Ptarmigan 17 glued lapstrake yawl

[Steve TN 15]

I've been scouring the net looking at myriad plans trying to find one that suits and I've finally decided on the Selway Fisher Ptarmigan 17
It is drawn as a 2 chine cat rigged boat but has options of 4 strake glued lapstrake and yawl rig.

There is little written about this boat but I found this article in Small Boats Monthly that helped make my decision
https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/ptarmigan-17/

The 4 strake version looks much prettier and the yawl is known for it's benefits in small boats so that's what I'm building.

The build will take place at the Lake Macquarie Classic Boat Assoc. in workshop 1 and I will have plenty of assistance from fellow members, including retired shipwrights, who are looking forward to this project.

The materials used will be Gaboon marine ply (9mm), Hoop pine for framing etc, Oregon for masts and spars and I have acquired two nice big slabs of Huon Pine and while not enough to build much of the boat from it will definitely provide some beautiful features here and there.

PtarmiganConstructionweb-768x604.jpg

[JimD]

Nice looking little pocket cruiser. Always been a fan of Paul Fisher. I built a little pram to his design years ago. I think there's still a pic of it on his website. Good luck.

[neil.henderson]

6' 11'' beam will certainly give you plenty of room Steve. I agree, the clinker version looks pretty.

Look forward to seeing this one come together :-)

Regards Neil

[Matt young]

Good plan, thanks for sharing!

[stromborg]

This will be fun to watch!

[KenStocker]

Looking forward to following along!

Ken

[Steve TN 15]

The challenge Ken, is to launch your boat before I launch this one

[Woxbox]

Nice boat. I'll be following.

[KenStocker]

The challenge Ken, is to launch your boat before I launch this one

If only this whole "making a living" thing would quit getting in the way...Between that and home ownership, my priorities keep getting screwed up!

Ken

[StevenBauer]

It’d be hard for me to resist stretching her out a bit while building. Looks like a fun project.

[timo4352]

Always up for watching a new build.
Good luck with her.

[jpatrick]

Great looking boat. It ought to be very comfortable and easy to manage various conditions with the yawl rig. At 17' she's just a foot longer than my day sailer but, so much more boat!

Have fun!

Jeff

[sp_clark]

Nice!!

Same length as my Waterlust canoe but twice as wide AND with a third sail to boot! What's not to like!

Will be watching this thread as your endeavor gains traction.

(Like your signature line too... your truths are much like mine.)

[Steve TN 15]

One of the many criteria for this build was length because the boat shed isn't huge, in fact it's an old ablutions block from the Catalina base that occupied the site during WW2.
As such 17 feet by 7 is about the limit to allow two boats at a time in the shed and be able to get them out.

[Steve TN 15]

Always up for watching a new build.
Good luck with her.

I enjoyed your Ninigret build so I hope you enjoy this one. Like you I'll be going for a subtle colour scheme that's different from the masses.

[dalekidd]

Ooh! I like! Nice choice. I built the S/F Wren a few years ago: simple but attractive design. I’m not a fan of all of his design but really like others including this one. I also like the clinker option. She’ll be a beaut!

[Steve TN 15]

I've selected the best looking piece of ply for the transom and measured, drilled and back filled with epoxy for the rudder pintles. Lessons learned from the previous build. Much easier when you know what to think of and do in advance.

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[neil.henderson]

Yes, much easier to do some things in advance. My favourite is rounding the sides of the keelson before laying along the moulds - very hard to round after turning the boat over.

Good to see you have started already.

Regards Neil

[Steve TN 15]

My favourite is rounding the sides of the keelson before laying along the moulds - very hard to round after turning the boat over.

Good to see you have started already.

Regards Neil

That one, I'm happy to say, I did think of on my first build and it was a welcome suggestion when the Acorn build was started at the boat shed.

[Steve TN 15]

While I have actually been working on the boat I haven't bothered with pics but since it's Christmas......
I have cut out all the ply frames and bulkheads, cut and created half lap joints in the solid timber backing frames for them and glued up 3. Here is the forward bulkhead (front wall of cabin)

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[Steve TN 15]

All frames and bulkheads are now backed up with timber, she's going to be much beamier than the Tammie Norrie!
Next will be the stem which is ply in the plans but I'm thinking I'll use timber because it'll take screws better when it comes to clamping the planks.

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[Breakaway]

Great!
Merry Christmas!

Kevin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Steve TN 15]

First coat of epoxy sealer on the transom, which is going to look beautiful, and the centreboard case sides20230106_160821.jpg20230106_160738.jpg

[neil.henderson]

Crikey Steve, I better get cracking or you'll overtake me! Looks like you're having fun which is what it's all about I think. I'm stumbling through breasthooks at the moment which is stretching my brain with the number of angles & they're crowned of course...................but we'll get there.
I'm guessing that's Okoume ply by the looks of it - from Joubert?

Regards Neil

[Steve TN 15]

Yeah Neil the spaced inwales do make the breast hooks more complex. The ply is indeed okoume from a Greek manufacturer called Mourkis, bought through Boatcraft in Sydney

[Larks]

I do like this boat, nice choice Steve. What wood are you using for the backing timber?

[Steve TN 15]

I'm using hoop pine for the solid timber except where hardwood is called for but there isn't much of that so it's what ever is lying around the Boatshed

[biglad]

The is looking great!

[Johan R]

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Are those half-lap joints? Hard to see.

[Peerie Maa]

Are those half-lap joints? Hard to see.

Loose tenons

[Steve TN 15]

Loose tenons

Wrong, Loose tenon uses a third piece to create the tenon, ie:- biscuit or domino joints.

These are, as Johan suggested, half lap joints!

[Peerie Maa]

Wrong, Loose tenon uses a third piece to create the tenon, ie:- biscuit or domino joints.

These are, as Johan suggested, half lap joints!

Two nations separated by a common language?

Those


do not look like this

I can even see the dowels securing the two ends of the loose tenon.

[jonesmatt1957]

They sure look like half-lap joints. Why not use dowels to secure half-laps?

[Steve TN 15]

In light of the following comment from Larks I'll clarify, This reply is to Nicks comment in which he has the gall to inform me that he knows how I made my joints and I don't. The older I get, the less patience I have for internet genii erroneously dolling out their wisdom in the desire to demonstrate their superiority.

You're dreaming, there are no dowells there at all. You might be mistaking holes left by screws used for positive locating and clamping but removed after glue up. By the way, I'm the one building the thing so it's a bit rude and self righteous to tell me I don't know what joints I'm using!

[Larks]

Steve, I think that may have been a question for Nick about the dowels: depending how you read his post it seemed to be suggesting that because he could see dowels (plugs over your screw heads?) they must be tenon joints...... and perhaps the ply transom attached to the frame could kinda look like the other side of tenon joint...???