This boat has a generous motor well, to allow for a ladder and a step to climb back aboard. Incidentally, this photo shows the method used for turning the boat over a few times. Those are trailer winches mounted with straps going over a metal spool and under the boat.
Since the sides and back of the wall are all curved, I needed to assemble some support blocks from plywood pieces thin enough to be bent and glue laminated.
Below is the glued up assembly of three 1/4″ pieces of plywood.
After the glue set up, I shaped the pieces to hold the outside edge of the seat / step, and added a single leg framework to support the weight of someone climbing over.
Then, curved slats were installed to complement the curve of the back.
Here, the step is completed and ready for use. With the center cut out, the motor can be tilted forward during launch and travel.
This photo below was taken at Les Cheneaux Wooden Boat Show at Hessel, in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. With the ladder, step and a ski pole to replace the flag pole, it suggests the possibility of family use for swimming, tubing and skiing.
If I had planned ahead better, I would have installed the Ignition and Emergency Switches before the dash was permanently mounted in place. But I did not. So I had to devise a method of fitting them without drilling access from the back side.
The first problem was that the rectangular switch plate did not fit on the dash below the other gauges. It was too large and squarish to be pleasing esthetically with all of the other round bases.
The second problem was that gauges and switches usually need a larger hole on the back side of the dash and a smaller opening in the front for the dial and bezel rim to cover. The dash was already fixed, and I couldn’t get access to the back side.
So, I needed to make a wood washer to insert from the outside with the shape drawn on the paper below. The paper lists a sequence that was supposed to get me successfully through the process. That may not have been the final list!
Here is some experimenting, with hole saws, Forstner bits, and a bit of tune up sanding. The two wood washers getting close are between the blue hole saw and the standing Forstner bit. One is laying on the surface and the other is partly pressed into a suitable hole.
A last step in the process was finishing the middle hole with the Forstner bit, and finding a way to hold it for drilling on the press.
It eventually worked out, after more hours than should have been spent. Below is the dash on a pretty day in the fall in southern Michigan. And that is book matched Cherry in the foward panel.
Here is a detail photo of the end result, with the washers holding the rims of the switches, and glued into the dash. Incidentally, they were made of Okume marine plywood for strength in all directions, and blend just fine with the Sycamore.
A boat is full of surprises, and fortunately by now, I am forgetting many of the detours that took so much time and creative energy to solve. I am finishing three years work on this boat, averaging 10-15 hours a week, which is around two thousand hours. . .
After fairing and sanding the Sycamore Veneer, small holes were left from the screws used to hold the parts in place for epoxy.
The best matching plugs can be made from face grain. Below, 1/4″ x 1/4″ pieces are cut from the end grain of a 5″ wide Sycamore veneer plank.
Then, the 5″ fragile end cut offs are put in the chuck of the drill with medium tightness, and sharpened to points. When they are about 1/16″ at the tip, a 1/2″ tapered plug was cut off with a sharp chisel.
Each hole was filled by gluing a plug in place, tapping gently with a hammer. When the glue (Titebond III) dried, the plugs were carefully cut off with a pull-stroke Japanese saw, and sanded flush.
After varnish was completed, you can barely see some the face grain plugs, and the surprising figure of Quartersawn Sycamore.
Small face grain plugs are a detail often not noticed, but removing the screws prevents future corrosion, and 3/8″ plugs are not needed.
To begin this process, inside deck stringers were notched into the cross frames to support the deck trim planks. Then, the stringers and frames were faired and routed with a bearing-guided rabbet bit to receive the 1/2″ marine plywood sub deck.
Approximately 8″ sections of 1/2″ marine plywood were fit into the rabbeted long stringers, and epoxied in place, held temporarily with screws.
American Cherry was used for the deck trim, interior frames and panels, having similar color, weight and strength properties to Mahogany. Cherry may not be as rot resistant, but considering that the boat sides and bottom are marine plywood covered with fiberglass fabric embedded in epoxy, no solid wood will be exposed to continual moisture.
Below, I have selected a 12′ foot Cherry board, and free sawed the curved line on the table saw, which was drawn from the boat sheer line.
When the sides are switched across, with the outside straight edges glued together, it makes a curved board, to fit the deck curve. If a relatively straight grain board without sap grain is used, there is with little evidence of being re-glued.
Some solid wood boat decks are made from narrow, long re-sawn parts to make a curved laminated whole, and this can look great as well. But, if the grain of the board already had some natural curve, this easy single cut method may follow the sheer in a pleasing line with less joints and glue lines.
As the deck trim went toward the stern, the width got larger, and I had to assemble some parts together to complete the solid wood part. A 1/4″ plywood pattern was made to help find and cut, good compatible parts.
With some patient material selection, and careful joint fitting, the deck edge trim can be assembled to create a beautiful, fair line.
