adopting a plywood boat to strip plank...

[ancient kayaker]

Originally Posted by pitbull

... I too want to strip plank a ply design (A Welsford Navigator) ... The reason I want to do this is because I like the look of the nagigator ...

-if you strip-plank a design intended for lapstrake it won't look the same.

Originally Posted by pitbull

... My plan would be to coat planks of plain sawn lumber with epoxy, let it dry and then cut it into battens. I would nail the battens to the frames using raptor plastic nails and perhaps glue it to the frames using Gorilla glue. The epoxy on 2-sides of the battens (top and bottom rather than inside and out) would ensure that these sides are coated effectively.

I would leave a small gap (1/16" or so) between the battens. Oce the hull is completely "planked" I would glass the inside of the hull and when that is hard, would force thickened expoxy between the battens from the outside and sand it all fair. Finally glass over outside of the hull.

-so you will have a strip-planked hull with extra-thick epoxy joints between the strips, glassed both sides. You have gone to a lot of trouble over those joints, it is not clear why. Compared to a quick squirt of regular glue on the joints which scrapes off easily afterwards, there is no saving of time or effort.

[PAR]

I know Terry, he's designed a batten seam method that will double the planking weight of the boat and a Navigator isn't a light boat to start with. He's also hinting at internal frames, suggesting he's making more structural burden.