oak, elm, pine or mahogany. Draw each frame carefully on a piece of building paper and make the assembly over this after cutting the parts to shape on the bandsaw. The side frames are curved out a t the bottom to pro- duce a good landing on the bottom frames. An optional method of construction is to butt the side and bottom frames together and tie them with %-in. plywood gussets on either side. The transom is band sawed from %-in. marine plywood to the dimensions given. I t is cleated at the edges and bottom with the frame stock. The transom is raked 9 degrees, %%% which amounts to 2% in. in the height given. The top and bottom bevels can be cut at the time of sawing out.

Frame assembly: Banta is built upside 2 down on a level surface, the most convenient method of working being to make a building platform, as shown in the drawing. On the surface of the platform, run in a pencil center- line and mark the station lines. Cleats fastened parallel to the sta vide a support a frames. The keel is now fastened to the frames and transom, checking carefully to maintain each frame true and square with the building platform. The stem is a triangular piece of white oak, mounted at the extreme nose of the building platform at an angle of 67 degrees. It is a good idea to make a full-size drawing of the assembly at the stem since this will show exact lengths, angles, etc. As can be seen in the stem detail and section drawings, the for- ward end of the keel fastens to a nose block, I

the nose block being held to the stem by a knee. The chines go on easily, the assembly at the stem being to either side of the nose block. All joints are screw-fastened. The carriage bolt fastenings at the stem are not put in until the boat is complete. It will be noted in the draw- ing that the forward end of chines and keel sOe are saw kerfed. This makes bending easier and also helps to maintain a full curve. The kerfs can be cut on the band saw, I/s in. deep and 1 in. apart for the chines, and %e in. deep by 11/4? in. apart on the keel. All frames must be beveled to carry out a smooth line, and the keel and chines are planed down to come flush with the frame shape. The sheer batten goes on without much trouble, being let into the stem. The whole frame assembly should be made dry and is knocked down and reassembled with cold resin glue after the work of fitting has been -

217

finished and found completely satisfactory. Planking: Planking for Banta is 1/4-in.

fir plywood of the waterproof, resin-bond- ed type. Two standard 4 by 12-ft. sheets are required. One sheet will make the two side planks, while the other sheet will cut the two bottom planks and the deck. The side planks are applied first. Fitting is quite simple since the half sheet of ply- wood can be bent to the frames and held with clamps while the shape is being marked with a pencil. The planks are cut off square a t the stem and will provide a flat of about 3/4 in. on which to land the outer stem piece. The bottom planks butt together at the keel and extend over the side planks. All fitting should be done dry, after which the permanent assembly can be made with cold resin glue. The outer keel is vee-cut on the circular saw to fit the angle of the bottom planking.

Floor and deck: The fitting of floor boards is quite simple and clearly shown in the drawings. The deck is %-in. marine p l y ~ o o c l bent to a crown of about 2 in. The main deck beam is spanned across frame No. 1. There is an intermediate deck beam about 15 in. forward of this, and a breast- hook at the extreme forward position be- hind the stem. Notches are cut on the

inner edge of No. 2 and No. 3 side frames to take the inwales. At frame No. 1 the inwale is beveled slightly and fastened di- rectly to the sheer batten, as can be seen in the drawings. At the transom the in- wales are let into wooden knees. Seats are spanned across the hull and butt against the planking. Each seat is supported with a riser at the center and at either end, the end risers extending down to the chines.

Finishing: The hull can be finished nat- ural or painted as desired. In either case, the fir planking will take a much better finish if given a first coat of special ply- wood sealer and primer. This will pre- vent hairline checking and the typical fir fault of showing the ridges of the grain structure even under two or three coats of paint. The use of oak for any member which is to be finished bright should be avoided since it tends to blacken on con- tact with fastenings and glue. A typical finish would be red or green bottom up to the chine: red outer stem and half round moulding; interior natural wood varnished or painted buff brown; floor boards dark green. Minimum hardware would include lifting handles fore and aft, kapoc-filled cushions, and oars or a paddle. In addition to minimum equipment, Banta must com-

ply to government regulations for Class A Detachable Canvas Seat in Boat power craft if operated on Federal wa- ~~~~~~~d~~~~ E~~~~ person terways.

MATERIAL LIST LUMBER

Frames, oak, elm, mahogany, white pine. 3 pcs., % x 8 x 8 f t .

Transom, waterproof fir or mahogany marine plywood, 1 pc., 3/4 x 17 X 39

Inner Keel, oak, pine, spruce, yellow pine, 1 PC., % x x I 1 ft.

Outer Keel, oak, yellow pine, 1 pc., % x 7/s x 11 ft.

Chines, pine, oak, mahogany, 2 pcs., 76 X 1 12

ft. Sheer Battens, oak, mahogany, 2 pcs.. 3/8 X 1 X 12

ft. Nose Block. oak. 1 pc.. 7/s x 5 x 6 Stem Knee, oak. 1 pc.. 1% x 5 x 8 Planking, waterproof fir o r mahogany marine ply-

wood, 2 pcs.. % x 4 ft. x 12 f t . Deck, waterproof fir o r mahogany marine ply-

wood. This item r i l l cu t from planking stock on sheet used for bottom planking

Deck Beams, white pine, spruce, 1 pc., % x 8 x 4 ft.

Breasthook, white oak, yellow pine, 1 pc., 1 '/4 x 5 x 8

Inwales, oak, ell ow pine, mahogany, 2 pcs.. 6/8 x 1% x 9 ft.

Inner Stem. oak. yellow pine. 1 pc.. 1 "/a x 2 x 18 Outer Stem, oak, yellow pine, 1 pc., 3/4 x 2 x 18

Floor Boards, white pine, cypress, redwood, 4 pcs., % x 5 x 9 ft.

Seats, white pine, mahogany, 1 pc., % x 12 x 8 ft.

Seat Supports, white pine, 1 pc., 3/4 x 8 x 4 ft. Motor Pads, '/4 fir plywood, 2 pcs., '/4 x 5 x 12.

This item will cu t from planking stock Transvm Knees, yellow pine. white oak. 1 pc.,

I % x 8 x 8 Sheer Mouldinq, yellow pine, white pine, 2 pcs..

1 inch half round, 12 ft . long

FASTENINGS

(galvanized, cadmium plated o r brass) Planking, flat head wood screws, 1 inch No. 6,

34 doz. Frames to keel, chines to frames, 1 % inch No.

10, 4 doz. Deck, % inch No. 6, 4 doz. Transom cleats, frame assembly, 1 '/4 inch No. 8,

4 do+. Floors, seats, inwales, 1 '/4 inch No. 8, 4 doz. Outer keel t o inner keel. outer stem to inner

stem. 2 inch No. 10. 2 doz.

MISCELLANEOUS

1 pint sold rosin glue

1 quart plywood sealer and primer 1 plnt undercoat paint, enough for 1 coat 1 quart finish paint, enough fo r 2 coats 3 lifting handles, 1 a t stem. 2 a t transom Class A equipment if boat is operated on federal

waterways I

This boat seat, which is made from heavy canvas, comes in handy when carrying an extra passenger. I t hooks into screw eyes driven into the boat sides and is quickly removed and rolled up when not in use.

Canoe Carried Single-Handed

Sportsmen who employ a light canoe on their hunting or fishing trips are often obliged to carry i t around rapids or shal- lows. If two pieces of broomstick are pro- vided with a canvas shoulder strap, as shown, they may be used to carry the boat, much more conveniently. The ends of the handles fit into iron brackets screwed to the inner surface of the canoe.

If you're itching to jointhe crowd afloat this year,here's how you can in

A BoatThat

Anyone Can BuildYou can power it with oars or outboard. Neither time nor costshould stop you. About $12 and 16 hours will complete the job.

By Stanley Stearns

IF YOU are a professional boatbuilder, letyour wife cut out this article before you

read any more. And don't blow up if shebegins telling you what a snap job you have.For it's true that anyone can build this boat.

If you are just plain anyone, beg a fewdollars (about 12), borrow some tools (ahammer, chisel, plane, saw and a heavydrift), buy your materials and steal some

time (around 16 hoursif you don't waste anyof it). You'll wind upwith a strong boat thatwill perform well withany outboard from 1.5to 22 horsepower andwill even respond torowing.

The lack of a frame-work is the secret of

the simple construction. The sides fairnaturally around the single mold stick in-serted between the stem and the stern. Youcan bang the job together with about fourpounds of eight-penny nails—use galvanized,bronze or copper nails if you're around salt

200 POPULAR SCIENCE

water. In fresh water, plain nails will last10 to 15 years, but salt water eats them upfast. If you plan to power the boat with ahusky outboard, toss in a few screws hereand there, where nails can't be clinched.

Check the list of materials and take a lookat Figure 1 to see how the parts arechopped out, then chop away.

A rabbet plane is ideal for cutting thescarfs and rabbets (notches) in both thestem and side planks, but it can be donewith an ordinary plane, if you clean thecorners with a chisel. Do the transom andkeel first, if you wish, for morale purposes—you'll need to have something accomplishedto forestall snide remarks from your familyand neighbors. The stem should present nodifficulties. Just shape it and leave the endsuntil later. The less said about the sideplanks the better, except to note that theshortest one will determine the length of theboat. Once you know that, the mold stickcan be made the proper length. Try to getthe front-end angle of the side boards thesame on each side of the boat, if you wantit to be absolutely straight. Be sure theyoverlap in such a way that there is a shelfinside the boat on which to rest the seats.

Now for step 2 inFigure 2, which iseasy. At step 3, you'llsee a little diagramshowing how the stemshould be lined up at90°, after you haveone set of side boardsnailed firmly, and the

other side tacked loosely enough to "wee-waw" into alignment. Don't take this tooseriously. It doesn't have to be done. Con-trary to learned opinion, a crooked boat cango very well with an outboard motor.

Step 4 is where your boat—yours, allyours!—begins to take shape. Pull in thebottom boards, somehow. As soon as theyare lassoed and hog-tied in, try the stern inplace (just the bottom piece, if yours is intwo pieces), and bevel the edges to fit theside boards. Since the bottom edge of thestern piece isn't beveled yet, allow it to dropdown as in the detail drawing, slap on whitelead and twine, and tack up the side planks.

You're feeling pretty cocky now? Here's alittle detail to bring you down to earth. Seethat innocent-looking string going straightdown the center of the boat in step 4? Well,if you're still set on having a straight boat,just push and pull things in relation to thetransom until you get the string to fall

naturally over the center mark on the moldstick. However, if this aligning looks tough,skip it. Either way, nail the planks downtight.

Next, put your rope around the wholeboat to pull in the top side boards. Fit therest of the transom if yours is cut in twopieces. There need be nothing in the jointbetween the two, and they need not benailed to each other. Smear more whitelead and twine along the transom and tack

LIST OF MATERIALS

Sides, 4 pieces 7/8"-by-10" pine, 12' to16' long.

Keel, one piece 2"-by-4" spruce, samelength as sides.

Stem, 2"-by-4" spruce, 2' long.Transom or stern, 1/4" spruce,16-1/2"

wide by 4' long, or two pieces totaling16-1/2" width.

Bottom planking, about 120' of 3/4"-by-6" pine or cedar.

Seats, 7/8"-by-10" pine or cedar, about16' to make four seats.

Trim, 2 strips of spruce, 7/8" by 2", samelength as sides.

Mold stick, any piece of scrap 4' long.Thin sheet metal, 1-1/4" by 10" for bind-

ing sides to transom. Also squares forpatching weak spots.

White lead, about 1 lb.; some twinecotton batting or old sheet

APRIL 1954 201

.:''-:J< ••M V.'

where the nail will

on the top planks temporarily, nailing se-curely after fastening the laps. To do that,nail the side boards together along theirwhole length through the lap-over as perstep 5. To clinch nails correctly, hold aheavy drift, axhead, any piece of heavysmooth metal or a rock against the spot

appear, and drive thenail all the way in.The drift will curl thepoint back into thewood. When you findthat method doesn'twork, pound the nailsthrough, hold the drifton their heads, andbend the tips over

with your hammer. If you still have trouble,remember a few hammer marks add char-acter to your work.

Is it beginning to look like a boat? Hah!Turn it over. Bend down, if you still can,and sight along the bottom edges of thesides. Better call them "chines"; that's what

202 POPULAR SCIENCE

they are, and it'llshow those neighborswho persist in sneer-ing at your efforts.You will notice thatthe chines whoomp upin the middle. Cutthem down until theylook like step 6, withall the curve out ofthe rear three-quartersof the boat. Be very careful not to get ahollow here; a slight rise is better than that.If you get the bottom perfectly flat, the boatwill run well with a motor and will "plane."You ought to try this boat sometime with a22-horsepower motor just for the big kickyou'd get out of it. A slight downward slantat the bow will lift it rakishly when the boatis righted. Bevel the chines, transom andbase of the stem so the bottom will fitclosely.

Plank the bottom. That means nail on thefloor. Don't put anything in the seams

between the bottom boards, but do putstring and white lead along the chines, stemand across the transom. You shouldn't letlong fine cracks between the boards alarmyou unduly, but you had better plane theedges to eliminate sharp humps and hollows.Knock one coiner off the edges of eachboard with a plane so that when they arepushed together they will leave a 1/16"space on the water side, as in detail drawingof step 7. By careful manipulation you canget crooked boards to fit against othercrooked ones and won't have to do much ofany planing. This is the answer for peoplewho cannot straighten an edge with a plane,or for those who would rather smoke a pipeand look the situation over.

Haggle off all loose ends. Add the keel,nailing it securely to the stem and transom.You might use a few larger nails here. Rightthe boat. Don't get nervous over this. Flopit over, quickly. It won't get any morecrooked now, no matter how you treat it.Peek through the cracks in the bottom to see

where the keel is and nail the bottom boardsto it along its whole length. This will befun because you are nailing down and youhave lots of leeway; if you haven't learnedto drive a nail yet, it will be fine practice.

By this time, youmust have begun tocatch reluctant gleamsof envy in your friends'eyes. At least, they'vestopped their sly digs,haven't they? If not,now is the time to gobuy a boat and makethe substitution in thedark of the night. If you're sticking with thejob in self-defense, try to be alone as youstruggle through the next illustration, Figure4. It's the jury-rigging—the makeshift sidethat you wouldn't like to have publicizedany more than you enjoy hearing your wifetell how she started the car with a bobbypin, after you had exhausted the tool kit.

Stroll around the boat slowly enough so

APRIL 1954 203

you can break off all the larger splinters. Itlooks better already. Now fill all the extranail holes, before you have time to wonderhow they happened to be there. Do allpatching from the outside. For nail holes,drive in a small stick coated with white lead.Put a sheet-metal patch over the larger weakspots. If you get the bottom and lower twoor three inches watertight, the topsidesdon't matter, so long as everything stays to-gether. The sheet-metal binding at thecorners of the transom goes on next, thenthe seats, oarlocks and trim.

Everything's fairly neat looking now ex-cept for that extra length of stem stickingup. Wha' hoppened? Well, it needs to bewhittled down, and have a hole pokedthrough it. Then paint the boat. Bright col-ors will cover a multitude of sins.

Now for launching; we'll slide over thisquickly—it's rough. Sometime when no oneis around, sneak the boat down to the water.

204 POPULAR SCIENCE

Steel yourself. Push the boat in. Beware ofthe suction as it plummets to the bottom.Keep calm. Fly out of there. Act like itnever happened. Return the next day andbail it out. If you find you can't make anyheadway against the inrushing water, waitanother day. Pull the boat out, empty andrelaunch. This time, mark any places thatstill leak. You may have to be fast at this,especially if you can't swim. Yank the boatout once more and stuff the places from theoutside with more little sticks or cotton,using a hammer and screwdriver. When itdries, cover it with two coats of porchenamel—two quarts should do it.

Now you have a fine dry boat of your ownand can call yourself a boatbuilder. You'llenjoy it a great deal il your friends evergive you a chance to use it yourself. If theydon't, maybe you can find the lake wherethere are several hundred rental jobs justlike it—all floating, too. END

Build Our Aquarailfor Fun on the Water!

By Hal Kelly

WHAT'S an Aquarail? It's a scat-type little boat, that's what! In drag

racing they have a type of car that isfastest of all. It's referred to as a rail job.So, since our bug is a boat that goesquickly, we call it an Aquarail. Wemight have called it a Girlcatcher, sincethe girls we know seem to want to rideon it, but we thought that carryingthings a little far. You'll notice that thepicture above doesn't have the red andwhite striping as the cover picture does.The striping is 3M reflective tape and weadded it for looks.

The most attractive feature of Aqua-rail, though, is that she's a fast, highlymaneuverable yet safe boat. With ahigh-pitch, two-blade prop on our 20-hpChrysler outboard she does more than35 mph carrying one person and morethan 30 carrying two. With a lower prop

pitch she would pull a water skier atclose to 30 mph.

But Aquarail is not a boat short onfunctionality. There's plenty of roomunder the padded seat to tote such picniccomestibles as sandwiches and beer.And towels, bathing suits or tackleboxes easily fit along the foot well. Totalcost for Aquarail—including the fiber-glass bottom—runs under $100. Hullweight finishes out at roughly 140 lbs.That comes to around 75 cents a poundand you can't even buy hamburger forthat anymore.

But Aquarail has yet another attrac-tive feature. Practically any motor up toaround 35 hp will fit on her. Even thesmall motors give her a nice zip. So, ifyou already have a small boat with mo-tor you can interchange power plantsat will and have another different

68 Mechanix Illustrated

NOTCH transom, ribs to take battens, keel,chines, etc. Notch girders to take ribs.

SPLIT keel along thickest part so it willbend easily to take the shape at front.

TAKE dashboard dimensions directly fromthe boat and fair in curve. Use template.

boat altogether for just an extra $100.Before ordering the materials it's a

good idea to study the drawings andphotos. We tried to standardize on allmaterials. For glue we used WilholdMarine Grade Plastic Resin Glue. A 5-1b. can will do the trick and costs around$3.50. For planking we used five 4 by 8sheets of mahogany plywood, exteriorgrade, which cost $4.80 a sheet. Sincethe boat is 9 ft. long we had to spliceabout 14 in. to the bottom and sides. Allsplices are made at the front and noneis more than 12 in. wide. Make thesesplices simply by mitering the edges ofthe plywood and gluing to form an over-lapping joint of about 2 in.

All framing is 1-in. cedar 12 ft. long.Order it in 8-in. or 12-in. widths and ripthe battens to proper width from it. Allnails are 7/8-in. No. 12 bronze boat nails.You'll need about 3 lbs. All screws are1-1/4-in, No. 8 flathead bronze screws.Buy a box of 100.

Splicing is simple. Clamp the plywoodto a board and plane a 2-in. interfacingmiter cut on both pieces. Cut two scrappieces of wood the length of the spliceand about 3 in. wide. Lay brown paperon one piece. Coat both faces of thesplice with glue and lay the piece ofwood along the inside of the splice withthe paper between it and the joint. Usesmall copper tacks to nail the splice to-gether—one at top and one at bottom.These are only to keep the joint fromslipping. Use the other block of woodand paper on the other side and clampthe blocks. The paper is only to keepthe glue from setting on the blocks.When dry, remove the clamps and sandthe joint.

First step in construction is to cut thetwo girders. Follow the drawings forsize and shape. Some of the scrap canbe used for gusset material. Notch thegirders for the ribs and cut the lighten-ing holes. Draw all ribs full size onwrapping paper. You need draw onlyone side since the ribs are symmetrical.Just flop the drawing for the other side.

Glue and nail the plywood to the ribsafter it's cut to shape. Small 3/4-in. sq.by 1-1/2 in blocks are glued and nailedto the plywood gussets. This will let youscrew the battens to the ribs.

Then do the transom. Lap-joint the

69

> * •

Build Our Aquarail for Fun on the Water!transom frame at the ends and notch itfor all battens, etc. The 1/4in. transomis glued and nailed to this frame. Glueand nail a 3/4x l in . piece to the bottom ofthe transom for the 1-in. afterplane.Since the transom has a 14° angle it isbest to cut the transom at the properangle before setting it against the gird-ers. This will save you a lot of fairing.

The two girders are set 12-1/4in apartinside. Thus the jig is simple. Set up two2 by 4s 12-1/4 in apart (outside measure-ment) . They can be nailed to any sort ofa platform at a workable height. Itneedn't be as intricate as the one shown.Clamp the girders to these 2 by 4s, thenjust slip the ribs and transom in place.

Glue and nail the girders to two 3/4-insq. battens inside of the girders. Thenscrew these to all ribs. Fasten the ribsto the girders with glue blocks and 1-1/4in. finishing nails.

