Calendar Islands Yawl 16 in Chattanooga

[neil.henderson]

Looking great, by the time you get to the sheer the planks will be just perfect :-)

A wee suggestion - don't trim the planks too close to transom or inner stem just yet (leave a couple of mm). Trimming the inner stem/planks will be guided by the outer stem when it comes to fitting it - though if you're painting the stem (as I do) then a little bit of epoxy to fill up and gaps between outer stem & inner stem/ plank is not an issue.

Good Luck Regards Neil

[JimD]

Really classy design!

[dalekidd]

Time for an update. At my last post, which was about 3 weeks ago, I had 5 planks done - the keel plank along with 4 out of 10 additional planks. I'm nearing completion. I have 9 done and one more cut out and ready to glue up. That leaves one more to cut out and then the two to glue up.

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The planking is going fairly smoothly, but it is not without a couple of glitches.

My planks are coming out pretty accurately but I have missed at the bow a couple times, from 1/4" to 1/2". Not sure why the rest of the plank is fitting but the bow is not. Here is one miss.

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This was plank #3. This joint will be inside the front flotation tank. I will probably add some reinforcement to it since the overlap will be a little less than called for. I made the opposing lap a little wider than called for to help offset the error.

On the same plank, when I glued it up, I failed to get it to lie on two of the molds. It set out about 1/2" on each one. When I glued up the next plank, it didn't seem to make any difference, so I think it will be ok. It might change the dimensions of the interior a small bit.

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I made a change to my setup which I think has helped in the succeeding planks which have gone on fine. I changed the angle of my "arms". I have set them at 90 degrees to the plank so that the plank is always at the right orientation as I'm clamping it down with my batten. It's working great. And now that the planks are closer to verticle, I'm not using the "fingers" any more.

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I've been spiling each plank separately, but I'm eager to check out #5. I believe it's opposite should match nearly perfectly. That's what I'm hoping for anyway. If it does, I can just copy it. We'll see soon!

Planking almost done!!

I may set a new goal for myself: have the hull done and ready to turn by my birthday which is January 17. That'd be a great present to myself!

[dalekidd]

PLANKING DONE! I have a boat. She may not be the GOAT, so I really can't gloat but I believe at least she'll float!

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[gray duck]

Congrats on finishing the planking!

[dalekidd]

Things have slowed with the holidays but I have been working on the outer stem. I probably should have used my inner stem as a pattern but I didn't. So I had to make a form and used tickler sticks.

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I took a piece of 2x6 I had lying around (it's not very exotic but it was free); and, using a plywood pattern I cut out using the form, I cut out two pieces, epoxied them together and cut out the stem.

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It matched up pretty closely to the hull but required a little epoxy to fill in some gaps. The bow "face" did not come out exactly the same width the length of the stem so some filling was required there as well. All in all, I'm pleased.

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I also glassed my transom. I'll just feel better with a layer of glass over it. I need to cut the tiller slot. And then it's on to the skeg. Will be painting the hull soon!

[Clinton B Chase]

Looking very nice!

[neil.henderson]

Your approach will work fine and no-one will know except the fish and they don't have a seat in the boat so...........................

For your next build its worth making templates for both the inner and outer stems and marking them with all the appropriate markings - I use extremely cheap 3mm mdf for my stem templates. Nice boat you're building :-)

Regards Neil

[dalekidd]

Your approach will work fine and no-one will know except the fish and they don't have a seat in the boat so...........................

For your next build its worth making templates for both the inner and outer stems and marking them with all the appropriate markings - I use extremely cheap 3mm mdf for my stem templates. Nice boat you're building :-)

Regards Neil

Good tip, if there is another build...??? I should have made a template before I attached the inner stem to the strongback, but I knew I had this option so I trudged ahead. At that time, I wasn't sure whether I would laminate a stem or use solid wood. If laminating I figured I could build it right onto the bow. In any event, I have a result that I'm pleased with and it wasn't really difficult.

[dalekidd]

I cut the tiller slot earlier this week. I started with a 2" hole saw, followed by a jig saw and some sandpaper.

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Looks good. Right? We all know the adage "measure twice, cut once". Do you remember your math teacher telling you to show your work and to always check your work? Well, in figuring the location of the 2 holes, I miscalculated by 1". Oops!

Now, how to drill another pair of holes? I took a piece of scrap ply and cut two "guide" holes so my hole saw wouldn't wander since the center bit wouldn't have any wood to hold it.

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After cutting out the middle and sanding some, it came out pretty decent. I might need to sand just a wee bit more.

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Now it's on to the skeg.

