Duck Trap Wherry

[Gib Etheridge]

I like AYC for stems and framing. It's lighter, it glues well, it bends politely, it holds fasteners well and it's much less likely to rot than most hardwoods. You could get some at Sunberry cedar where it may well be less expensive than most hardwoods. Also, it won't be KD.

Watching with interest Roy. That's a really pretty and an especially graceful design. I'd love to row one someday.

[Roy Morford]

Thanks for the AYC suggestion Gib. I'd never thought of using it in that way. I have some here somewhere, I just have to find it.

[Roy Morford]

Yesterday I ordered the 12mm ply for the keel and purchased some AYC to turn into the stem and transom knee. This should keep me occupied for a little while.

[Powerwagon]

Just saw your thread and am following along. Looking good so far, I'm interested to see it come together.

[Roy Morford]

I'll post some pictures soon. Most of my build follows a thread titled "A Duck Trap Wherry in Utah" where the workmanship is just superb. Also, taking pictures is difficult without wheeling the whole thing onto the driveway - at least that's my excuse.

[Roy Morford]

And so it begins. The first part of the wherry, the transom knee. Based on Gib's advice at #36 I bought some AYC. It was only available rough swan in 1X so bought it, planed it, joined it to make a 2X and cut out the knee. The rest will be sawn into narrow lathes to be glued back together for a composite stem.

October 7, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Sorry folks, not sure how it came out upside down. I'll try again.October 7, 2020.jpg
Well, that didn't make any difference. I guess it's because I'm building my boat upside down.

[Roy Morford]

Not a very good picture but then I'm not a very good photographer. This is the lamination for the stem half way done. I'll send another pic once it's completed and shaped.
October 9, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

I'll be planing the laminated inner stem today and cutting it to the final shape. Any suggestions for the wood I should use to laminate the outer stem/cutwater? Hardwood obviously and willing to bend when cut to a thein lathe. How about rot resistance?
Thanks.

[Gib Etheridge]

I've done well with AYC with a black uhmwpe stem guard bedded in 291 and running from somewhere above the waterline down to the bottom and back a ways. I get the pe by phone from here in Langley.

https://redwoodplastics.com/products/uhmw-polyethylene/

[Roy Morford]

Thanks Gib. I should have mentioned that I do intend to use brass half oval on both the cutwater and the keel. What I'm concerned about is the best wood for the cutwater itself.

[Roy Morford]

Another small step. The inner stem almost finished. I still have to take off the front corners, equivalent to the plank rebate, leaving 1/2 inch so that, with the planks on either side, I'll end up with a 1 inch thickness. My cutwater will match up also be 1 inch with a 3/4 inch brass half oval. I plan to use some dowels to reinforce the join at the base. Next job will be to cut the 1/2 inch ply and start putting the keel together. Gluing it up will be the easy part. The 14 foot long rolling bevel on either side will test my patience.
October 11, 2020.jpg

[Gib Etheridge]

That's a real nice job of laminating Roy. Yellow cedar is usually so plain and featureless but I love it all the same. There's not one single part of that hull that can't be successfully built with it, but sometimes lighter is better.

[Roy Morford]

Thanks Gib,
I'm not getting any younger and so this may be my last boat. With that in mind I plan to take all the time I need to make it my best boat. The ply hull will be painted but the transom, in and out wales, thwarts, knees, breast hook etc will be from wood which will come alive under several coats of varnish. I love walnut but it does fade so that's not going to be on this boat. I'm thinking in terms of mahogany, oak, cherry, or whatever takes my eye when I'm in the store. Hardware will be bronze whenever I can find what I want without paying a king's ransom. This is a classic design so why not? Anyway, you'll have to be very patient as I plod along. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Gib Etheridge]

You too Roy. I ate too much.

[KenStocker]

Just found your thread. I've not seen this design before, she's beautiful! Looks like you have a great start, like the soft round features. I'll be following along!

