30' plywood sharpie

It looks like two of them.

 

Adds character.

 

Since I'm a woodworker to the bone, I was using 'fiberglass' in the most ill-informed, generic way, to mean 'some of that there stinky, sticky stuff that sets up like plastic.'

 

I would seriously question the use of that piece in that location, The strength of the wood is obviously compromised.

If I were in a buying mood and looking for a boat that right there would lead me to pass that one up. If thats the level of craftsmanship in a piece right in front of my eyes then whats the level of detail where I cant see whats going on?

yikes

 

Those beams look like a bit of overkill to begin with, particularly if he's decking with 1/2" ply. And that looks like a tight ('live') knot that isn't all the way through the beam.

I wouldn't have put it there, but I doubt the structural integrity is compromised enough to worry about.

 

knots do funny things over time
a spike knot ok maybe a sound knot who knows but a big ugly irregular thing like that
agreed
I'd have not used that board either even if it were the last one in the yard

in twenty years if that beam is still holding its shape or if its not cracked clean through I'd be kinda surprised

oh well not my boat anyway but just thought I'd point it out

 

As I said, it looks like a 'tight' or 'live' knot; it was still living when it was enclosed by the tree, and is part of the wood instead of just being stuck into it. For most purposes, tight knots are considered cosmetic blemishes instead of structural defects. Depending on how deep into the beam this particular one is, it might be problematic because it isn't completely surrounded.

But judging by its irregularity, I'd say it's pretty much the edge of the knot anyway, and isn't deep enough into the beam to be a concern.

Nevertheless, I agree with you. I wouldn't have used that particular piece for a beam either.

 

OK, the cabin is roughed in.

If I were building the boat itself, I'd have started with the corner posts and braced them off. Since it's a model and I was fiddling with the dimensions, tumblehome, crown, etc., I boxed it in first. Now I'll notch the corner posts into place, then frame the rest of the cabin and cut the companionway.

I was originally planning to make the entire cabin a separate piece (on the model, not the full-sized boat), but decided it's simpler to just let the cabin top be removable.

 

More pic's. I don't really have time to start framing the cabin this weekend, much less cutting in the companionway and the portholes. But since the sides and ends are roughed in, I taped on a temporary top so I could get a feel for the overall shape of the cabin.

OK, it still isn't a sleek and streamlined cabin. But it doesn't look too bad to me, especially considering it's perched on what is essentially an over-sized, glorified flat-bottom canoe. And I think it'll look better with rounded corner posts, trim and a paint job.







It doesn't really stand out in these pictures, but the forward end of the cabin has a bit of a curve to it -- about the same as the deck crown. I think it'll make a noticeable difference in the looks of the finished boat.

 

Hey Troy, I've really enjoyed watching you design and build this model. I wonder , have you calculated the waterline at your intended displacement. From where I am sitting it looks to me like a little more freeboard might be useful, and it will help conceal some of the height of that cabin.

Carry on with the good work.

 

Draft is only about 9"; deliberately so. The stem comes just out of the water, and the stern clears it at about the after end of the cockpit.

The boat will have low bulwarks (or tall toe rails, depending on your viewpoint). That'll help visually, as will a fairly deep cockpit coaming/backrest coming off the cabin.

I have considered a few more inches of freeboard, for more reasons than one. But I don't want a pointy floating box for a hull, which is what many sharpies look like when they try to raise the freeboard.

 

One way to obtain more headroom is to increase the camber of the deck. That can disguise the external height and help minimise windage as well. Also, a strategically-placed clerestory (not sure of the boating term) can create a place inside where you can stand upright.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

I did try more crown, and didn't like it any more on my boat than I do on the NIS sharpies. It contrasted sharply with the existing curves of the boat, and called entirely too much attention to itself. It fairly screamed, "look at me! I am A Solution To A Headroom Problem!"

For standing room to pull my pants on or to stretch, I'll rely on a long sliding companionway hatch; it's going to reach almost half the length of the cabin unless I change my mind.

And as mentioned earlier, I always have the option of putting a pop-top on the cabin, if I really don't like what I wind up with....

 

One last picture before bedtime. I grabbed a piece of scrap, whittled it down, and taped it onto the boat to give a very rough idea of what I'm going to do for a cockpit coaming/back rest. Please don't hold me to the shape or size....I free-handed it in about 30 seconds with a utility knife. It does blend the cabin into the hull better, though. I suppose I could do the John Atkin thing and put another pair off the forward end of the cabin, to keep splash off the hatch and lower the perceived cabin height even more. But I'm not really into overkill.

I also stuck the mast blanks into place temporarily, to give an idea of the rig size. It's going to be a lofty one for a shallow-draft 28' boat, although not as extreme as the summer rigs on the original New Haven sharpies. The foremast will be 26' above deck, and the main 24' above deck. Yes, I plan to reef a lot. But I also plan to slide across the water while everyone else is firing up iron breezes.

On the model the masts are 3/8" dowels, which translates into a scaled 4 1/2" at the thickest points. But they'll slim down to about 1 3/4" at the top. With proper proportions, of course; they won't be just a straight taper.

 

I like the boat dont get me wrong but you also have good taste in oil paintings

cheers
B