More photos of Don Kurylko's new boat

[Dave Lesser]

OK, Don, we have been very patient. We would love to see more.

[htom]

A beautiful tease.

[StevenBauer]

Very patient. But it's starting to wear thin. Let's see some more, Don, please.

Steven

[Allison]

Very nice, but as they said "More please sir?"

[Lew Barrett]

Beautiful!

[wizbang 13]

Wanna trade?

[Don Kurylko]

Yikes! I'll be back as soon as I get a few scanned. You guys are merciless!

[Don Kurylko]

Oh and....do you want the long version or the short version?

[Paul Pless]

posts are free here

[wizbang 13]

the 34' canoe stern version

[htom]

Oh and....do you want the long version or the short version?

Extended builder's cut. With commentary, please!

[darroch]

Some of us have been waiting patiently for a very long time...tap...tap...tap...

[Don Kurylko]

Thanks for your enthusiastic response to my project. I hope I can live up to expectations with the rest of the photos and commentary. I’ve been working at this boat for a very long time. So long, as a matter of fact, that the neighborhood kids have dubbed it the “forever” boat. In the photos, you will notice that I started out with a full head of hair and a dark beard – that has now changed drastically. What began as a 10 year building program has manged to morph into a retirement project. Not because I’m a slow builder (I am that), but because I have tried to pursue too many other full-time endeavors throughout my life all at the same time. A common fault of dreamers with short attention spans I expect.


But a guy’s got to dream…





One day, a couple of winters before I started building, I found myself going a bit stir crazy and needed something to perk up my spirits. We were living in a small log cabin out in the boonies, without electricity, and there wasn’t much in the way of entertainment to be had. So, I grabbed a set of plans I had bought from designer Tom Colvin and headed out to the small pasture behind our place. I made up some long battens and “lofted” out the accommodations plan full size to see how it would fit.

The snow was perfect. It had been really cold and the surface was so hard and crusty that you could walk on it without fear of breaking through. Once I got all the lines laid out, I filled them in with ashes from the wood stove. In a few hours I had a virtual boat that I could walk around in. It was fun and the drawing lasted for several weeks before it snowed again and covered it up. I guess there are some advantages to Canadian winters after all.





A few years went by and we finally decided to take the plunge and build a real boat. But first, we had to put up a ply, plastic and tin “tent”. We could only get a temporary permit from the city of Nelson for the structure and weren’t allowed any kind of foundation or footings. I just wrapped the bottom of the frames in black garbage bags and buried them in the ground. They eventually did rot out, but lasted a surprisingly long time with a bit of reinforcement here and there.





I would like to have built a larger shed, but out of deference to the neighbors I kept it as low profile and unobtrusive as possible





A bit cramped inside, but perfectly functional with a small working platform at the far end for stationary tools and a bench. I also had access out back to a two car garage/workshop that could be heated more easily. It wasn’t my intent to work on the boat in winter, so I never bothered to insulate the boat shed. I did fit a stove though, but all it was good for when it got cold was warming my backside whilst dreaming of faraway tropical Isles.

The colder months were devoted mostly to earning a living. In reality, I was lucky to get 4 or 5 full months of work done on the boat most years. (You can see where this is heading...)

[Paul Pless]

definitely worth waiting for this story
snow lofting - brilliant!

[boatbuddha]

Please stop. Lust is a sin.

[ILikeRust]

Feel free to ignore boatbuddha's request. Keep it coming.

I love that pic of the outline in the snow. Classic! Too many people would be totally unable to relate and just think you were a bit odd or eccentric. The rest of us, I'm sure, can totally relate and understand that it makes perfect sense to draw a full-size outline in the snow.

[Yeadon]

This is my new favorite thread.

[htom]

This is my new favorite thread.

++.

[StevenBauer]

This is my new favorite thread.

Mine, too.



Steven

[wizbang 13]

are you on dial up? lets go lets go!!!!

[Dave Lesser]

Thanks, Don. Looking forward to more.

[John Turpin]

Wait. I think I can see a tiny flaw in her paint. No wait. I can't.

[Don Kurylko]

The following year was devoted to lofting the hull, making the moulds and setting them up.