[dalekidd]

I managed to get my skeg done over the new year's week, squeezing in an hour here and an hour there.

I laminated 4 pieces of 6 mm ply left over from the planking. Then I scribed an arc to match the bottom of the boat.

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Cut it out and glued it down.

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Added a fillet a few hours later and she's done.

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I plan to coat the hull with 2 or 3 coats of epoxy this week, prime her next week followed by the finish coats the week after that.

Exciting stuff!!!

[dbp1]

Looking good!

[Clinton B Chase]

Looking good!

I second that!

[dalekidd]

Three coats of epoxy on the hull. I rolled them on with a foam roller, but they are a bit rough. I'm going to let it cure for a week and try and sand it smooth before priming. I also decided to add three runners. I typically launch on a concrete ramp and pull my boat up on the ramp while parking my tow vehicle and reverse the process when I return which requires running up on the ramp as gently as I can manage. The runners should save my bottom. I'll probably add some 1/2" aluminum flat bar on them and bed it with screws and 4200. An extra strip of glass on the very front bottom edge of the bow should help as well. Next week I'll fool with some smaller projects while the epoxy cures. Still trying to decide whether to add the gunwale and possibly a rub strip before painting and flipping.

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[KenStocker]

Looking good!

Ken

[ulav8r]

Aluminum does not slide well on rough surfaces.

[dalekidd]

Aluminum does not slide well on rough surfaces.

Thanks! That's something to think about. My thought is simply protecting the runners. On my last build, I did not add the flat bar - just had runners. They got a little scrapped up, but my boat does not spend a lot of time in the water (unfortunately).

[dbp1]

Thanks! That's something to think about. My thought is simply protecting the runners. On my last build, I did not add the flat bar - just had runners. They got a little scrapped up, but my boat does not spend a lot of time in the water (unfortunately).

You can get sheets of UHMW (which is incredibly slippery, I think, and pretty durable) here: https://www.mcmaster.com/bars/materi...rs-and-strips/

Gluing it is probably a pain (not sure if _anything_ will stick), but if you are just screwing it to the rails (and replacing periodically), might work well.

[Hugh MacD]

I don't think the UHMW will glue at all (it's basically Delrin) and if you opt for that make sure the screw holes are a little elongated as you will have some thermal expansion to deal with.

[NeilMB]

You can get sheets of UHMW (which is incredibly slippery, I think, and pretty durable) here: https://www.mcmaster.com/bars/materi...rs-and-strips/

Gluing it is probably a pain (not sure if _anything_ will stick), but if you are just screwing it to the rails (and replacing periodically), might work well.

Gluing is nearly impossible, but countersunk flat-head wood screws work very well to hold down strips of UHMW in my experience. 1/4 x 3/4 from McMC at $2 a foot feels reasonable. I don't think StarBoard comes in strips, but there's similar HDPE available from McMaster as well.

[neil.henderson]

If you're thinking of adding the gunwale before you turn her over be aware that your current sheer line may not be completely fair at the moment, unless you were very careful with the sheer line of the last plank before you glued it on. This can be checked after you flip her right-way-up using a long batten before gluing on the gunwale.
What I do is to paint the hull up to about 1-2mm under the gunwale line (marked with masking tape), flip her over, scratch the surface where the gunwale will glue on with a rough surform piece in my drill, then glue on the gunwale.
But, we each build our boats our own way :-) Nice looking boat btw, and have you thought of half-rounded brass along the keel and the bilge runners? Then you can run her up onto launch ramps no problem...............

Regards Neil

[dalekidd]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments. Some good insight and good products. All will be considered. My sole purpose for putting anything on the runners is to keep them from getting scraped up.

If you're thinking of adding the gunwale before you turn her over be aware that your current sheer line may not be completely fair at the moment, unless you were very careful with the sheer line of the last plank before you glued it on. This can be checked after you flip her right-way-up using a long batten before gluing on the gunwale.
What I do is to paint the hull up to about 1-2mm under the gunwale line (marked with masking tape), flip her over, scratch the surface where the gunwale will glue on with a rough surform piece in my drill, then glue on the gunwale.
But, we each build our boats our own way :-) Nice looking boat btw, and have you thought of half-rounded brass along the keel and the bilge runners? Then you can run her up onto launch ramps no problem...............

Regards Neil

I've been debating for a week or more the question of when to attach my gunwale. I think I'm going to wait: for the reason you mentioned and I believe it will be easier to attach with the boat turned over. I'm probably going to add a rub strip along the lapped edge of the sheer plank as well. Still debating about a slotted vs solid inwale too.

Sanded half the hull last night - first 80 grit followed by 120.

