Planning to build a chesapeake 20' sharpie - any comments

[Oyster]

Messabout, you are correct in your comments of sharpie-skipjack statement. There are many versions and discussions concerning the two named "designs" [i use that term loosely]. For the sake of argument, its been my personal experience that the sharpies are as a rule narrower than the skipjack for several reasons which is not really an issue here.

This hull, in particular is actually a hybrid of the two in beam, not as narrow as the normal sharpies, and not as wide as the skipjack hulls, or the new modern plywood versions of them. This seems to be one of the main differences in the two, or as far as I can tell from past history of reading up and being exposed to the many hulls on the Chesepeake Bay. I do welcome any feedback that would add to this statement.

Its not uncommon to find older traditional sharpie hulls actually has about a full 1 or 1 1/4" planking up to around the 28 feet for the bottom, also consisting of heavy white oak framing. Talk about tanks...




A different way of doing this vee in the longitual planked hulls, was to use thick chunks of timber and then shape it down. This one is not mine but one that a maritme museum did that shows the crude work and not near as nice of entry and as dry as the skipjack style.


This is the interior of one with the fore and aft planking style.


By the way, we are planning now to visit the Cortez gunkhole trip the last part of March.

[Oyster]

Messabout, speaking about terminology, there are plan makers that call vee bottom hulls, in plywood, sharpies, that incorporate the had chine shape. But I think the basic straight side, and the pattened turn up sheerline, leans to both the flat bottom and vee bottom hulls, doing the same job of shallow water sailing , which was the original intent past the ease of building, unlike the round bottom hulls for the average and occcasional builder these days.

Actually the flat bottom boats, needed heavier framing and in most cases require longer and better materials, unlike a vee bottom hull. You can cut through more random planks and aquire bottom planks, because of the shorter lengths required to go half the distance with crossed planked hulls.

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/

When you cap the bow, you can also increase the sharp entry, taking away more of the blunt entry, too.

[sharpie_giles]

Oyster

Thanks for all the photos and general comments. I feel suitably enthused again. You mentioned your approach depends on the wood that is to be used. Sourcing wood is my biggest problem at the moment, I can get hold of douglas fir, western red cedar, sitka spruce and pitch pine from a local specialist marine timber supplier. It all seems seriously expensive, so I am going to try and approach other suppliers, but I am concerned that my lack of knowledge about what makes a good plank may cause me some problems. So I might just end up going to the specialist.

I like your point about the advantages of planking vee bottoms as opposed to flat, I will bear this in mind.

What fixings do you use through out your boat?

What is the deck made from?

Are you using tongue groove at all on the bottom planking. I have noticed that specified on the big sharpies at the bow and stern. I seem to remember reading that it was to prevent leakage from seams opening up?!?

Are you caulking traditionally, or with some clever goo?

Have you ever tried building the forefoot out of a block faired into the bottom planking? or have you always planked the forefoot using staves?

Giles

[LP]

Giles,

I'm going to jump in here. ( mostly because I'm bored and don't have anything better to do)

I'd look at the lumber at the specialty outlet to get an impression of what he is offering and then go on a scouting mission to the other lumber outlets in your area. More than likely, the specialty store is going to offer consistently better lumber while you may be able to round up a few sticks of lumberyard wood that is of an acceptable quality for your boat.

As for staves, the are actually easier than they sound. Once your basic stock is cut, you just put equal but opposite angles on the ends and blend them in between. Small pieces are easier to fit than larger ones so the staves at the bow make a lot of sense.

Regards,

[Oyster]

3/4" planking stock will not do staves at the bow with that much deadrise, and leave much wood, unless you use very narrow strips, which also continues the same uniform deadrise throughout the hull bottom, carrying through the changes of the beam. You will be required to do the cuts on the continuing flat planks after the transition joint, till you get to the belly portion of the hull, or along the centerboard slot, and also in the tuck beginning about half the distance to the sterm.

This is not the same as your runabout, LP, that you have pictured in your previous post. I do sense some friction in your response that you claim as butting in here. This hull and this construction method is only one of the many methods that accomplish this style bottom. So please place on display evidence of your method that will add some constructive comments to this thread. This is not my first experimental hull, Thank you.

I think I will be on the sidelines. Sharpie Giles feel free to PM me and I will be glad to send you any other information that you may have on this hull and this issue.

