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Solid wood hull construction.

  • 15 Apr 2017 14:48
    Quote
    Reply # 4753408 on 4751801
    Deleted user

    David,

    I am familiar with the cold molded construction. In fact I am doing something similar right now. I am applying the second layer of 2.7mm marine bendy ply over the 6mm plywood skin. Comes out quite nice. Though it consumes a lot of epoxy and extra time. My thinking is about faster way of hull construction. Especially when you are building a longer hull. So, I thought if you fix wider planks to the frames (in case of hard chine hull shape) and sheath it with the glass it may speed up the all process. The planks would have a Z joint not tongue in groove. The trade off would be making more frames. There is always trade offs... some thinking needs to be done about it.         
  • 14 Apr 2017 18:38
    Quote
    Reply # 4752444 on 4751801
    Anonymous member

    Vlad

    If you have the skills and resources anything is possible.  This video shows a boat that was built on the beach from a couple of trees!!  No epoxy or GRP to be found anywhere.

    I don't want to get drawn into a debate about the gentleman involved in building her, but it does illustrate that you can buy a couple of trees and sail away..... after a lot of hard work.  This boat has since sailed to Europe and then the Caribbean.  Actually this was his second boat built like this.  He sailed the first one to New Zealand and sold it.

    Hope it provides you with a little inspiration.

    Peter
  • 14 Apr 2017 12:11
    Quote
    Reply # 4751953 on 4751801
    Anonymous member

    Of course, it will still pay to buy top quality solid hardwood, but in Africa, that should be available. I heard of a strip planked boat that rotted out within eight years, due to the use of poor quality red cedar. I wouldn't want to avoid the use of epoxy, it brings so many benefits with it, but it's certainly possible to avoid the use of plywood. Double diagonal and triple diagonal construction have long been known as ways to build a strong boat, and in fact, what you're doing is making plywood in situ rather than buying it in sheets.

    Reuel Parker, in his book The New Cold-Molded Boatbuilding, talks about building the compound-curved bottoms of his boats with longitudinal tongue and groove planks, followed by double diagonal planks (though he then goes on to use plywood for the topsides and decks).
  • 14 Apr 2017 10:09
    Quote
    Message # 4751801
    Deleted user

    Hi, everyone.

    Having some experience in ply wood epoxy hull construction, I've started to have ideas of building a boat without those two components. Though epoxy is not much of a problem, the ply wood is. At least here in South Africa. Even paying at top penny will not necessarily buy you a high quality sheets.

     For quite some time  I was looking at China Cloud, 35 years old and still floating well, without epoxy or glass sheathing. So, my question to respectable members of JRA is What do you think about similar construction method of the hull? Let's say it will be a hull 12 meters long on deck, hull shape like David's/Annie's SibLim. The planks could be wider then strip planking ( due to the flat panels of the bottom and hull sides) bolted o nailed to frames. I think hull construction could be quite fast this way. Sheathing hull and deck with the glass may be an option.

    I will really appreciate any input and ideas.

    Vlad.     

          

     
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