New build : Stick-up sharpie

[timo4352]

After a couple of weekends off from serious boat building I got back to some final assembly today. The centerboard trunk is now in for good. I glassed and epoxy/graphite powder coated the insides of the trunk and coated the centerboard with graphite also. I bedded the trunk with Boatlife polysulphide caulking. Hoping that allows a little give with no leaks down the road. I had read that epoxy would be to brittle and would crack and leak eventually – I don’t want that. I’ve always had good luck with Boatlife in the past, so I’m trusting it here.
I’ve still got a few more frames to make up and install, as well as the deck carlins for the washboards, and I’ve got to do my mast steps yet. I’m not real optimistic about making my July 4th deadline at this point. I surely don’t want to rush it and screw something up now, so I may want to give myself a couple extra months time. It would be nice to get her out sailing sometime this summer/fall though.
Pics don’t show much different, but I’ve made some progress nonetheless.
Oh yeah — I’ve got some paint colors picked out too. Hard to believe I’m ready for that yet, but I’ll have to get under and behind the thwarts and the like painted before they’re installed permanently. The thwarts will get bedded with Boatlife too.
graphite inside trunk

graphite coated centerboard

[johnno]

Great to have that centreboard step behind you Tim, well done. Did you bed the two halves of the centreboard case with Boatlife or epoxy? The latter I assume. How did you go about sealing the joint line?

[timo4352]

Great to have that centreboard step behind you Tim, well done. Did you bed the two halves of the centreboard case with Boatlife or epoxy? The latter I assume. How did you go about sealing the joint line?

I epoxied the two halves together. And left the graphite off of the bottom two inches inside the case. When I flip it over again to glass the bottom I will glass around the bend and up inside the trunk that two inches. And I'll just hope the trunk never has to come out again.
You are really closing in on completion of your Egret. What's next?
Tim

[johnw]

I epoxied the two halves together. And left the graphite off of the bottom two inches inside the case. When I flip it over again to glass the bottom I will glass around the bend and up inside the trunk that two inches. And I'll just hope the trunk never has to come out again.
You are really closing in on completion of your Egret. What's next?
Tim

What will you bed the logs in? I prefer something flexible.

[johnno]

Tim, so in some ways you have a continuous glass coating on the outside, but a bedded joint on the inside. Don't think it really matters, except that I would have thought you'd also have a bedded joint exposed on the outside too so it could flex.

I don't think it matters now because even if the outer fibreglass layer did crack, you'll have still have the bedding compound right behind it.

[timo4352]

What will you bed the logs in? I prefer something flexible.

Boatlife

[johnw]

Tim, so in some ways you have a continuous glass coating on the outside, but a bedded joint on the inside. Don't think it really matters, except that I would have thought you'd also have a bedded joint exposed on the outside too so it could flex.

I don't think it matters now because even if the outer fibreglass layer did crack, you'll have still have the bedding compound right behind it.

I've got pretty much the same setup he's talking about, and it doesn't leak after several seasons.

[donald branscom]

You know you will be permanently infecting that young boy with boat disease!!! LOl...lol..lol
Now he will have sailing dreams.

[Robert Meyer]

Timo
Hurry-up with the stick-up. You know we are a very impatient lot and our craving for updates is bottomless.
No vacation till she's launched.

[timo4352]

Yeah - work has slowed to a crawl. The weather is too nice and the kayaks and my fg Kingfisher sailboat need the excercise.
If I didn't have something else to sail I suppose I'd be in more of a hurry to get-r-done. All work and no play, and all that stuff, ya know.
I even gave myself an extra two months deadline on the blog.

[timo4352]

Timo
Hurry-up with the stick-up. You know we are a very impatient lot and our craving for updates is bottomless.
No vacation till she's launched.