The keel is next. It will take the bendup front quite easily if you slit it witha saw across the thickness. Coat the slitwith glue and after you have the propershape clamp it until it's dry.

Then come the chines. Like the keel,they are glued and screwed to the tran-som and ribs. Also glue and screw themto the front of the keel. Then put on the3/4-in. sq. bottom battens and the 3/4-in.sheer.

After all the battens, etc., are dry,fair the framing. If properly set up onlythe chines and keel will need this. Checkfrom time to time with a straight edge tomake sure the plywood planking willlay snugly on all battens, keel, etc.

The non-trip chines are next. (Wesay non-trip because it's not a sharpchine line and the boat won't "trip" onit making a sharp turn.) We find usingcardboard for a pattern saves time andmaterial. (Cardboard mattress boxesare ideal.) The front section will haveto have a piece spliced to it so it willrun the full length of the boat.

After the non-trip planking has beenglued and nailed to the transom, chineand stem, fair at the chine for a goodbottom fit. Note that the non-trip chineand bottom planking butt together forthe front 3 in. From there to the tran-som the bottom fastens over the non-

trip planking.The bottom is in two sections. Tem-

porarily screw it in place and fair itfor a good fit, especially up front wherethe non-trip planking and the bottombutt. Then mark on the inside bottomwhere all the battens, chine, keel andtransom will make contact. Removeand drill pilot holes for all the nails.This will save you a lot of unnecessarypounding and you will know the nailsare going into the frame.

Put a glue coating on both the frameand the bottom sections that contacteach other. Using the temporary screwsas guides, line up the bottom true tothe framing and nail it in place. In somesections you'll have to hold a weightunder the battens so the nails will pullthe bottom snugly up to the battens.

At the top of the non-trip, glue andclamp a 3/4-in sq. batten. When dry, re-move the clamps and fair it so the sidescan be glued and nailed to it. Use therib drawings to check for the shape ofthis batten. Putting it on the outside willgive you a full length spray rail. Glueand nail the sides of this batten and thesheer. Plane the sides flush with theoutside batten.

CUT ribs and transom from 1-in. stock anduse cardboard template to get shape. Notethe use of glue blocks at the ends oi ribs.

70 Mechanix Illustrated

Build Our Aquarail for Fun on the Water!Now fiberglass the bottom. Mix color

with the resin and coat the bottom. Laythe cloth in place, spread more resin onthe cloth with an old brush, then useabout a 12-in. wide window squeegee tospread the resin evenly over the cloth.

After it has hardened use a sander togrind off any lumps. Then feather thecloth to the non-trip chines. Apply an-other thin coat of resin and squeegeeit over the cloth. This won't take much.All you want is to get a slick finish.

Flip the boat rightside up on a paddedsurface and start on the inside, framingand planking with a good wood sealer.Give her two coats. We used XIM flashbond. After that put on the dash board.It takes a bit of fitting, so use cardboardfor a pattern. Glue and nail the dash to3/4-in. sq. pieces that you've glued andnailed to the girders. Fair the front sec-tion to take the 1/4-in. plywood decking.The quickest and best way to do thisfairing is to use a husky disk sander.

Then glue and nail the sides of thefront decking in place. Since these pieceshave a slight compound curve, wet theoutside of the plywood with hot waterto facilitate bending. You can use a tem-porary strut attached to Rib 1 to pushout the curve until the glue dries. Glueand nail 1/4-in. plywood (almost triangu-lar in shape) to the sheer at the very tipof the front deck. Trim and fair a fillerblock to support this front tip of thedeck. Use a sander to obtain the propershape of the filler block. You'll also wantto fit a beam between the girders at thetop about 22 in. forward of the dash-board. Cut the center piece of the frontdecking into two pieces and screw themto this beam. The smaller piece can thenbe removed in case you have to get atthe steering mechanism.

Check the drawing for your steeringcontrols. You may have to fasten a steer-ing bar to the motor. But this can bemade up at your local welding shop.

You can buy the handle bar throttlefrom Western Control Co., 2533 SouthWest St., Box 1202, Wichita, Kan. 67201.Install a piano hinge at the front toswing up the seat. We covered the seatwith 3-in. padding and a black vinyl.The gas tank will fit at the rear. •

BOTTOM planking goes on with glue andnails. Use backing block for nailing. Notereinforcing blocks at rib/girder juncture.

72

TRIANGULAR piece at front deck tip re-quires extra fairing. There's a tiller blockthat goes beneath it for additional support.

Mechanix Illustrated

August 1972 73

their spacing are clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. Each frame consists of four pieces glued (marine glue) and screwed together, and notched to receive. the longitudinal members—sheer and chine battens. Both stem and stern are set at an angle, which should be taken into consideration when building the frame (see Fig. 3) . Details of the stem or nose block, which is cut from a piece of 2 x 8-in. spruce, are given in Fig. 1, part of the side being recessed Vi in. to take the side planking. Exact dimensions and method of cutting the stern from %-in. ash are given in Fig. 6. Note the additional reinforcing pieces provided across the top for the braces that support the bicycle frame, besides those that reinforce the deck directly under the rubber mats. When the frame has been finished, the side and bottom planking, which is cut from 12-ft. lengths of V4 x 12-in. sugar pine, is screwed on after the contacting portions of the frame have been covered with ma­rine glue. Then, with the top off, the in­side of the pontoons is given an applica­tion o£ paint, and the top, also o£ %-in. sugar pine, is glued and screwed on, using %-in. flat-head brass screws. The heads of the screws should be countersunk, and the resulting holes filled with hard water put­ty. After sanding each pontoon smooth, it is given a liberal application of airplane cement, and heavy muslin is stretched

FIG.II

over the surface. A hot iron is used to press the cloth securely to the wood as shown in Fig. 7. The seam should be made along the upper edge, where %-in. half-round m o l d i n g is applied, this being screwed on. A spruce keel of % x lVi-in. stock is screwed to the center of the bottom of each pontoon. It is neatly joined to the stem, after which a strip of brass is run over the stem and a few inches along the forward part of the keel. Each pontoon is provided with two air vents made up of pipe fitting's, to prevent the pontoon from bursting when the air inside expands in the heat of the sun. Be sure to apply glue to the fittings before screw­ing them in place over small holes drilled through the deck, to make them water­tight. The pontoons are finished with a priming coat of shellac, four coats of good-quality exterior paint and finally a coat of spar varnish. Any desired color scheme may be followed.

Next comes the adaptation of the bicy­cle. A girl's bicycle is best, since the lack of a crossbar affords more convenient mount­ing. Cut off the front and rear forks as shown in Fig. 8. The bracing consists of lengths of pipe, flattened at the ends and bolted to angle-iron crosspieces. At the front end, flat-iron clamps are used to hold the braces to the steering post, while the rear pipes are slipped over short stubs

121

or butts of the original fork, directly un ­der the seat. The pipe should fit over the stubs snugly, and it has been found best to heat and slightly flatten the joint after assembly, so that it cannot come apart. One of the horizontal frame members, originally used to support the rear wheel, is cut off nearly flush with the housing of the pedal-crank bearing so that it will not interfere with the ring gear which is to be added later. The corresponding f r a m e member is cut off about halfway from the end, after which the cut portion is flattened and riveted to the rear angle-iron cross-piece. Fig. 10 shows how an automobile ring gear is bolted to the original pedal sprock­et. It may be necessary to cut off the teeth of the sprocket to fit inside the recess of the gear. If desired, however, a brass disk may be substituted for the sprocket, in which case the disk should be the same thickness as the sprocket. A heavy piece of % x IV4-in. flat iron, bolted to the frame as shown in Fig. 9, holds a bearing that supports the end of the 1-in. propeller shaft. This bear­ing is made from a pipe flange and short nipple filled with melted lead and drilled to receive the machined fitting on the end of the shaft. If you have no metal lathe, this fitting can be turned out quickly at any machine shop. The tapered portion should make a snug fit in the pinion gear, and a small pin, driven into the tapered portion, serves as a key for the gear. A bolt holds

"•WASHERS

-FLAN6E

RUDDER SHAFT

the fitting on the shaft, while the latter runs through a bearing provided directly under the rear angle-iron crosspiece. This bearing and its hanger are made up of pipe fittings as shown in Fig. 11.

The angle-iron crosspieces are fastened to the pontoons with lag screws in the ap­proximate positions indicated in the detail above, and additional crosspieces of 1-in. stock are provided at the front and rear. The pontoons should be placed perfectly parallel, 33 in. from center to center. Steer­ing is accomplished bj ' means of a small sheet-metal rudder, connected with sash-cord to the front-fork stub of the bicycle. If a commercial propeller is not available, one can be made from fairly heavy sheet metal. It should have a 15-in. diameter, with a hole drilled centrally to fit the shaft, end of which is threaded so that the propel­ler can be held securely between two nuts. Corrugated rubber mats are tacked to the deck of the pontoons on each side of the bicycle, and the craft is then ready to go.

Boat-Drawing Aid When fairing lines on a boat drawing, an

inexpensive substitute for a naval-archi­tect's spline and ducks can be improvised f r e m a s t r i p of p las t ic w h i c h is h e l d in p lace on the drawing with tabs of masking tape. The plastic strip should be approximately Via x % x 30 in. and the tabs are spaced 2 in. apart as shown in the photo. A pin pressed into the drawing board at each end of the strip helps hold the shape of the curve.

122

ERE'S just what prospective builders of sma l l sailboats

have been looking for, as you will see from a glance at the facsimiles on the left, which reproduce ex- cerpts from letters written by en- thusiastic owners. And, the Biloxi Dinghy is not only seaworthy, as they say, but it's easy to build. Look over Figs. 1 and 2, which de- tail the frames and stern board, or transom. There are several points to keep in mind before you begin cutting the parts: The lower cross members of all frames are cut to the same radius; the top cross- pieces are a given distmce above the lowest point of t h e cu rved member, and the frame uprights are joined to the curved members with an angle joint housed in gus- set plates, as in Fig. 2. With the frames, stern board and building board made, the work on the hull is well along.

You start assembling the boat by pIacing the buiIding board on two sawhorses as in Fig. 3. The l i nes marked on the building

board, Fig. 4, indicate where to place the frames. These are placed upside down and the center line of the building board must match up with that on the frames.

board with 8-d common nails or 1%-in. screws, also a brace to each frame. After all three frames have been attached to the board, the next step is to fasten the sides to the stem, Fig. 6. This can be done be- fore mounting the stem on the building board although it is shown mounted wtih the frames in Fig. 3. If the sides are built up of several pieces, you simply screw the two lower planks to the stem, but should the sides be made up of narrow planks, the first plank on the lower side should be at least 8 in. wide. When building up the sides you can use shiplap construction which will eliminate battens. The stem is fastened to the sides at the zero (0) line, Fig. 5. Use 1%-in. No. 8 flat-hcad brass screws spaced about 1% in. apart, in a staggered row. In Fig. 3 is a detail show- ing the exact distance from the lower edge of the boat to the building board. By mak-

207

ing this allowance on the stem the build- ing board will remain straight, holding the frames so that the lower edges will be in line with the side planks. Now that the stem is in place with the sides attached, you may continue by bending the sides drawn a t right angles to the base line and around the frames and holding them in serve as a guide to placement of the frames place with a piece of rope. Fasten the in an upright position. Move the tempo- sides to the frames with 1%-in. No. 8 flat- rary braces if necessary to bring the head brass screws. The transom is also frames into the proper position. Now the f a s t e n e d with 1%-in. flat-head brass second and third planks are placed on each screws driven into the check plate and side. The shiplap joints are fastened with 2-in. screws driven into the end grain of %-in. copper tacks spaced 2% in. apart the transom. Fig. 16 shows the offsets and and clinched across the grain. Ust: marine also the exact positions of frames Nos. 1, 2 glue t o make the joint waterproof. When and 3. Be sure to mark these positions on the sides are fastened, the next step is to the sides before bending the latter in posi- insert the chines as in Fig. 7. Chines are tion around the frames. The lines are fastened to the frames with 2%-in. No. 8 208

SHIPLAP TYPE OF PLANKING

If you use the shiplap type, Fig. 12, rab- bet the edges of the planks and fasten them together with %-in. copper tacks spaced 2 in. apart and clinched. In either case, bore holes for the tacks, as other- wise the wood is likely to split. Use one % by 6-in. plank as the center plank,

DOTTED LINLS Fig. 10. If you can get them, four 35 by 8-in. planks will then finish the job. The planks are fastened to the frames with 1%-in. No. 6 flat-head brass screws, ex- cept the center plank, where 11%-in. No. 8 flat-head screws are used. Screws in the chines and along the outer edges of the boat are spaced 1% in. apart in a staggered row. Use 1%-in. No. 6 flat-

flat-head brass screws and to the sides head brass screws along this line, as well with 1%-in. No. 6 flat-head brass screws as into the lower edges of the transom. spaced 1% in. apart in a staggered row. This done, the boat is turned over and Then fair off the sides, transom and stem, the centerboard installed. Make up the a job which must be done carefully to centerboard well or casing as in Fig. 15. avoid leaks. At this point, select the type The oak king posts are fastened to the of bottom construction. If it is to be the casing with 1%-in. No. 8 flat-head brass batten-seam type, battens must be mor- screws, spaced 1% in. apart. The case tised at the proper places and the planks should fit snugly against the bottom of the are fastened to the battens with 1%-in. boat, and should be notched out at the copper nails spaced 2 in. apart and clinched. after end to fit over the No. 2 frame. A

209

chain is used to raise and lower the board, a pin made of %-in. brass rod being slipped through the chain to act as a stop.

The cross member of No. 2 frame is now removed and the seat, Fig. 16, put in place. The seat fits over the lower end of the casing and notches into the uprights of the

3/4-in. slot is cut in the boat bottom along No. 2 frame on each side. This joint be- the centerline as in Fig. ll, the slot being neath the seat must be water-tight as it is the same length as the opening in the cas- near the level of the water on the outside. ing. The slot is covered with a gasket A cap of %-in. material, 3 in. wide, is bent made of heavy muslin and coated with over the curved portion of the casing. marine glue to insure a water-tight joint. The breast hook, Fig. 14, is made of two The casing is fastened to the bottom with pieces of wood with the grain running at 2-in. screws placed 2% in. apart. The iron right angles. The mast partner, cut from centerboard, Fig. 17, has a 3h-in. hole 1Yz-in. material, is fastened through the drilled 3 in. up from the bottom edge and sides with 2-in. screws. Now screw the 3 in. in from the side as shown. A hole is stern knees in place and put the inner bored in the centercase with an %-in. bit clamps in position, Fig. 16. The knees are and the pin used to pivot the board is a fastened with 2-in. No. 8 flat-head brass %-in. pipe nipple, 3 in. long, with a lock screws and the inner clamps with ll/z-in. nut on each end. By placing a small gas- No. 8 screws. Between the sides and the ket or piece of cotton behind the lock nut clamps, the filler blocks, Fig. 16, must be and tightening it, there will be no chance placed. These are made of 1%-in. mate- for a leak at this point. A piece of jack rial, 2 in. long with the exception of those

210

between No. 2 and No. 3 frames, which are 6 in. long and drilled for the oarlock sockets. The boat is now turned over and the keel and skeg put in place as in Fig. 8. When these pieces are made to fit they are fastened from the inside with 1%-in. and 2-in. screws. Before fastening the skeg (forward), the cutwater is shaped up to fit in its proper position. When the cut- water fits perfectly, you calk the ends of the sides and fasten the cutwnter in permanently, which is done with 10-d gal- vanized finishing nails spaced 3 in. apart. The cutwater is trimmed with %-in. half- oval brass, which extends from the top edge of the boat to about halfway down the skeg. Finally, the molding, Fig. 9, is

fastened in place with 1-in. No. 6 screws spaced 10 in. apart. Use 1%-in. screws through molding at both stem and stern. Bore two %-in. holes in the stern knees and put in Y4-in. cotton rope for the trav- eler. Finally, the rudder is made up as in Fig. 18, and attached with rudder irons to the stern. The lower edges of the rudder are slightly tapered to prevent dragging.

The mast, Fig. 18, is quite simple to make hy using one 3 % by 3 in. by 16-ft. piece of cypress and two pieces of 3/4 by 3 in. by 10 ft. Casein glue is used to assemble these parts. With a table saw set at a 45" angle you can rip off the corners up to the 10-ft. mark. This will give you an eight- sided section that can be rounded easily

the skeg. Two upright deck blocks are placed one on each side of the mast on the mast partner. One of these pulleys is used to hoist the sail and the other takes care of the top'n lift. Cleats are attached to the sides of the centercase. A tent cover, Figs. 19 and 20, is quite simple to make and is a protection to the boat and occupants when making short cruises. The edges are held down by a series of screw eyes spaced 8 in. apart just beneath the molding.

left as i t is. At a point 3 in. below the 10-ft. mark a H-in. hole i s bored through the mast to take r 1 u

the spreader, which is a M-in. brass tube, 30 in. long. A small brass pin through the tube and mast holds the spreader in place. Small holes are drilled in the ends of the tube for the galvanized rigging wire which can be of single strand. It is fastened to the mast 5 ft. above the spreader and 5 ft. below. A %-in. mast track starting 10 in. below the top sheave extends 12 ft. down the mast. De- tails of the gooseneck are shown in Fig. 18. The boom is tapered to 1% in. and a ferrule is slipped over the end, extending 3% in. back.

When the mast is made up and all the fittings are in place, you install it in the boat. Bore a hole through the mast partner, Fig. 13, and allow the mast to go through until it reaches the step, which is made of 1%-in. material placed in the bow as far up as possible. Do not nail or fasten it in position until you have set the mast plumb. Scribe a line around the squared end of the mast and an- other outlining the location of the step on the bottom. Then cut a rec- tangular socket in the step into which the foot of the mast fits snugly. Fas- ten the step with 1%-in. and 2-in. screws through the bottom and into

MATERIAL LIST 2 pcs. ?l x 18 in. x 12 ft. (or

equivalent in narrow widths) side pieces 1 pc. 6/ x 6 in. x 10 ft. chines 1 PC. 9 x 6 in. x 10 ft. bottom center plank 4 pcs. '/ x 6 in. x 10 ft. (2 each side)

2 x 8 in. x 8 ft. 2 pcs. ;? (1 each side) 6 pcs. /? x l % in. x 10 ft. battens : ;::.$xxl$Yin~; : K- ft. 0 in. inner sides clamps of centercase

1 pc. /q x 2 x 26 in. king posts ; ;I: v- in . iron for centerboard r x 14 x 30 in. rudder

1 pc. 1 '/a x 2% x 30 in. tiller 1 pc. % x 14 x 38 in. transom 1 PC. 1 % x 8 x 20 in. mast partner 1 pc. % x l o i n . x 4 f t . seat 1 pc. 3/4 x 10 in. x 12 ft. frames and crosspieces 1 pc. % x 3 in. x 12 ft. oak molding 1 pc. I % x 8 in. x 1 ft. mast step 2 pcs. 1 '/z x 4 in. x 1 ft. stern knees 1 pc. 1 '/2 x 8 in. x 4 ft. skeg and keel 1 pc. 2 x 8 x 24 in. stem and cutwater 1 pc. pine % x 8 in. x 12 ft. building board 1 pc. 1 % x 3 in. x 16 ft. mast 2 pcs. % x 3 in. x 10 ft. mast 1 pc. 2 x 2 ~ n . x 10 ft. boom

Hardware 2 gross 1 %,-in. No. 8 flat-head brass screws % gross 2-ln. No. 8 flat-head brass screws 5 ross I %-in. No. 6 flat-head brass screws lg lbs. of I %-in. copper nails (if battens are used) '/2 Ib. copper tacks, %-in. (if lap joint is used) 1 sheave for top of mast 2 swivel pulleys for sheet line 2 deck blocks for halyard and top'n lift 1 flat deck block for top'n lift 75 ft. %-in. cotton rope for lines and rope traveler 1/1 pint, C-quality marine glue 'h lb. casein glue Brass and brass volts for guy-wire attachments 3 f t . %-in. half-oval brass for bow trim 25 !t. galv. wire 3/8-1n. brass tubing, 30 in. long 2 ft. Jack chain for centerboard lift

Woods generally used for small-boat construction are: Spruce or oak for frame; pine or oak for the stem, and mahogany, cedar or cypress for planking. Knees, mast steps, inwales and other small parts either visrble or subject to strain--oak or mahogany.

ever, building a boat takes time and effort and he was reluctant to begin. Looking about, he saw four discarded inner tubes and some spare 1x4 lumber. He decided on a float.