Never one's to miss a photo opportunity, that's my wife, Sanda, in the background and her friend Sally pretending to loft. Oh yeah, there's a half model of the hull in the foreground.

The lofting floor was 3/4” K3 particle board, painted flat white. It worked out pretty good. I used coloured ballpoint pens to differentiate the lines once they were faired.





Besides getting the moulds off the lofting, I was also able to make up a bunch of other components for the hull, like floors, frames, backbone members, etc.





The frames were laminated from Douglas Fir right on the loft floor using dedicated moulds to get their shape.





The moulds were nailed to the floor and these cleats fitted right up to them to fix the laminations. A bit of plastic was used to keep things from sticking. After cleaning up, the frames were screwed to the moulds and set up to take the planking. This allowed me to fair and bevel them right in place for a near perfect fit.





The lofting has been cleared away and mounted on the wall for future reference. I set up and carefully squared a heavy strongback for stepping the moulds. Even so, getting everything nicely trued up was a bit of a task. Definitely the stage where you want to take the extra time to get it right. 3/4” K3 particle board was used for the moulds too.





More of the same - stern view.

[Allison]

All right!! Well worth the wait!
But is it going to take as long to get all the pictures up as it has taken you to get to this stage?
Some of us are patient but that may stretch the meaning of the word just a tad!

[L.W. Baxter]

This is my new favorite thread.

I'll come aboard, too...

[Don Kurylko]

All right!! Well worth the wait!
But is it going to take as long to get all the pictures up as it has taken you to get to this stage?
Some of us are patient but that may stretch the meaning of the word just a tad!

Well I was going to wait until I had a chance to go through all my old slides, pick out the best ones, sort them, scan them, upload them to Photobucket, write some commentary, then post everything to the Forum. You know, time permitting, maybe over the Christmas holidays. But then I made the mistake of posting the stern shot and...BLAM...suddenly I'm besieged! Gimme a break wouldya!

But I am flattered by all the attention and I'll do my best to get more photos up in a timely fashion. Thanks to all for the kind words and comments.

[Don Kurylko]

Here I have started beveling the edges of the moulds to take the planking.

I should mention that the main text I used for lofting this boat was Chapelle’s “Boatbuilding”. I like his treatise the best of any I have studied, but I also referenced the Gougeon Brother’s book on Boatbuilding for its section on deducting for planking thickness. Chapelle falls way short in that department and the explanation in the GB’s book is superb. It is based on a system developed by Joe Trumbly who taught boat building at Bates College in Washington State. I highly recommend checking this out for anyone contemplating lofting a boat in the traditional manner. It is very accurate.





A close up of the edges being beveled. I first rolled some flat black paint on all the edges to help define and preserve the controlling edge of the moulds. This is a great visual aid and helps avoid removing any material one shouldn’t. I used long battens laid across the moulds to determine the depth of material to remove. In a strip-planked boat, it is very important to have a flat landing for the strips. Just trying to bend them around a hard, un-beveled edge will cause notching on the strips – something best avoided, not just for looks. Once notched, the strips are prone to breaking at a very hard turn.

Chapelle and the Gougeon Brothers were the main reference texts used throughout the rest of the construction process too.





Mister Intrepid hogging down the inner keel with an electric adze!





But to redeem himself, he first made guide cuts with a lovely little back saw…..





….and finished off with a spoke shave and hand plane.





Voila! The inner keel was laminated up from some beautiful old growth Douglas Fir from Vancouver Island.

[Dave Lesser]

Take your time, Don. We don't want to add another "to do" to your holidays.

This looks like it's going to be a wonderful story - we can wait for it to unfold.

[darroch]

we can wait for it to unfold.

Yes, please make it last the whole winter!

[Yeadon]

But first ... what was the design and the major specs of this boat? Length, beam, draft, tonnage, sail plan? Is this a Kurylko original design?

[Don Kurylko]

Thanks guys. I'll not rush it, nor drag it out; and if it starts to get boring, I'll expect a rousing raspberry or two to keep me on track!

Okay Yeadon, specs, etc, coming up soon.