Thanks for the nudge...
No wind today, so no sailing.
I got in the shop this morning. I knocked out the six final frames in no time and got them epoxied in.
It's funny, for me anyhow, how some days I get nothing done or can't quite figure out what I want to work on. And then I have a day like today where it all comes together so easily. It's like some Zen boatbuilding thing or some such nonsense.
Tim (back in action)

[Duncan Gibbs]

How the hell have I missed this thread?

Terrific build Timo, and a great companion thread to John's too!

[timo4352]

Thanks Duncan
Updates are coming a little slower nowadays with the nice summer weather here, but I'll get something done, I promise!
Tim

[timo4352]

Wow! it's been a month since I last updated my build.
I have managed to get some little progress made on the boat. Summer weather and having fun sailing, swimming and kayaking has taken over most of my boat building time though. Our summers are too short here to do anything else. The boat will get done eventually. Maybe finish over this winter? I don't know yet.
Here's a couple of picture updates just to let you know the project is still alive. Framing out the washboards is about it for this time. The mess in the boat proves I've been doing a little something anyhow. True life pictures.
washboard framing

[johnw]

Now, that's a handsome profile!

[johnno]

That's one strong and beautiful sharpie Tim. Glad to see you back at it!

[Vernon]

I like that last pic, that's a fine lookin little boat you got there.

[donald branscom]

I would rather just see the photos posted on this forum and not have to see your political rant with boat photos on it.

[timo4352]

I would rather just see the photos posted on this forum and not have to see your political rant with boat photos on it.

[timo4352]

Thanks for the kind replies, guys.
I'm probably over building some things here, but in the case of the washboards - when I envision myself hiked out on the side pounding through big powerboat wakes - I don't want nuthin' breakin'

[Vernon]

I popped in this morning to read the forum for awhile and saw that post immediately after mine. I figured there must be one more in there that was later deleted, hope so anyways...

[DCBrown]

Did I miss something Branscom? Where is the rant?
D.C.

[Arizona Bay]

That's a fine looking boat, been wanting to see one since I read the Sharpie Book.. (10yrs ago?)
I think a 15' Chesapeake Bay Crabbing Skiff may be the next build for me.
In the mean time, I doing a QnD 10' sailing pram and was wondering if you're still happy with the plywood?

[Paul Montgomery]

Enjoying the build - especially since I am getting ready to do the 14' Cape Cod Oystering Sharpie (from Parker's book) soon (or so I hope). I was going to do a quick and dirty build, but I'm thinking of doing a birdsmouth mast so I'm off to a bad start in that way I guess...

[timo4352]

I do believe that I've hit something of a milestone on my sharpie build today!
I got the last pieces of wood that needed to be made for the hull installed today!
The mast steps, transom knee(s), and oarlock pad blocking all found thier places in the boat today. My decks are cut out and waiting for interior paint to go on before I can install them. Feels good to be here
Pics will have to wait 'til my computer stops acting up

[Vernon]

Alot of those computer problems going around. I keep getting a sever busy message only on the forum, all other sites seem to work fine. Andrew seems to be having what might be a photobucket issue. Seems all 3 of us can build a boat and none of us can post a da-gone picture reliably.

I'm gonna have to think on that some more.

Anyway, I look forward to the pics.

Vern

[timo4352]

...see if this'll work...


mast steps and mooring bitt

[donald branscom]

You will need floor boards or the hull can get damaged from the inside.
And you do not want your feet in the water all the time.

Put in something to keep your feet off the hull.
What if someone jumps in the boat and lands on one foot full force on that 1/4 inch ply????

What if someone sits down a ice chest or bag with something sharp edged?
What if a muddy foot grinds pebbles into the hull?

If it was my boat I would want full floors in it.

[davebrown]

I'm wondering how that skiff will row. Is it deadrise or flat bottom? I had a 13'6" skiff loosely built off of Culler's Good Little Skiff (using the booklet from the improbably named Richard Butz for the Weekend Skiff) and it was a delightful rowboat, but I did not ever get around to adding the sailing bits--centerboard, mast step, etc. So it weighed in at around maybe 110 lbs.

