New thread...in the middle of my scow build.

I started a modified Stevenson's Scow and guess I never started a thread on it here so I'll catch you up...

Here are some scans from the book where I got the plans.










Mods planned: more freeboard (3"+), daggerboard for main lateral resistance and possibly a small pivoting leeboard to beach with, 75 sf balanced lug rig (because I have a nice brand new sail and want to use it), 2" more beam aft and 3" forward, a bit of rocker aft and the kick up rudder from SkipJack. Should actually look much like the scans but a bit taller.

{Last Spring}

Started in earnest today...got the sides cut out and matched and marked out the ply bottom. I got my hands on this really nice 12 ft quartersawn DF 4x4...except there is one knot which might give me trouble. I think I can work around it and get my mast out of it. It'll be 2.5x2.5 tapering to 1.5x1.5 solid. I've strayed from the plans a bit more...I added some rocker aft but it is a pretty straight run aft so I might still plane in good wind. I didn't like the idea of the transom dragging so much in non planing sailing. Beam will be a bit wider at 48" at the aft transom and 30.5" at the bow transom. I already have a 12"x48"x1.1" thick laminated daggerboard...still in the rough but ready to shape. Tomorrow I'll be cutting out the ply bottom and starting to work on the daggerboard case. Even though the daggerboard is 12" wide I'll do up the case at 16" and use plugs so I can work out the position for best balance then make the plugs semi-permanent. I'm borrowing the rig from Michalak's Woobo...I have the plans and a nice dacron sail spec'd for it. I'll be using the rudder from SkipJack (kick-up) and possibly putting a small folding leeboard on one side so I can sail right up to beaching after pulling the DB.







Ok...pic 1 and 2 show the rough cut sides. Both ends are 24" outside edge to outside edge. Shows the rocker I added to the aft end. Pic 3 shows the bottom edges matched with a plane. I still have to bevel the top for the deck but that is a quick run through the table saw.

 

{May 18 09}

Update: Finally got off my fat bottom this morning (I only have to work one job tonight) so I cut transoms, glued and screwed things together and I have a hull...half way there and 90% to go :





Well...2 steps forward and 1 step back! Today I found out that yesterday was FUBAR. If you notice in the scans...the transom has nifty wings...check the pics from yesterday. So...today I figured to cut a piece in the right shape and stick it on there. 'Cept that the sides were supposed to be notched and the wings extending from the shear out and down. SoOoO...I had to do surgery on the transom to accept the piece and I will have to make a plywood cover to hide my shame. I'll post pics when I am not so discouraged to take them. Right now it's a rum and coke and a few minutes in the moaning chair before I go to bed.

{May 24}

Well here is the latest installment>

1: Bottom of pic- piece to fill in the transom properly...

2: on the right- the big board is the daggerboard blank: 4 layers of 6mm 5ply plywood. Horizontal line is the bottom of the boat and vertical line is the maximum chord at 1/3.

3: Center top- the mast partner/center deck support/upper DB case support.

4: upper Left- one side of the DB case: 3/4" 13 ply plywood.

5: left middle- template for positioning the DB.

6: bottom with clamps- spacer because a 1x12 isn't and I need 12 1/4" for the crown of the after Bulkhead.

 

{June 23}

UPDATE!

Got the DB case made, and the other bulkhead, cut out the deck panel and dryfitted things together. Started to work on the Dagger board too.

 

{July 6}

Got some more work done this morning. It doesn't look like it but most things had to come apart and then get glued and screwed in. I know...there's a big gap between the DB and case. I did this on purpose so I could shift it around when using different sail rigs...for tuning the balance. I am going to have various plugs to fill the hole(s) depending on it's position in the case. There are 4 inches of movement to play with. I also made a shim for part of the upper DB case...this is to support the deck over the case area because there was a gap. My goof up, I wanted the case to go through the deck and get trimmed flush but I pooched it (again!)

 

{July 11}

Much done today. Started with Jamming mucho caffeine so I could stay up then I started as soon as I got off work. Mast rough cut and laminated together:



Then I carved out one of the aft deck panels. (note: the book shows nesting them on one sheet but that gives one good side up and one crappy side up...I used two sheets of ply to get two good sides.):



And a different angle:




I took it off and traced it then matched them together:





and finally...I couldn't resist seeing it with a sail so I stuck in the old rig from my ScoutCanu (the CE is too far back I know)

 

{July 13}

Today's update: Got the rudder blade made...going with the original for now and will make kick-up later. Sealed all the seams on the inside of the hull also. Now for the not so good news...got all the clamps off the mast and proudly extended it out in front of me...William Tell would be in heaven.The damn thing has a good 3/4 inch WONK to it Surprised :-[ . PLUS...the hole and the mast are 90 deg apart in orientation...so the WONK would be to the left or the right if left as is. This means I'll have to plane down the wider sides and then glue a thickener or use a wedge so the mast will fit the partner...or cut the partner larger and laminate a smaller, correctly shaped piece on top. I had already planned on trimming the hole so that last might be the way I'll go. No pics as I don't have time today.

{April 13 2010)
So that is where things kinda petered out. In August I ousted the estranged wife from my house (I was staying at a friends...5+ years) and had to move all my stuff and get settled in. I did some work in the garage over the fall, mainly adding bracing under the side decks, doing up the rudder (left over from a different project...needed re-design and alteration) and sealing and painting the interior prior to buttoning things up. I intend on putting a hatch in the deck to access the forward space for inspection.

 

{Yesterday}

Well...the Scow emerged from hibernation today...mounted the rudder just to do SOMETHING with it. I still have the combings to do plus finish the daggerboard and fill/sand/coat/paint. Also on deck are the spars to fab and the daggerboard wedges/fillers. The mast has the halyard sheave installed but I think I made the hole too big...the rope comes out if there is slack. I will have to fix it with a shim or two to reduce the space available.

Here is how it stands now:

 

Thanks. I follow with keen interest.

 

Gonna splash this one (officially) at lake Pepin 1st weekend of June. Unofficially I might just get it wet to find out if it leaks or submarines straight to the bottom. I want to paint it as a flag... with the wings as the field of stars and the length as the stripes...but that may not happen by June. It just might end up just plain blue and white (in the above areas) until later in the summer.

 

Pogo boat

Reminds me of the scows in the old Pogo the Possum cartooms from the 1950's. My brother and I are thinking of a quick and dirty build of a 20' by 3' scow to row in the annual river race this August. Any thoughts on how it might row.

 

Pogo had more of a punt.

"We have found the enemy, and they are us."

 

http://www.pogopossum.com/

 

I used to run around singing "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie" when I was in high school. Not saying I had issues, but I was probably the only one in town who knew every word of it....

 

Depends on your bottom profile....er...the boat's bottom profile. A gentle curve upwards aft to get the bottom of the transom out of the water will do wonders to ease rowing effort. Needless to say...so I'm gonna say it anyways...the bow has to be out of the water too...for the most part.

Update on mine...laminated the spars together and did some surfaces sealing with the leftovers. Something weird with me... the closer the deadline comes the more the lethargy sets in. It takes more effort to get enthusiastic about doing things. Today I ended up sleeping through about 5 hours of good building time and frittering away another 2 or 3 on the computer.

 

scow build

I'm thinking of pinching in the bottom at the bow to create a bit of a vee as well as keeping the bow and stern well out of the water. The whole idea is a kind of joke. I've rowed the North River Race for 11 of the last twelve years and won all 11. time for some comic relief in the form of a Pogo boat and outrageous paint job and stupid name. Hmm.... Quoting Pogo, only a few people can do that.