Duck Trap Wherry

[Roy Morford]

The edges have been sanded to the layout lines and both sides have been sanded. I've now decided to put this face inside the boat and put vertical pieces on the other/outer side. This way, every horizontal piece will be fully supported by another piece at 90 degrees. Now I have to go and look for some mahogany with a nice grain pattern.
This will likely be my last post before Christmas so I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

December 20, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Help! This mahogany table top before I stripped it to bare wood was a very deep red. I have some newly purchased mahogany which I will use to complete the transom. I took a scrap of each and gave them a quick coat of varnish. Wow! The old wood from the table top is now the same deep red as the original table top. The new wood is very pale by comparison. Like really pale. To make this work I shall need to do some staining. This is something new to me. I could just go to the hardware store and by a can of stain but something tells me this is too easy. Has anyone tried to match the colour of old and new wood? Any and all suggestions would be very welcome. Many thanks.

[Maximus71]

As I understand it, mahogany, like cherry will darken with exposure to UV. You could put it in full sunlight for a few days and see what happens.

As for stain you have two choices; dye or pigment. The dye will color all of the wood evenly and can obscure the grain. The pigment stain will deposit in any open pores and typically accents the grain. Sometimes the best approach if you are matching is to use a combination of both. The kicker is that both will fade over time because of exposure to UV.

If it were mine, I would try to "age" it using sunlight for a bit first. More importantly, I'd finish as planned and let it even out over time.

[Roy Morford]

Thanks Maximus.
I guess, being from an antique table, it's had lots of exposure to UV and time to darken. Odd though that after sanding the colour of the bare wood was very close to the new mahogany. Wood is wood though and that perhaps is one of the nice things about it. Each piece is unique. It will be a while before I get this boat finished so I think I'll just live with it for a while, give it as much exposure to UV as possible - says he with a grin - today is the shortest day of the year and we have more hours of rain than sun! I'll leave varnishing until the last possible moment.

[Maximus71]

Roy:
The other thing to keep in mind is that there are many similar species of wood, from many different parts of the world that suppliers call mahogany. You might have something a little different. Even if it is the exact same type of tree, if cut at different times the wood might have differing color. There is also the heartwood vs. sap wood color difference.

Most folks want uniform color and if you can buy your lumber all at once and from the same log, that is certainly achievable. I however don't mind the variation as it is a natural characteristic of the wood. Of course if the differing color competes with the design of a piece (I'm speaking specifically about furniture here), then the goal should be uniform color. You can always use the lumber strategically to downplay the difference.

For your transom, since one side is in and one side is out, it likely won't make much difference. There will be few angles at which you can see both surfaces simultaneously.

I should have lead with this, but your work is excellent. While I have built furniture I have yet to start my first boat. It is builds like these that inspire me to do so. I look forward to watching your progress and seeing this boat launch. Best of luck.

[Roy Morford]

Thanks again Maximus for the wise words and the praise. Best keep any more praise until it's finished. My biggest talent is hiding my mistakes, of which there are many!

[Roy Morford]

My Christmas present to myself. A mahogany plank cut down and glued to the transom. If you look very carefully you'll see a couple of areas where I didn't have quite enough and had to insert an off cut to fill the gap without matching the grain too well. However, once the boat is planked and painted and the transom varnished not too many people will notice.
Merry Christmas.
December 25, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

I decided to give the transom a coat of epoxy because it's very damp where I live and it will be quite some time before I will be able to do any finish work, varnishing, painting etc. As I look at it I now realize that the "patch" will largely disappear behind the white painted overlap from the planking and the brass half oval which will extend up from the keel. What's left will be very small and likely below the waterline. I can live with that.

December 27, 2020.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Or maybe I should put the "patch" side on the inside of the boat and put this on the outside. Let's take a vote. It will look much better with a few coats of Epithanes.
December 27, 2020. 2.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Today I purchased some wood to strip down to 1/2 x 3/4, join with scarph joints on my special jig, and start trying to figure out exactly where the strakes will go and their dimensions. Reading previous builds of boats with multiple strakes this could well be a long process but one which can't be rushed. I'll keep you posted but please be patient.
Happy New Year.

[Roy Morford]

So here are the "long bits of wood" (my wife's description) cut and ready for scarphing. Once joined into "longer pieces of wood" I'll be able to start the process of seeing exactly where I want the strakes.

December 30, 2020.jpg

[Breakaway]

Following! Thanks for sharing.

Kevin

[Roy Morford]

Here are a couple of pictures. The first shows the transom is now a permanent fixture. In the second picture I used some masking tape so you can see how much of the "patch" will be covered by paint. I could even bring the paint a little higher and cover it completely. I'll make that decision much later. Today I also ordered some okoume ply for the hull. Next job is to mark out where each plank will land and start to make truss patterns. I don't trust myself to spile.

January 6, 2021 1.jpg

January 6, 2021 2.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Picked up my okoume ply for the hull today. The weather gods were smiling on me and we had a whole day of sunshine. The first after weeks of heavy rain and high winds. I now have an incentive to work a little faster but will continue to take my time and try to do a good job.

