Deck Beams

Setting out the positions for the masts and deck beams.




A breasthook forward and aft. Not strictly necessary I guess in the decked version, but for the small extra weight will add much strength and will also nicely pick up the deck above.

'Canoe Builder Senior', starts to fit deck beams

A small rebate plane helps with cleaning up the inside of the hull

The inside of the hull looking somewhat more finished

Caulking the planks (with epoxy), should add some further strength (and will require even more sanding).

You don’t need to own a green boiler suit to build a canoe! but it might keep you warm.

Keel strip

Finally planking is complete and we feel as though we are moving forward again. Keel and outer Stems are glued in place ready for some further shaping.

Start again!

Correction!

So the two offending planks have now been removed (with a hot air gun as suggested by Chris). No chances are being taken second time around, with each mould removed one at a time and slots cut to receive two ribbands running the length of each side of the hull. One ribband to define a fair curve for the top of the sheer plank and one to pick up the lap between this and the lower plank.

Like so many new jobs one learns from experience, and if we were starting off again I would follow the method recently described very well by Chris Perkins in Water Craft magazine (no. 73 Jan/Feb 09). Chris reduces all the mould sizes by the thickness of the ribbands and fits these along the course of the ‘lands’ between each plank overlap. Whether or not this would be different in thicker ply I’m not sure but with 4mm it is well advised.

The photos show we are just about ready to fit the final planks. We have also fitted false decks at both bow and stern to further ensure we end up with some symmetry about the hull.

Turning the Hull

Another few weekends have passed and we had thought planking the hull was completed. Neither of us is happy with the sheer planks, stupidly glued up in a rush and the end of a long day. More haste ............... When we turned the hull over we found these two top planks are away from several the moulds and in a couple of places have developed a fold, as they have been forced around the compound curves. The next available weekend will see us cutting away several days’ hard work and trying again. Frustrating, especially when other priorities are preventing us from getting straight on with sorting this out and moving forward.

Turning the hull, finally get to see the inside.

More Planks

And more planks! (8 down and 6 to go).

A full day’s work sees 2 planks scarfed and joined together into 16 foot lengths (ready for the next day). Also a plank on each side cut, fitted and glued into place.

Second strakes

Second strakes

Having fitted the second garboard plank, the second strakes are also now shaped and fitted. When it finally came to gluing and we had managed to increase the temperature up to 'melting point' and with epoxy mixed and planks coated, all suddenly went dark. We were left in a pitch black workshop with the epoxy rapidly curing on the planks which we had spent most of the weekend cutting and shaping. Epoxying and power cuts definitely don’t mix, but fortunately light was soon restored and the planks were quickly clamped into place.

Cutting the gain – working in 4mm ply all of this needs to be fairly precise. The rolling bevel cut on each of the planks to accommodate the changing angles of the hull shape, then moves into a rebate. This ensures the plank thickness remains at 4mm by the time it hits the inner stem.

Note the clamps and wedges, these worked well as a method of holding the bevels together when gluing. Even if making up 60 or so pairs did take some time (allowing a plank each side to be glued up, on the same day).

Take a break

Time for a short break from the canoe build. Friday gave me the first opportunity of some winter sailing this year. Cold, cold or very cold? Ice on the pontoons that morning was probably the clue. Apart from a couple of squally showers, this was an almost perfect day for it. The wind increased as soon as I left the shelter of the marina and was soon blowing a steady 6 from the NE and gusting up to 30 knots.

Whoever said Wind Vane use is restricted to long passage making was definitely wrong. My trusted Sea Feather self steering was quickly set. At least a large chunk of my body then went below to get warm, with head routinely stuck out of the hatch watching out for tankers and buoys.

Did I mention the cold?

To add to the theme of sail salt and sawdust, Saturday saw engine oil and grease, as the Beta 10 received its annual TLC. The drain plug on the gearbox requires an ‘out of socket experience’ for my left hand shoulder. Once that was completed, heat exchanger, anode, 2 fuel filters, coolant, oil and filter was just a breeze. Back to epoxy and the canoe next weekend.