The first float, about 3 ft. wide, looked like a ladder with inner tubes attached to frames at each corner. It floated like a chip but wasn't stable. Mr. Davis tried again, this time giving the "ladder"

Boatin* a wasp waist and a 5ft. spread at each end. Loaded with two passengers, it performed well, but four made it sit down and become sluggish. To correct this, an additional piece of framework and two inner tubes were added. This worked like a charm.

Now Nlr.Davis decided that he would like to go places on his float. He added a bracket and hung on a 3-hp motor. To really test it out, he brought the float boat to the Gulf of Mexico. It was so

iotin' successful in calm and rough water and ptwple w c l c au iu~elcakd-&at hc cap-

plied for a patent and is now producing his creation for the market. If you can't wait to buy one, you can build your own easily by following the drawing on the opposite page.

M e c b a n i x Zl lus tra+-A

It's an.

This kayak foldslike a bookBy J E S S E . R A T H B U N

You can carry a fleet ofthese lightweight craft

on top of your car

IT'S NOT FAST, it's not roomy and you won'tfind many practical uses for such an outlandishcraft. In fact, this center-folding kayak has onlyone feature to recommend it—it's fun.

It's also inexpensive so you can afford to makeone for every member of your family. And youcan tote a whole fleet on top of your car.

Construction is unorthodox. Instead of usingscrews, nails or other common fasteners, you"tape" the boat together with canvas and contactcement. No metal parts are required.

Built according to the specifications includedhere, the kayak will weigh only about 40 lbs. andwill accommodate an average-sized man. How-ever, so long as the correct proportions are main-tained, you can shrink the dimensions to turnout a midget version or increase them slightly togain a little more leg room.

While marine plywood may be used for theside panels, exterior grade AA (or even AB)will do just as well here. Canvas can be any-where between 14 and 18-oz. weight, but shouldhave a tight, close weave for easy waterproofing.

Begin construction by cutting the four sidepanels from a 4 x 10-ft. sheet of 1/4-in. plywood.All these panels have the same outline, the only

This kayak weighs only 40 lbs. and folds down the middle so that you can carry it easily.Note the bottom rub rail which protects the canvas. You can carry a fleet on your car

Install the spreaders after "taping" the edges of thepanels. These should be trimmed for a proper fit be-fore the center gap is covered with canvas. Allowenough slack for removal of the spreader for folding

difference between the top and bottom pair be-ing the cockpit cutouts. If you're planning tomake two or three kayaks, cut the required num-ber of panels at one time so that you can use thefirst two as patterns. The rounded ends of eachpanel are squared off slightly to present a 1-1/2-in.square edge so that the canvas will go aroundfrom top to bottom without wrinkling.

Next, cement the 1/4 x 1/2-in. inside strips andretainers to the panels, positioning them flush tothe edge with the %-in. face down. The strips aredesigned to provide reinforcement for the seat-bottom floorboard, but also to form notches tohold the spreader boards. Taper the ends ofthese strips and the inner retainers so that youcan remove and insert the spreaders easily. Outerretainers act as stop blocks and need not betapered. Once these are in place, paint the innersurfaces of the panels since they will be almostinaccessible once the boat is assembled. You

should be careful to keep paint off the outsidesurfaces for this will prevent the contact cementfrom adhering.

To assemble, position top panels on bottompanels. Then, using clamps and a spacer blockat each end, mount the right-hand pair 3% in.from the left, as shown in the photo. You'll haveto cut the canvas edging strip at a 45-deg. angleto the weave to provide the necessary stretch sothat it will fit around curves without wrinkling.Apply cement to both wood and canvas surfaces,but do not cement the canvas which stretchesacross the gap between the two pairs of panelssince this will stiffen the fabric.

To apply the canvas edging, hold one end flatagainst the edges of the plywood and stretch it.Then, while it is stretched, fold the sides of thestrip over both top and bottom panels at thesame time. Do a short section at a time, over-lapping joints in the canvas about 2 in. Try apractice session with scrap plywood before at-tempting it on the boat itself. After edging iscomplete, pound the cemented surfaces with ablock of wood and hammer or mallet to insurea good joint, then let the cement set overnightbefore inserting the spreader boards.

Next, cut the spreader boards, check the fitand trim if necessary. However, keep in mindthat there will have to be a certain amount ofslack in order to remove the spreader boardseasily. With the spreaders in place, cover thecenter gap with Canvas, then remove the spread-ers and cement the skid strips to the bottom.After making the seat and the double-bladepaddles, waterproof the canvas and paint allwood parts.

Clamps and a spacer block are used to position thetwo pairs of panels the correct distance apart

Cutting out portions of the spreader will lighten itwithout reducing strength to the critical point.An alligator treatment is used to decorate the hull

The covering of the gap between the right and leftpairs of the panels is the last step before the hull isfinished. You should allow 2 in. extra at the cockpitand fold it underneath

KICK-KATAMARAN

POWER STROKE

129

Bracket to Attach Outboard Motor to Canoe

This simple bracket will enable you to attach an outboard motor to your canoe or kayak for swift transportation without arduous paddling. Outboard motors of % to 2 hp. are sufficient for powering the average canoe. The bracket consists of a length of pipe fitted at one end with a hardwood block bolted in place to serve as a motor mount. L-hooks to fit under the gunwales attach the bracket to the boat.

Disk Soldered to Bilge Pump Protects Boat B e c a u s e s o m e bilge

p u m p s u s e d o n s m a l l boats have b a s e s w i t h sharply projecting feet , t h e y m a r t h e b o t t o m p l a n k i n g w h e n b e i n g used. However, if a metal disk with a large hole in tVie c t n t c r i s solclerQcl to the feet, it will prevent damage, and will not ob­struct the flow of water because of the center hole and the space between the

feet. A brass disk is preferred as it will not rust and is not damaged by the action of salt water.

BILGE PUMP

Foot-Powered

Catamaran Is Fun -> • It's great fun to lie on the deck of

this homemade catamaran, slip your feet into the toe-clips and paddle over the lake or bay, steer­ing your course with the forward rudder using little effort. Pon­toons, of %-in. lumber, are joined with nails;—preferably galvanized —driven about an inch apart, and are calked with strips of cotton binding tape laid in marine or casein glue, or white lead. Ply­wood centerboards are screwed on the inside of each pontoon.

The deck, made from the same material as the pontoons, is sup­ported by two arched cross mem­bers of 2-in. lumber cut as shown and half-lapped, glued and bolted together and installed on the pon­toons with screws through the two forward bulkheads. A brace run­ning under the deck reinforces it. A stiff crosspiece supports the pad­dles a few inches above deck level, and on this piece the paddles are hinged. On the drive stroke the paddles swing back against the upper section to which the canvas or leather toe-clips are attached. and on the return, they swing free, dragging across the surface of the water.

To use the catamaran as a sail­boat, the paddles are fastened out of the water, the handgrips are re­moved from the rudder and a tiller is substituted. The skipper now faces in the other direction, with the rudder at the stern. The mast, tapering from 2 in. at the bottom to 1% in. at the top, is held in a step block on the narrow part of the deck and braced by wire stays made taut with turnbuckles. To furl the sail, the boom is swung up and the sail wrapped around the mast and tied. Several coats of paint carefully applied complete the job and give you a seaworthy boat that can be used for a diving platform, surfboard or craft for an outboard motor as well as a foot-powered raft.

N o t e in t he de ta i l a t tVie l o w w right of the facing page that two centerboards, one mounted on the inner side of each pontoon, are re ­quired when the catamaran is adapted for sailing. A mast step is placed behind mount for paddles.

128

Flat BottomScow-Type BoatFISHERMEN WHO LIKE to work the

shallow backwaters and weed patcheson lakes and rivers will find this flat-bot-tom scow-type boat an ideal craft. Althoughthe boat is only 12 ft. long, its wide, flatbottom provides more usable space thanmost round or V-bottom boats of similarsize. Low-cost, readily available materialsare used throughout. Frames, gunwales,deck beams, chine logs, seat stringers andseat back are made of pine lumber. Therunners and chine moldings are solid oak.AB-grade exterior plywood is used for thedeck, bottom and side planking and tran-som—3/8-in. stock for the former and 3/4-in.stock for the latter.

Start construction by cutting out theplanking. To assure correctly fitted partsand reduce assembly time, make a full-sizehalf pattern of the bottom lengthwise.After tracing one half the bottom from thepattern, the latter is flipped over and theother half is traced on the plywood panelused for this purpose. Next cut the chinelogs, seat stringers and frame members ac-cording to the dimensions given. Positionthe frame side members on each of the ply-wood sides as required. Then glue andtemporarily nail them in place, using smallfinishing nails of a length that will notpenetrate the outer ply. Before the gluesets, turn the sides over and fasten the

Solid-oak runners strengthen bottom and protect itfrom damage when boat is pulled across rocky beaches

90

frame sides and chine logs with screws, orannular-ring type nails. Such nails may beused in place of screws for fastening mostmembers.

Next, nail the seat stringers to the framesides, fasten the bottom frame membersin place, and glue and nail the bottomplanking to the chine log as shown. Ply-wood gussets are nailed and glued on both

sides of frames 1 and 2 as indicated in Figs.1 and 5. The transom consists of two layersof 3/4-in. exterior plywood glued together,and screwed to the sides and bottom as indetail B, Fig. 5. To avoid leaks, cut and fitthe laminated transom accurately, and ap-ply a liberal coating of waterproof glue onall joints.

The three seats are installed as in Figs.

91

Window lifts that are through-bolted to upper cor-ners of transom and bow, serve as carrying handles

5 and 6, after which the deck beams andseat back for the bow seat are nailed inplace, Fig. 1, and detail A, Fig. 5. If an out-board motor is to be used on the boat, omitthe molding on the transom and cut thegunwale moldings to fit flush with the backof the transom. Then cut the plywood fore-deck to size and nail it to the gunwalesand deck beams as shown. Next the boat isturned over and 1 x 2-in. oak runners areattached to the bottom, as in Figs. 3 and 4,to protect it from damage when pulling theboat ashore.

Oak chine moldings fastened to the bot-

Chine-molding strip cut from 1 x 2-in. oak, protectschine from damage, can be easily replaced if broken

torn corners at the sides, Fig. 7, serve assacrificial members to protect the exposedplywood edges of the bottom. These mem-bers should be bedded in an elastic seamcompound and screwed to the boat so thatthey can be replaced easily when worn orbroken. Apply a wood-preservative solu-tion, such as Cuprinol, to all surfaces andcover the completed boat with at leastthree coats of marine paint. Rowlocks andcarrying handles are the only hardwareused on the boat. Window lifts serve ashandles that are through-bolted to the bowand stern as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.

build HAPPY CLAM

By John Atkin

Naval Architect

APPY Clam is the latest of over 65boats having this unusual hull form

that have come from the boards of the Atkinfamily during the past 25 years. They havevaried in size from the 17-footer shownhere to a 305-foot shallow-draft tanker de-veloped during the past war. Each hasproven seaworthy and successful in at-taining high speed with low power.

Among the inherent advantages of thishull form are its shallow draft, great sta-bility, and low center of gravity. Full pro-tection for the propeller is provided bythe box keel. Flow of unbroken water to

H

Because of the relatively broad,flat keel, the boat will maintaina level position when beached ortied to a fiat-bed boat trailer.

Box deadwood provides protectionfor propeller. When this photowas snapped, the galvanized-iromshoe had not yet been installed.

the propeller is made possible by taperingthe keel to the propeller post. The rela-tively wide, flat keel maintains the boat ina level position when beached or trailer-borne. The nearly level shaft angle, whichis of value in performance, is not possibleto achieve in any other hull form.

Edgar Davis of Whitemarsh, Pa., com-missioned us to design and build theoriginal Happy Clam. An accounting ofmaterial costs and time involved was keptand accurate speed and performance trialswere made with the completed boat Allof this, I am sure, will be of interest andvalue to prospective builders and ownersof Happy Clam.

The principal dimensions of this littlehooker are 17 feet over all, 16 feet on herdesigned water line, 5 feet 6 inches wide,and 11½ inches draft. Her ample freeboardof 28½ inches forward and 19 5/8 inches ather stern assist in making her a dry boat.

Her speed came up to full expectations.She was accurately clocked over the officialmeasured mile off Lloyd's Neck in LongIsland Sound, making 14.8 mph with aPalmer 5-hp. Baby Husky marine engineturning 2,250 rpm. The Columbian Type Etwo-bladed propeller is 10 in. in diameterand has a 6-in. pitch.

Happy Clam was built right-side up andI suggest future models should be built inthe same position. Her 1½-in. keel, cutto the widths shown at the stations on thefull-sized lines, should be laid on suitablebuilding stocks with the amount of dragthat's indicated on the lines drawing. Buildher at least 18 in. above the floor as thereis considerable fitting to do in her bottomplanking and the room will come in handy.

Apron pieces of ¾ x 2½-in. stock arescrew-fastened to the top of the flat keel.The bevels of the rabbet formed by apronand keel must be taken from the full-size

124 Mechanix Illustrated

body plan. The aprons are in singlelengths.

Mark the 16-in. frame spacing accuratelyon the flat keel. Affix the frame gussetsand floor timbers to the forward sides ofthe frames forward of Station 6 and to theafter sides of the frames aft of Station 6.

next. Bore a hole 1 in. in diameterthrough the propeller post to take the¾-in. shaft. .The after face of the post issquare with the shaft center line, so thework can be placed on a drill press and ac-complished with little difficulty. Use abare-foot ship auger rather than a ear-

In the process of making up the ¾ x l 5/8-in.frames, take all dimensions from the full-size body plan. Assemble them with glueand screws. Notch out the 1 1/8 x 3½-in. floortimbers to fit over the apron pieces. Drivescrews up through the keel into these floors.A stretcher of ¾ x 3-in. scrap wood must bescrew-fastened to the heads of each frameat the sheer line. Pick up the water line,the sheer line, and the center line from thebody plan and transfer these accurately toeach finished frame.

The stem is made in two pieces andshaped as shown in the lines and construc-tion drawings. Bolt the pieces together.A template must be taken from the lines tolocate the proper positioning of the rabbet,back rabbet, and bearding lines. Whenthese are transferred to the actual stem,the work of cutting the rabbet may pro-ceed. Further details on this phase ofconstruction can be found in any book onthe subject. Secure the completed stemto the keel with four bolts.

See that the stem is plumb and brace itin a secure fashion to overhead membersin the building shed. A great amount ofstrain is put upon the stem, frames, andtransom when bending the planking andother members into place, so care inbracing the framework must be taken.

The propeller post and horn timber come

July, 1951 125

penter's bit—the latter has a strong tend-ency to follow the grain in the wood ratherthan to bore a straight, square hole.

Secure the horn timber to the propellerpost with drift bolts and screws. Cut arabbet in the horn timber to take the bot-tom planking and a rabbet in the propellerpost to take the planking of the box dead-wood. Particular care must be given thispart of the work. Fasten the propeller postand horn timber to the keel as shown inFig. 1.

The 7/8-in. transom is built over a¾ x 3½-in. frame. Secure the transom tothe frame with 1½-in. No. 10 screws. Makethe stern knee, which is shown in Fig. 1,from a ¾-in. natural crook if available.There may be some difficulty in securingnatural crooks for this member and thebreasthook and quarter knees. I visitedlocal apple orchards for the ones in HappyClam and the time spent proved well worthwhile. Practical substitutes for naturalcrooks are laminated oak knees of the samesize and shape. Several laminations of3/8 x ¾-in. wood can be bent to shape andtied together with waterproof glue. Securethe stern knee to the transom framing andhorn timber with bolts and screws.

At this point, the completed frame shouldbe faired up, checking with long battenstacked temporarily to the stem, frames, and

transom. Any irregular hollows or hardspots must be built up or planed down toassure the planking being smooth. Whenthis work has been completed, brace eachframe to overhead members.

Each l½ x l¾-in. chine log is in a singlelength. Cut the proper bevels on each,then place it on a table saw, as shown inFig. 2, and cut the rabbet depth by slowlyturning the chine as it passes over the sawso the cut is kept square with the beveledsurface. The balance of each rabbet is cutwith a chisel and a rabbet plane. Since theforward ends of the chines take a consider-able twist, they'll require steaming.

Inwales, or sheer clamps, of 5/8 x 2-in. ma-terial, are fitted at the frame heads. Asshown in the construction section, theframes must be notched out to take these.Because of the amount of sheer and thecoming together of the sides at the stem,it is necessary to saw these inwales to shapeprior to fitting them. A template is taken

126

from the boat and the required shape de-termined from this. It is not possible tobend in these sheer clamps from straightstock. After installing the inwales, addthe breasthook and quarter knees,

Happy Clam's topsides are planked with½-in. white cedar in lapstrake fashion.This manner of planking, reminiscent ofthe New Jersey Seabright skiffs, is strongerthan conventional smooth planking andis easier for amateurs to apply. The lappedsurfaces may vary as much as an eighthof an inch with no one being the wiser,while a smooth-planked boat must havecarefully made, evenly spaced, properlyoutgaged seams.

The 5/8-in. bottom planking is smooth.Intermediate 5/8 x l½ in. frames extend fromthe apron to the chines. The run of plank-ing on the bottom of Happy Clam is a littleout of the ordinary. In addition to the reg-ular garboards, stealer planks must be in-stalled. The garboards and the planks just

Mechanix Illustrated

Compartment under flush lid in thethwart holds tools and small gear.A gasoline lank and a rope lockerlie beneath the slatted bow seat.

For quick and easy access to theengine, the top of the motor boxlifts off. If desired, the back andside panels can also be removed.

outboard of them are cut and screwed tothe frames in the conventional manner.These run from the rabbet in the stem tothe rabbet in the propeller post. The stealerplanks, fitted against the horn timber andalongside the top of the box deadwood, goin next. Each is about 2 in. wide at its for-ward end and fitted with a butt block.

While this part of the work is rather diffi-cult to describe, Fig. 3 illustrates the stealerplanks and you will find the work quiteclear on the actual hull. Once the stealersare properly fitted, the rest of the bottomplanking will go on as easy as in any V-bot-tom form.

Calk the seams in the bottom plankingby rolling in a strand or two of cottonwicking, using a regular calking wheel. Paythe seams with thinned-out white lead andthen putty them with Kuhl's flexible seamcompound.

Nicely shaped l x l½-in. guards will pre-vent the boat from becoming damaged asshe lies in a slip. These must be steam-bent around the forward part of the boat.Screw them to the frame heads and drive2-in. No. 10 screws through the sheerclamps and planking into the guards.Slightly round off the heads pf the frames.

Her rudder is hung on the transom. Agalvanized shoe projects from the under-side of the box deadwood to take the heelfitting of the rudder. Standard rudderhangers are installed on the transom andon the rudder. A 3/8-in. bronze rod runsbetween these. A long tiller provides asimple, inexpensive, and completely prac-tical manner of steering the little boat.

The engine floor timbers are heavierthan the ones secured to the frames, being1½ x 6-in. material. The fore-and-aft bedsare 2½ x 3-in. stock lying on the flat.

A copper gasoline tank is installed under

July, 19S1 127

ACTUAL BUILDING TIMELofting 17 hoursTemplates 15Keel and building stocks 8Stem 12Frames . 37Stern post and horn timber 9Stern frame and transom 13Fairing frames and notching for chines 8Chine logs and inwales 28Bottom planking 50Intermediate frames 10Topsides planking 46Riveting 12Finishing exterior 19Engine beds . 5Tank installation 2Floor beams and flooring 24Thwarts and engine box 20Rudder and tiller '. 16Patterns for various castings 6Exhaust, sea-water, and gasoline lines ....... 10Hardware, bow chocks, blocks, etc 5Finishing interior 16Miscellaneous 40

TOTAL 428 hours

ACTUAL BUILDING COSTS(Original was built in 1950. Costs

in 1951 are about 10 per cent higher)

Engine (Palmer Baby Husky with reverse gear andrope starter) $ 314.00

Propeller and machined shaft 32.00Fastenings (bronze screws and bolts, copper rivets) 22.78Lumber (Philippine mahogany planking over white

oak and Douglas fir framing) . 90.70Hardware : 35.50Gasoline, sea-water, and exhaust lines; choke con-

trols; fuel strainer ... 15.91Paint, varnish, glue, seam compound, and sand-

paper 13.50Castings ..: .. 10.30Boat's name and registry number 8.50Gasoline tank 33.41Miscellaneous . 20.00

TOTAL '.. $ 594.40

RESALE VALUE OF FINISHED BOAT $1,600.00

To allow one to face aft whiletrolling, after thwart is set somedistance ahead of transom. Along tiller is used lor steering.

the bow seat. It may be necessary, becauseof the forthcoming difficulty of securingcopper, to substitute galvanized iron. De-tails of the tubing and various fittings forthe gasoline and the sea-water lines areshown in Fig. 4.