Next, on to installing the 1/4″ Sycamore deck veneer . . .
Before the top sub deck and trim are added, it is the easiest time to make the channel for all of the wiring, throttle cable and the hydraulic steering tubes. They are all intended to be run up under the deck trim on the starboard side of the boat.
I drilled large holes with a hole saw, to allow relatively easy access under the cockpit skirt.
At the stern, the holes were enlarged to make easier bending where the wires and tubes exit the wall of the motor well.
With the boat upside down, it was time to put the outer covering of fiberglass fabric over the marine plywood hull planks. Glass fibers are very strong in tension and resistant to abrasion. When embedded in epoxy on the inside and outside surfaces, it creates a strong, stiff and relatively light weight composite structure.
The photo below shows the hull bottom after placement of the glass fabric. The corners have been filled with a thickened two part epoxy filler that were sanded to shape. The back edge of the bottom surface was left as square as practical, for the most efficient water cutoff at planing speeds.
Experts disagree on two main methods of adding the glass fabric: laying out the fabric and then applying the epoxy or brushing a coat of epoxy on the wood first. Since the fabric catches on sharp or sticky things and deforms easily, I prefer to carefully lay it out over dry, sanded surfaces, primarily in one plane, as shown below.
A 36″ wide layer was rolled out and taped, overlapping the previous finished areas. With a smooth under surface, small changes can be made to smooth out wrinkles for the best possible fit.
The downside to this method is that the epoxy must penetrate the fabric, and fully bond to the wood underneath, or risk delamination later. The surface needs to be fully wetted and transparent, but not so much extra that would make epoxy flow zones. The application begins, rolling epoxy from top down, working out wrinkles as we go.
When the epoxy has set up to the stiff, not sticky stage, before it gets hard, the edges can be trimmed with a sharp knife.
Next strakes were added, and rough sanding all over with 80 grit to allow best primer and paint adhesion. The hull planks of 4″ tongue and groove marine plywood show through on the sides. The dark lines show where the top ply layer was sanded through, and the green where low spots had been filled for final fairing.
My shop is not equipped to spray paint , so the boat was loaded on a flat bed trailer and slowly hauled five miles to get professionally painted. This is on the return trip, preparing to lift the boat with the four heavy duty winches mounted on the temporary posts.
There are many ways to slow down a big project like building a boat, which happened but it is off and rolling again, passing this significant milestone. Work on the bottom is completed and following a final flip, this boat is intended never to be upside down again.
All boats have some curved surfaces, and the most beautiful have many curves, all hopefully contributing to a cohesive complete package. Some modern boats have curves in only one plane, and that makes construction easier. But traditional wood boats, and ones I wanted to pay respect to, have surfaces with curves both ways. That makes hills or valleys and it gets complicated.
Below is the boat at completion of setting the long trim moldings that define the cockpit, and end at the stern. Now is the time to figure out the shape of the stern.
At the back on the outside, there is the inward curve or tumblehome, that adds width and buoyancy to the back, and just looks cool. And since an outboard motor on a wood boat can look out of place, the sides were extended to enclose it a bit.
New shapes usually begin in cardboard, then on to plywood if I need a rigid pattern. The piece of cardboard laying on top is to visualize how the wall of the engine well might look, and of course, it just came out curved as well.
That makes sense considering the back wall is also curved.
Then, to finish the double curve on the stern sides, internal runners were made for the first layer of tongue and groove shell to follow the side curve.
Eventually, it will be contoured, with both directions relating to both curves at the corner. The complication may be forgotten, and a complimentary form left standing. Beauty has a price.
In the nearly five years of having a couple of boats in progress, the times to turn it over have occasionally gone smoothly, with a few scary moments. This was the first turn of the smaller boat when the framework was lightest. I just got some heavy duty nylon rope and attached some T-bar 2 x 4s to the rafters to hang it.
Light weight first boat turn
The next time had more oops and inefficiency spreading of the lifting power. The ropes did not behave as well as expected and a little floor bump occurred . . .
Heavier and more muscle needed.
But apparently all’s well that ends well.
Getting the boat out of the basement was a pretty tight challenge, but finally made it.
A couple of inches top and bottom.
And eventually it floated.
Les Chenoix Boat Show
The second boat, currently under construction is larger and made the first turn with a bit more muscle and finesse. We just about took out the light at one point.
Second boat, more weight and muscle, narrow miss.
The next turn got more complicated with a tangle of ropes that were difficult to adjust, and left a few guys holding the proverbial bag. This time we had trouble clearing the heat duct because the front pulley system failed and left it hanging down.
Front Pulley broken. . .
So, in the garden, look for help from someone with green thumbs. In the shop, look the guy in the green gloves, like Andrew Alger NEI above. NEI may not be a Purdue degree, but It stands for Natural Engineering Intelligence, and he has solved more than a few of our “make-something-work” crises.
