Buccaneer 24 Builders Forum

We tried a lot of different stuff, including cardboard (loses stiffness too quickly when wet), rigid polystyrene, pvc, polyprop, etc. We didn't try playing cards, though. Maybe the coating would improve the resilience?

In the end we stuck with the West yellow spreaders, and cycled round 4 of them. I still use them now after 27 years.

 

Yes the coating saves it, not forever, but makes it last longer. And as for card I allow lots of adhesive to get all over sealing card stock in the same manor. Sometimes I'll even stick Popsicle sticks in there for rigidity, or even hot water bend sticks for a certain shape, then stick them in the paper for a shaped spreader when doing fillers.


Barry

 

Got my plywood for the hulls Friday. I'm going to build the amas first before I tackle the main hull. So, I measured it out on the plywood, but what is a good way to draw the gentle curve on the top of the hull?

 

You need a good stiff batten, pultruded fibreglass is brilliant if you can find it, hardwood is good if you can get a straight and clear one that is seasoned. Other materials are aluminium or pvc

 

I've had good success using clear Oregon as a batten too.

 

The timber you use for the stringers should be suitable as a batten

 

Drive a finishing nail in at each measured point. Stretch your batten against the nails to give you a fair curve. the thickness and stiffness of the batten will depend on how far apart your nails are. At the moment I am using a 3/8 by 1 inch oak batten 14 feet long just because it was what I had laying around. A square batten works best as you can turn it any way. It is important that the batten is straigth and will bend consistently along its length. You can hold the batten in place with more nails or heavy weigths when drawing your line.
Hope this helps. nelson

 

I like the stringers you already will have as best choice. A nice runner up is cheap electrical conduit. It's rigid enough to curve gently and predicable, and the hammer in conduit holders are handy location stoppers. Just make sure to put them in lost side as they make bigger holes than a pin or finish nail.


Barry

 

What is called Oregon in OZ is actually Douglas Fir. Never use Hemlock or Hem/Fir in a boat as the strength is less and it rots easily. I like rectangular battens say 1/4 by 1 1/2 for a variety of uses. The main thing is clear straight grain.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll use the batten to make the curve.
Without this forum I'd be lost!

 

Freddyj
You will use the fairing batten a lot in your build so take a leaf out of the professional boat building 101 book and make yourself a good batten as advised, we usually have several of differing sizes for different curves and one tapered especially for those pesky shapes that just don't want to loft to plan.
For full length we scarf join a length of stock timber clear cedar, white pine and Oregan all work well, we then run one face over the table plane making sure the face is on the table at all times and this creates a full length batten as good as you will get. Once doing a Ron Given Catamaran at Dickson Marine we made a batten with this method 60' long.
Ask lots of questions post photo's and you will fly through the build.
Regards
Matt and the team @ Ezifold Yachts

 

I got the pontoon hull sides cut out last night. But I noticed there is a down turn on top from the last frame to the stern. I can't see it in any pictures I have, but I measured over and over and there it is.

 

shape

It sounds exactly correct Fred. The sides look strange on the floor, but when you bend them into shape, they are right- the shear has some flare, and the hull shapes its self. You should see the "funny" shape a power boat's sides have before you put it together
If you are really afraid you didn't measure correctly, use a set of your paper patterns and make a model hull. The scale right off the plans works very well. I pasted an extra sheet to some stiff cardboard and cut it out and hot glued it together. It is really nice for working out all kinds of design/construction details, and doesn't take long. Models are good
B

 

Thanks, bruceb, I just figured I'd better ask someone before I wasted some expensive wood. By next week it should be starting to look like a boat. I'm excited! 65 hours into the build so far. I'm keeping track to see if I make good time. I have to work as much as I can when it's cold out, because come spring I have a huge list of honey-dos that will take up most of my spare daylight hours through the summer. Plus, when it's nice out, Sundays are for sailing, not working.

 

clamping

By all means, don't waste wood- but larger "mis-cuts" can always be recycled into a smaller part, or the next boat.
Before you get out the glue, dry assemble your hull sides and work out your clamping and holding system. A helper is really nice to have and much faster when you have to handle the long sides. Be nice to them and they might help you for the next two hulls
BTW, where did you end up ordering your ply from?
B