Another Coquina

[Reynard38]

Though my original plan was to oil the aft center deck I couldn't decide. My wife made the comment that it looked a bit "unfinished" next to the varnished side decks. Point taken, varnish applied...



6th coat applied. The hull is just about done, save for the brass strips on either side of the centerboard case, installing the board, and the forward steering line block.

[Reynard38]

Oh and of course I need to paint the name on the transom!

[Sailor]

What about a cleat to match the port one on the starboard side?

[Reynard38]

What about a cleat to match the port one on the starboard side?

Yeah, I know. It's one I had left over from the Whitehall build. Not mounted yet, just getting some ideas.

[Reynard38]

Got the boat out of the cradles today. Had to lift it up higher to install the CB and the brass 1/2 ovals on either side of the board. My buddy has been storing an engine hoist here, so I put it to use.



Board in. Not all the way down here. I was check clearances and they look perfect.

[Reynard38]

My old Rockwell mill worked great for drilling the 1/2 oval strips.



My buddy with the hoist is a tool engineer. He lent me a counter sink tool that makes perfect countersinks in the 1/2 ovals.

[Rob Hazard]

An engine hoist! You sure you put enough lead in that centerboard, Butch?

[Reynard38]

Lead? Who uses lead? I made my centerboard from depleted uranium!
On the plus side I won't be needing running lights.

[Reynard38]

On the way back from picking up my hardware from Jim Reineck. If you ever get a chance go by his shop! He's a great guy, and his work is amazing. I bid a long Boston layover so I'd had time for this side trip. Well worth it and I glad I didn't just have Jim ship it to me. Jim and his wife Mary could not have been nicer.
Jim in his shop with the plans for his original Herreshoff.

[Rob Hazard]

I'm envious!
I met Jim a couple summers ago at the show at Mystic and wound up ordering a hinged mast partner from him for my mizzen. I wanted to snap it up right then and there but he needed it as a display item for the show. He sent it along a week later. As I recall it's a size smaller than what's used on a 12 1/2. Lovely piece of bronze, like all his work.

[Reynard38]

Now I feel lime I'm getting close! Spent the day assembling and fitting the Trailex SUT-500s trailer. Sprung for the extra front cradle assembly. Still need to install the winch.

[chuckt]

Very nice. Where's the launch?

[Reynard38]

It will be on lake Lanier. Still have the rigging to do, and I need to make a cover as it will kept in a slip. I'm thinking some time on April.

[Reynard38]

My Coquina sees the light of day!





First time stepping the masts.

[Rob Hazard]

Gorgeous! It won't be long now!

[Reynard38]

Thanks Rob. Started installing Reineck's hardware that I picked up in MA last week. Pretty stuff.

[Reynard38]

Per Rob's recommendation I added leather at the co tact points.

[Rob Hazard]

Oh yeah! Your mast will thank you!

[hokiefan]

Wow! Thats all I have to say. Wow...

Cheers,

Bobby

[Rob Hazard]

Wait... I don't see any oarlocks. Do you plan to add them? How will you get home when the wind dies?

[StevenBauer]

You are getting so close! She looks fantastic. I'd love to hear more about that compass, did you tell us already and I just missed it?


Steven

[Reynard38]

Oar locks are coming. Just waiting to get the oars to measure exactly where I want them. I'm thinking I'll use them as part of my cockpit cover hold down system.
The compass came off EBay. It was out of a Monteray Bay sardine boat. The original box was not included so the price was right, $58. It works great, no leaks, clear glass. Herreshoff's Clara (Coquina's big sister) had one mounted in pretty much the same place and I thought it looked good so I thought why not?

[Rob Hazard]

I've been looking for the right spot to mount a compass on my boat, and I keep thinking I want it forward, near the bow thwart, where I can see it easily from my normal sailing perch opposite the centerboard. If I move aft the stern sinks and the boat speed suffers. But then I sail solo most of the time, and it might be different if I always had a couple passengers forward.