[Roy Morford]

Thanks Gib and good luck in your new location. Doesn't sound too boater friendly.

[Roy Morford]

And so it begins.
January 16, 2021.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Getting close to marking out and cutting the garboard plank.

IMG_2390.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Like a hot knife through butter. I love my Japanese saw.

January 21, 2021.jpg

And it fits. Only a light edge sanding and then I can scarph the two pieces together.

January 21, 2021 2.jpg

[dsimonson]

Wow! Is that 4mm planking? Maybe 6mm? Looking good!

Cheers,
Dale

[Roy Morford]

Hi Dale - 6 mm okoume shipped over from Westwind Hardwood on the island. Are you building anything?

[dsimonson]

Hi Roy,
Nice. (It's unfortunate our best ply supplier is on the Island, they have to ship it over there, and then we have to ship it back. *%$#!)

No, building is stalled. Today I put the first coat of varnish of the season on the transom and tiller of my Scamp, and stripped the sail and running rigging off the spars. Coming up on 7 years since launch, the whole boat needs recoating, and I'd like to launch again in March or April, latest... days are getting longer, and the sun came out! Down at the Oarlock and Sail Club (at the Vancouver Maritime Museum), we started an Ian Oughtred Auk, converted to solid timber construction, and have about eight planks on her, but the virus has quit any group work. She's a sweet little fatty, yellow cedar on bent oak, going to be a beauty, can't wait to get back to work on her...

All the best on your wherry,
Dale

[Liberty53]

I like that saw handle! and thanks for the stir stick template idea. Great looking build.

Gib's right, sexy transom!


-Derek


(Hey Dale! Luna is a lucky lady)

[dsimonson]

Hiya Derek, yup, Luna's getting some love. Very deserving after that last amazing season!

I also like that trick with the stir sticks, Roy. Looking forward to seeing how you plot the next plank, with that lining batten gone I'm assuming you've got a new trick, yet!

Cheers,
Dale

[Roy Morford]

The stir sticks/tongue depressor thing is an old trick. I can't claim to have invented it. The next plank will take some time because I first have to cut a garboard plank for the starboard side using the port side plank as a pattern. Then scarphing and gluing in place. I plan to take my time and get things right (well, as right as my poor skills permit). I also have to take frequent breaks as I'm still recovering from some surgery. Stay tuned but don't hold your breath.

[Roy Morford]

Where did the time go? Life got in the way again I guess. Here's a pic of my progress so far. 2nd plank starboard side test fit. Port side 2nd plank sitting on top fits so this one should too. Lots of work with my block plane before I can glue them in place but getting there slowly.
February 17, 2021.jpg

[Roy Morford]

Slowly, but I refuse to let it stop me doing the things I love. The sailing club just allocated a spot for my boat so I can take my "interim" rower down and start getting some good exercise. I'm already out on my bike whenever it's dry and not too cold.
The wherry is coming along and I'm enjoying the challenges a multi strake boat presents. I'll post from time to time but prefer to show the end of each "challenge" because once I get that far nobody will be any the wiser as to what I did wrong and how I hid my mistakes. In the end she'll look good and row well.

[Roy Morford]

A little progress
March 13, 2020.jpg

[rbgarr]

https://maineboats.com/print/issue-1...and-trap-skiff

[Roy Morford]

Far from perfect but after some filling and sanding it should pass muster. Once I've got the outside close to finished I'll turn her over and start on the "furniture". I'm planning to include buoyancy/storage under each end and under the rowing stations. I'm also thinking of full length seats but that will be a decision for later. At this rate I should be able to launch next spring.April 18, 2021.jpg

[Liberty53]

YESSS! Great work!

[Roy Morford]

Did somebody say you can't have too many clamps?
April 25, 2021.jpg

[timo4352]

Did somebody say you can't have too many clamps?

...wasn't me...

Looking good Roy.

[Roy Morford]

Time out for medical stuff. Getting back now. Recently received an old 4 poster bed. The rails are veneered but the corner posts are solid mahogany. This is very old and I've already cut and planed the first leg. Beautiful colour and grain. It's very dry and brittle but that just means going slow and careful. I plan to use this wood for the breast hook, knees and other parts where I can show off this beautiful wood. Forgot to mention that the in and out wales are installed with whatever the bits are called that make it scuppered gunwales. Pics to follow.

[dsimonson]

Looking so good, Roy. Nice score on the mahogany!!

Cheers,
Dale

[Roy Morford]

Some little progress. Next job is to turn it over, fill and sand the hull, add a cutwater and round the bottom corners of the inwales and gunwales. Glass and epoxy for the hull bottom and first strake, prime and paint, brass half oval for the keel then turn it over and an equal amount of work inside. I have a lot of old mahogany, walnut and pine that I plan to use for thwarts, knees and anything else that I'm inclined to "pretty up" with nice old wood. Easier said than done so don't hold your breath for my next post.

2021, September 17.jpg