribs and it's just fine. Below the water line we put cotton and slickseam. We launched the boat and left it in the slings for three days. the bottom sealed up pretty good. You could no longer see through the seams. As for when we went sailing and heeled over water pretty much freely came through the seems. but see swelled up after a couple of sails that first season. I only take her out to bottom paint and varnish the hull as she has a bright finished hull. She sails like a dream even with etremley old stretched out sails.

[HarryH]

Well, I thought I'd throw in my experience with a strip boat....it was so positive I am building a 23' now, 35 years later..

Anyway here is the gist of my $.02 several years ago when similar pros/cons of strip planking came up...

>>>>About 30 years ago I purchased a nice little 17' working skiff built in Nova Scotia, the hull built on the lines of traditional lobster boats. (In fact, it came with an old working head for hauling pots.) It was strip planked pine over steam bent oak. The planks were wider than thick, perhaps 1-1/2" and 3/4" respectively. When out of the water for the winter, you could slip a credit card through the planks, and those were the smaller sized gaps. She would go down to within a foot of freeboard when I put it in come spring. When I bailed her out several days later, she shipped NOT A DROP for the rest of the season, unless I did not go out in her often. Then the planks above the water line would tend to open up a bit, and water would spray in while planing! Then it would tighten up again.

God I loved that boat. Sweet lines, strong and heavy. True to the economics of the area and times (I guess), along with the use of native pine planks, it was edge fastened with 6d galvy common nails, and clinch nailed at the ribs with cut nails. No glue.

Because of the comings and goings of the planks, particularly at the turn of the bilge, sometimes older paint would crack or blister a tad. That was my biggest complaint! And an occasional-bleed through due to an errant nail needed attention. But overall it was a handsome and uncommon craft, tight as a drum when used regularly, and drew comments for its lines. I used her 2-4 times a week for 4-5 summers, never touched the seams when out of the water, no matter if opened or not.

Anyway, it sold me on strip building. I'm starting a 23' Downeast design, which will utilize 13/16" sq strips, edge nailed and glued. But this boat will utilize more upscale materials: wana, resorcinol, bronze.

<<<<<<<
Note: I would amend the above to say I am almost planked up on that 23'. I am used wana to the waterline, and eastern white pine above, with epoxy instead of resorcinol when appropriate.


Harry

[Hwyl]

the concept of strip planking, is that it does not leak, so when it does leak, its the design which is a joke, it treats timber as being inert, when dealing with fluctuations in temperature, strip planking only seems to work when its covered in cloth, material of some sort

Claire Francis seemed to do O.K. with Robertson's Golly, she was an Ohlson 36 (I think).


Edit, whoops RG was a 38 and grp.

[peter radclyffe]

Claire Francis seemed to do O.K. with Robertson's Golly, she was an Ohlson 36 (I think).


Edit, whoops RG was a 38 and grp.
yes, im not knocking it, its a good system, when the scantlings and methods are adequate, most designers dont feel anything except inert materials, grp,ali, steel, cement, kevlar, years ago before these materials existed as we know them, they had to be attuned to natural materials

[Larks]

Anyway, it sold me on strip building. I'm starting a 23' Downeast design, which will utilize 13/16" sq strips, edge nailed and glued. But this boat will utilize more upscale materials: wana, resorcinol, bronze.

<<<<<<<
Note: I would amend the above to say I am almost planked up on that 23'. I am used wana to the waterline, and eastern white pine above, with epoxy instead of resorcinol when appropriate.


Harry

You must be due to post some more photos then???:)

[HarryH]

You must be due to post some more photos then???:)

Here is a shot at the beginning of planking; I am much further along, and hope to finish planking this summer. Incidentally, one of the egregious drawbacks to strip planking is that it is tedious and time consuming beyond any other method. The appeal of getting wood to conform to the sharpest and most graceful of hull shapes with amateur skills cannot be denied, however.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xGjydkCk0G0/SQuLTiZETrI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/6HTZkcFZqac/s512/PICT0027.JPG

This is the boat I am building, and you can see my building of it here:http://picasaweb.google.com/Harrible/PogoConstruction#

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xGjydkCk0G0/SNGxmo4f-hI/AAAAAAAAAM0/q_QAQvWbJys/s400/pogo.jpg

http://picasaweb.google.com/Harrible/PogoConstruction#5247170318230878738

[seo]

I've surveyed a couple of "Pogo" boats, which I think were designed by a guy named Gary Libby who recently died. He lived in Lincolnville, Maine, right down the road from me.
My impression was that the Pogo is maybe a better boat than a Sisu 22.

[seo]

That's interesting about the Nova Scotia skiff. I'm pretty sure that there was a period when strip-building was billed as a method that a lobsterman could use to build a hull during the off season, not requiring a lot of skill or fancy materials. I think they went away when it got so you could buy a glass hull for a few thousand dollars.
But you do see strip-built hulls lying around boatyards along the coast, and they seem to hold up pretty well.
An Ohlson 36 is by no means an amateur built boat, but it has the same shrink/swell issues as a Novi trap skiff

[HarryH]

I've surveyed a couple of "Pogo" boats, which I think were designed by a guy named Gary Libby who recently died. He lived in Lincolnville, Maine, right down the road from me.
My impression was that the Pogo is maybe a better boat than a Sisu 22.

seo- this Pogo was designed by Frederick Bates of Damariscotta, a N.A. who I think mainly designed bigger fishing boats, draggers, etc. I corresponded with him for a while before I bought the plans to Pogo; he said he drew it to be a nice little seaworthy boat for himself, one that an amateur could perhaps build. As of 1973, when I bought the plans, he said he sold over a hundred sets around the world. I have by poking around the Web found a couple of other boats in New England.

Your mention of Mr. Libby is interesting, because another forumite of some years past said Libby produced Pogos in fiberglass...dunno what type of arrangement he had with Bates, but a few glass Pogos are around.

Sadly, Mr. Bates has passed, and my attempts to find his heirs or such have been fruitless...I had a million questions for him during lofting, mostly due to my lack of experience, not the fault of his plans. In letters he noted he had some similar designs in the 26'-28' range, perhaps larger. Who has any of his plans? I have tried Damariscotta Bus. Bureau, Mystic, MIT (where he tried to donate his work, I am told), Museum in Bath, etc....even Bates listings in the phonebook...

I think your comments regarding the strip built skiffs is right on...I will note however that it looks like the builder of mine was pretty good...nice workmanship. He used oak for the keel, stem and steam bent ribs. The transom had a massive oak knee...I think the pine strips were used because they were available, perhaps for free. Another source told me some of these skiff builders got the pine strips from box building shops, etc. as offcuts, no cost.

_H

[seo]

You might try calling Gary Libby's widow, at
Gary Libby (207) 763-3171
He was a very smart, interesting, and honorable guy-my guess is that he had rights to build the Pogo. There might be some plans among his belongings.