[johnw]

She's looking good! So, another month to splash her?

[timo4352]

Dave - she is flat in the front half, deadrise rear. I won't know how she rows (or floats!) 'til I get her in the water. I have high hopes though.


Thanks John. I'm not pushing for this year as it is now. I'm sure I'll want to get her wet before the masts and sails are done though. Maybe New Years Day will be a nice day!

[Draketail]

Keep up the good work! It is indeed satisfying when you reach a milestone like end of woodworking...

[johnw]

Dave - she is flat in the front half, deadrise rear. I won't know how she rows (or floats!) 'til I get her in the water. I have high hopes though.


Thanks John. I'm not pushing for this year as it is now. I'm sure I'll want to get her wet before the masts and sails are done though. Maybe New Years Day will be a nice day!

Well, your winters are colder than mine. Be glad you're building indoors! I just hope the weather holds until I'm done painting.

[johnno]

Looking great Timo, I love the solidity of this build. It as though the scantlings about match the traditional sizings, even though the hull is ply. She's looking really good!

[timo4352]

Thanks. So I did decide to put fllorboards in. I'm fitting the floors now. The front half are easy - flat bottom. I'll probably use 3/8 ply for the floorboards. I lose a little foot room but It'll be much sturdier and I wont have to worry about having a tender bottom
I didn't come this far to skimp out now.

[smithb9]

Hi Tim, the build is looking great!

it looks like that sureply is only printed with nail spots on one side, is that true? I'm thinking about using this for my next project, and was considering finishing the interior with oil or something to keep it bright.

[BrianM]

Thanks guys,
My test piece of the Sureply after nearly a month in the dishwasher - no signs of delamination.
I'm convinced my boat will last a while. Probably longer than me.

The best test for delamination is boiling (212F). Dishwashers for residential use typically don't add enough heat energy to the wash water to get above 140F if the water supply is "cold", and about 160F if the water supply is "Hot".

Of course, delamination is but one structural test for plywood that is relevant in the marine environment. Passing a boiling test tells you nothing about decay resistance, or strength.

Decay resistance will ultimately be its undoing. Water will get into the core eventually and the lumber used is most likely not decay resistant.

If you apply enough penetrating epoxy, you will be creating a hybrid wood/plastic panel. Encasing that with Fiberglass cloth soaked in laminating resin, and you have a Fiberglass hull with a Sureply "form/core".

Hopefully the thickness of the ply is more than whatever the designer spec'ed in Marine grade, as the Sureply isn't made for strength.

Keep the boat out of the sun when it's on the trailer and you'll maximize the life expectancy and if you can, store it upside down to keep debris and rainwater out.

[smithb9]

The best test for delamination is boiling (212F). Dishwashers for residential use typically don't add enough heat energy to the wash water to get above 140F if the water supply is "cold", and about 160F if the water supply is "Hot".

I'd think the wet/dry cycle of the dishwasher would be more applicable/beneficial for this use than the boil test, as I imagine boating in boiling water is not very fun.

Either way, I know with myself personally, I enjoy building as much as I enjoy boating, so if I get a few seasons out of a boat that's perfectly fine, I will probably have built a new boat by that time anyway.

[timo4352]

Yes, the nailing pattern is only on one side. I thought the same about a bright finshed interior, but the wood is not at all that pretty - light/dack patches. You might be able to hand pick sheets for the best look. Better ply (maybe Meranti?) would be much more suited to finish bright. Check out Spike - page 11 - in the pretty in plywood thread to see what could be possible in better ply - very nice. Not sure what ply he used...
Homestead Hardwoods has it for something like $40 sheet. Not local for you though.
Tim

[timo4352]

Well, I've finished up the floors and got the floorboards cut out too. Tested my pattern making skills on the floorboards - it all came out good. I used 3/8" MDO for the floorboards. The floor frames all need to come back out to be epoxied back in for good. That'll be one more little marathon glueing session. And - I've got to figger out some quick-turn latches or sometihn' to hold 'em down with - open to suggestions there...