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[KenStocker]

I'm about where you are, and am going to add the rub rail along the bottom of the sheer. I am also going to go with the slotted inwale. Someone has said, "simple is always best...unless complicated looks really really cool". My personal opinion is that the slotted inwale looks really really cool. It is also, or so I'm told, very practical for being able to tie off bumpers, mooring lines, or any number of lines that you might need. It will entail a bit more work, but I think worth it.

Ken

[dalekidd]

I'm about where you are, and am going to add the rub rail along the bottom of the sheer. I am also going to go with the slotted inwale. Someone has said, "simple is always best...unless complicated looks really really cool". My personal opinion is that the slotted inwale looks really really cool. It is also, or so I'm told, very practical for being able to tie off bumpers, mooring lines, or any number of lines that you might need. It will entail a bit more work, but I think worth it.

Ken

I agree: simple vs cool. I think they are cool. I put them on my last boat and was never sorry. The slotted inwale looked great and was very practical/useful. The extra strip along the side added a great touch to the looks of the boat as well.

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[dbp1]

I agree: simple vs cool. I think they are cool. I put them on my last boat and was never sorry. The slotted inwale looked great and was very practical/useful. The extra strip along the side added a great touch to the looks of the boat as well.

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That's a nice looking boat!

Aside from being constitutionally likely to pick simple, one thing that put me off of it (after going to far as to almost start cutting the pieces of wood!) was that it seemed like it'd be a pain if I ever had to refinish inside of them. Tying off is useful, but it seems that a line running under the inwale can accomplish a similar thing (for much less effort!).

[dalekidd]

That's a nice looking boat!

Aside from being constitutionally likely to pick simple, one thing that put me off of it (after going to far as to almost start cutting the pieces of wood!) was that it seemed like it'd be a pain if I ever had to refinish inside of them. Tying off is useful, but it seems that a line running under the inwale can accomplish a similar thing (for much less effort!).

Thanks, Daniel. It's a Bateau Semi Dory 11 (now boat builder central), a simple stitch and glue design that I dressed up a bit. Turned out nice. Always got compliments on it.

I thought about both of the issues you mention. Larchmont Jim who built a very nice Calendar Islands Yawl had a line running under the inwale. He also added a bunch of attachment points on the interior. As for the ease of refinishing, in 8 years I never had to refinish. I kept the boat in my garage and it held up very well. But just in case, when I built her, I screwed the inwale on instead of gluing it on. You can see the screws in the pic.

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I've got some time to figure it out on this build. We'll see what happens.

[dalekidd]

I finally got to the priming!!! I was hoping to have the hull painted by mid January but I had a brief bout with covid among other things. But between last night and today, I have gotten 3 coats on her. After about 6 hours or so of sanding (first with 80 grit followed by 120) and prepping the hull here she is ready to go. The taped off area stripes are for the gunwale and a rub strip which I'll attach after turning the hull.

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This is a budget build, so I'm using "regular" paint. I have used it on all 3 previous builds and have no complaints, so here goes.

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After 3 coats:

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I think I took this pic after 2 coats.

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The paint shows the imperfections, and this boat has plenty. I have to say that coating the hull with 3 coats of epoxy first did not do the surface any favors, at least as to smoothness. The epoxy went on rough with lots of bubbles. Even after sanding, the surface is not perfectly smooth. I almost wish I had coated below the water line and left the rest (except maybe for the edges of the ply). It's done now. I'm hoping after sanding the primer a little, most of the imperfections will disappear.

My fiberglass work on the bottom 3 planks left a little to be desired as well.

I can't fret over it. I think when I finally get my finish coats on I'll be reasonably satisfied. I've known all along this would not be a show boat.

I think I'll let the primer set up for a few days. I'm not quite sure how to go about trying to sand it. My palm sander might be too aggressive, though a few light passes with 120 or maybe even 220 might work. I'll probably start on the bottom planks and see how it goes.

[neil.henderson]

I don't worry much about imperfections, for 2 reasons : a) my boats are built to be used and b) the worse imperfections are only seen by the fish.

Also, you can build more boats - I'm building my 4th now & I can assure you (fish will attest to this) the workmanship is much better than it was on my earlier attempts. I do not fibreglass my boats and so far they all float!! I do not enjoy fibreglassing, it adds weight expense and work.

Regards Neil

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[dalekidd]

I don't worry much about imperfections, for 2 reasons : a) my boats are built to be used and b) the worse imperfections are only seen by the fish.

