How Long Can A Build Project Stay Outside in Humid Conditions?

[andrewmct]

I am going to build a boat and it has to be built outside in a bow roof shed. I don't have an enclosed garage big enough. Since a boat will probably be a multi-year project, is it ok for a marine ply and epoxy boat to remain inside a cool and moist (Vancouver fall, winter, spring) tent?

[BBSebens]

No worries at all. P.L. Lenihan built his 34(?)' Turtle Bay over the course of several years near Montreal, and they have much worse weather swings than we do in the PNW.

Plywood is pretty stable, and won't really change too much. You're doing exactly what many, many people have done before. You will likely have difficulty with the epoxy in the cold temps, but there are ways around that.

What are you building?

[andrewmct]

Thank you very much for the confidence booster. As a first time builder, I was going to build Devlin's Sea Swift. However, after much research, I decided that it wasn't going to be an enjoyable beach camping boat for me and my family. Several of the forum members have suggested the Caledonia Yawl. I am a little worried it would put me in over my head but I'm probably capable of it, but slowly. I know it would be under a tent for quite some time. I thought about a sharpie too, which would be a faster build but probably not a super capable west coast of BC boat.

[TerryLL]

No worries Andrew. Humidity will not cause any problems.
I've been puttering along on my CY build for 18 months now. The 4-plank is the quicker build, but those wide garboards were a real challenge. I prefer the looks of the 4-plank, but I'd recommend the 7-plank as the easier build. Buy your plans directly from Iain, as the plans I've bought from WB all had some distortion in the paper patterns.

[James McMullen]

Andrew, you are absolutely right about the sharpie. They are not at all what I would pick for our local conditions. But a Oughtred CY or one of her double-ender sisters like my Rowan is pretty much perfect for the Salish Sea.

You can build one, don't worry. And then come join us!

[darroch]

Lee Valley has an infrared heater you can use to get your epoxy up to the proper temp. Rig it above the workbench. Also check out Cold Cure epoxy - Coast Fibretek on Boundary Rd sells it. You'll be working in less than 10 degrees most of the time.

Make your bow shed strong and shelter it from the southeasterlies that blow through November to February, if you can.

[jsjpd1]

Thank you very much for the confidence booster. As a first time builder, I was going to build Devlin's Sea Swift. However, after much research, I decided that it wasn't going to be an enjoyable beach camping boat for me and my family. Several of the forum members have suggested the Caledonia Yawl. I am a little worried it would put me in over my head but I'm probably capable of it, but slowly. I know it would be under a tent for quite some time. I thought about a sharpie too, which would be a faster build but probably not a super capable west coast of BC boat.

A Caledonia Yawl was my first build and I built outside under tent next to the house too. The build was spread out over two summers, when temps got below about fiftyish I just quit and waited for warmer weather. It's not perfect, but we're pretty darn happy with the result. I'd say it is a fine first boat.

Jim

[andrewmct]

Thank you all for the encouragement. Sitting on a beach with some other Scottish sailboats seems like a wonderful idea and I will look forward to it. It all started for me when I was invited on several BC coast beach camping trips with my dad and his friends and their two 23 ft Hudson Bay freighter canoes. I went up the inside passage - joining them from Bella Bella to Kitimat, another one going from Port Hardy, around Cape Scott (scariest event of my life) and to the Brooks Penninsula and finally one to the Queen Charlottes on the west side of Graham Island. I was hooked. The canoes are powered and make about 12 kts in smooth water but are usually doing less since the waves are usually big. I wanted to do my own cruising like that but have come to the idea of a powered sail design. I think that the Caledonia would be ideal. Further, my name is McTaggart and I play the bagpipes - I think I need a Scottish boat. I am gulping at the idea of buying $200 plans but part of that is going to bed at night dreaming of this boat. It's like buying a lottery ticket but better. I have looked for the direct way to buy plans from Iain but haven't found his site. I keep finding british plan dealers. Terry, if you could please let me know where to get them, that would be great.

[SaltyD from BC]

just don't 'hemedically seal' your hoop shed and you'll be fine andrew. A guy around here bought one of the costco tarp gargages and zipped everything tight to protect his old fancy chevrolet. Rust started in a year, you could see mold on the inner walls. Ventilation is your friend, if your shed isn't nice and drafty, add vents for good air flow.

[TerryLL]

Andrew,

You can reach Iain Oughtred at this address:

Iain Oughtred
Struan Cottage, Bearnisdale
Isle of Skye, Scotland
IV519NS

[James McMullen]

Iain doesn't have a website. Yep, he's that old school. But if you write to him the old fashioned way at that address Terry supplied, you'll get the delight of seeing his remarkable penmanship at first hand.

[TerryLL]

I was afraid to mention the penmanship. Thought it might scare young Andrew off. But yes, Iain's handwriting is a joy to behold.

[darroch]

I am gulping at the idea of buying $200 plans...

Many designers provide study plans for only a few bucks. If you're not committed to a build then I'd go that route. The plans themselves are a thing of beauty - a lifetime of experience has gone into drawing them up. Most designers will also answer any questions you may have along the way. Don't begrudge them the few dollars they charge for the plans. This is not a criticism but an encouragement. And you're right about them fuelling the dream - they provide endless hours of entertainment before, during and after the build. Hell, some guys on this forum collect them just for fun!

[andrewmct]

Thank you for the address, Terry. I hope I didn't sound like I was begrudging paying someone for plans. Of course they are worth it. It's my own bank account I'm begrudging. I have 10 million things to spend money on but plans are an escape and everyone needs that!

[TerryLL]

Priorities Andrew. Boat plans and building materials always come before food for the children.

[Sayla]

I am going to build a boat and it has to be built outside in a bow roof shed. I don't have an enclosed garage big enough. Since a boat will probably be a multi-year project, is it ok for a marine ply and epoxy boat to remain inside a cool and moist (Vancouver fall, winter, spring) tent?

Keep check with the basics with the tent - build up the ground a bit & trench it, keep the job well off the ground (put a barrier on the ground - be careful about slipperiness), use high gable vent spaces, (& an exhaust fan if you can - ?solar), always keep the rain out, store the spare wood in the garage, and put somekind of a liner (ceiling) on the underside of the bows

my two cents - I have no idea how cold and damp it gets in Vancouver

Sayla

[andrewmct]

Thank you Sayla. My patio furniture moulded over the winter just sitting out on the deck. It's usually above freezing here but we often get weeks of torrential rain nic named "the pineapple express" as it is moisture from Hawaii pumped onto the west coast. We Vancouverites tolerate a very rainy place from Oct until late June but justify it to Toronto by saying, "Hey, at least you don't have to shovel it!"

[Zakkendrager]

My advise would be slightly different from the above; I completed a 7 year build outdoors under a tarp roof and on a concrete pad in Portland, OR. The project was always dry but I found any Okume plywood areas not coated with epoxy would pick up black mold over the winter. So, as long as the wood is protected with some epoxy, it stays pristine. If it molded because it wasn't coated, I sanded it, vacuumed it, and epoxy coated it later. Your results may vary...Ralph