Drake 17 rowboat

[Osbert]

I've just started on my Drake 17. I'm building from plans, not the kit.

First session was marking out the stem and stern moulds, all done except marking the cutting line.

Not expecting to make fast progress, as I have a lot of other stuff on at the moment. But I need to mark out the moulds so I can better estimate the timber I'll need for the stem and stern posts - which will be sawn boards; laminating just isn't my thing. I'm starting to lay down all the materials I need and once I know what I need for the stem and stern I can order the solid timber.

I've never built from a plan with feet and inches before, quite a challenge wrestling with 17/32th and so on!

[Doug Schultz]

there are a few apps out there for a smart phone which help with the math of fractions. Carpenters calculator is the google search I used.

[Bregalad]

It wouldn't be difficult to create a spreadsheet that would convert all the offsets to metric. I doubt it would take an hour.
Are they really in 1/32 of an inch? Must be them puter thingy's.
Boatbuilding notation on plans used to be for example 4-7-5+
Which was read 4 feet - 7 inches - 5/8 of an inch + Or basically 1/16th was as precise as it got.

[Osbert]

Yup, I know I could convert. I suspect though I'd be introducing an opportunity for error due to mis-keying. I'll persevere with the old way; good for my mental arithmetic!

[asloth]

Osbert, I recall that you were looking at a SoF rowboat to build awhile back. Have you now decided on Drake instead?

Steve C.
blindeyeboats

[Ben Fuller]

Easiest thing to do would be pick up one of those old fashioned tapes; I think I got one in the UK once that read in metric and in feet.

[Osbert]

Osbert, I recall that you were looking at a SoF rowboat to build awhile back. Have you now decided on Drake instead? Steve C. blindeyeboats

Yes. I decided to accept extra weight and ease of launching for seaworthiness. And to be honest, the more I looked at Drake...

[Osbert]

Easiest thing to do would be pick up one of those old fashioned tapes; I think I got one in the UK once that read in metric and in feet.

Almost all tapes and rulers in the UK are like that. Most people are bilingual. Generally in normal conversation we use feet and inches, but for exact measurements we use metric. At least for my generation, my children aren't at all sure about imperial measurements, except people's heights are in feet!

On a practical note, there's generally a gap down the centre of the tape, so you can't read across accurately to convert.

Using imperials not really a big deal once I start paying attention.

[Osbert]

I'm about to place an order for my timber from a local saw mill. I want to use locally grown timber, so it's going to be larch.

Question is: what should I specify in terms of moisture content?

[Woody Jones]

Osbert,

The Drake rowboat is a great choice. It's a beautiful rowing boat. I'm wondering did a SOF Drake ever crossed your mind?

Hope you post some building pics. This is going to be a good one to follow.

Not sure about your moisture content question. I'll let the experts respond.

Woody

[Osbert]

Osbert, The I'm wondering did a SOF Drake ever crossed your mind?

I can't remember exactly, but I do remember Clint Chase (Drake's designer) saying that very light rowing boats would not be good in heavier seas, or something like that.

[Osbert]

Having said I'll persevere with inches and feet... I've thrown in the towel and spent the evening making a spreadsheet of with all the measurements for the cutting plans converted to millimetres.

I've marked up a couple of the moulds using the imperial measurements in the plans, but it's defeated me. It's not the units per SE, it's that they jump around - some fractions are 8ths, some 16th, some 32ths. Some measurements are 18" and some 1' 6"! If found it's too easy to make mistakes which only become apparent when you fair the lines ; I'm worried some only become apparent after I've cut the ply!

I suspect it's a problem with the settings on the software drawing package.

[cracked lid]

Had I to do it over again I would have ordered my plans in Metric and bought some new measuring tools. Nothing has made me loathe feet and inches more than building a boat. The worst was building the model at 1/10 scale. A child can easily convert centimeters to millimeters, but I had to make a spreadsheet to scale things like 32-3/8" and constantly double check to make sure I was entering things correctly. (e.g. 32-12/32).

[Osbert]

Boat building has commenced! I've made the building frame; marked out and cut the moulds; marked out one set of planks and cut out just over half of those.

Out of curiosity I'm keeping track of building time: 18 hours so far, excluding making the building frame and thinking time.

I've solved my problem with the imperial measurements: I've made a spreadsheet to convert each dimension to mm, each dim given a reference number that I've marked on the plans. So I just look at the plan for the reference, look at the relevant line on the sheet and measure using the mm dimension. So far any transcription errors have been obvious (some of the original fractions are a bit hard to read in crowded areas of the plans). All the curves look nice and smooth so fingers crossed.

I'm taking the occasional picture and posting them here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/osbert...7647550113522/

Once there's something more exciting to see I'll post pictures in this thread.

[Osbert]

All the planks for one side cut! What are the pros and cons of cutting out the second side:
- by using the first set as a template, obr /> - marking out the second set from scratch?

Cheers

Osbert

[heavyweather]

It wouldn't be difficult to create a spreadsheet that would convert all the offsets to metric. I doubt it would take an hour.
Are they really in 1/32 of an inch? Must be them puter thingy's.
Boatbuilding notation on plans used to be for example 4-7-5+
Which was read 4 feet - 7 inches - 5/8 of an inch + Or basically 1/16th was as precise as it got.