[Garret]

I know I was one of the instigators in getting you to share this - so blame me if it helps. Thanks for starting & I can guarantee you'll get no raspberries from me - unless I happen to be picking some that is....

[Don Kurylko]

No worries Garret. You guys got the ball rolling. Thanks for that.

[BBSebens]

Sweet! awesome build thread. looking forward to watching this one.

[Allison]

I like the electric adze! but I must admit I also like the real one. I've spent so much time around loud machinery that I really enjoy the quiet approach for a lot of things these days.
I didn't mean to rush you, just a gentle nudge along the path. I promise not to be too aggressive should you wander off and fail to meet the commitment that you've so generously made!

[PeterSibley]

A lovely job Don , I'm jealous !!

[Don Kurylko]

The backbone in place and the deck clamps laminated around the moulds – 5 rounds of 1/2” x 4” Alaskan yellow cedar, bent cold. That was fun!

A lack of clamps necessitated using large screws to pull the laminations together. I only did one layer at a time. I couldn’t imagine trying to do all of them in one go. The end moulds needed to be stoutly reinforced too.





Bending AND twisting the laminations would have been impossible, so the bottom edge of the clamp (meaning the top part in the photo) remained proud to be planed fair later.






I’ll admit, removing the clamps probably wasn’t the smartest idea. I learned a lot about springback that day! But I couldn’t think of any other way to get the laminates cleaned up.

Actually, it wasn’t all that bad. I had to fuss with the clamps a bit and managed to get them back in place just fine. Using thinner laminations might have helped and the deck clamp could have been a little smaller in cross section too. But I wanted a stout hull-deck connection to take the beams.






Once I wrestled the clamps back in place, I proceeded to fair them flush to the moulds in preparation for planking. I used a long batten placed along the clamps and moulds and struck a control line, which allowed me easily plane away excess material. Port side is done, starboard awaiting.





Bow shot. Everything has now been faired and ready for planking. The lowermost batten (or ribband, if you prefer) defines the actual top of the bulwarks. It is a bit wider than the planking strips and will be removed once the hull is planked up. Nothing is glued to it. It is primarily there to provide support for the diagonally laid veneers that will be applied later on.

By the way, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to fire away. I'd be happy to reply. There will be a quiz!

[WI-Tom]

Don,

your boat looks great. More work than I would want to do, but if anyone ever wants to build one for me just for the practice...

Meanwhile I'll have to make do with your Alaska.

Tom

[Don Kurylko]

Thanks Tom! Congratulations on your article on the Texas 200 in the latest issue of WB!

[WX]

In the photos, you will notice that I started out with a full head of hair and a dark beard – that has now changed drastically. What began as a 10 year building program has manged to morph into a retirement project.

I too started my build as a bright eyed 30 something...now it's 20 something years later...sigh.
Keep the photos coming...please.

[Don Kurylko]

But first ... what was the design and the major specs of this boat? Length, beam, draft, tonnage, sail plan? Is this a Kurylko original design?

Not entirely original. It started out as a Tom Colvin design, but got considerably altered along the way to the point that all that is left of the original design are the hull lines. No disrespect meant to Tom’s work.

I had originally purchased a set of plans for his Oceania 34, a plank on frame marconi ketch, that he redrew for me as a junk schooner. I was really into junks at the time but, as hull construction progressed, I grew less and less enchanted with the idea of that rig. It just didn’t seem right any more with its aluminium pipe spars and heavy, fully battened elephant ear sails. This hull has a distinct east coast Pinky look to it (less the swept back sheer) and really begged for a more traditional, western type sail plan - at least to my eye.

I considered going with a Pinky schooner rig, but didn’t think it would work all that well on such a small hull. It had its good points, but in the end I gave it up in favour of a single stick with a large sail area. I long ago decided not to fit an engine, so light air performance was very important to me, especially if I wanted to get anywhere in the light winds that are common in the PNW during the summer.

I finally settled on a topmast gaff cutter. It seemed to me to offer the greatest amount of versatility, in terms of possible sail combinations, for the type of sailing I had in mind - everything from the Inside Passage to long voyages offshore. I wanted a rig that could carry a ton of sail, yet be easily and quickly reefed in a blow. And, it needed to look good doing it.