Also, you can build more boats - I'm building my 4th now & I can assure you (fish will attest to this) the workmanship is much better than it was on my earlier attempts. I do not fibreglass my boats and so far they all float!! I do not enjoy fibreglassing, it adds weight expense and work. Regards Neil

Thanks, Neil. You've been very good about following my build and offering suggestions and encouragement. Much appreciated!

This is my 4th build. I was very satisfied with each of the others and I believe I will be with this one also. My goal was never showboat quality, but somewhere between workboat and showboat was within my reach.

Rather than coating my last build with epoxy, I fiberglassed the entire exterior. I filled the weave with Quickfair and my finish turned out very nice. The culprit here is the 3 coats of epoxy that I rolled on. They did not go on smooth. I sanded for 6 hours with 80 and 120 grit to try and get it smooth. I'm thinking I should have sanded another 6!

I'm not really worried about the bottom 3 planks which are the only ones I fiberglassed (besides the transom). They truly are the ones only the fish will see. I am going to work on the other planks. Somehow I want them to turn out a little better.

Here is a shot of what I'm talking about:

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That kind of finish will make this a "10 foot" boat. I'd rather have a "5 foot" boat. LOL

Thanks again for your input.

[John Meachen]

I don't worry much about imperfections, for 2 reasons : a) my boats are built to be used and b) the worse imperfections are only seen by the fish.

Also, you can build more boats - I'm building my 4th now & I can assure you (fish will attest to this) the workmanship is much better than it was on my earlier attempts. I do not fibreglass my boats and so far they all float!! I do not enjoy fibreglassing, it adds weight expense and work.

Regards Neil

That last sentence echoes my thoughts exactly.

[dalekidd]

That last sentence echoes my thoughts exactly.

Did you mean sentences?

If you're referring to fiberglassing. I can't say I'm a fan or not. I fiberglassed my last build for one reason, I used 5 mm luan from the box store as my plywood. It was cheap and available. Fiberglassing it was not too difficult, it was a hard chine stitch and glue boat - easy to apply and sand. It held up very well over 8 seasons. As far as I could tell, it was as solid the day I sold it as the day I finished it. I'm not sorry I did it.

With this build I'm using meranti and okoume, so I did not really need to fiberglass anything. Clint recommended fiberglass on the bottom because he designed it to be used on the Maine Island Trail and to be dragged up on rocky beaches. I may do some of that, so I did fiberglass the bottom 3 planks for just a little extra bit of protection.

If you're referring to imperfections, believe you me I have learned to live with them in anything I build! LOL. That's my trademark. This boat will be no exception. My mast has flat spots, I messed up the daggerboard trunk, my planks don't hit quite even at the bow, took a chunk out of my mizzen mast, etc, etc, etc. And I haven't even gotten to the interior yet!

But I promise you this, I'll be plenty proud of this boat when she gets done.

[dbp1]

If you're referring to imperfections, believe you me I have learned to live with them in anything I build! LOL. That's my trademark. This boat will be no exception. My mast has flat spots, I messed up the daggerboard trunk, my planks don't hit quite even at the bow, took a chunk out of my mizzen mast, etc, etc, etc. And I haven't even gotten to the interior yet!

But I promise you this, I'll be plenty proud of this boat when she gets done.

Amen!

[John Meachen]

You'll have ample reason to be proud of the boat,but glassing anything and then having to establish a good finish over it is a miserable job at best.The additional durability is hard won.

[dalekidd]

Not a lot happening. I've been going down stairs every few days and checking the hull to see how the primer is curing and how it will sand. It's still rolling up. If I'm patient, I can make a little headway. Here is a shot after sanding the primer some.

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I'm in a quandary as to what to do. Should I go ahead and settle? Should I wait longer for it to cure better so I can sand it smoother? Should I turn the hull now and come back to it when I finish the interior? I'm even thinking about putting the finish coats on the bottom 3 planks and see how it turns out. If it's too bad, it won't matter a whole lot. If it's decent, maybe I'll proceed.

I might go ahead and build my main sail from the Sailrite kit I ordered months ago. That would buy me a couple weeks to mull it over. Whatever I do, I want the hull to look as good as is reasonably possible.

Tonight I wanted to get something done, so I decided to cut out and glue up the doublers on the rudder head. I took some left over planking material to cut them out. They are only about 6"x14" at their widest points. I cut out two pieces, drilled two 1/8" holes and drove a dowel into them so they wouldn't move. I traced the two edges onto the blank and drew the two curves. I cut them out with the band saw and glued them up. I used the dowel holes, drilled into the head and used them to line up the doublers with the head. The dowels will be under the tiller extensions. The doublers look pretty good.

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Feels good to get something done.

[Hugh MacD]

Nice shape to the rudder cheeks! Looking good.