A ¾ x 1¼-in. seat riser is screwed to theinsides of the frames on each side from

Station 2 to Station 11. The three ¾ x10-in. thwarts are fastened to the risers.

Secure the floor boards to floor beamsset 6 in. above the keel. The beams are¾ x l½ in. and the floor boards are 5/8-in.stock about 4 in. wide. A small hatch im-mediately forward of the engine allowsconvenient use of a rope starter. •

BILL OF MATERIALS(Approximate Quantities Required)

Specify that all materials are to be used for boatbuildingand are to be air-dried to a maximum of 15 per centmoisture content. All hardwood is to consist of first, sec-ond, and select grades only. All softwood is to consist ofA and B grades only. No loose knots, shakes, or sapwoodshould be accepted. When purchasing white cedar, selectwidest possible pieces.

White Cedar, Cypress, or Philippine Mahogany

Topsides Planking: 100 sq. ft., S2S ½" (purchase 50 sq. ft .of 5/4 stock and have it resawn and finished to ½")

Bottom Planking: 130 sq. ft., S2S 5/8" (purchase 65 sq. ft.of 6/4 stock and have it resawn and finished to 5/8")

Floor Boards: 50 sq. ft., S2S 5/8" (purchase 25 sq. ft. of6/4 stock and have it resawn and finished to 5/8" )

Transom: 22 sq. ft., S2S 7/8"Keel: 1 piece, S2S 1½", 12" wide, 16'-0" long

White Oak, Yellow Oak, Longleaf YellowPine, Douglas Fir, or American Elm

Intermediate Frames: 2 pieces, S4S 5/8" x 1½", 10'- 0" longSheer Clamps (Inwales): 4 pieces, S2S 5/8", 8" wide, 12'- 0'

Risers: 2 pieces, S4S ¾" x 1¼", 16'- 0" longFloor Beams: 2 pieces, S2S ¾" x 1½", 12' - 0" longFrames: 5 pieces. S4S ¾" x 1 5/8", 12'- 0" long

4 pieces, S2S ¾", 8" wide, 16'- 0" longApron: 2 pieces, S2S ¾", 8" wide, 16'- 0" longRudder: 1 piece, S2S ¾". 8" wide, 8'- 0" longBreasthook, Quarter Knees, and Stern Knee: ¾" stock,

template from workFloor Timbers: 2 pieces, S4S 1 1/8" x 3½", 10'- 0" longHorn Timber: 1 piece, S4S 1¼" x 6", 3'- 0" long Engine Floor Timbers: 1 piece, S2S 1½", 6" wide, 6'- 0" longChine Logs: 2 pieces, S4S 1½" x 1¾", 20'- 0" longEngine Beds: 1 piece, S2S 2½", 3" wide, 8'- 0" longStem: 2 pieces, S2S 2½", 9" wide, 4'- 0" longPropeller Post: 1 piece, S4S 3½" x 9", 12" long

White Ash or White Oak

Tiller: 1 piece, S2S 7/8", 2" wide, 4'- 0" longGuards: A pieces, S4S 1" x 1½", 12'- 0" long

White Pine or White Cedar

Bow Seat: 4 pieces, S4S ½" x 6", 6'- 0" longEngine Box: 2 pieces, S2S ½", 8" wide, 10'- 0" longThwarts: 3 pieces, S4S ¾" x 10", 6'- 0" long

Fastenings

Bronze, brass, or galvanized. If galvanized fastenings areused in one place, it is advisable to use them throughoutexcept in the topsides planking laps, where copper nailsshould be employed.

Bottom Planking to Intermediate Frames: 2 gross 1" No. 8flat head wood screws

Guards to Planking: 5 dozen 1" No. 8 flathead wood screwsFloor Boards, Engine Box, Miscellaneous: 3 gross 1" No. 8

flathead wood screwsChines to Frames: 4 dozen 1¼'' No. 8 flathead wood screwsSheer Clamps (Inwales): 4 dozen 1¼" No. 8 flathead wood

screwsTopsides Planking to Chine and Sheer Clamps: 2 gross 1¼"

No. 8 flathead wood screwsBottom Planking to Frames: 2 gross 1¼" No. 8 flathead

wood screwsFloor Beams to Frames: 4 dozen 1½" No. 8 flathead wood

screwsRisers to Frames: 2 dozen 1½" No. 10 flathead wood screwsApron to Keel: 1 gross 1½" No. 10 flathead wood screwsFrames to Floor Timbers and Gussets: 1 gross 1½" No. 10

flathead wood screwsTopsides Planking to Frames: 1 gross 2" No. 10 flathead

wood screws (or 2" copper or galvanized nail can beused)

Guards to Frame Heads: 2½ dozen 2½" No. 10 flatheadwood screws

Keel to Floor Timbers: 5 dozen 3" No. 16 flathead woodscrews

Stern Knee and Horn Timber: 1 dozen 3" No. 16 flatheadwood screws

Engine Beds: 2 dozen 3" No. 16 flathead wood screwsStem Assembly and Stem to Keel: ½ dozen 5/16" x 8" boltsHorn Timber: Four 5/16" x 5" drift boltsTopsides Planking Laps: 3 grass 1½" cut copper nails with

burrs

Miscellaneous

2 dozen mahogany or cedar 3/8" dia. boat plugs6 dozen mahogany or cedar ½" dia. boat plugs½ pint Weldwood waterproof glue½ pint Kuhl's flexible seam compound4 quarts marine paint for interior and exterior—color to

suit½ pint spar varnish1 quart antifouling bottom paint

128 Mechanix Illustrated

I 7 - ..\ 4: LITTLE FELLOW

'. . J

'Ry Rob Ruskauff

FUTURE S K T P P ~ s q r CTa iiitk fellow W/IU yearns troh. This model& 71 -2- to skipper his o w n craft? Then ~ 1 1 drive i lnbnq at a a;=; 30 mph. .-. take a cue from Bob Brakensiek, a

' Californian who designed and buiIt a pint-size inboard for his nine- year-aId son. He was so successful that d h e r dads w ~ n t to work and now small salts as young as seven are veterans at the wheel. Further- more, prof~ssinnal builders he- came interested and Fellaws and Stewart, Inc., P. 0. Box 157, Wil- rnin~ton, Calif., has gone ln ta pro- ductian.

Little Fellow is only 78 inches long, has i~ beam of 36 inches and weighs about 125 pounds. F n r power, Bob Brakensiek's oriqinal tnodel had a 7%-hp engine which

M e c h a n i x I l l u s t r a t e d

PLEXIGLAS WINDSHIELD (OPTIONAL) HATCH CUT FROM OECK PANEL THROTTLE

CONTROL I

FUEL TANK

/ \CUTOUT FOR s u m ROD. DRIVE SHAFT AND WATER PASSAGE

RUDDER OW l/fl ROD

CONTROL CABLES AND PULLEYS

MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS (6) 5-HP SCOTT-ATWATER LOWER UNIT .

COOLING WATEFt exits through hose curling mound exhcrust pipe and pass- ing through hole near top of transom.

drove it along at 30 mph. However, it was later decided that a cut-down 5-hp Scott-Atwater outboard would be ample, giving a speed of 25 mph. Since the load is light, this engine will turn up to its peak of 4200 rpm, but it is wise to adjust the throttle so that continuous op- erating revolutions will be some- what less.

As shown in the drawing, the engine is stationary. A rudder is used for steering. Parts of the rud- der assembly can be fabricated or the whole assembly can be bought from marine supply houses. This would include the shaft, tiller arm, collar and port with stuffing box.

The lower unit of the engine is mounted flush against a wooden pad which is beveled to fit the V of the hull. It is secured with two bolts and a machine screw which pass [Continued on page 1651

WATER INTAKE is redesigned since the original intake is in that part of the housing which is eliminated.

TRANSOM

GENERAL DIMENSIONS FOR FRAMING LITTLE FELLOW

[Co~ttin~iedf r o m page 1501

through the keelson and a plate on which the powerhead is mounted. The boat does not have a keel.

Since the engine is shortened by remov-ing part of the drive shaft, gear shift rod, water passage and lower housing, a new ,

water intake must be provided in the lower unit. Thus holes are drilled as shown in the last photograph. Up above, the water is carried off through a hose which passes through the transom. Engine exhaust is carried off through a flange, elbow and pipe arrangement which passes through the deck.

Hook-up of the throttle control is con-ventional and the 31%-gallon gas tank is stowed forward of the cockpit. A sin~ple solid control is rigged to operate the gear shift from the front of the cockpit. Note also that the starter cord is passed through the deck beam so that it may be pulled --

from the cockpit. The original Little Fellow was planked

with 1/4-inch exterior plywood. However, it was subsequently decided that this made the boat too heavy and %-inch plywood was substituted. This is amply strong and bends easily to the boat's contours with-out cracking. It is further strengthened by the application of a single layer of Fiber-glas. For flotation, plastic foam material is secured in the bow.

Is the boat safe and seaworthy? Well, Bob Brakensiek's young son, Mike, drove Little Fellow from Avalon o n Catalina Island to Los Angeles harbor light on the mainland-and did it through choppy water. We don't recommend the Catalina Channel but the small fry can have lots of

'

fun without trying to test out Little Fellow . -that's been done.

Conventional model-plane power plant pushes littlecraft over water, and standard model-plane tech-

niques are used to build the craft from balsa. Thenacelle accepts most .020-049 radial-mount engines.

MODEL HYDROPLANE SkimsPusher prop spun by model-planeengine gives high performance.Construction is easy and fast

By ROY L. CLOUGH JR.

ydrofoils have been around for sometime, but even so, nothing on the boatingscene draws every eye like a hydroplanelifting out of the water as it gains speed.Even the U.S. Navy has been attractedto foils, and has tested them on its fastPT boats.

The PS model shown here can be com-pleted in a couple of work sessions. Sur-face-piercing foils and air-prop drive giveit speed and stability with minimum com-plexity. Construction is far simpler thanyou'd guess from the performance.

Basically, these craft deliver greaterspeed because resistance against severalsmall areas (foils) is considerably lowerthan against a complete, submerged hull.Resistance declines as the craft rises.

Completely submerged foils are themost efficient, but they require sensing140 POPULAR SCIENCE

and control systems to keep them atproper depth. Surface-piercing foils au-tomatically adjust for depth—but theyalso have a tendency to create air bub-bles that reduce lift. The PS model usesa foil design that minimizes this unde-sirable side effect.

Instabilities can develop in either typeof foil. This is particularly true of mod-els. Simply put, the angle necessary tomake the foils "fly" at low speed can alsomake them hop out of the water at highspeed and spill the boat. The model hasa designed-in, relatively steep foil inci-dence and a high thrust line to minimizethe possibility of this happening.

Building the model. Typical model-plane construction techniques are used.But keep in mind two important con-struction hints: Cut all parts very ac-curately. Use ordinary pins to hold thecomponents while the glue dries.

Build the cabin first, complete withtail boom and rear foils. Cover the lowerhalf of the cabin with lightweight modeltissue before doping, for a smooth andwatertight finish. The windows are sim-ply clear plastic (I cut mine from bubble-type packaging).

Next, make up the front foils, floats,

H

the Waterand crossbeam as a unit,and cut them into the cabinfloor at the correct angle.Shape and fasten the mo-tor-mount nacelle; the oneshown on the blueprint w i l laccept most .020-.049 ra-dial-mount engines. To besafe, check your engine be-fore shaping the part.Mount the engine to theplywood firewall during as-sembly; epoxy cement isbest here and a good-sizedab on the nuts holding the mountingscrews is recommended.

The pusher engine. If you use a reed-valve type you can use a standard p r o p -but be sure to put it on backward. Ifyour engine has a rotary valve, use aleft-hand pusher prop of the type usedfor air-drive model race cars.

Important: The model should balancewhen fingertip-held between the pointsshown on the blueprint. Though a l i t t letai l heaviness is allowable, a nose-heavymodel puts you out of business.

Double-check all foil angles beforemaking a test run. The rear, inverted-Vfoil is fitted with bendable tabs, which

control heading and raise or lower thenose, much like the elevators on an air-plane.

For your shakedown cruise, bend thet r im tabs up at the rear edge unti l themodel rises up on its foils and scoots.To get maximum speed, bend the tabsupward to the minimum that w i l l makethe craft "f ly ." Direction is controlled bydifferential bending of the tabs.

I flew the model on a large lake, chas-ing it wi th a boat. But you might also flyit on a tether around a boat.

A large lake or a broad river will serve as a suitable playground forthe model. Run it on a tether around your boat, or turn it loose fora "free flight" if there's enough water area to do so safely.

Turn the page for PS lie-flat blueprint

MAY 1969 141

Skim the Waves in this motor-driven paddle board T H E R E ' S something new in water-sports equipment — a motor-driven paddle board. It combines the common character­istics and seaworthiness of the surfboard and paddle board, but, more than that, it's power driven by a conventional outboard motor. That's the new angle. Smooth, sweeping "hull" lines, crowned deck and low motor hatch make this the sleekest, trimmest little craft you ever looked at. Light enough to be easily launched by one person, it rides rough water like a cork.

The hull, or board, itself is constructed just like the nonpower jobs, except that it is 5Vi in. deep instead of the usual 3 in. or so on the conventional surfboard and pad­dle board. Deck and outboard plan views shown in Fig. 3 give the general over-all dimensions. Note that the motor hatch is placed well forward, giving ample room for a tall man to lie full length aft of it. Con­

trols consist of tiller and speed lever, and a clear plastic transom permits a view inside the "engine room" from the rear. This, to­gether with a midget headlight, could be lighted from a small storage battery for night cruising. General arrangement of the hull is shown in Fig. 1. Note that three of the bulkheads are only about half the width of the others and serve as deck beams. In the engine compartment is another half-bulkhead on the bottom, and the only one that is not spaced 12 in. on centers. The lo­cation of this is determined by the particu­lar outboard motor you select.

In laying out the board, follow the di­mensions given in the station layout, Fig. 1, which shows the stations all spaced 12 in. apart. To achieve a true curve, use a %-in.-square spruce or pine batten, and, by bring­ing pressure at the ends, let it take a nat­ural bend. Drive nails into the plywood

123

bottom Vs in. outside the station dimensions so that nails will not mar the panel, and at the same time leave material for trimming. The mark should be on the inside of the batten. The deck only is completely streamlined, the bot­tom having extensions aft which act as planes.

Details of c o n s t r u c t i o n are shown in Fig. 1. Side members of mahogany are notched into both nose and stern blocks after bulk­heads have been installed. The lat­ter are of soft pine, % in. thick, with lower corners cut away for limber holes to permit any bilge water seeping in to flow from one compartment to another. Drain holes p l u g g e d with roundhead brass screws are located just for­ward of bulkhead No. 3 and aft of No. 5. When necessary these screws are re­moved and the hull tipped to drain.

In assembling, apply casein glue to all edges of the bulkheads and on edges of the side members. Where these parts contact nose and stern blocks, use marine glue. Brass or galvanized flat-head screws, 2-in., No. 8 size, are used to fasten parts to bulk­heads and to nose and stern blocks. The bottom, which is installed before the deck, is fastened with %-in. No. 6 screws spaced 3 in. apart.

Extensions of the bottom serve as plan­ing surfaces and are reinforced with %-in. soft-pine stock glued to extensions of the Vi-in. plywood bottom piece. Holes are cut in the full-size bulkheads for the steering cables, as indicated, and should be the same distance apart in each, in this case 11 in., or the width of the cable arms. An opening in the bottom for the propeller unit and var­ious pipe fittings is cut later on. Steering is

Down view into engine hatch showing all fittings and flywheel fan in place. Note safety cord which attaches to the rider's wrisl

opposite that of a bicycle. Pulling the right end of the tiller back causes the board to turn left and vice versa. If one prefers the bicycle arrangement, cross the cables, cut­ting holes in the bulkheads accordingly.

The deck is cut from y4-in. waterproof plywood, the same material as is used for the bottom. There are two openings in the deck piece, one for the engine hatch and a circular hole at the stern for steering gear inspection, to be covered with clear plastic and a brass plate secured with roundhead brass screws. Aluminum bent around a scrollsawed framework forms the wall of the superstructure, with the plastic panel in the after end covered with a brass frame and waterproofed with aquarium ce­ment. At the juncture of wall and deck a fillet is made of wood putty, Fig. 1. The forward top is stationary, with a hole for the gas-tank filler cap. The rear end is hinged, and both are neatly rounded. Three

TO CR.AN

CENTER, 44 OUTBOARD PROFILE

125

vents are provided in the hinged section and covered with standard scoop strainers obtainable from a marine hardware deal­er. Top edge of the open section is fitted with a rubber door seal, making the com­partment watertight when closed. A latch is installed at the rear end.

Any small outboard motor is suitable for this craft. In the original a 3y2-hp., single-cylinder, 2-cycle motor was used. No alter­ations were required except removing the parts shown in Fig. 4 and cutting off the drive shaft and filing the end square. A 4-in.-dia. fan bent from sheet steel is bolted to the top of the starting disk on the fly­wheel to ventilate the engine hatch. The engine control unit is fitted with a safety device consisting of a notched arm to which the starting cord is attached. A loop of the cord is put over the wrist. If the rider slips overboard the tug on the cord automatically shuts off the power.

The semicircular gas tank is made of sheet brass, with four tabs, Fig. 4, located S O t h a t t h e y w i l l d r a w t h e t a n k d o w n o n u g -ly on the deck. A baffle is installed with corners cut away. The filler cap is simply a pipe with a flange brazed to the top. Ven­tilation by the fan is aided by exhaust from two auxiliary pipes d i s c h a r g i n g through two forward openings as in the upper r ight-hand detail, Fig. 4.

126

Because of the propeller-shaft extension a launching dolly is necessary. This is designed to fit the hull snugly and makes the craft easily portable on dry land

In order to keep the engine as low as possible, a special base is made upon whi,ch to mount it, incorporating connections for water and exhaust, Fig. 7. This is a welding job on %2-in. steel plate and makes a very compact unit to which the engine is bolted. It rests upon a brass plate bolted to the bottom. A similar plate has the exhaust and water outlets brazed in. Assembly of connections on these two units is shown in Fig. 4. Exhaust pipes are installed as indi­cated, with an auxiliary exhaust of V2-in. copper tubing in each adding to the power of the motor by relieving back pressure of the underwater exhaust. The underwater outlets are covered by a reverse scoop into which the cooling water also discharges. The scoop is bolted through the plywood bottom, the brass plate upon which the out­lets are brazed, and also through a board on top. This assembly is just forward of bulkhead No. 5.

Water is drawn into part A, Fig. 4, from the intake scoop through copper tubing, delivered from B, Fig. 5, into the engine base, then up around the cylinder and out again to the outlet between the exhaust pipes. All brass-tube fittings are silver-soldered. The housing of the crankshaft bearing fits down in part A and the pump rotor is directly under it in the flange of the propeller unit, Fig. 5. The plywood bottom is cut away to receive this streamlined flange, and is bolted through the brass plate and steel engine base. The rear bolt C, Fig. 5, also passes through part B. The latter consists of a section of pipe with the top welded on and a nut also welded to it. This is offset to allow for the water opening at the bottom, Figs. 5 and 6. Par t B is drawn down on a synthetic-rubber gasket. This material is impervious to oil. Washers of this same material are used around the drive shaft above and below a brass wash­

er, part A, forming a watertight joint. Part A is a section of pipe with a washer welded just below the top, forming a cup for the accommodation of the crankshaft bearing hub. Another sectional view of part B is shown in Fig. 5, indicating where the welds are made.

A down view of the power plant is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, indicating how the engine is braced crosswise by extensions on the original tank bracket bolted to the deck.

The tiller consists of a handle bar of heavy sheet metal bent as in Fig. 1 and welded to a collar which in turn is bolted to a %-in. shaft. Below deck is another collar with a spring above it. The latter holds the tiller down against a rubber washer, making a watertight joint. The tube for the engine control shaft is high enough above the deck to keep water out.

A simple but sturdy dolly for launching is built as in Figs. 7 and 8 and mounted on balloon-tired wheels for running over sand. The axle is welded to the angle-bar brack­ets, which in turn are bolted to the cradle. The latter tapers to fit the hull just aft of the propeller, and balances the craft nicely so that it is very easy to handle. Finish hull with two coats of enamel and then wax.