Ken

[Roy Morford]

Cutting up 1/2 plywood to make the keel. Final keel will be 1inch thick, 14 feet long and 16 inches wide near the centre, tapering to just a couple of inches at either end. October 12, 2020 (2).jpg

[Roy Morford]

The keel is almost complete and taking up a lot of room. While the epoxy is drying I've started cutting the corners of the stem off so that the strakes will fit without having to cut a rebate. I'll be laminating a cutwater, using the stem as a template, and this I'll install after planking is complete.October 13, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

I've just finished cutting out the keel and couldn't resist putting it on the frame to see if it was anywhere close to where it should be. Actually not bad. Now the really hard work begins as I have to cut the long rolling bevels to accommodate the garboard plank. This marine mahogany is really hard (I guess it's the glue rather than the wood) and blunted one of the blades in my jigsaw as I did the cutting. As a result, I wandered from the cut line in a few places but this will be taken care of in the next step. The bevels will likely take a while allowing for taking regular sanity breaks!October 16, 2020.jpg

[Gib Etheridge]

If you laminate the outer stem using the inner one as a mold you'll find that the spring back is a pain. I'd make a new mold adding 1/4" or so for spring back. It probably still won't fit dead on but will be much easier to pull into place.

[Roy Morford]

Good point Gib. Thanks.

[Roy Morford]

Just in case you're wondering, my wherry build is temporarily on hold. I just finished restoring an an antique chair. Painstaking work, very slow and took up too much space in my workshop. I delivered that yesterday and later in the day I was asked by a good friend if I could/would build a garden gate for them. It's a simple pattern and style so it shouldn't take too long but will nevertheless delay my build a little longer. The good thing is that it gives me more time to contemplate my build, what to do and in what order. When I do get started again progress will (I hope) be a little faster because of the thought that's gone into the advance planning. Please be patient.

[Roy Morford]

One step closer. This morning I did the rough cut of the rolling bevel on one side of the keel. I still have a lot more work to do to get this up to an acceptable level. Then I can do the other side and start thinking about ordering my 6mm ply for the planking.
October 28, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Sorry for the delay, life keeps getting in the way and boat building has to take a back seat! Finally got the keel (almost) completely bevelled and the stem and transom knee epoxied in place. Next job will be to make the transom. I found a great looking mahogany plank with a grain pattern that will (should) look amazing when I cut it in half and book match the pieces. Stay tuned but don't hold your breath.
November 15, 2020.jpg

[Liberty53]

Awesome work!

Great looking work and sweet wood selection. When shopping for wood, it's so satisfying to choose the plank that jumps out at you. I recently bought some purple heart that was vivid and bright against all it's peers. Can't wait to use it.

Keep up the great work.

-Derek

Liberty 53
Scamp #169

[Roy Morford]

Two antique chair restorations and two vintage lamp repairs later and finally I have my transom plank on the sawhorses to decide where to cut. My plan is to cut the great grain pattern portion to the right length, split that in half on the bandsaw, plane it all smooth, flip it to book match it and then start gluing it all together. The outer "wings" of the transom will receive the same treatment. The remainder of the plank will be used as a second lamination with the joints offset. I think this will look amazing (provided I don't make a mess of it). Finding another plank with a grain pattern which so closely matches the transom shape would be near impossible. The gods were smiling on me the day I saw this one.
Plank for transon.jpg

[Roy Morford]

It seems I did something to upset the gods. Yesterday I cut the plank into two thinner planks on the bandsaw, planed them smooth and put them aside. This afternoon I was rather upset (understatement of the year) to find that in the area of the grain that I was looking forward to making my transom the plank had warped and split. I tried gluing it back together and straightening it out but I'm not hopeful. I'll see tomorrow when the epoxy has set up.

[Roy Morford]

Unusable as a transom. I can use it for trim and smaller parts but for the transom I have to find something else. Yesterday afternoon I was offered an old table in need of repair and supposedly with a round, solid mahogany top. It's in storage now but maybe, just maybe, this will become my transom. Stay tuned.

[timo4352]

It will all work out in the end.

[cooldood]

I am thinking maybe I should build one of these since I work for Ducktrap smoked salmon

[Roy Morford]

You don't need a reason to build beautiful boat. Just do it.

[Roy Morford]

Just received this today. Once I've sanded down to bare wood I'll send another picture. First look is good. I think this will make a great transom with lots left over for knees and more.IMG_2341.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Slow but steady. Here is a picture of the mahogany table top after a preliminary sanding. Later today I plan to make a tracing of the transom from the plans and transfer it to the now bare wood. I plan to have the grain horizontal and avoid the darker piece of wood, saving it, and a lot more, for other parts.

December 16, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

And this is where the transom will magically appear. You can see the large amount of wood that will be available for the knees, and other parts later in the build.

December 16, 2020 2.jpg

[Roy Morford]

And finally, the initial cuts to make the final cutting a lot easier. Before I do that I will need to glue some 1/2 inch mahogany to the other side (which will be the inside) to make up a final thickness of 1 1/4 inches.

December 16, 2020 3.jpg