BBW Jumbo Challenger Yak build

Since all the planks were built up flat they must be cut to developed shapes. You are correct about the need for glassing. My experiment is with a hybrid style using some ply and some strips; I used ribs to provide cross-ply strength to avoid using glass, but it turned out to be time-consuming because there were a lot of steps followed by time for glue to set.

This method may be restricted to developable hulls but it allows some nice artistic work using the natural grain to enhance the appearance of the boat. At the same time it is much less time-consuming than the regular strip method because many strips can be laid down and glued together flat in a single step; in fact space permitting the entire set of planks could probably be built up in a single day.

It's a great idea that deserves to be better known.

 

This method was developed for hard chined boats and will work on any stitch and glue design. The panels are not just layed up as square sheets but are glued up with the shape of the panels built into them.
As far as strength, I think they are stronger than the same thickness ply , you have a glue line every 3/4 of an inch that serves as a stiffener and is bi directional.
These boats will be one layer of wood and covered with 6 ounce glass inside and out.
Judging from the other boats built using this method they are close to bullet proof .
This boat should weigh in between 40 and 50 lbs , not bad for a 16 ft boat.
Ron

 

For the same weight cedar can be thicker than plywood. This provides greater strength in the fore-and-aft direction but not athwartships where there is about 30% less strength compared with ply, which gains from the grain orientation of its core veneer.

However that is only true without glass, with glass there would be an increase in strength in both directions when using cedar, mainly due to the increased separation of the glass layers - the wood acts more or less as a spacer.

 

I always glass inside and out on these light craft and that is what I was referring to .
Ron

 

Gorgeous work txriverrat

 

Pre coated the boat with epoxy and went back and color matched the stitch holes .

Then sanded her back down with 120 grit


Got a couple more places to touch up then its time to put the cloth on her
Ron

 

Cut and laid the cloth on the hull , I let it sit an hour or so rubbing out the wrinkles a few times.



Then on with the epoxy , I am still amazed at how it clears and the wood shows trough.





Ron

 

Yesterday I didnt post but here is what I accomplished , fill coat applied

and glass trimed



She is starting to get a little shine now.

Today I flipped her over removed the forms and applied the filets and end pours.



Ron

 

Got the filets cleaned up and glass put on most of the inside.



I am doing the glass in several pieces, they call it the safari lay up , you double lap the glass in the area of the cockpit that gets the most strain and it acts like another rib in the boat.
I also have the bulkheads stripped ready to plane tomorrow.
Ron

 

Nice work, I'm quite intrigued by your technique. Just to confirm, this is being built as a kayak? What is the deck going to look like?

 

First ,I listed this under a kayak,but how do you tell the difference between a decked canoe and a yak?
This is a fresh water boat and will have a 5 ft deck in front and a 4 ft in back ,decks will be striped and curved. It will have a 7 ft open cockpit.
Ron

 

The definition I use is based on where it's paddled from. A canoe is paddled from the ends, a kayak is paddled from the center. I'm sure it's not the most complete, but it's the best I've been able to find.

 

Not if it's paddled solo. Some folk claim it's the paddle that makes the difference but I use a kayak-style double paddle and my canoes have no decks. IMHO it's a decked canoe, on the basis of the large cockpit and what looks like a lot of freeboard.

 

Its my boat so I am going to call it a yak
I think the lines have got so foggy and vague that you can just about call one what you want.
Ron

 

Got the bulkheads laid up and glassed



Think they are going to blend pretty well



Ron