I did that spreadsheet for Bolger's Mippet. Let me know if you need it...would have to start my old PC.

[heavyweather]

I see you already did the spreadsheet some posts later
Sometimes the lines do not really work on the millimeter. I took the Mippet table to cad and faired the lines to begin with. I wonder where designers like Bolger got their tables from... they are never precise like taking them from a virtual model.

[Osbert]

Sometimes the lines do not really work on the millimeter.

Not a problem in this case as far as I can tell! Anyway my pencil isn't much narrower than 1 mm!

[Osbert]

When I've had time - too rarely - I've been working on the boat, rather than writing about it!

First planks on yesterday - Yaay!!

[James McMullen]

I like Drake too, Osbert. Might even build one for myself some day. I'll be watching with interest.

[Osbert]

You work away for a while and nothing much seems to change, and then, all of sudden, you're definitely building a boat:



Sheer strakes in the process of dry fitting.



This is the stern. All three pairs of planks now fitted. I've roughed out the bevel on the stern post, but the spokeshave was getting blunt, I was getting tired… time to stop for the night.

107 hours so far. (Excluding the building frame.)

[Osbert]

Today was turnover day. My arrangement of pulleys from the garage roof didn't quite work out as planned, but nothing and nobody was damaged:

Stern:




Bow:




Slight problem putting the boat back in my garage:


Bow no longer fits under the 6ft deep storage shelf, even with the excess horn cut off.

Temporary solution:





Also used the table saw I acquired from my brother in law for the first time, to rebate the timber for the rails. A good day.

[rgthom]

Looking really good, Osbert, I love the lines of Drake. Since you built from plans, did you have to spile or are there patterns for each plank? The kit comes completely cut, so the patterns should be available, but from your description it sounds like you did not have these.

Rick

[Osbert]

Hi Rick Thanks! Yes, there are plans for everything, here's part of the plan of the planks (it's folded): Also, some full sized plans, but I didn't bother with these due to difficulty and cost of printing.

[Clinton B Chase]

Hey nice boat!
Oh, I miss my Drake!

[rgthom]

Hey Clint - any progress on the lighter, leaner Race Drake? Still waiting....
Actually, no time to build right now, but when you are done with all your other projects keep it in mind

[Clinton B Chase]

Rick the Drake 19 heads out to builder Walter Baron of Old Dory Co. on the Cape. He is building for a customer. A Drake Race (18') preliminary model is on my drawing board, due to get finished up at some point, modeled, and maybe built for next year's racing season. Here is what Osbert can look forward to

http://youtu.be/1LBMHYy5FKQ

[rgthom]

Rick the Drake 19 heads out to builder Walter Baron of Old Dory Co. on the Cape. He is building for a customer. A Drake Race (18') preliminary model is on my drawing board, due to get finished up at some point, modeled, and maybe built for next year's racing season. Here is what Osbert can look forward to

http://youtu.be/1LBMHYy5FKQ

Oh yeah, nothing wrong with Drake and Drake 19. If I did not already have a good cruising rowboat Drake would be next. It's just that I'd like to be more competitive in some of these open water races, and you keep hinting about this great new boat!

[Osbert]

Here is what Osbert can look forward to http://youtu.be/1LBMHYy5FKQ

Yup, definitely looking forward to that and more!

[skaraborgcraft]

Nice simple 3 strake hull with great looks. Keep at it Osbert.

[Osbert]

Looking for inspiration for buoyancy tank design in this thread.

[timo4352]

Nice lines. Following with great interest.

[Osbert]

182 hours from the start:



This is actually last weekend I think - with the forward two thirds of both gunwales installed - the aft thirds were scarfed in position later. The rope is to hold the boat still in some very gusty wind.



This is where I am today.

The forward tank is in construction - more here…

Inwales are fitted as are the frame and half frames. The floorboards are cut and glued to cleats, but still need to be trimmed at the edges to neaten them up. The butt blocks are a bit obtrusive here, but I'm telling myself once the boat's in use they be less obvious.

[BarryA]

Lovely!

[Osbert]

Doesn't look like much progress, but despite this I have been fairly busy with the boat. This is the stage when there seems to be lots of fiddly stuff: roughing pieces out, offering them up, planing to fit etc; and lots of shaping and planing generally. Even a bit of sanding. My philosophy is, if it can be tapered and rounded, it'll be tapered and rounded. I think it looks better (though tastes may vary) and it reduces weight.




Needed to double up the inwale for the rowlocks. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the distance between the rowlocks at the centre rowing station is the same as that at the forward station, within 1/2" or so, so the same pair of oars will suit.



For the aft rowing station, I'm placing the rowlocks outside the gunwale to gain a couple of inches. The distance is still a few inches shorter than at the other stations, so I'll need a shorter pair of oars here.

Unfortunately the larch boards I'd put aside for the oars have dished a bit and have a couple of splits. I'm not sure I'll be able to use them. Finding good timber is time consuming, so I'm a bit annoyed I may have to try again.

It's too cold for any coating or painting, so I'm happy to potter on gently with finishing the rowlock set up, fitting stretchers, cleats for the floorboards and a bit of scraping and filling.