Glued Lapstrake

[Jim Herbert]

I am hauling my old boat down from Lk Superior this Fall and it will be several more years before my new project boat is ready to go back up.

I need to build a little day sailer in the interim. A Gaff Rigged Cutter. Double Ender. Lapstake. A pretty little boat that will make me forget that I can't afford a Westsail 32 or 43.

I have ordered study plans from Selway Fisher in the UK for such a 16 ft boat.

For complete plans I have to decide whether to order the strip plank version plans or the Lapstrake version plans.

I have built strip planked boats but I would like to try plywood Lapstrake. I would want to glue the lapstrake. I would want a nice painted final appearance.

I would welcome opinions as to whether the seams should be clamped, screwed or stitched. Also whether I should glass the hull. Finally, this boat could be left in the water, I know West 407 filler shouldn't be used below the waterline. Is there a better seam filler short of silica?

P.S. What's your favorite glued Lapstrake reference book?

Jim Herbert

[timgoz]

Hi Jim,

There was a three part series in Wooden Boat magazine several years ago that delt with the construction of a 22 foot plywood lapstrake double ended cruising sloop. There are some decent photos within the arcticles. They did glass/ epoxy the finished hull. I have the issues but their exact location is a mystery. A little research would dig them up. It was a Ian Quoghtred (sp?) design named "Grey Wolf" I think, not quite like your building, but same basic technique.

The above type boats do have a certain charm & inheirently seaworhy look about them.

TGoz

[casavecchia]

The name was "Grey Seal"
Seams are clamped with simple homemade wood clamps.
If you use good quality mahogany plywood you can skip
the outside glassing, always a nuisance on lapstrake hulls.
Marco.

[Crag Cay]

Ian Oughtred has written a good instruction book, and this together with his plans are available through the Wooden Boat magasine.

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=325-116

I don't know anyone else that does lapstrake ply as well as Ian. But as Marco says, don't skimp on the quality of the ply.

[Crag Cay]

Oh, if its helps, you should perhaps regard not being able to afford a Wetsail 32 as a good thing. It will save you the heart ache of trying to get one to sail, especially after the sparkling performance of one of Ian's designs.