[Bill Perkins]

Speaking of oars and compasses ; the most I use a compass on Lanier is when rowing (no wind). I use a good quality hiking compass : liquid filled and with a sighting mirror . These open up flat and can be set in the perfect spot for the oarsman to take a glance at the end of the recovery stroke . No need to read degrees just keep the needle parralell in the gate .They're very accurate hand bearing compasses as well which is perfect because the first thing you do is sight your destination and set the gate (or pick this up from the map ) ; then set the compass in place. By carefully keeping the needle reversed in the gate ,you can run down your course with high accuracy.

[Sailor]

This method doesn't account for leeway however and you should still peek over your shoulder from time to time to make sure you're not being set port or starboard.

[Reynard38]

Oars ordered 8' spoon blades.

[chortle]

Oars ordered 8' spoon blades.

Should be sweet, have you thought about painting the blades?

[Rob Hazard]

Eight foot length is a good compromise between rowing and stowing. Shaw & Tenney?

[Slacko]

If you look at your trail in the water you can see how much leeway you are making, as the trail will not be running straight off the stern.
More a comment from sailing experience than rowing, but I'm sure it would still apply.

[Reynard38]

Should be sweet, have you thought about painting the blades?

No, but I like that idea! Whadya think, green to match the hull?

[Reynard38]

Eight foot length is a good compromise between rowing and stowing. Shaw & Tenney?

I know the Shaw and Tenneys are nice' but whew! Pricey!
i have a pair I bought from CLC for my Whitehall that are very nice, good price too. Also when you spend over $100 they ship for Free! That makes a difference on an 8' pair of oars.

[Sharpie21]

Regarding the leather you added to protect the mast, did you use any glue as well as the tacks? If so what kind?

Fantastic work you have done. Thanks so much for this thread.....

[Reynard38]

Contact cement as was called for in the plans

[davebrown]

I think I am going to do a set of 9' oars--or maybe 9'6"--I bought a beautiful WRC blank for the shafts. It is a 2x8, all vertical grain, and cost much more than any one should ever pay for a single plank of wood. I got mixed reviews on whether WRC is suitable for oars. Alaska yellow would have been better, but this turned up down the street. I think I will use either doug fir for the oar blade "wings", or scarf a slice of locust to the ends before I start shaping them. I think my coquina, anyway, which is overbuilt, is going to be less than stellar as a rower. But I will be comparing it to some very high end purpose built lapstrake boats that are the centerpieces of my rowing club livery, and my whisp, which is a dleightful little lightweight rower. Rob, how do you feel about yours, if you are reading (and I hope I am not stepping on anyone's toes here as this is not my thread...)?

[timo4352]

Per Rob's recommendation I added leather at the co tact points.

I must have missed it, but, how do these mast toggles work? Are they spring loaded or something?
Very neat looking.
Tim

[Reynard38]

Yes, stainless steel springs on the back sides.

[Rob Hazard]

In my eagerness to get Slipper on the water, I bought a pair of cheap 7 1/2 foot oars, then spent half a day with a plane and spokeshave to lighten their clunky blades. Those oars were not too bad for rowing and they stowed beautifully under the side decks with the blades aft caught by little cleats on the bulkhead. I strapped the looms against the sides with Velcro straps, (Sorry, Mr Herreshoff!).
Then last year I sprung for a pair of Shaw & Tenney 8 1/2 ft flat blades. These oars row the boat very nicely with the leather buttons positioned so my hands just miss the raised centerboard. Because of their length, though, they don't stow as neatly; they stick out from under the side decks a lot more than the shorter oars did, enough that I was worried they'd be underfoot, (or rather under butt!), however in sailing the boat I find they are comfortably out of the way.

I don't like the way the oars are stowed in the building plans because they look too hard to extract for immediate use.