[LP]

No tension. Giles was responding to you and I don't make any presumptions about being an expert here. Much to the contrary, I'm open to thinking that is not neccessarily along conventional line. I am very interested in this thread and the ensueing discussions.

I hope that there was nothing I said that was contrary to your posts. That is not my intend.

How is Aunt Floe?

[messabout]

O)yster:
It seems that the Chesapeake watermen had a lot of names for boats of similar style. I am told that sharpie like boats of twenty feet or less were called flatties. Also there is/was the bugeye. I read somewhere that the name bugeye was likely the scandalization of a scottish word; bulgie (not sure of the spelling) In any case the scots word was the name of a shelled animal we call oyster. Any truth in that ? Sounds appropriate for a boat used in that industry.

[Howgegoboat]

Hi where abouts are you?
Im in Yorkshire not many woodern boat fans around,I plan on building sharpie / dory sometime. I had a 22ft kestral before I was married but you know the story!
have you priced the cost of wood - seems jolly expensive!
Are yo planning on glue or fastening or both?
Paint or epoxy?
Ive just build a canoe out of cheap shuttering ply, and bitemen paint to test its durability, so will know if it will hold together.
I may build in ply, either whole sheets or off cuts from ebay.
Do you think that the freeboard on the boats mentioned seem rather shallow, since we live in rougher waters around here, are you thinking of having a cabin on it or not. I'm wanting a cabin and six foot headroom, in a boat 25ft ish, beam 8ft, 1ft draft,3ft freeboard, an 2ft cabin, will look boxy, but hey I can stand up as well as sit down so will be useable as weekend getaway.
Center board seems too leaky as was on my kestral, so will go for either shallow keel (railway sleeper and lead below), or bilde boards.
I hope I haven't hijacked your thread but would be good to hear from you.
Yours James

[safewalrus]

Sharpie mate there comes a time when you have to stop reading and start doing! OK so your first couple of boats sink or fall apart before you get to the end of the quay (actually they won't, your too damn careful already for that), but its about doing rather than reading (you do not want to see some of my efforts, and that's not only boats!). As 'PAR' or as he's becoming known 'God' or is it 'speaks to God' (yep PAR I'm still taking the piss and will continue, I will also call you names if I disagree with you [but as I'm unlikely to buy plans from you and thus you won't kill me I don't really care {would I dare after that statement }]) states time change and the use of 'modern' materials and methods do make the job easier and safer and have a lot to reccommend them (bloody magic stuff epoxy and builders caulk if your in UK try 'screwfix'...... honest 'Gripfill' couple of quid a tube now that is magic stuff (don't use the solvent free!)

[Oyster]

There is not one design that cannot be built with alternative methods with proper planning and discussion. But first one has to convey their intent when they are ready. I feel sure that a lot of meat will be happily spread around, even though there seems to be a lot grease splattering about the meat. Some people seem to have more free time on their hands than they have a desire to spend it in a productive manner helping folks.

[LP]

Originally Posted by safewalrus

Sharpie mate there comes a time when you have to stop reading and start doing! OK so your first couple of boats sink or fall apart before you get to the end of the quay (actually they won't, your too damn careful already for that), but its about doing rather than reading (you do not want to see some of my efforts, and that's not only boats!). As 'PAR' or as he's becoming known 'God' or is it 'speaks to God' (yep PAR I'm still taking the piss and will continue, I will also call you names if I disagree with you [but as I'm unlikely to buy plans from you and thus you won't kill me I don't really care {would I dare after that statement }]) states time change and the use of 'modern' materials and methods do make the job easier and safer and have a lot to reccommend them (bloody magic stuff epoxy and builders caulk if your in UK try 'screwfix'...... honest 'Gripfill' couple of quid a tube now that is magic stuff (don't use the solvent free!)

Hey Safewalrus,

Nested aside comments. Bloody Righteous Dude!

[Howgegoboat]

Gilles
i agree,
Grip fill is great stuff I use own brand at 3rd of the price, get building I say.
But what happens when the wife finds out!
I thought you had stopped that when we got married!
Test on canal first so when it sinks you can stand up!
Solid wood is great if you can afford it.
Have you a design worked out?
If you have I would love to see it, I'm might be inclined to build it, myself, out of ply though since thee is plenty of off cuts around here.
mail me at howgegoboat@yahoo.co.uk,
Yours James