127

136 BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK

Craft PrintProject No. 64

Its design is versatileenough to permit the useof inboards, outboards orsails as power, but SeaSkiff is first and foremost

a fisher.

SEA SKIFFBy WILLIAM D. JACKSON

Naval Architect

Designed for the man who likes to fish, this sturdycraft can be rowed, powered by an outboard or

by an inboard, or driven by the wind

SEA SKIFF is quickly built over forms forconstruction of one or for several boats. It isplanked with waterproof plywood and will

retain its leakproof qualities even if left to dryin the sun for long periods. An ingenious methodof framing makes for a sturdy boat and providesa hull that will give many years of trouble-freeservice.

The general design presents a sturdy skiff thatmay be used on any waters anywhere. The boatmay be rowed, powered with air-cooled inboardmotors or outboard engines, or rigged for sailing.As a sailer it is dry, light, and fast in a goodbreeze.

Start construction by obtaining the materialslisted in the Materials List. Then saw the form(Fig. 2) to shape and mount it on 2 x 4 legs at aconvenient working height. To construct themould frames, stem and transom (Figs. 3 and 4)accurately, draw full-size paper patterns of theseparts, lay your material upon outlines, mark andcut to shape, reassemble on the pattern andfasten. The transom is cut from ¾-in. plywoodwith a ¾ x 3-in. frame, fastened with #8x1½ fhscrews, inserted from the aft side of the transom.

Saw the mould frames from 1x6; fasten at chinejoints with 3/8-in. plywood gussets. If thesemoulds are to be used several times, glue andscrewfasten the gussets, afterward attachingcross pieces to prevent misalignment. The stemis sawed to shape as shown in Fig. 3.

STATEMENT OF USESUSES: Seaworthy craft for use on any waters anywhere,

for boat liveries as well as for personal use.

TYPE: Skiff.

LENGTH: 13 ft. 9 in. to outside stem.

BEAM: 60 in.

SEATING CAPACITY: Five passengers.

POWER: Oars, outboard, air-cooled inboard, or sail.

Now mount the transom, mould frames andstem on the form and hold in place by bracing.With everything secured, spring a light battenover the framework and mark correct beveling sothat plywood will lie evenly and fair at all points.

With all parts beveled, cut notches for clamps,chines and keel in all parts. Spring the keel inplace and attach to transom, frames and stemnotches with two #10x2-in. fh screws at eachjoint. Be careful not to attach any members tothe moulds, as the hull is later to be lifted clearof the form and moulds when planked.

Now secure the chines. Fasten both chinessimultaneously to prevent wringing frameworkout of shape. Use one #10x2-in.fh screw attransom joints, bevel the ends to fit the stem andfasten in the same way. If the chines have atendency to slip off the mould-frame notches,hold temporarily with small angle irons screwedto moulds and chines (see detail, Fig. 2). Whenhull is planked, simply remove the screws and liftthe hull clear. Continue by attaching clamps in

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK 137

similar fashion, fastening at transom and stemwith one #10 x 2-in. fh, screw to each joint.

Trim and fair the entire framework so the ply-wood will lie evenly at all points. Hull may becovered with either full-length or 8-ft. length ply-wood. Using 8-ft. lengths, cover the sides first witha length of plywood clamped in place. Mark andcut to shape. A butt strap ¾ x 4 in. fitted betweenclamps and chines secures the butted joints ofplywood on sides and bottom. Before fasteningthe plywood, coat chines, clamps, transom andstem with Weldwood glue. Place plywood inposition and fasten with #8 x 1-in. fh.screws spaced about 2 in. apart.

With both sides attached, trimedges evenly. Install the skeg (ifyou don't plan on using an inboard)and short keel. The skeg is fittedclosely and held temporarily with afew screws. Later, when the hull isturned over, the skeg is fastenedwith screws from the inside.

Lay 8-ft. lengths of plywood inposition on the bottom, marking andcutting to shape. Before attachingplywood, coat all adjoining surfaceswith Kuhls aviation glue. Lay clothstrips about 1-in. wide on gluedarea, recoat and lay plywood in posi-tion, fastening with #8 x 1-in. fh.screws spaced about 2-in. apart.Cover remainder of bottom similarly

—and don't fasten plywood to moulds.Trim fore end of hull along stem and cover

exposed edges of plywood with an outer stem½ x 1½-in., softened with hot water, bent andscrew-fastened in place.

Now remove the hull from the form and turnit right side up. Seat risers are attached byspringing to sides and securing with #8 x 1-in.fh screws inserted from outside hull.

Fasten ribs in place next. Mark locations onkeel and secure each rib with two #8xl½-in.fh screws. The center of each rib is drilled and

25"NOTCH FORM AND FRAME

41"

38-40"

9½"

NOTCH41" 31½"

4¾"

1x4"C H I N E AND CLAMP

2x4"#7x 3"

4RH.

FRAME

A N G L E IRONHOLDS MEMBERSD U R I N GCONSTRUCTION

1x4" TOHOLDSTEM

FLOOR L I N E

CARRIAGEBOLTS x5"

STEM -2" OAK

1"½"

4

2"

2¼"I"4 ¼"

4"4"

4"

4"3¾"

½"

PLYWOOD

23"

15¾"

SECTION

7"

13½"

24"

24"

4

7"4"

4

3"

ASKEG SEE DETAIL

PLYWOOD

BOTTOM RIBS½ x 1¼" KEEL

x 4"

CHINE¾X 1¾"

¾ x 1¾"

SEAT RISER

SEAT ¾ x 8" (12 WIDTHS)

C L A M P ¾ x 1 ¾ "M O U L D I N G

4¼"

23½"

1 x 6"

MOULD

1 x 6"

MOULDPLYWOODGUSSETT 17½"

1 x 4"1 x 4"

2819¾"

16"

30"

5"1 x 6"1 x 3"

4"

15¾"TRANSOM

AND F R A M E¾"PLYWOOD

PLYWOODGUSSETT

NOTCH

18¼"

MOULD

1 x 4"

1 x 3" 1 x 6"

1 x 6"

2" 23½" 23"

Covering the frame with plywood.

The completed framework.

a galv. shingle nail inserted, clinched on theinside. A little Weldwood glue under each ribwill ensure a rigid job.

Install seats as indicated, fastening them to the

risers with #8 x l¾-in. fhscrews. Cut the breast hookand transom knees to fitand fasten with #10 x 2-in.fh screws. Fasten mould-ings in place with #8 x 1¾-in. fh screws spaced about8 in. apart. Screwfastenfloor boards of 3/8-in. ply-wood or 5/8 x 6-in. boards.Smooth hull and apply oneor two coats of sealer. Fol-low with two coats each ofwhite primer and paint orenamel. If you cover bot-tom with fiber glass (ma-terials and instructions forapplication of this materialare available from Herter'sInc., Waseca, Minnesota),complete f reedom f romworm damage is possible insalt water and strength isgreatly increased in eithersalt or fresh water.

For use of Sea Skiff as asailboat, see Fig. 7 for com-plete details. An air-cooledinboard, such as the 1¾hp Reo Trollabout InboardMarine Engine (WilliamsMarine Co.) or a 3.6 hpClinton engine, may bemounted off center or onthe center line of the boat.With an off-center installa-

tion, the centerboard used in sailing can be leftintact and you can use sail also. You may prefer tomount your engine on center, however, and fore-go sailing equipment. If you mount inboard on

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK138

TRANSOM KNEE

STERN SEAT MOULDCHINE

FLOORBOARDS

PLYWOOD JOINTS

SHEER CLAMP

SEAT RISER

BREASTHOOK

STEMMASTSTEP

SEATRIBS

MOULDS

BED LOG

TRANSOM ANDFRAME 25½"

5½"

AFT SEAT SUPPORT

RIB LOCATION

( REMAINING RIBS16" O.C.)

AFT SEAT SUPPORT

20"LIGHT BATTEN

SEAT KNEE2¾"

11¾"

9½"

MOULD

RIBSSEAT KNEE FLOORBOARD

SEAT RISER MOULD

3"

BEDLOG

CENTERBOARDCASE

GLUE-FERDICO RESIN SLUE

PLYWOOD JOINTS

NOTE: IF INBOARD IS USED.DO NOT USE SKEG

REMOVE AFTER SHEATHING

SEATS

CHINEMOULD

KEELSON

STEM

SHEER CLAMP

MAST STEP

41"OUTER KEEL

41"41"41"

SKEG

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK 139

SEATRISER

(1 x 12")

14"APPROX.CUT TO FIT

2" INSIDECASE

15"

PLYW. SIDES

FIT HERE ¾"STOCK

FLEXIBLEWIRETRAVELER

SCREWEYE

2"

SHEET TRAVELER

SLIDE

SHEETBOOM ALUMINUM x 1"

BOLT

¼ x 2¼"

SHEAVEIN MASTTOP

1" #8R.H.SCREWS

THIMBLE

30°2"

3"

6"

15"

GAFF 10'-0"

TAPER ROPE,SERVE WITH#18 - #20 WIREAND WIPE WITHSOLDER

2¾"

CENTERBOARD CASENOTCH

KEEL

21½"

RUDDER

½-¾" PLYW.

WATERPROOFWITH 3 COATS

OFCASTOGLAS

20"

1¾" 30° 2" SQ.

9¼"PLYW.

14½"

37¾"DAGGER TYPECENTERBOARD

8"ROACH

46°2"SQ.

WATERPROOF WITH3 COATS OF CASTOGLAS

LEACH17'-0"

¼ MANILA ORCOTTONRINGS

TOPPING LIFT

¼" MANILA HALYARD

1" #8 F.H.S.

¾"BLOCK

MAST

1¼"

12"

1½"

2½"¾"

1¼"FULL WIDTH

OF WAY TO TOPTHEN TAPER TOLUFF

14'-6"CENTER EFFORT85 SQ. FT. 1¾"SQ..ROUNDING

AFTER GLUE DRIES

6'-10"

STRAP IRON JAWSBEND EDGE WISE

(SEE DETAILBELOW)

MAST 12'-0"

#2 MOLD FRAME LINE

MAST

SAIL

TILLER(1 x 4" REQ)

BOOM

SLIDE-GOOSENECK

41"

4½"

¼" LINENYLON ORMANILA

BLOCK ON EYE STRAPFOOT 10'-9"

BOOM 11' -0"

54"

AT2" STA.#3 15"

15"

2¼"

BOOM AND GAFF

SECTIONS

MOULDING

¼" BLOCK

12-14"4" NOTCHBELAY CLEAT SEAT

¼"TURNBUCKLEPETITE STYLE1¾"

SKEG &SECTION¾"

OAK CORE

SEAT RISER LINE15"

9½"C.L.R. C.E. SAILSCHINE LINE

LOCATE FROM MOULDS,STEM, AND TRANSOM

1¼"¾"

#2 #1

1½"

3½"

5"

25°

7½"

PLYW. SIDES

#3

GAFF

BENDEDGE-WISE

1"- #8 FHS

MAST

x 1 x 13"

STRAP IRONJAWS

3½" 12"1¼" SQ.

MAST STEP

2 x 4" STOCK- FASTEN WITH

2¼"- #10 F.H.S.

¼"BLOCK

CHAIN PLATE

¼"BOLT

INWALE ¾"

1"- #8 F.H.S.x 1"

ALUMINUM

SEATRISER

(1x12")

14"APPROX.CUT TO FIT INSIDE

CASE2"

CENTERBOARD CASE

PLYW. SIDES

FIT HERE

15"

¾"STOCK

BOAT BUILDERS HANDBOOK

FLEXIBLEWIRETRAVELER

SCREWEYE

2"

30°NOTCH

SHEET TRAVELER

SLIDE

SHEETBOOM ALUMINUM x1"

SHEAVEIN MASTTOPBOLT

¼ x 2¼"

THIMBLE

1" #8RH.SCREWS

2"

3"

139

TAPER ROPE,SERVE WITH#18 - #20 WIREAND WIPE WITHSOLDER

6"

GAFF 10'-0"

15"

2¾" 12"

1½"1¼"

54" MANILA HALYARD

1" #8 F.H.S.

8"ROACH

TOPPING LIFT

BLOCK¾"

LUFF14-6"CENTER EFFORT

85 SQ. FT.

MAST

¾"2½"

154"FULL WIDTH

OF WAY TO TOP

THEN TAPER TO

SQ. ROUNDING1¾"AFTER GLUE DRIES

6'-10"

STRAP IRON JAWSBEND EDGE WISE

(SEE DETAILBELOW)

MAST 12'-0"

#2 MOLD FRAME LINE

15"

MAST

254"

BOOM AND GAFF

SECTIONS

¼" BLOCK

MOULDING

BELAY CLEAT SEAT

4" NOTCH 12-14"

TURNBUCKLEPETITE STYLE

54"1¾"

15"AT

2" STA.#3

FOOT 10'-9"

¾"

OAK CORE

SEAT RISER LINE

CHINE LINE

#1LOCATE FROM MOULDS,STEM, AND TRANSOM

1¼"¾"

#2

C.E. SAILSC.L.R..9½"

15"

54"

PLYW. SIDES

#3

3½"

25°,

5"

SKEG &SECTION

1"- #8 FHS

MAST

GAFF

x 1 x 13"

STRAP IRONJAWS

BENDEDGE-WISE

3½"12"

1¼" SQ.

1½"x 1"

ALUMINUM

1"- #8 F.H.S.

INWALE ¾"

BOLT54"CHAIN PLATE

BLOCK

MAST STEP

2 x 4" STOCK- FASTEN WITH

2¼"- #10 F.H.S.

4½"

41"

TILLER(1 x 4" REQ)

¼" LINENYLON ORMANILA

BLOCK ON EYE STRAP

SLIDE-GOOSENECK

BOOM

BOOM 11'-0"

7½"

WATERPROOF WITH3 COATS OF CASTOGLAS

SAIL

% MANILA ORCOTTONRINGS

17'-0"

LEACH

46°2"SQ.-

DAGGER TYPECENTERBOARD

PLYW.

37¾"

9¼"

14½"

30°1¾"

20"

21½"

RUDDER,

½ - ¾" PLYW.

WATERPROOFWITH 3 COATS

OFCASTOGLAS

2"SQ.

KEEL

140 BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK

center, move the amid-ships seat forward. TheReo Trollabout comes inkit form (about $100 forfresh water installations,$125 for salt water),with complete instruc-tions for installing. Foruse of Sea Skiff withoutboards, cut out tran-som as indicated in Fig.8, or attach an outboardmotor bracket (such asthat made by the HadleyMfg. Co., 2242 SmeadA v e n u e , T o l e d o 6 ,Ohio), to the transom.

(Note: Possessing theadvantages of greatstrength together withlight weight, and moreeasily built than craft

that follow conventional rules of construction,Sea Skiff, as mentioned earlier, is easily massproduced. Moreover, a set of full-size paper pat-terns—required for one or 100 Sea Skiffs—lendthemselves to rapid mass production.)

MATERIALS LIST—SEA SKIFF

LUMBER REQUIREDSize and DescriptionNo.

2222126

¾ x 1¾" x 14½'¾ x 1¾" x 14½'¾ x 1¾" x 14'7/8 x 4" x 12'¾ x 1½" x 8'¾x 1¼" x 14½'½ x 1¼" x 4½'¾ x 3" x 8'1

1 1¼ x 10" x 3'

11

3

111

2 x 8" x 4'½ x 1½" x 4'

¾ x 8" x 12'

1 x 4" x 12'1 x 6" x 12'2 x 10" x 12'

PLYWOOD REQUIRED41

4 gross6 dozen3 dozen3 dozen1 lb.2

1 lb.paint as neededWeldwood resin glueKuhls aviation glue5/16 x 5" carriage bolts1¼" galv. shingle nails#10 x 2" fh screws1¾" fh screws1½" fh screws1" fh screws

or 5/8 x 6" boardswaste from 3/8" plywood¾ x 24 x 48"3/8 x 4 x 8'

FASTENINGS

Use

clampsseat riserschineskeelsonoutside keelmoldingsribstransom framebreast hook and

transom kneesstemoutside stemskegseatsaft seat supportmold framesmold framesform

plankingtransom

floor boards

CLAMP ¾ x 1¾"

MOLDING1¼ x ¾"

AKEEL ¾ x 4

PLYWOOD CENTER BOARD CASE

SEAT RISER

¾ x 1¾"CHINE ¾x1¾"

SEAT (THWARTS)¾ x 7½"- 2 WIDTHS

SECTION AT#2 MOLD

BED LOGS x 2"

CUT FROM 2 x 4"

X-MARKSX=COAT KUHLS AEROMARINE GLUE ANDPROVIDE CLOTH GASKETS

1" #8 FH. SCREWS SPACESCREWS SO NOINTERFERENCEWITH BED LOGBOLTS - 2½" APARTAPPROX.

CENTER BOARD CASECONSTRUCTION DETAILS

INDENT-FULL PLASTIC WOOD

(CUT 2" DEEP AND FITTHIS POINT WILL BE &

TO KEEL-ATDEEP)

BED LOGS x 2" FIR-HEMLOCK 16½"

KEEL x 4"

BEVEL

BOTTOMPLANKINGPLYWOOD

BOLTS x 3" BRASS, BRONZE, ORGALV. WASHERS UNDER 4 - BOLTSEACH SIDE

1 x 6"

1 x 4"

CUTOUT

"i"

V

2½ x ¾" ADDED

TRANSOM

1 x 6"

CUT OUT TRANSOMFOR 1-5 HP OUTBOARDS

-OAR LOCK

SEAT KNEE

TRANSOM

NOTE: PHANTOM OUTLINEINDICATES FLOORBOARDS

SEAT SUPPORT

KNEE

SKEGCLAMP

•OUTSIDE KEEL

SEAT RISER

CHINEKEEL

OUTSIDE STEM

STEM

BREAST HOOK

MOULDING RIBS BATTEN

111"

This fit-bottomed cruising kuyak has an over-all

length o f 19 feet, 10% inches and a %&inch beam.

By M.E. Alford

7 3 . ~ \ I A KAYAK that's hard to tip certainly

isn't commonplace. Nor th wind, with her flat bottom, has proved herself on the windy lakes and swift rivers of the Yukon; she's as stable as any you'll find. Apart from that, buoyancy cham-bers make her virtually unsinkable.De-signed for plywood construction, she's easy to build, light in weight and strong. Fine for long cruises, she has an ex-

- - CARGO SPACE aft of cockpit is fully en-closed after deck and hcrtch ia installed.

0 M e c h a n i x I l l u s t r a t e d. "

liner. This liner is nothing more than a length of thin-wall tubing with a .040 brass flange soldered in place as shown in the accompanying diagram.

Smear the outside of the tubing with liquid pitch before forcing it through. the filler plug. Pour some additional pitch over the flange to seal the assem- bly, being careful not to drip any inside the tubing. When the pitch solidifies, brush the plug a few times with clear dope to eliminate porosity iri the balsa; then sand smooth.

When the filler has dried, test the plug by submerging it in water. If a good sealing job has been done air bub- bles will not appear. If they do, reseal with pitch.

The neck of the balloon can now be stretched over the filler lug; apply some talcum powder to the plug to ease this operation.

- With the filler plug in place the bal- loon is ready to take shape. Using the exhaust from a tank-type vacuum cleaner and a length of 4/!-inch rubber tubing (to carry the air to the plug), in- flate the balloon to the flaccid diameter recommended in the instructions ac-companying the balloon.

This early inflation is necessary to allow the balloon's fabric to adjust to size prior to the first ascent.

Finally, seal the balloon with a plastic plug as shown in the diagram.

The balsa gondola can be of either medium or soft-grade stock. However, the soft grade is preferable since it is lighter.

The gondola's four sides and floor are all of %-inch sheet balsa. Complete the sides. according to the diagram. Assem- ble the 43/4-inch sides to the b~ t tom first, then cement the 5-inch sides in place. When dry, sand the sides smooth. Then apply a few coats of clear dope and sand again. [Continued on page 1701

FULL-SCALE PLANS will greatly simplify construction- Send 50 cents to Mechanix Illus-trated Plans Service, F a w c et t Bldg., Greenwich, Conn. Please specify Plan Number M-246, MI'S

Baby Balloon, when writing.

