small carvel planked daysailer

[Alan]

I am getting ready to start on a carvel planked daysailer. I have built a plywood runabout and this is my first attempt at a round bottom, steam bent frame, carvel boat.

My basic question concerns materials. The plans (as do almost all plans I have seen for this type boat) call for white oak for the apron, keel and stem. My problem is that where I live (Tallahassee, Florida) white oak is extremely rare. If I buy the material from someplace like in Maine, the shipping costs are pretty expensive.

Just about the only lumber sources I have available are the big box stores. In my area they do carry (kiln dried) yellow pine. Would this be an acceptable substitute? Any other suggestions? Or should I just face the inevitable and spend the dough on white oak that has to be shipped in?

I assume that I will have to special order frame materials (non-kiln dried oak) and planking (western red cedar)?
Thanks

[rbgarr]

Use local woods, and for a small daysailer I'd try to find lighter woods that hold fastenings well. Live oak would be heavier and tougher to work than white or red oak, but there may be some available somewhere, somehow from blowdowns with all the storms you've had in recent years (Mystic Seaport Shipyard has been getting some from the South).

Robb White of Thomasville GA used local woods with great success. Others know more about the woods he used (tulip? poplar?) If you can find older cypress (still somewhat resinous with many rings) from older buildings' flooring it can make excellent boat building material.

Good luck-

[Thad Van Gilder]

Alan, in Florida, you should be able to find longleaf pine (Pinus Virginia, iirc) and cuban mahoghany (swientia mahoghani) at some back country sawmills. both are top notch wood for those uses.


-Thad

[Bruce Hooke]

Have you checked the wood finder website for local hardwoods dealers? http://www.wdfinder.com . Keep in mind that even in relatively wood and boat oriented parts of the country, getting good wood often still involves a bit of a drive.

White Oak is native as far south as your area so if you check with local sawmills you may well be able to find someone who has some around. I'd especially look north of you in Georga because you are at the southern edge of its range.

If the frames need to take really tight bends then getting air-dried or green stock would be good, but for less extreme bends I've done just fine with kiln dried stock that I've soaked in water for a few weeks before bending, or even just bent as is. To get green or air-dried lumber you pretty much have to deal directly with a sawmill or a place that specializes in boat lumber. Standard hardwoods dealers all sell only kiln-dried lumber in my experience.

I may be wrong, but I don't think yellow pine is going to steam bend very well, so I'm not sure how suitable it would be for frames, but I should say right up front that I do not have a lot of experience with yellow pine. Living in white oak country I am more likely to use it for steam bending (or ash if rot resistance is not an issue).

[Rick Starr]

Alan, in Florida, you should be able to find longleaf pine (Pinus Virginia, iirc) and cuban mahoghany (swientia mahoghani) at some back country sawmills. both are top notch wood for those uses.


-Thad

Swietenia macrophylla would be a good choice, s. mahagoni would NOT, both due to cost and mechanical qualities.