By now, of course, I had already reworked the building plans from carvel to cold-moulded construction. If I was in for a penny, I might as well be in for a pound, so I drew up a new rig. While I was at it, I changed the deck layout and the interior accommodations to suit my own particular needs as well.

Obviously, I can’t lay claim to this as a design of my own. I’d have to rework the hull lines significantly before I could even begin to consider that. Something that is unlikely to happen and this design will probably remain unique. Not entirely mine, not entirely Tom’s.

Appologies for the quality of the drawing. It's all I've got on paper at the moment. (Click on the drawing for a larger image.)




SPECS:

LOA: 45’
LOD: 34’
DWL: 29’
BEAM: 10’
DRAFT 5’
DISP: 18,000 lbs
D/L: 333
BALLAST: lead – outside 5,600 lbs - inside 1000 to 2000 lbs, as required
B/D: 36% @ 6600 lbs; 42% @ 7600 lbs
SA working: 800 sq. ft. (SA/D: 18.5)
SA 3 lowers: 695 sq. ft. (SA/D: 16)

More photos soon.

[Allison]

Now that sketch is gorgeous, the sheer is really something. She's going to be so much fun, worth all that work!
Thanks for the photos

[Monkeybottomley]

I'm taking the fact that you're finally putting these pictures out (even squirrelled away in "misc. boat related" as they are) as a sign of something Don. Not sure what- but something of Great Significance.

[Don Kurylko]

Huh? I just can't resist an audience Toumbi!

[Don Kurylko]

The strips for the planking were gotten out of 2” thick Western red cedar. It was much easier milling them with a portable saw than trying to push them through a stationary one. The plank on the left was given a straight edge and used as a guide. It was 12” wide and 24’ long – an amazing piece of cedar!





Most of the timber was long enough to require only one or two scarphs in the strips.





A very simple jig for cutting 8:1 scarphs…





….which were then glued up and clamped with a couple of temporary round head screws.





First round of strips glued up, starting on the second. I usually pre-fit about 4 or 5 strips at a time before gluing them up. I found this easier when working alone. If I’d had a crew, I would have glued them up on the run. Pre-fitting is time consuming, but essential for a solo builder. Otherwise, it can all go south in a hurry, especially in really hot weather with accelerated cure times.





I pre-drilled all the strips and used thin maple dowels to align them in between the moulds. This is essential for square edged strips, which I prefer over bead and cove. In this photo, I’m only pretending to drive the dowel home. It wasn’t really done until after the glue was applied.

[Don Kurylko]

Much further along here. This strip is now glued and screwed to the moulds and the dowels ready for driving home.





The transition point in the run of the planking has been reached here. The strips began parallel to the sheer and were laid up until they started to develop a steer horn wave to them. At this point, it was time to put in some long stealers to realign the strips so that they would run out parallel to the top of the keel. The thinking was to have an attractive run to the strips where they would be visible on the inside of the hull. The intention was to finish them bright. In the end, however, they were painted. I think the planking job would have been a bit easier to do if I had run them from a master strip laid midpoint between the sheer and keel instead. Oh well, live and learn.





close up of the transition point at the bow.





It went rather well.





The stern, on the other hand, presented its own set of problems.





Getting the strips to twist and lie fair was becoming difficult. It’s amazing how much resistance a piece of 3/4” x 1-1/4” red cedar has to being twisted. It was time to do some major fudging.

[ILikeRust]

Oh man, this is like those old serial radio and TV shows!!

"Will Don hammer in those dowels?"

"Will he be able to twist the cedar strip into proper shape?"

"How will he decide to paint the inside of his hull, rather than leave it bright?"

"Be sure to tune in NEXT WEEK and don't miss a moment!!"

"And be sure to drink your Ovaltine!"

[Garret]

The Ovaltine was a nice touch. Took me right back!

[62816inBerlin]

Got me hooked!
Gernot H.

[BBSebens]

This is almost as tense as waiting for Lenihan to get something up.

What did you do with the holes in the strips from the screws?

You certainly have accomplished the good looking part.