Anybody have a good suggestion for anti-slip coating for the floorboards

I saw something about sprinkling the wet paint with salt? But haven't researched that too much yet.
Pics soon. Interior paint next? Maybe

[chuckp]

Great looking build!

I've used fine sand in the past and recently used an additive from Lowes for the non-skid.

[johnw]

Well, I've finished up the floors and got the floorboards cut out too. Tested my pattern making skills on the floorboards - it all came out good. I used 3/8" MDO for the floorboards. The floor frames all need to come back out to be epoxied back in for good. That'll be one more little marathon glueing session. And - I've got to figger out some quick-turn latches or sometihn' to hold 'em down with - open to suggestions there...

Anybody have a good suggestion for anti-slip coating for the floorboards

I saw something about sprinkling the wet paint with salt? But haven't researched that too much yet.
Pics soon. Interior paint next? Maybe

On Meerkat and Black Swan, I just used primer, which provides better footing than a gloss or semi-gloss paint. The idea with the salt, I believe, is that you sprinkle it on, then when the paint is dry, you wash it off, leaving a pitted surface with no sharp substance to abrade your skin, just paint, which has more give. As a kid, I used to sail on a sailboard that had iron filings for anti-skid, and always came back bleeding.

[Vernon]

I'm stealing James M's idea on the floorboard latches. There's a few shots over on the 'Snooty Tern' thread in DP

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...ed-Snooty-Tern

post 354

[timo4352]

I'm stealing James M's idea on the floorboard latches. There's a few shots over on the 'Snooty Tern' thread in DP

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...ed-Snooty-Tern

post 354

Thanks Vernon, and for the post # too.
I'd seen them before but not so much detail about them. I made my floorboards out of 3/8" ply so cutting the recess probably wouldn't work. I think I can keep the turn latches under the thwarts and out of the way though. Don't need no stubbed toes.
I was thinking of getting some garboard drains with the tee handle, so I wouldn't have to take up the floorboard to open them - until I saw that they cost like 75 bucks each! ouch! I'll be doing something else there.

[smithb9]

looking forward to seeing more pictures!

I decided to try out the sureply on my most recent build, seems to work pretty good. A little splintery on the edges and perhaps a bit brittle, but overall it seems to be pretty well workable, and I haven't found any voids at all. Here's where I'm currently at: http://i.imgur.com/828bH.jpg

[capefox]

Keep on going! I want to see the finished project with you beaming as you sail it around!

[timo4352]

Well, I talked myself into installing floorboards. I'm glad I went ahead with it. I wont have to worry about a quarter inch plywood bottom being to weak to step on. I lost a little depth for footroom, but only an inch or so. I used 3/8" MDO plywood for the floorboards. Now I'll just have to devise a good way to secure them without having to unscrew them each time I want to take them out for cleaning and such.
Maybe I'm really done with the woodworking this time

[davebrown]

Hello Tim: You may have answered this question earlier on, but I am curious as to whether you used ply or solid wood for your hanging knees. I will be confronted with the same question shortly.

[timo4352]

I used solid wood. Full 1' thick doug fir because that's what I have. So mostly for monetary reasons, but I feel better screwing into soild wood rather than the edge of plywood. I'm sure ply would be fine though, if you've got real good ply...
Tim

[timo4352]

Here’s what I came up with for securing my floorboards – just some simple turn latches – the ones one the bottom secure both front and rear halves of the boards at the same time. They are centered under the thwart so I shouldn’t stub my toes on them . A couple more latches on the inside of the frames hold the outer edges down. Simple – no screws to remove – the boards can be out in a matter of seconds for whatever I need to do under there. This will help me maintain this boat much better – I know if I had to unscrew the boards every time that I just wouldn’t do it at times because it was too much of a hassle.