Stitch-n-glue or Strip?

This poll is pertaining to smaller boats (under 20' in LOA). i have built some smaller canoes and kayaks using these methods and was wondering which method you guys liked better.

 

If you have to chose just one method, strip planking lets you build "everything". I prefer a combination, strips in a rind bottom, developable plywood or sandwich in the topsides, decks and superstructure.

 

I have done strip-built exclusively. I like being able to build a hull with compound curvature. You're not limited to a hard chined hull. Strip-built is simple though tedious at times. I differ in preference from Raggi_Thor in that I like to strip the deck also only because I like a bright finished mahogany deck.

I have a strong aversion/distain for ply. I'm working hard to get over it. In the right place,it can/will be lighter and stronger than other methods. If your deck is going to be an open water work zone, even if it's just working the head sails, a ply deck with cloth set in paint or some other such anti-skid material could make ply the better choice of the two.

A boat that is designed to maximize material strengths is going to utilize a mixture of different materials. Probably not so much in boats under 20' LOA, but you could get a radius chine on a stitch and glue by putting a few strips at the chine.

 

I choose strip, for the only reason that even after all the proof that stitch and glue works i just do not have much faith. beside might as well build a damn fiberglass boat.

 

Personally...I mostly use stitch and glue, but I usually go for the 'workboat' look. Almost all the boats I have built have been built simply to test out a design and not meant to last the ages (don't have the room to store them). I find the method simple and easy to do, and goes rather quickly if you have sufficient chunks of time to lend to it. Yes it is pretty much chine only method of building, but you can make 4 to 7 chines and approximate a round bilge quite nicely. The hardest part is getting the framing installed while keeping the boat square. A few moulds help in this regard. Here are a couple that I did up that are now being built (not by me).

Steve
Edited to add a couple of in progress pictures of Guideboat15.

 

Are there any noticeable costs differences?

Milan

 

Lewisboats

I'm actually with a playing design that is SnG for the lower hull and stripped on the sides and deck. A 24' planing dinghy (can a dinghy be 24'?) with a contoured mahogany deck. Kind of an upside-down thing. Hard corners(multi-chined) on the bottom and round on the top.

Milan

With strip-built, the material for the strips can cheaper than the ply if you make the strips yourself. I wouldn't build with strips without glass and that adds additional cost. I would think that strips will come in a bit cheaper than SnG overall, but you make up for it in time spent on the project. Just so you know, I've not built with SnG.

 

Thank's for the answer LP. I have built couple of boats with a ply, (both ways, traditional, over bulkheads and stringers and SnG). Didn't try strips yet, but I laminated masts, crossbeams and similar. Wood is cheaper then ply, but soaks more glue, so I couldn't really tell which method would be cheaper.

Milan

 

Lewisboats,

Just curious, what do you do with the hulls when you're done with them? Since your essentially prototyping, do you use non-marine ply? Have you used Free!Ship to define the flat patterns for your planks? If so, are they accurate? Do you add additional material for the lap or is there a trick you use in Free!Ship?

 

Lets see...I sold one for $25, I gave a couple away and the rest are laying around the back yard. I still use 3 of them, one of which is going on 5 years old. I used the cheapest luan I could get, usually on sale for about $7 /sheet for 5.4 mm and $25 /sheet for 19mm. I haven't yet used Freeship for panel patterns (mainly because the releases previous to 2.5 didn't include end points for the panels in the development).
There are no laps, it is true S&G with the edges of the ply butting together. To modify for laps might take a bit of experimentation...such as adding 1/2" to 3/4" to the bottom of each panel and beveling the tops of the panels then seeing if things fit as is or if additional spiling is needed.
Update on the Guideboat15...Ken (the builder) says he has finished filleting and glassing the inside and will be doing the outside soon. I'll put up a couple of pics when I get them.

Steve

 

This is the latest picture I have gotten, but it is a few weeks old. Last updaye has the boat just about ready to get wet. I am anxiously awaiting the pictures from that.

Steve

 

Stitch and glue is for chined plywood hulls. Strip is for round hulls.
I suppose you could strip a chined hull, you can't stitch and glue a round hull, because ply wood doesn't bend that way.

 

I like S&G mostly for the fact that you can build a few S&G boats in the time it takes to built one strip-built.

Each have their place.

 

in case you haven't seen it: here is a thread with updated pictures of the S&G boat, due to get wet tonight{4-21-06} (no motor) and tomorrow with motor.

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11329

Steve