MINIATURE SANDBAGS of balsa wood look realistic and represent balloon's ballast

'LUSH FITTIN1 dOES

UT OUT TO RlEDUCE WEIGH %&a

&uuuvt PQR S I D ~ Y1" \ .

r-. ."DIA. HOLE'

SECTION A-A

-7 f

DTE: HEIGHT OF COI l PIT

Illf

I I r r r n u r l l COnnrti ulmtaalucrr rum A l l FUMES

tremely shallow draft which permits the plywood bottom to give it rigidity navigation of the shallowest streams; when driving bronze one-inch Anchor- with a load of 450 pounds, she draws fast nails in from the underside. Any only 2% inches. slight difference in frame width and

Northwind is built in a straightfor- bottom profile width at a frame position ward manner. No jig or form is re- may be taken up by moving the frame quired. Begin by laying out the flat forward or backward,slightly in relation bottom on a 4x18-foot sheet of '/&inch to its indicated position. exterior fir plywood. The bottom With the bottomresting on a level widths, as taken from the drawing, in- floor, the 3/4~3/4-inch oak chines are next clude allowance for the sides. Bend the positioned to follow the contour of the chine batten around the points to draw bottom and, at the same time, fitted into a smooth curve. Then mark the frame the notches at the bottom corners of the locations and cut the shape either by frames. Because of the projecting bot- hand or with a power saw, leaving Ye tom, the chines will have to be removed inch all around for final trimming after a few times to permit planing of the the sides are in place. slight angle necessary to align them with

The frames are next built and glued the flared sides of the frames. The and nailed in their respective positions. chines are finally glued and nailed in It is advisable to have 2x4's clamped to position, leaving sufficient material at

OAK COAMING is steamed before bending. Notice the floor supports between frames.

each end to allow for the prow and stern post fitting.

The .sheer battens, made of %xll/s-inch oak, are treated in a similar man- ner to the chines. When fitted, they give rigidity to the skeleton framework. Again, leave material at the prow and stern. These battens are secured to each , frame with 1%-inch Anchorfast nails countersunk below the surface. Planing of the angles (continuation of the frame profiles) may be done after

.the battens are fastened. Both chine and sheer battens may be spliced if long lengths of oak are unobtainable.

The prow and stern pieces may be-cut from a four-foot length of 1x12-inch oak.

HATCH,made watertight with rubber gas-ket. is secured with bolts and wing nuts.

PROW PIECE. left extends back to first frame. has a cutout to reduce its weight.

NORTHWIND is light enough to be carried on the smallest cars in the manner shown. -

LABGE-SCAI

will greatly simplify conshaction. Send $2.00 to Meehanix Nus-trated Plans Service, FIawcett Bldg., Greenwich, Conn. IPlease. . specify Plan B-236, Northwina.

The shaped pieces are trial-fitted with the end of each piece butted against the nearest frames. Chine and sheer bat- tens are then-angle-cut to length and clamped to form a neat joint. Additional planing will probably have to be done

[Continued on puge 1651 137

[Continued f7 on the sheer batten near the pi-ow to pro- vide an angle coincident with the progres- sive flare of the sides at this point. The positions where chine and sheer battens meet the prow and stern pieces are then marked in pencil on the latter so that a con- necting pencil line will indicate the posi- tion of the grooves to be cut for the flush fitting of the sides. After the grooves have been chiseled and both pieces fit snugly in their respective positions, the entire prow and stern portions are glued and nailed.

To give additional support to the light decking, the sheer batten is notched mid- way between frames B and C to accomrno- date a 3hx3h-inch oak crosspiece steam- bent to suit the deck height at this point. A second brace is placed in position be- tween frames A and B, running longitudi- nally on the centerline, and nailed to the frames.

The cutting and-fitting of the sides, which are approximately six inches wide, is the most difficult part of construction and care should be exercised. Although the bottom projects approximately %-inch along each side, making accurate marking of the side profile awkward, this may still be done by scribing along the periphery of the bottom against the clamped side panel; however, some fitting will be neces- sary to complete the job. For handling, a strip of plywood 12 inches wide may be precut from a 20-foot sheet. While the bot- tom of each side panel must be cut to the exact profile, the top may be planed after the sides are in position. Glue and nail the sides.

The cockpit battens form the support for the cockpit coarning. Of 3/4~3/4-inch oak, they are bent to shape by steaming and then notched to fit flush and become in- tegral with frames. Notice that these bat- :ens are extended to frame G to form part >f the cargo hatch. They are notched at the msition indicated on the main drawing or the fitting of the backrest support vhich ismade of 3/4~3/4-inch oak.

Just aft of Lame F is the sealed cargo pace to protect equipment not contained n waterproof bags and prevent its loss in he unlikely event of a capsize. Crosspieces f 3/4~3/4-inch oak are placed ten inches part and notched into the cockpit battens.

-ompage 1371 They are spaced equidistant between frames F and G.

Prior to applying the decking, paint the entire inside of the kayak with sealer and apply two coats of clear varnish. Following planing of the sheer line and the tops of the sides to produce a continuation of the frame profile, the Ys-inch mahogany ply- wood decking is clamped in position and

.the plan profile at the sheer is marked on it. With care, the entire deck may be cut hom two 4x8-foot sheets. When cutting the profile don't forget the hole for the cargo hatch. Before fitting the cut sections in position, the undersides should be var- nished. To ensure perfect molding of the deck to the desired shape, start laying the sections from the bow. Butt joints are made at frames A, D and G. Kuhls bedlast is used between the decking and framework and the deck is screwed down instead of nailed, permitting removal of any part to gain access to a damaged section. Use 3/4-

inch, No. 5 flathead brass screws. The cockpit coaming, made of %x23/4-

inch oak, is steamed to fit the cockpit batten and notched to allow for the backrest sup- port and nose cap. While fitting the coam- ing it is advisable to fit the nose cap at the same time, as one is integral with the other. A piece of similar size oak is attached to frame F to complete the periphery of the coaming and to form a small backrest for the stern paddler. The other backrest is made of quarter-inch plywood and hinged to the center of the backrest support; its shape or size is left to the individual but a piece about 6x10 inches is convenient for most people. The coaming is fully rounded on the upper edge and half rounded on the lower edge which fits flush with the bottom of the cockpit batten. The nose cap may

.take any form to please the builder. The one we used was cut from a solid piece of oak and bolted with quarter-inch carriage bolts to frame C and the apex of the ex- tended cockpit battens. The underside must be concaved slightly to ensure a snug fit on the deck.

The cargo hatch cover is made from lhx 1-inch oak and %-inch mahogany ply. Sandwich the plywood at the ends and sides between two oak strips. The result is

[Continued on page 1661

When Answering Advertisements, Please Mentioion MECHANIX ILLUSTRATED 165 *

Norfhwind Golden Hammer Awards [Continued from puge 1651 .

a cover pliable enough to form to the curve of the deck when it is screwed tight. On the underside of the hatch cover, glue strips of rubber from an inner tube. Using quarter-inch bolts fastened as studs to strips of metal and fixed to the underside of the cargo hatch battens so that they project through the hatch, it may be clamped tight with wing nuts.

Rubbing strips complete the exterior. When the deck is screwed in position, %x 1-inch strips are secured at both the chine and sheer lines for the full length of the kayak. On the bottom, one rubbing strip should run along the centerline with parallel strips running fore and aft at 9% and 16 inches from the centerline port and starboard. These should be glued and screwed. .

A removable floor is made from a piece of quarter-inch plywood. It is supported by MxY4-inch oak strips fastened to the bot-tom midway between the frames from B to F. Stand the pieces on their narrow di-mension and glue and nail them in place. A piece of 3/4xY4-inchoak is fastened to the underside of the floor at each end for further support. - In construction, Weldwood glue is used

throughout except for the bedding of the deck and side rubbing strips, where Kuhls Bedlast is employed. Bronze Anchorfast nails are extensively employed; apart from those used to secure the sheer batten to the frames, all nails are one inch in-length. Holes are predrilled for the nails with a 5/64-inch bit. The entire interior of the craft is varnished to prevent water ab-sorption by the plywood.

BILL OF MATERIALS

QUAN- SIZE-MATERIAL USE TlTY

102 foot ?hNx%"Oak Frames, chines and battens 42 foot %"XI%"Oak Sheer battens 4feet I"xl2"Oak~ Rubbing strips and coaming I sheet 1Yx4'x8' Exterior Frames. bottom. ride.

'1; pi,r*s"d2 sheets '/4"x4 x18 Exterior Frames, bottom, side

f i r plywood2. shmmts '/#-xqz10' Morfne Oesklnp

mahogany plywood

MISCELLANEOUS Y/z Ibs. of I-inch bronze Anchorfast nails; 2 eight-ounce cans of Weldwood glue. I pint of Kuhls Bedlast; I quart of white marine paint. I uirt of orangs marine paint; I quart of sparvarnish; I piit 01sealer; I pint of primer; 2 gross of %-inch. No. 5 flathead brass wood screws.

[Continued from page 1291 Linton. Ind.: T. C. Glaze. Claremont. Calif.: Roger W. Stephenson, Westhampton Beach, L. I., N. Y.: Narcio Radkiewicz. Newark. N. J.: Glenn Johnston, So. San Francisco, Calif.: Richard G. Sterling, Belleville, Ill.: Arthur Frinetti, Valdoi, Que.. Can.: Marcel Vincent, Vercheres, Can.: Edward M. Fledereau, Miami. Fla.: Edwin Minatra, Columbia, Tenn.: Frank Henigman, Bridgeville, Pa.: Daniel Haskins, Durham, N. H.: George A. Nelson, San Diego, Calif.: Edgar F. Jansen, Bedford. Mass.: Alfred Neumann. Spring Lake,Mich.: Robert C. Sweeney, Windsor. Vt.: Robert Nelson, New Market. N. I.: Clarence Bolterviller, Vancouver. Wash.: Gus Guinchard. Jr.. Donaldsonvllle. La.: William P. Searcy, New Orleans, La.: Steve Hudgins, Gainesville, Ga.: Clyde and Douglas Buchwalter. Kennewlck, Wash.: Edmund A. h e , Detroit, Mich.: Gonnan W. Prince, Victoria. Texas: Maj. T. G. E. Cockbain. Pre-toria. South Africa: S. Peter Kievit, Clifton, N. I.: Gordon Madland. North Burnaby, Can.

The following craftsmen have been awarded CERTIFICATES OF MERIT for their projects: Charles C. Scott, Festus, Mo.: Lowell T. Baker. Slgel. Ill.: Larry W. Anderson, Seattle, Wash.: Hal R. Donell. San Diego, Calif.: Ben H. Smith, Veterans Home, Calif.: Charles A. Schuster, Menomonie, Wis.: George E. Johnson. Minneapolis, M i . : James J. Waugh. Cham-berlain, S. D.; R. E. Tounsend. Mt. Clemens, Mich.: Thomas Slmons, Bay City, Mich.: Tom Hotchldn, Los Angelea Calif.: Harry E. Jenklns. West Point. Ill.: Warren Foster. Norfolk. Va.: John W. Mikuly. Gary, Ind.; Richard L. Cook, Lake City. Fla.: Aldrla M. Harley. Auguata, S. C.: Ernest Ley. Hartford, Conn.: Sonny Marks, Peekskill, N. Y.: Lester C. Sanders. Riedsburg, W h : Donald Cox, Jamaica, B. W. 1.: Alex Eatrin. New York, N. Y.: Denny Jones. Spokane. Wash.: John Garling, Toledo, Ohio: W. J. Bishop, East York. Ont., Can.: J. F. Bush, Watford Herts. England: James L. Murray, Spiceland, Ind.: Richard Dietuch. Wyoming. W. Va.: Donald Spurlin, FPO San Francisco. Cali!.: Albert Cmndall. Erie, 111.: Leland Grams. Faulkton. S. D.: W. H. Burnham, Dorchester, Mass.: Edwin Moerder, Phoenix, A*.: George Rudolph. Marshfield. Mo.: Richard Bringman, Eliabethtown, Pa.; Wm. Short, Middleton, N. Y.: F r a n k h C. Rees. Windsor. Calif.: Russell C. Baylor, Allentown. Pa.: James Farley. Riverside, Cali.: Vamck F. COY. St. Johll's. Can.: Bernard Karsko, Columbus, Ohio:' Norton Gasman, Traverse City. Mich.: Tony Polinsky. San Diego, Calif.: W. 0. Webel, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Richard N. Jacobs. Plula, Pa.: Robert Blookgood, South Amboy. N. J.: Earl M. Dilley, Burlingame. Calif.: Gerald B. Buckley. Glos., England: Michael J. Blaha, Amsterdam. N. Y.: B. H. Redfearn, Dorset. England: Carl E. Cox. Omaha. Neb.: Arthur McDanieL Hutchinson, Kan.: John Palin-sky, Jr., Johnson City, N. Y.; J. W. McClellan. Camas Valley, Ore.: Ernest DeSanto, Glenolden, Pa.: S. I. Grant, Lake Jackson, Tex.: Willlam Stamm, S. Ozone Park, N. Y.: Patrick Plarido, Bronx, N. Y.: Charles Lmmllord. R o m e . 0a.i lConnoth M. Oarn-, Two Rirerr, Wi.: C. E. Tharkstar, Wilson, N. C.: Leo E. Homyer. Collinsville, Ill.: R. T. Wright, Montello, Wis.: Donald Fasnacht. Richmond. Ind.: Donald G. Sler. B. C.. Can.: John M. Hiller. Yonkers, N. Y.: Worih G. Long, Con-cord, N. C: Rich Woods. Enmeworth Pqh. Pa.

Watch for names of more winners next n

M a y , l rsa

OutboardMotor

Cart

Those big,

heavy outboards are

easy to handle

with a cart

like this.

By Howard Rozelle

THIS outboard motor cart has every-thing. It's strong enough to handle a

40-horsepower engine; it's rigid enoughto allow it to be used as a repair stand,even to cranking; it hauls a gas tank,with room left for a tool box; it's so wellbalanced that a child or a woman canmove a big engine easily; and it foldscompactly in 10 seconds by removingone pin which also locks it in the foldedposition. What's more it's light, easy tobuild and cheap.

If the materials are salvaged fromscrapped toys and discarded pieces ofpipe, it can be built for as little as $1.75.

Even if used materials are purchasedand spot welding is paid for, the costshouldn't exceed seven dollars. A cartincorporating all its features would sellfor a good deal more.

The simple construction is detailed inthe drawing. Beyond what is shown,little information is required. Note, inthe illustration at the upper right of thenext page, that the handles are bent out-ward. The width at the pivot is only19-1/2 in.-slightly too narrow. A fewinches above the pivot, the pipes arebent so that the width at the ends ofthe handles is 22 in. Another thing that

402

bears mention is that the hole in the outer pipeat the pivot should be reamed slightly largerto allow for the bolt wobble caused by the bendof the pipes at this point.

Wheels are 10-in. diameter, but 8 or 12-in.may be used if slight alterations are made inthe dimensions. The axles are mounted inholes drilled through the support pipes andthen spot welded. Hub caps are used as dress-ing.

Pipes must be threaded where elbows areused at the joints. Spot welding is used else-where. The crosspiece beneath the woodenmount is cut to size and welded in positionwhere the U brackets will engage it when thecart is folded.

Vertical tabs, welded at the ends of the plat-form, prevent a gas tank or tool box from slid-ing off. •

Cart is tilted up to show how singlecotter pin (through U bracket) locksplatform to bottom rear crosspiece.

Remove cotter pin, lift platform andswing sections together to fold cartPin is replaced at center crosspiece.

mm

Ijlmj^l

ROWBOAT

Make it for $35 from one piece of plywood

THIS 11-foot hull will cost you only $35 to build and comes out of a single sheet

of %-inch plywood. We used Weldwood Royal Marine Plywood for the job. It can be put together by almost any workshopper with a minimum amount of tools and time.

It rows smartly and gets a real burst of speed from a 3 to 5-hp outboard, actually planing like a runabout. It won't tip or trip with its generously flared sides and will take a rough clop. It can be lifted on top of a car by one man. It will carry up to four persons. The editors feel that it's im­

possible to get so much water transport anywhere for so little cost.

In cutting and assembly, you deal di­rectly with the planking, first and last. Ex­cept for the transom, no other ribs are used- No precision jigging, alignments, plumbs, squares, angles, rakes, deadrise, coordinates, lofting or full-size layout is necessary. It can be done in a weekend, or if you prefer to work leisurely, two week­ends.

In addition to the materials mentioned, tools required or helpful are as follows:

420

BOATING

a rip saw or saber, plane, ratchet screw­driver, Stanley's Surform ( e x t r e m e l y handy for planing jobs), an electric drill with Screwmate.

The author tested the boat on Long Island Sound, using a 3-hp Evinrude Lightwin and a 5-hp Evinrude Fisherman. With the 5 attached, the boat climbed right out on a plane and clocked 17 mph with two persons aboard! With the Fisherman at full bore, the, bow was rammed through every large wake available; it either parted through or planed right across the ridge of

each. As a small scale runabout, this is a superb boat; it handles easily and offers real boating thrills, yet isn't overly much for even a child to handle. It makes a dandy second boat for every member of the family to enjoy.

When finishing, seal all plywood with Firzite or other filler and varnish or enamel to suit. Before beginning, study the drawings carefully, then study the step-by-step photographs. It's a simple boat to construct. And it'll offer a sum­mer full of fun. Why not begin now? •

421

V*'X IVt'X 9FT.»' CHINE RAILS (2)

422

9M"X I l/S"X SFT.WI/2" OUTER KEEL SOB ON LAST

V « * X » V » " X 9Ftl03l<eOTTOMHAUCSt2)

Inner stem Joins two sides at the bow. as shown here. This is planed to a bevel ior a good fit. then glued and screwed in place. Get the stem absolutely- vertical to avoid nose that is askew.

With the front bow aligned and drilled, glue and •crew It closed, as described. Note that two chine rails with planed bevels are now ready to be wedged into place. Study the diagrams ior details.

With inner keel secured to side panels, front end glued and screwed, chine rails are then bent in (as shown here), ready for securing to Interior sides; the 3/16-mch exposure is to be planed.

BOATING

424

425

From prop toservos, all the

gear in this sleekair-driven hydroplane

comes directlyfrom the world ofthe radio-controlled

airplane, reducing themaintenance andcontrol problems

"Miss Take"-an air-driven

model hydroplaneBy GERALD C. LEAKE

IT STARTED WITH a plane crash. There comesa time in every radio-control flyer's life when hehas the urge to say the heck with planes and trysomething that won't turn into a pile of brokenbalsa chips at the first minor malfunction. It wasat just such a time that Miss Take was born.

You'll find numerous advantages in an air-driven boat. It's easy to start, requires no com-plicated system of water cooling, uses conven-

WSTAU ENGINEPYION AND

CONTROLS

The double rudder system is shown in this viewof Miss Take. The air rudder serves as a low-speedbackup to the water rudder, is effective at high speed

tional airplane propellers and doesn't load theengine when placed in the water.

The prototype used six channels, but you canget along with four if you're willing to forego theair rudder as a back-up steering system. At lowspeeds, this rudder doesn't function as well asthe water rudder, but it's sufficient to bring theboat back to shore if the water rudder becomesfouled. At full bore, however, it's extremelyeffective—enough to flip the boat if you aren'tcareful, so be sure to drop back to half-throttlebefore trying it.

The fuel tank holds better than 10 oz., enoughfor a 10-min. run at low throttle with a KB-45.You can use any engine from a 19 up to a45 in Miss Take. Anything larger than 45 isimpractical, since the chances of flipping increaserapidly at this point.

Construction of Miss Take is detailed on thefollowing pages. Be sure to install the plankingsheets with the grain running abeam of the hull.

When making the fuel tank, cut crosswiseslits for the tubing instead of drilling holes. Bendup the sides of these slits, and you'll find that

you have a much larger soldering and bondingarea between the tank and tubing.

After you have completed the tank, connecta length of neoprene tubing to the fuel pickup,immerse the tank in water and blow into itthrough the neoprene tubing while holding yourfinger over the breathing tube. If you see anyair bubbles, note the location and resolderthat area.

Should you discover a leak after installing thetank in the pylon, just drill a small hole in thetop of the pylon and pour in a little waterproofglue every day for a week. Then the tank will becompletely encased in glue so it can't leak.

After sanding the hull, glue the pylon in placeon the centerline of the hull. To be sure of locat-ing it exactly on this line, mark the location witha pencil and measure from each side of the hullto the ends of the pylon before gluing in position.Exercise the same care when mounting the 1/4-in.-sheet keel rudder on the centerline of the boat.

Make the water-rudder hinge by running ashort piece of 1/8-in. wire through 5/32-in. landing-gear mounting straps. Solder a washer on eachend of the wire after the straps are installed.

Only one screw is used to hold the crank forthe water rudder in place. Thus, by looseningthis screw and shifting the rudder you can makesmall trip adjustments without taking the hatchoff to gain access to the servos. Use a lock washeron this screw so that it won't come looseduring a rough run.

