Glued Lapstrake

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.