That big, old-fashioned centerboard might be in the way for rowing with 9 foot oars. Herreshoff's brass centerboard did not have a pivot pin, so it could be pulled out easily. I made mine with a slot for the pin so it can be removed with the boat afloat, but I typically only row the boat 50 yards or so before setting sail. Early on I considered a sliding seat to use on those calm, foggy Maine mornings, but so far that's a back burner project.

[Reynard38]

I'm hopefully only going to be using the oars to get in and out of the slip. I might even make a sculling oar and give it a try. I'll need to move the boat 100 yards or so before hoisting sail.

[Rob Hazard]

I've thought about a sculling oar too. I frequently maneuver the boat standing in the bow with one oar using a sculling draw stroke. If you made a sculling oar curved like a yuloh, it could stow under your side deck and be totally out of sight. Merits further thought!

[Reynard38]

Are yulohs usually curved? Would make storage easier!

[Rob Hazard]

Well, they usually have an angle to them near the pivot, and there seems to be some variety to their shapes, so a curved loom seems well within the realm of possibility. Maybe someone who has experimented with them will chime in here... I'm currently working on a Goat Island Skiff and I've added an off-center sculling notch in the transom, with the idea of exploring sculling oars and yulohs.

[Rik van der Vaart]

Amazing woodwork, cant wait to se her on the water. Congrats.

[davebrown]

Interesting point about the oar length. I made my centerboard pin--axle would be a better term-- to insert into a pair of bronze, graduated drain plug and sockets. This means that if I want to use the boat strictly for rowing, I can ditch the centerboard rather quickly and simply crank the bronze plugs back in. I am again predicting the boat is not going to be much of a rower, but if it turns out that it is (I am sure my hull is nudging 300 lbs. right now without any ballast or the centerboard installed), I would fashion a strip plug to fit into the centerboard slot on the bottom, since a fair amount of drag and turbulence occurs when you row with an empty centerboard slot. But I don't think mine will see much use as a rowboat solely...well maybe I am overestimating the weight but it is getting porcine.

[Rob Hazard]

Dave, you could just make another centerboard with a narrower profile. It would change the CLR a bit, but you could row with 9' oars with the board raised.

I realize what I'm suggesting is heresy.

[almeyer]

Just read your thread from page 1 to end. Absolutely beautiful boat. Congradulations on a job well done and the upcoming launch.
Al

[JayInOz]

Absolutely beautiful work Reynard. You're going to be spending an awful lot of time answering questions and recieving compliments wherever you take your lovely boat. Can I ask what type of knot or other arrangement you decided on for the steering attachments on the rudder? I'm surprised Mr Reineck doesn't have a fitting for that very purpose JayInOz

[m2c1Iw]

I'm hopefully only going to be using the oars to get in and out of the slip. I might even make a sculling oar and give it a try. I'll need to move the boat 100 yards or so before hoisting sail.

Lucky, I need to go about a mile via channels to open water so I'm trying to dream up a removable outboard bracket that will hang off the mizzen thwart and take one of those 2.5HP lightweights. Help from anyone with a design will be appreciated.
I will start another thread when I get closer to the task.
Great work and looking forward to the launch pics.
Cheers
Mike

[Rob Hazard]

Mike, I remember an article in our sponsor magazine describing a setup with an electric trolling motor mounted in a rudder. The article was by Maynard Bray and the boat designed by Doug Hylan. The boat was a skiff built for cruising the salt marshes of the Georgia coast, and it shared some features with their Coquina project.

[Reynard38]

Absolutely beautiful work Reynard. You're going to be spending an awful lot of time answering questions and recieving compliments wherever you take your lovely boat. Can I ask what type of knot or other arrangement you decided on for the steering attachments on the rudder? I'm surprised Mr Reineck doesn't have a fitting for that very purpose JayInOz

Ive gotta admit that knots are my weak point. Must have a lot in common with playing the guitar.
i used a crown knot in the end of the line to form a little knob. Now the splices in the steering lines.... those I need to work on!

[Reynard38]