After you have assembled Miss Take, removethe water rudder and hinge assembly, and givethe boat at least three coats of clear butyratedope. Then sand this smooth and cover the en-tire hull with silk or nylon. Follow this up with10 coats of sealer.

Once the last coat has dried, wet-sand withfine sandpaper until all the wood grain disappearsand you achieve a high gloss. Finally, spray withtwo coats of color and apply the trim. Afterhand-rubbing with rubbing compound, wash theboat with warm water and spray four coats ofclear dope to protect the color. A last rubbing,and the job is done.

Fasten the air rudder in position with heavynylon thread, using a figure-eight stitch. Com-plete the boat by installing the engine mount,engine, servos and water-rudder assembly.

It's a good idea to seal the hatch with maskingtape to keep water out of the radio compartment.Pack the receiver in foam rubber and protect itwith a heavy plastic bag, sealing the end wherethe wires come out with a rubber band. Once thisis installed, pack foam rubber around all theradio gear to absorb any moisture.

It's impossible to keep all moisture out ofthe boat if you run it for a long period. There-fore, as soon as you take it out of the water,remove the hatch, receiver, power pack and allthe foam. Let the foam and radio compartmentdry overnight.

Streaking across a small pond, Miss Take leaves a lower rooster tail than a boat with a water prop

~~mtronal.cwk" the tnn edar of whirl1 la sllanecl to I . O I I T V ~ I I I wlt l~ the stteor rurmunrs ~lit~,cn.;none~l I,> the profile plan. StaLlun p , in t r e ~ ~ l a l l s laid uR 1 8 In, al,art loellte tlle ~ ~ a l l l u n of rarll rcsveu- llvr fralrtc in toe-naillng thent to the strongback. Clteek encll franle rertirally. hor i ronla l l~ H r well as crossu'lse with a level. The RlClll IS I I ~ F W I S C lernporarlly fastenetl to the end of the Dlank prior

to ALtin8 the keelson and chines.

PULAR

M A T E R I A L L I S T Stcnl, 1 PC. 2" x 3" x 2 1 "---oak Stern knee. 1 pc. 7/s" x 9" x 14"+ak Krrlson. 1 pc. J/s" x 3" x 12 ft.+ak Trnnsonl. 1 PC. 7/8'' x 15" x 42"+~1)ress Strrnpost. I Dr. ?/a'' x T/s" r 1 5 " 4 a k St r rn k n ~ e . 1 I ~ C . 7/8" x ti" x 6"-oak Frnlnrs. 19 rllllllinp It . oak for lmtlllln

f ran~es . 2" x 3/4", 2 1 running It. oak f , ~ r side f ran~es , a/d'? x 1 '/z"

Battcns. 1 0 p1.8. "/a" x I I/4" a 12 It.- SI)TllrF

Clanlps. 2 1r.s. VL'' s 2" x I:% It.-sprtlce Cllillrr. 2 ws. 1" x I" x 12 f t . n a k P l a n k i ~ ~ p I or, 4 ft . 1 2 fl . bottoln. 2 vrs.

18" x 12 11, si,lrs-3/10" Ilarrl-pressed woocl

S k c ~ . 1 PC. T/e" s 5" s 6 It. oak. Illis also sttpplics r t ~ l CAD for skrp, oarlork blncks, anrl seat hrares

Seats. I DC. Vs" s 10" x 1 3 ft.+snrQss Qaarter knees. 2 prs. W4'' x 5" x 5"-.oak Ureasl Ilnnk, 1 pl'. x/a" x 4" x ?"-cypress Flooring, 1/2"x6"r 5 0 ft.-snrtlre or cellnr Molding. 2 pes. 3/4" half round, 12 It . long

n a k

awilw-;hot ROW BOAT

NOTCH, 36'' X 3"

1" No. 15 COPPER NAILS

BREAST H O O K RLOCK BLOCKS

%'I HARD- QUARTER K N PRESSED BOARD

PROCEDURE 1. Conslruct '*JtrOnGDaCK" f ron l 1 2 - f t . p lank as shown. 2. C u t the seven f rantes t o s ize and asse~nblc r l l h F.H. I,VASR -rr,'rs 3. CUI~LDT t l w rrsmcs a n d LOO-nnJI I l l r n l ~ l o r l c h t l o tl,a " r l r n v ~ g l ~ ~ n r ~ l . " 4. c u t the SLEII~ t o s h a ~ ~ e i ron> 2-In. oali nnd i as len l o notchetl end o f ~ ~ s t r o n ~ I ~ a c k . " 5. Fasten keelson and chines i n lace wiLh I I/z i n . No. 1 0 F H , brass screws and plane r h i n e s down fltnsh w l t h s l t le fran1es. 6. C u t b a l l e n notches 3/ap, deep i n l ra l lsula a n d s ide ;lad h t l o l r f r ~ l l l e s a n d Elsten bat lens r l t h 11/4" No. 6 F . H . brass screws. 7. Shape and fil thc breast hook ant1 the stclrl a n d ti le stern linccs nos t . 8. L a g candle r i c k i n g i n c h i l e lend a b n c t l tc c~l l iaes and transonl. and curer t l l r sl,Ics o f h u l l t i rs t w i t h s ing le panels of 3 / 1 6 i n .

hard-pressed board, fas ten ing to f ra l r~es, st ( -a, r l l i ne r anrl Lrnnsolll w i t h l - i n . brass screws S D u r ~ d 1 In . apart . Cover bot tom I n SBmt ml)llnFI.

0. Fil clanlD b a r d s and Quar ler knees a t stern and Lllen adr l floor boards, scat r i se rs and seals. Core r r l e m w i l l 1 1 - i n . I r o n nosing.

NE DAY while hiking in the woodsof southeastern Massachusetts with

my young sons, we came to a cranberrybog reservoir and spotted a boatlikeshape in its depths. We pulled it ashoreand found it to be the battered remainsof a little dory. A real old-timer, withframes made of natural crooks of applewood, pine planking and clinched boatnails. Easily 50 to 75 years old and ob-viously the product of a master dory-builder!

She was too far gone to rebuild, butwe covered her bottom with poly-ethylene plastic to make her float longenough to try out. And as we had an-ticipated from the looks of her, sheproved to be one sweet little rower. Atthe same time, she was wide enoughacross the bottom to have none of the"crankiness" for which dories are bothfamed and feared.

Using her as a guide, we built a newdory. This reincarnation is just as sweeta rower—and not as fussy to build as

90

you might suppose. Build her as a utilityboat, as a tender, as a silent sneak-up-on-'em fishing skiff, as a trainer andfun-boat for the kids—or just as a con-versation piece. The first time you takeher out you'll be flabbergasted at howeasily she darts along with light pullson the oars.

Of course, she can also be sculled—propelled by a single oar stuck througha hole in the transom and wiggled backand forth with a certain twist of thewrist. This gives a narrow rig that cansneak between moored boats and dockpiles like an eel.

And as a bonus, she can be sailed;she's just the right size and width to dowell with the rig from a sailing surf-board or dinghy—say something be-tween 45 and 65 sq. ft. area. If you don'tcare to sail in a bathing suit in April orOctober, pop your sailing board's riginto this dory and sail in dry comfortuntil warm weather comes!

We've modernized construction a

Mechanix Illustrated

o

SECOND STRAKE should fit flush into framenotch. Check, then true up with hand plane.

SOLID PLANK second stroke laps over ply-wood first stroke. Note bevels, sealant.

STEM, FRAMES, transom set up on buildingjig. Make sure 2 by 6-in. plank is well dried.

little. Natural apple wood crooks are ashard to find as buggy whips in a dis-count house, so we've worked out aclose approximation of the originalframes using three pieces of sawn whiteoak glued and bolted together. You'dhave to build two or three traditionaldories to get the knack of beveling thebottom boards just right so they won'tleak. So, to get a tight boat on the firsttry, we've made the bottom of sturdy½-in. five-ply Douglas fir plywood. Thepieces left over after the bottom hasbeen gotten out are, incidentally, justright for making the lowermost sidestrakes so there's very little waste.

The seams between the strakes onthis dory's sides are filled with any ofthe modern thiokol or polysulfide ma-rine sealants that come in tubes. Spreadon easily with a common caulking gun,they set into a tenacious rubberlikematerial that fills voids easily and pro-duces watertight joints. We used woodscrews instead of clinched nails tofasten the strakes together. They holduntil the sealant has set, after whichyou've got a boat that'll stay togetherdependably.

Make the three transverse framesfirst. White oak is best, althoughPhilippine mahogany would be strongenough and easier to work. Lay out theframe drawings full size on a sheet ofplywood, showing both port and star-board sides. Weight down the parts asyou drill and tighten them to be surethat symmetry is retained. We usedwater-mix plastic resin glue, which isthoroughly water-resistant enough forthis sort of boat—but suit yourself ifyou prefer a more exotic kind.

Use a straight and thoroughly dry 2by 6-in. plank for the jig's backbone;start with a wet one and by the timeyou're ready to assemble the boat it'llbe almost as crooked as an arthriticsnake.

Now get out the plywood bottompanel and rough out the transom. It'ssmart to double-check the bottomwidths of your three frames against thewidths you lay out on the plywood—

92

leave say ¼-in. surplus to allow forplaning down later. But go rather easyat the widest part of the bottom panelas you must leave the trimmed pieceswide enough for the two lowermoststrakes!

Make stem and transom knee and alsosaw out the transom. This is a hard com-ponent to depict clearly on plans be-cause of its extreme rake and the waythe rides angle in rather sharply to joinit. However, you go by the outside di-mensions; make the whole thing an inchor more oversize so that you can planeit down to those dimensions while stillgetting the angles necessary for thesides to lay onto it snugly. To save hunt-

ing down a piece of 1¾-in. oak or ma-hogany plank for the stem, it's quite allright to laminate two 7/8" boards withwaterproof glue.

Lay the three frames into theirnotches on the backbone. Attach thestem and [Continued on page 120]

20"

¾"x CLAMP

C.L.½" OR ¾"BLOCKING

2" GRAPH SQUARES

25"

9/16" PINE16½"

C.L

1¼"

ALL LAPS1¼" WIDE

21½"

1¼"

15½"

OAK SIDE PIECES

C.L.

15"BOTTOM PIECES

x 2¼"OAK

13½"

HALF LAP BOTTOMS & SIDESFRAME 3

1x3 HARDWOOD FRAMING

1" OAKDOUBLER

3"

14"

¼" x 1½" GALV. CAR. BOLTSFRAME 2

18"

TRANSOM

9/16" PINE

SECT. "B"

OAK CHINEx 2"

½" PLY12"

½" PLYFRAME 1

B

2½"

24" A

SECT. "A"

23"

6"

2 INCH SQUARES 24"

½" PLYW

TRANSOMOUTSIDE VIEW

½" PLYW

50°

KEYHOLEOAR SLOT

SECTION "C"

1x2 HARDWOODFRAMING

1x3

C

TRANSOMINSIDEVIEW

2 INCHSQUARESSTERN KNEE 2" OAK

DRAW CURVE WITH AID OF BATTEN

33½" 14½" 10½"

1"

STERN130"

33½"

GROOVES FOR FRAMES x 2¼"6½"

26½"

1"BOW

BACK BONE OF JIG 2x6 STRAIGHT DRY PLANK93

STEMCAP

STEMSEE DET.

MAST STEP BLOCKS

MAST

15" TO 16"

OARLOCK SOCKET

CAP—½" OAK x 2½" x 8"

1¼" OAK x 2" x 6"BLOCKING

SEAT RISER

TRANSOM OPENINGFOR SCULLINGOR STEERING OAR

SECTION

TOP VIEW

STERN KNEESEE DET.

FRAME

31"

DAGGER BOARD11" X 40"

33½"33½"

20°

CASE KERFS IN THWARTS

KEEL SHOE¾" x 2¼" OAK

32"

BREAST HOOK2" OAK

FILLER BLOCK4

1 RUB RAIL 2 3TOP STRAKE

TRANSOMSEE DET.

C.L.

1 X 2 PINECLAMPPLY DOUBLER

STRIPSTHWARTS¾" x 11½" PINE

STEM

C.L. C.L.

3/8" x 2" OAKCHINE

13½"

RUB RAILTO SUIT OAR¾" x 1½" OAK

TOP STRAKE9/16" PINE

BOTTOM VIEW

BOTTOM½" PLYWOOD18"

KEEL SHOE¾" x 2¼" OAK12"OAK

STEM CAPTO SUIT

BOTTOM STRAKE½" PLYWOOD

CENTER STRAKE 9/16" PINE

[Continued from page 93]transom temporarily with screws and makesure they are plumb and square. Lay thebottom plywood in place. Numbers 1 and3 frames will need a little bevel planedonto their bottoms to fit snugly against theplywood due to the slight rocker in thedory's bottom.

Using a long, limber batten as a guide,rasp the outer faces of the side membersof Nos. 1 and 3 frames to an angle so theplanking will butt snug against the frames.Using a yardstick as a guide, plane downthe edges of the bottom plywood to thesame angle as the flare of the sides.

Now to deterrorize the process of lap-straking! Take one of the long "scraps"left after getting out the bottom panel andlay it onto the side of the boat.-The straightedges of these scraps, not the curved edgesyou sawed in getting out the bottom, gouppermost—remembering here that theboat is upside down. Due to the flare inthe sides, as you bend these lengths ontothe boat you will find that those straightedges develop an appreciable curve andwill fit right into the first "steps" in theoutside edges of the side frames. If yourluck tends to be bad, at worst you mighthave to cut down or shim up one of thesesteps a little. Put one of these strakes ontemporarily, then, with a few screws.

With a pencil held flat against the bot-tom, make a line on the inside of thisstrake, remove it and saw along the line

leaving just a little surplus that can beplaned off later. Do the same on the otherside.

You'll now have several plywood scrapsfrom which it'll be possible to get out thedoubler strips that go around the edgeof the bottom to facilitate gluing andscrewing the sides and bottom together.Glue and screw these strips on, buttingthem against the three frames. Leaveenough "overhang" to allow them to beplaned to the same bevel that has beenput on the bottom edges.

One at a time, clamp on the boards thatform the second strakes, lapping them atleast 1¼-in. over the lower plywoodstrakes. Using the edges of the bottomstrakes as guides, from underneath theboat mark a long, sweeping line on the in-side of each of the second strakes. Alsowhile underneath, make pencil markson the boards at the points wherethey lie against the "steps" in the sideframes.

When the boards are removed there'llbe one solid line and one "dotted line"that can be made full and sweeping witha limber batten held down on the frame

marks. Bandsaw the strakes to shape.Clamp port and starboard ones togetherand plane their edges so both are just alike.And there are your strakes, complete withsweeping curves and taper and with verylittle sweat! Repeat the process for the toprow. Set a try square for 1¼-in. and drawlines on the strakes to serve as guides forplaning down the areas where the strakesoverlap.

You can use either hard-setting glue ornon-hardening sealant at the joints be-tween bottom plywood and the frames, andbetween the bottom and the side strakes.Mostly, 1¼-in. No. 8 flat head brass woodscrews are used, except near the ends ofthe strakes where there's more bevel and1-in. or even ¾-in. screws are better.

Seat support rails are next, after theboat is turned over, and there's a trick ortwo here. Note that they flare out a lotwhere they are attached to the frames. Ifthey were made straight, it'd be murderand then some to try to force them to be"straight" as seen in the side view. So, getsome scrap ¼-in. plywood perhaps 8-in.wide and a little longer than the rails.

[Continued on page 124]

[Continued from page 121]Press it into place and attach temporarilyto the inside of Frame 2.

Find a box or something 9-in. high andset it inside the dory. Rest a straight-edgeon the box and slide this rig back andforth to mark the plywood. When the ply-wood is taken out it will have a sweepingcurve marked on it. Use this as a guideto bandsaw two seat rails out of a wideboard. These rails will have about threeinches of bow in them and when in placethey will be "straight" as seen from theside.

For sailing, we made two holes in theforward thwart and fitted two mast stepson the bottom so the mast could be shiftedif necessary to get best trim. Hardwoodblocks about 6-in. by 6-in. with appro-priate holes in them are glued and boltedto the bottom to serve as mast steps.

If your mast is "bendy," a removablecross brace set between the top ends ofFrame 1 may be needed to hold it upright,as the seat, made for rowing, may be a littlelow to support such a mast firmly.

It's hard to come up with a neat andhandy rudder on a dory's raked transomso, all things considered, an oar seems thebest method of steering. The oar port inthe transom is "keyhole" shaped so theoar can be run through from inboard. Asteering oar is advantageous in close quar-ters since with it, the boat's stern can be"rowed" to come about quickly.

3-SECTION R O W B O A T

\WHEN the three sections are taken apart and nested, this 12-ft. rowboat

occupies a space only 6V2 ft. long, and by virtue of its thin plywood construction is so light that one man can easily stow it on top of his car, using a suitable cradle to hold it. The boat is designed along standard lines, and construction differs only in the use of %-in. plywood for sides and bottom. In fact, it is built up as a single-unit row-boat, and then sawed between the two dou­ble bulkheads to form the three sections.

It is highly advisable to use waterproof plywood, if it is available. If not, the ordi­nary grade can be satisfactorily water­proofed by giving it three or four coats of paint or shellac, taking care to work it well into the exposed edges. If the wood is not thoroughly waterproofed, moisture will loosen the thin layers of wood and ruin the boat. In fact, all parts, whether directly exposed to the water or not, should be given two coats of paint or shel lac before a s semb l ing l l iem, a n d a t least two more coats after assembling. Screws, also, should be seated in white lead. When not in use, the boat should be given an application of paint more frequently than an ordinary boat.

First build the stem. Four wedge-shaped pieces are screwed to a central section of

%-in. pine having grain at right angles. The stem is fastened to a knee and keelson by means of galvanized carriage bolts, with heads countersunk. Next make the frames Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and the bulkheads. Note that there is a frame on each bulkhead. All frames are notched for chines, keelson and inwale, and frames Nos. 2 and 3 for the seat rail. The bulkheads should not be notched. In assembly, the keelson will be in three sections. Fasten the frames, bulk­heads, stem and transoms to the keelson in their relative positions with galvanized or brass screws, and nail the keelson, with assembled frames, etc., temporarily to a plank in order to hold it rigid while in­stalling the chine and inwale. Strips should

71

SECTION THROUGH BULKHEADS 3"BINDING TAPE LAPPEDOVER JOINT AND WHITE

LEADED-

CAULKING DETAIL

be nailed across the tops of the frames, just below the inwale notches, to hold them in posi­tion, and removed after the side boards are on. The bulk­heads, of Vz-'m. plywood, should be located about Vs in. apart so that a saw can be inserted for separating the sections.

After t h e p l y w o o d s i d e boards are on, turn the boat upside down for putting on the bottom. This is cut from a single sheet of plywood. The panel is nailed temporarily to the bottom and the outline marked. It is then removed, sawed, and re­placed with a finishing nail here and there after a strip of binding tape has been laid over the joint and soaked in white lead. Bear in mind that the edge of the side board and chine must be smoothed with plane or sandpaper to make a flush and even joint. Fasten with %-in. brass screws set about 2 in. apart. This will make an absolutely watertight joint. Bulkhead joints should be made the same way. In making the oar­lock, a piece of brass tubing is driven into a hole bored in a block that is fastened between side board and inwale. The tube, of course, should be large enough for the shank of the oarlock to turn freely, and should fit tightly in the wood block. The keel is bolted on after the hull sections have been sawed apart. This is necessary be­cause of the tapered joints of the keel which lock the sections against an up-and-down motion. Bolts should be used only near the joints, and then through the keelson. Use galvanized carriage bolts with heads coun­tersunk slightly in the keel. Elsewhere use long screws up through keel, keelson and into crossframes.

Pay careful attention to sectional fittings in the dia­grams above. Keel sections and bulkhead latches must be positioned and assembled with utmost accuracy

The seat rails are screwed to the frames in bow and stern sections, as shown above. The bow seat is screwed down, but the stern seat is hinged and forms a locker for fishing tackle, lunch, etc., out of the hot sun.

The rowing seat is removable, which is necessary for nesting the bow and stern sections. A false bottom should be made for the amidships section to provide dry footing and protect the bottom of the boat.

Anchor Chain Helps Diver Climb Into Boat From Water

RUBBER HOSE

When using a rowboat as a diving plat­form, difficulty in getting into the boat from the water can be overcome by using the anchor chain as a step. The step can be made any height desired by using a screw hook to fasten it as indicated. A length of garden hose slipped over the chain will provide a cushion for the feet.

