Very new to boatbuilding, have some questions!

[Joey Bergeron]

The Lake Scows of Lake Minnetonka and White Bear Lake, Minnesota, built by Johnson's boat Works, were built of white cedar.before the fiberglass models. There were many sizes. M scows, C scows.One of the kargest was the E Scow. I use to own one. Pictured below.
View attachment 158210 View attachment 158211

They are very fast, with enormous rigs, and complicated to sail. Hull is 26 ft long, mast is 32 ft long. Big sails!You can see the boom is long and sticks past the transom. Requires running backstays, Twin rudders and twin bilge boards also. Lots of strings to pull!

Certainly don't recommend building one!
White cedar is a good, strong, light weight, boat building wood., is my point.

I'm happy to hear that! It'd be much easier for me to use directly my white cedar instead of selling maple in order to buy white oak..

If so, I may try it with this type of wood! Thanks a lot!

 

[gonzo]

Viking boats and ships are very hard to build. Perhaps you could get a modern design that mimics a viking ship. Vikings didn't know the saw. All parts are made of split logs and carved or planed. Keep in mind that you are building a boat. This is not a ship that will get hauled out once every decade. Maple is fine as are other readily available species.

 

[hoytedow]

The better you seal it the longer it'll last.

 

[hoytedow]

Keep it out of the weather when you aren't using it.

 

[Yobarnacle]

Build it inside your house. Live in a tent during construction. You wouldn't be the first! LOL

As to Gonzo's endorsement of maple. i built a large house for my family, about thirty years ago, and trimmed it in Birdseye maple. Beautiful grained wood though expensive. All cabinet work, door and window interior facings, baseboards, cove moldings, stair banisters, all Birdseye.
The appraiser devalued the house, because I didn't trim it in traditional crappy red oak!
I had to laugh! Sure, the notion red oak was more valuable or attractive than maple, was ridiculous!
But my laughter was because I delighted in lower property taxes after that appraisal! LOL

 

[Joey Bergeron]

Viking boats and ships are very hard to build. Perhaps you could get a modern design that mimics a viking ship. Vikings didn't know the saw. All parts are made of split logs and carved or planed. Keep in mind that you are building a boat. This is not a ship that will get hauled out once every decade. Maple is fine as are other readily available species.

I'm very glad to here that maple could do it if I really have nothing else. And you are right, maybe a more modern design would be a better idea.

Just wondering, I want to chop down the trees that I will use in the building myself and I'd like to know what characteristics a good tree should have. I mean if I go for a fir or pine or even cedar, there will have a lot of branches all along the height of the tree. Are the knots a problem?

Thanks!

 

[Yobarnacle]

Sometimes, a thick limb at an appropriate angle, allows you to harvest a naturally grown knee or crook, or stem to keel connecting piece, or a breast hook, (vee shaped piece at deck level top of stem).. Natural curves for ribs, straight sections for planking. Takes a good eye to see boat parts in standing trees.
First, you need to know and be able to visualize what parts you need and their shapes and dimensions.

A design and plan first. Then full dimension lofting. Then acquire materials.
Unless you want a steam punk boat, assembled from odd ends found at hand! LOL

 

[Joey Bergeron]

Are free plans a thing? Should I maybe think of using one of those? Because since I don't know at all how hard is boat building or how long and complicated it could be, I'd like not to "waste" 300 bucks on a plan I'll finally not like that much. I saw a couple of free plans on Plans and Kits for Beginner, Amateur and Professional Boat Builders https://www.duckworks.com/boat-plans-and-kits-s/103.htm and I'd like to know if those could be a good start

Oh, and by the way, thanks a LOT for all your answers, you are all so nice I didn't thought I'd have such good tips and tricks so fast!

 

[hoytedow]

Nous aimon partager nos connaissances avec ceux qui veulent apprendre.
Happy to help.

 

[gonzo]

I'm very glad to here that maple could do it if I really have nothing else. And you are right, maybe a more modern design would be a better idea.

Just wondering, I want to chop down the trees that I will use in the building myself and I'd like to know what characteristics a good tree should have. I mean if I go for a fir or pine or even cedar, there will have a lot of branches all along the height of the tree. Are the knots a problem?

Thanks!

If you are cutting your own trees there will be a considerable delay to your boat project. You can build a drying kiln and probably get the wood to a low enough level of moisture in a few months (keeping it warm enough). Otherwise, air drying can take a couple of years. If the wood is for steam bending, you should use it green (within a month or so of cutting) for less time steaming.

 

[Joey Bergeron]

If you are cutting your own trees there will be a considerable delay to your boat project. You can build a drying kiln and probably get the wood to a low enough level of moisture in a few months (keeping it warm enough). Otherwise, air drying can take a couple of years. If the wood is for steam bending, you should use it green (within a month or so of cutting) for less time steaming.

Well, I thought I had to steam bend some planks? Adding to that, I don't know at all how to do that. I read that if the wood is green, it's possible to bend it just by putting the wood over a fire (or hot water in order to really steam it)

And why does the wood have to be dried in order to build the boat in question? Is there a reason?

 

[hoytedow]

Wet wood will not allow protective coatings to adhere. Wet wood shrinks as it dries. Cracks will form as this happens.

 

[hoytedow]

Wet wood is heavy and prone to decay.

 

[Rumars]

It does not have to be air dried for years but a boat buildt with green lumber has to stay in the water.

 

[hoytedow]

...and if it stays in the water things will start growing in it, including fungi.