Andrew came up with a new plan, as the boat needs a few more turns, and is getting heavier all the time. He suggested getting four reversible winches, to hang on support poles, with heavy duty nylon strap. I dutifully followed his plan and voila’ it became quite easy.
Two of us turned the winches to pull up on one side, and the other two released the strap to lower. A few adjustments of height and soon it was sitting right side up on the cradles.
All smiles for the success!
But for the two minute trip of the whole drama, check out the link below.
With the boat turned upside down the last time, the side planks need to be installed. They are made of 1/2″ marine plywood, cut into 4″ planks and routed with a tongue and groove to fit the best side by side. I alway start dry fitting a group, to see if the underlying cross frames are supporting fair curves.
In this case, I will not be doing the last few rows until the boat is flipped over and I can make sure the shape at the top line is good. But most of the side needed to be done in preparation for final painting of the bottom. Jeff Margush lends a hand, actually you could probably make the case that he might be doing the work mostly by himself.
After the epoxy dried, I needed to shape the plywood plank down to meet the longitudinal corner molding, called the chine. This Okume Marine plywood is the best plywood I have ever worked with, being almost as easily planed as solid wood. It is a woodworkers delight to have these wood curls roll up from a sharp blade in a good plane, especially the ribbons below.
After doing whatever wood removal is needed, then it was time to add some epoxy fairing compound to smooth gaps and add nice fillets to the corners. Between a rasp, a scraper, coarse sandpaper with flat or rounded blocks, and a dust brush, slow progress can be made. The proof will be in the pudding of a shiny paint job, to see if the contours are good.
A bit more fairing on the sides, finishing the bow and stern contours, and it will be ready for the next nerve racking step: putting a huge sheet of the glass fabric on and trying not to repeat the snafu that happened last time. Too much epoxy over a complicated surface ran and pooled in an ugly mess, that required many hours of scraping and sanding. This time I know what I am doing?
Building a boat seems like a continual learning project, and hoping not to have to repeat too many steps. Sounds like life . . .
A year ago, the cross frames of the boat were being set upside down, and the longitudinal parts like the keel, the chine and the sheer lines were added. Then the marine grade plywood was made into tongue and groove planks and installed on the hull bottom.
When that was finished, it got flipped up right so I could work through the sides to build more floor support, the transom and seat framework. Just recently, that construction got pretty close to done, so it was time to turn it again. The boat is heavier than the last time we rotated it, and with less parts to grab, I thought more ropes might help. . .
Hanging From the Ropes
Below, you can see Steve Rimes and Andrew Alger on the two pulley systems, with Don Florea, doing the quality control inspection. There are Dustin Friend and Kenyon Lederman holding ropes while Dave Ziegler, with the white hat, inspects the clearance to remove the cradle. Not sure how much I am not helping.
Steve supplies the lift on the 8:1 pulley system, while Todd Lederman, Kenyon and all the rest, help start the rotation.
Starting Rotation
On the front end, Jeff Margush has just pulled out the cradle that the boat had been sitting on before. Andrew Alger handles the pulley ropes, with another dozen guys manning their stations.
Busted Rope
It was all good until the rope connection at the ceiling for the front pulley gave way. The T-shaped 2 x 4’s screwed to the ceiling joists held firm, so the rest of the ropes were still useful. It just took a bit more muscle. Below are Don Florea, Chris Friend, Mike Friend, David Veale, Doug Martin, Kenyon Lederman and others.
Ceiling Clearance?
It was too late to turn back, and with the many ropes holding up or giving slow braking, we are half way there. At this particular moment, the left side needed to go down a bit for the right to clear the heat register. It had worked out with a tape measure and on paper!
Andrew Alger and Jeff Margush are getting it figured out.
As one guy said, “This is a pretty small shop for a boat this big!” We were always looking out to keep it off the floor and still miss the heat vent and the light fixture. In this case we had to scoot it left and restart the rotation.
Halfway there
David Veale, Doug Martin, Jeff Margush, Andrew Alger and and Dave Ziegler lift and turn.
Eventually, the boat came to a soft landing, and the ropes were released from their loads. The new base was intentionally positioned low enough to easily work all of the way across the bottom. This last upside down phase will be for final fairing, adding glass fabric embedded in epoxy, adding primer, fine sanding and final paint.
Sounds simple enough. The paint expert, Dustin Friend, is third from right and has an “I wonder” smile on his face. There might be some trouble shooting required. Dustin, Chris Mike black hat
Thanks to Don Florea, Todd Penner, Dustin Friend, Josiah Penner, Chris Friend, Andrew Alger, _______, Jeff Margush, Mike Friend, David Veale above.
Thanks also to Bob Friend (behind me), Todd Lederman, Steve Rimes, Kenyon Lederman, Dave Ziegler (White hat), and Doug Martin, below.