Bicycle Tire Serves as Boat Guard

Prevent damage to the bow of a small boat in shal­low water by mak­ing a guard of a 1-ft. length of bi­cycle tire. Attach cords to each end and fasten to screw eyes mounted on the boat deck.

*« - ' LENGTH OF BICYCLE TIRE

73

By David Swartwout

QUIPPED with this inexpensive Ilr portable sail rig any rowboat becomes a sailboat. While dimen- sions given in Fig. 2 are for a small boat having a beam of 4 ft., the length of the thwart may be varied to suit the boat at hand. With the exception of the rudder and tiller, which should be made of oak, %-in. pine will do for the leeboards and thwart. Begin b y making the thwart. Two pieces of 6-in. stock, cut to the proper length and mi- tered 22% degrees, are held togeth- er with a notched cleat fastened to the underside with 1%-in. brass screws as in Fig. 1. The forward piece which r e s t s on the breast 4 hook, is attached to the thwart with a large T-hinge. The barrel of the hinge should be fitted with a re- movable pin so that the assembly may be taken apart easily for stor- ing. Two bol ts passing through

INNER TUBE

END VIEW OF THWART

justing the two hook bolts which are bent from a Y4-in. brass rod, threaded and fitted with win€! nuts as in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows bolts hook over the bos

.ow these inwales.

Oak blocks are next bolted to the extreme ends of the thwart and are fitted with %-in. bolts for at- taching the leeboards as in Fig. 3. Pieces of inner tube slipped over

I the bolts serve as rubber washers

7 to keep the leeboards vertical. Strips of rubber as well as rub-

" I ber-headed tacks are also fitted to the underside of the thwart to protect the finish of the boat. Next, the leeboards which provide lat-

\ era1 balance to the boat when un- der sail, are cut from IS-in. pine stock, following the design in Fig. 2. The after edge of the board is tapered cz shown in the sectional detail. A I/ls by 3 by 3-in. brass plate with a %-in. hole madc in the center to receive a. brass

A pin driven up into the end of the mast, is screwed to the to: side of I the thwart at the center. The mast is held upright by two sh a forestay. See Fig. 2.

Details of the rudder,

cuds end

.iller and false transom, and the method of clamping the assembly to the stern

/YO with a pair of C-clamps are shown CUDGEON in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Standard pin-

holes in the peak of th nd gudgeons are used to hinge the clamp the forward member in place. To rudder, after which the tiller is pivoted a t make the rig adaptable for use on several the top by a single bolt fitted with a wing- boats whose beam may vary slightly, a se- nut. A small lanteen sail, similar to a canoe ries of %-in. holes spaced 3/4 in. apart, is or kayak sail, of 50 or 60 sq. ft. area, is provided at each end of the thwart for ad- recommended.

Fishing Rod Wrapped With Aid of a Pencil and Eraser To apply a tight, smooth wrapping of

thread when making repairs on a split- bamboo fishing rod, one angler suggests the use of a pencil and eraser. The pencil carries the spool of thread so that it may be rotated easily around the rod, and the eraser is slit to receive the thread and hold it tightly during the operation.

a A horseshoe cast in a block of cement forms a good anchor for a boat. The rope should be tied to the projecting curve of the shoe.

Strip boat thatcan be built in

two lengths.By WESTON FARMER

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK 141

Craft Print Project No. 179USE: Open utility outboard boat for fishing and general

use on lakes and rivers with a variety of outboardengines.

LENGTH: 13' or 15' 6".BEAM: 4'2".DEPTH: 20½" amidship.WEIGHT OF HULL: 175 lbs. CAPACITY: 4 persons.CONSTRUCTION: Strip planking and steam bent frames,

round bottom.SPEEDS: 1½-2 hp about 6-7 mph. 5 hp, alternate firing,

11 mph. 7 hp, 14 mph.COST: 13' hull $60. 15½' hull $65 (approx.).

AKERS will like the smooth lines of DollyVarden that scoots along with any outboardin the under 7 hp class in choppy or smooth

water. Dolly is a strip boat fashioned like thehundreds of similar boats built by craftsmen ofthe old school, and still being used because stripconstruction turns out a tight, durable, cheap andeasy-to-build boat that has real water kindlinessand handling ability. About $60 will pay for

L

45- 45"12" WL

SHEER LINE 6" WL

SET OF LINES TO INSIDE OF PLANKINGDOLLY VARDEN

#5 #4 #3TRANSOM

12" BUTTOCK6" BUTTOCK

96"76"

#2 #1

OF KEEL

54"

32"SHEER1 2 " 1 W A T E R L I N E6" WATERLINE

STEM

SHEERLINE

18" WL

12" WL

6" WL

0

MOLD FRAME #1MOLD FRAME #2MOLD FRAME #3MOLD FRAME #4MOLD FRAME #5TRANSOM & FRAME

x 3" CHEEK PIECES

x5 C H E E K PIECE6" BU 12" BU.

19¾"11"4"

20½"20

15¼" 19½"

17¼"

3"33"3"

18¼"17"

23

23¾"

SL

21¾" 17¾"

24" SL

22

19½"18"

19

17"

1319

22 SL

20

17"

2½"

21

5"

13¼"13"

11½"

138

3¾"

6 BU 12 BU

142 BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK

materials to build either 13- or 15½-foot modeland if you can part with her, she'll market for$225 to $350.

Building Dolly Varden is a good way to getacquainted with the blessing of steam bendingframes—long considered a bugaboo. Actually, asteam box is a cheap and effective "tool" andanyone who can boil oatmeal can make a steambox say "Uncle."

Either the 13- or 15½-foot models will ridesafely on top of a car as you take off for yourfavorite fishing grounds. The 13-footer handleseasier on the ground, but the fifteen is better inthe water. There's only about $5 difference incosts—so take your choice and let's get started.

Lay out the molds on either scab lumber orcast off ¼ in. plywood, according to Fig. 1. Themolds merely serve to guide the shape of thestrips. Since our keel is a straight line and thestealer or shutter planks which go onto the keelfirst determine the flow of the strips around themolds it is not strictly necessary to lay downDolly's lines.

The molds can be made from the dimensionswith sufficient accuracy. Despite all you do, theplanking will not follow the molds exactly. Theidea is to plank your hull using the molds as aclose guide. In this 15½-ft. model, you'll findmold No. 1, mold No. 3 and the transom will behard against the planking much of the time, whilemolds Nos. 2, 4 and 5 merely guide the shape—that is, they maintain symmetry from side to side.

With the molds done, attach them to a scab

1x4 material which will reach to a convenientfloor joist in the ceiling above (if you build in abasement) or to rafters if in a garage. Erectsome stocks (short lengths of 2 x 4 ) spaced at2-foot intervals to raise the keel high enough forcomfortable working room. The stocks in myshop are tee'd to the floor, but ordinary 2x4posts, braced to a plank on the floor, will do.

If you have a circular saw and a jointer, themill work necessary to cut and shape the stripplanking and frames will present no problem.Otherwise, take the cedar and oak to a sash anddoor factory or to a well equipped lumber yard,and they will turn out the strips for you in acouple of hours.

Rip all the cedar boards to .625 x 6½ in. (Fig. 6).This will leave enough stock to get strong .437"planed strips. Rip up the 1x5 in. 16-ft. oakboards for frames into four ribbons a shy .875"wide, and re-saw these ribbons to divide the 1 in.face two ways (Fig. 8). Then run these stripsthrough the planer, and if possible, rout the edgesround. They'll handle better if routed, but it'snot strictly necessary.

Now, if you go to a mill, and want a thoroughlyprofessional job of strip planking, I'd make a con-cession to costs and to the possibility of turningout that second boat for re-sale more easily byinvesting in a shaper cutting head. I took thisshaper head and two sets of blank knives to alocal tool works and had them ground to a ¾ in.

MATERIALS LIST—DOLLY VARDEN15½-foot model

No. ofPieces Size and Material Use14 1 x 6" x 16' rift sawn red cedar Planking strips

1 2 x 2" x 14' white oak Keel1 2 x 8" x 4' white oak Stem and forefoot2 1 x 12" x 4' mahogany Transom2 1¼ x 6" x 16' white or red oak

(Should be wet or green) Frames1 1 x 5" x 16' oak, mahogany or fir Wales and risers1 1" redwood, fir or spruce as needed Thwarts and breasthookNote: For 13-ft. model, cut two feet from strips, keel and wales

indicated above, as explained in the text.

14" 60 48¼"

SEATx12

SEATx12

OAK K N E ECEDAR F I L L E R BLOCK ROW LOCK 8"

RISER FOR SEATSx ½

SEATx12

31¼"

HALF FRAMESIN WAY OF STEM

SPACE BETWEENINWALE AND PLANKS

AT STEMGUNWALE FEATHERS

PLANKING½"FILLER

SEAT

RABBETED STEM

10"

SEAT RISER

10"K E E L

GUNWALE INWALE DETAIL OF TRANSOM K N E E HALF PLAN AND PROFILE VIEWS

½"x G U N W A L E

CUT OFF STEMAFTERP L A N K I N G

FILLER

BRESTHOOK ½" PLYWOODFASTEN UNDER INWALES

STEM

RISERCOPPER CLOUT NAILSEVERY OTHER STRAKE

S H U T T E R

KEEL

STEM D I M E N S I O N S

2½"

4½"

10"

6½"

6"

6"

½"INWALES ½" x

PLANKING

STEM RABBET

6"

8"13½"

35"6"

2"LINE OFKEEL TOP

3½"1½"

1¾" OAK5" 3"

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK 143

radius to produce a hollow and round edge toeach strip plank. Hollow and round stripping isoptional, but it pays off. I used it because thecommercial builders use it and the nails centerbetter, their heads are hidden without setting andyou can use casein glue on the strips to get aperfectly tight boat that will not leak after longauto trips. However, the original builders of theDolly Varden strip boat did not bother with hol-low-and-round strips. They beveled their stripson a jointer when bevels were called for. On partof the hull, such as across the bottom and pastthe turn of the bilge up along the topsides, hol-low and round strip planks won't help much inshaping the boat. But at the turn of the bilges,you won't have to stop and bevel the strips andwork goes faster with hollow and round stripplanking. I used the hollow and round. But asI say, you pays your money and you takes yourchoice—

Use the shaper head, as shown in Fig. 7 tocut hollows and rounds on the strip planks androunds on the frames. These operations completethe mill work. On our boat this work was donein a small cabinet factory in 2½ hours at a costof $4.

The white oak keel is rabbetted to just theright depth for the stealer or shutter plank, andshould be cut smooth for a close fit. Set up the

keel on the stocks (Fig.5). Assemble the tran-som out of mahogany,buttressed by white oakcheek pieces (Fig. 9).Glue and screw fastenthe cheek pieces of .625 or¾ in. oak to the transom.The bevel on the bottomedge of the transom is 20degrees, fading aroundthe turn of the bilge to10 degrees top sides. Ifyou cut this on a bandsaw, set the table to 20degrees, and cut the bot-tom halfway up the turnof the bilge. Then setthe table to 10 degrees,to cut the top sides and

you can then fair off the bend by hand.Erect this transom on the keel, using one No.

16 x 3 in. screw from the keel into the cheekpiece, counterdrilled about 1 in. and plugged.Clamp or bolt the transom to the cant stock atthe stern end of the stocks.

Fig. 2 shows the stem dimensions for the 15½-ft. boat. To build the stem for the 13-ft. boat,

eliminate the lower horn end and land the kneeright on the keel, 2 ft. shorter. Mark out therabbet and take a light chisel cut along the rab-bet line. The rabbet itself is best cut as you pro-ceed with the planking, as the lay of each strip

Molds set up and failed in with light battens.

KEEL

STRIPS FOLLOWHULL SHAPESHINGLE NAIL7d NAIL

SHUTTER ORSTEALERSTRIPS FOLLOW STEALER.

1ST STRIP

PLANKING ASSEMBLY

DIMENSIONS OF SHUTTER ORSTEALER PLANKS - MAKE 2

24" 24" 24" 24" 15"3¾44¼"4" 1

4x4 POSTTO RAFTERS

CUT STEMAFTER PLANKING

32"-54"76"

96"2x4s TORAFTERS

#4 #3 #2 #1

HULL IS PLANKEDCUT RABBET AS

20"4"7¼"

24"24"24"24"24"

35" 2"

6"6½"

23

8"6"

NAILSTEMPORARY

2"x2" KEEL1x4

½"RABBET

SHEER LINESTOCK

TRANSOMCHEEK PIECESNO KNEE NECESSARY

4 #18 FH

2x4 2x4 STOCK

24"24-18"

80°

#5¼" PLYWOOD MOLDS

45"

ELEVATION OF MOLD FRAME SET-UPCANT PIECE 2x4 TO RAFTER

45"

½" 2"

Each planking strip should be edge-nailed tothe one already laid in place about every 10 in.with 7d galvanized nails. Pre-drill holes to pre-vent splitting and as they go in, mark the inboardsurface with a pencil. Then, later, when framing,you can see where you have driven a nail. Noneof the strips used in planking requires any severewarping and will lay in nicely. If you get anoccasional "stinker," try the old boat builder'sdodge of wrapping the piece in a rag soaked withhot water to allow you to get the twist.

When you complete the planking and beforeremoving the molds, nail several 1 x 4 in. pieces,called cross spalls, from one sheer plank edgeto the other to hold the shape of the boat. Thesecross spalls are not removed until after the boatis framed and the wales, seat risers and seats areinstalled. Otherwise, the boat will belly out andlose shape.

You are now ready to frame the boat. Startingat the transom end 5 in. from the transom land-ing, and every 5 in. thereafter, mark the spaceeach frame will occupy using a thin .125" oakbatten. On every other plank strip as you goforward, drill a pilot hole from inside to outside.From the outside tap the 1¼ in. copper cloutnails (available at boat shops) in these holes, tosave time when you're ready to fasten in theframes. Using the marking batten, determine thelengths of each frame. From your green rippedoak strips cut the proper length frames, andnumber them with indelible pencil starting fromthe transom with No. 1.

Now for a word about steaming. Any means ofgetting the oak hot for fifteen minutes will do

plank will best show you how to bevel. Rabbet-ing one strip at a time is simpler, easier, moreaccurate and requires no more time.

Clamp the stem to the fore post on the stock(Fig. 5) and bore two ¼ in. holes through thehorn end of the stem into the keel. Run throughtwo ¼ by 6 in. bronze, hanger strut bolts incasein glue. Countersink outside the keel for theheads. Locate the molds on the "backbone", toenailing the bottom of the molds at the properintervals from the stem post. Mold No. 5 dividesthe distance between the transom and mold No. 4on both the 13- and 15½-ft. models. Otherwisethere is absolutely no difference in the two boats,as the heights are all the same.

Start the planking by putting in the shutter orstealer planks (Fig. 3). Cut the first strips tolength and bend them around the shutter andthe molds. Use 3d or 4d galvanized shingle nailsto fasten the strips into the oak cheek pieces onthe transom, and 7d nails into the mahogany.Two nails of each size per 1¼ in. strip will dothe job. Check the transom bevels frequently tosee they are fair. A touch with a chisel or planeoccasionally will keep them running fair. Nailtwo 8d shingle nails per hood end in the forwardrabbet. Lay both ends of the strips in casein glue.

Fort and starboard bottom strip planking appliedaround forefoot and up the stem.

Forward side of transom. Note cheek pieces andstrip planks bedded in casein glue around edge.

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK144

MAKING PLANKING STRIPSPROM CEDAR BOARDS

6½"16'

ROUND EDGES

HOLLOW

¾"R¾"R

CUTTING-HOLLOW

¾"RCUTTINGROUND

¾"R

CUTTING PLAN FOR OAK FRAMES

SHAPING DETAILS

ROUND

PLANE¼"

PLANE STRIPSRIP BOARD

RIP BOARDRIP STRIPSROUNDEDGES

¾"R

ROUND EDGES

4"1"

Each strip of planking is edge-nailed in place. Stripsflow smoothly around molds.

Frame positions are marked out by pencil with thinbatten at 5 in. centers. Spring batten from sheer to

sheer.

An auto body bucking tool with handle helps inclinching the 1¼ in. copper clout nails.

the job. A pipe with boiling water or an oldrainspout with a tea-kettle and a rubber hose toinduce the steam will also do the trick. Steambending is probably the most useful tool in boatbuilding. A combination of moisture and heatdoes the trick. Oak to be bent is usually cutgreen and kept wet, but well soaked oak stockwill bend well if thoroughly saturated and heated.Any oak can be bent permanently to unbeliev-able shapes by a child after fifteen minutes ofsteaming. The wetness of the wood allows heatto penetrate the fiber more quickly.

With steam bending, you just wear a pair ofgloves, grab a hot frame out of the box, tack thetenter down to the keel, bend the frame to shape,

Cross spalls retain Dolly'sshape until wales, seatsand breasthook are in-stalled and during planing.

face outboard. Put in the inner wales and theseat risers with #10 x l½ in. fh screws, one inevery other frame.

Shape and install the breasthook and the sternknees. The seats are spaced as shown in Fig. 2.Turn the hull over and plane with very lightstrokes any sharp edges. After smoothing witha plane, sand off and paint. Set the nails at therabbet transom ends of the plank strips and plugthe holes with putty mixed with varnish. Onefinal sanding and you're ready to paint. Tryvarnished wales, buff hull and green interior.

TWO METHODS OFHEATING OAK FOR

FRAMES

4" PIPE FILLEDWITH BOILINGWATER

STEAM FILLEDRAIN PIPE

OAK FRAMESTRIPS

RAGS

HOSE

RAGS

clamp the top edge to the sheer plank, and pro-ceed to clinch nail the frame in place. All bevelsare pressed in, and when the frame is cold, it isstiff; the devil himself couldn't pull the nails out.

When the frames are hot and ready to bend,tack the center to the keel in position on themarks. Overbend the frame, pull it back to thesheer and clamp it. Set up a few 1¼ in. copperclout nails in the bottom of the hull and aroundthe turn of the bilge. Go to the other side thatis now cooler, overbend, clamp and clinch nailthe whole works (Fig. 13). Return to your orig-inal hot side and finish clinching. Set the coppernail heads well below the outside surface to al-low later planing or sanding over them.

Saw off the frame ends and tack on the gun-wales with galvanized nails, from inner plank

BOAT BUILDER'S HANDBOOK 145

By William Steiniger and Jack Smith

IF you're a skin diver of any experience you know that an electric-powered sport submarine is great for underwater exploration.

Seated in such a vehicle, you can cover more bottom simply because youdo not expend your energy in swimming and your precious air can bemade to last much longer. Also, Frances Gaar, the underwater swimmingstar who posed for our cover, will attest to the fact that it's great funto operate.

In building the sub, our original intention was to make it of fiberglasswith a Plyfoam core. A wet sub (one that fills with water and is usedwith an aqualung) requires a certain amount of flotation and we feltthe Plyfoam would be ideal. Sold by Plyfoam, Inc., E. Beth page Rd.,Plainview, L.I., N.Y., it is unique in that it is thermoplastic; that is, whenheated to about 180*F, it can be shaped to any mold. Then when it coolsit retains the form of the mold and its strength as well. With a layer offiberglass bonded to each side, it becomes strong indeed.

We planned a wooden mold on which we would lay up a quarter-in,shell of Plyfoam. Then we would cover the Plyfoam with fiberglass,remove it from the mold and apply another layer of fiberglass on theinside. Doing it twice would give us the two halves of our hull.

We still think the foam core construction would be ideal. The onlyhitch was that we missed getting the technical bulletin normally sup-plied with every Plyfoam order. Instead, we had the partial informationthat polyester resin could be used on Plyfoam. The technical bulletinwould have told us that it had to be a special formulation of polyester—one with little of the so-called styrene monomer in it. The styrene mono-mer in our run-of-the-mill polyester made sponge of our first Plyfoamshell.

Yet we figured we had paid for some learning (46 cents per sq. ft.for 24 sq. ft. of Plyfoam plus the cost of one coat of polyester). We agreedthat we would get more Plyfoam and use epoxy, the resin that has noeffect on the foam.

FRAMES (left) are erected at right angles to backbone nailed to buildingplatform. Rib bands (right) are nailed longitudinally, giving hull its form.

BUILD YOUR OWNMechanix Illustrated

BATTEN is bent in smooth curve to make RIBBANDS complete basic mold, could bea template for 3/4-in. pine bow sections. closed up, plastered, then sanded smooth.

BOW of mold is built up with individualPlyfoam sections heat-shaped on the form.

HEATER softens sheet Plyfoam for bend-ing over the ribbands on the basic mold.

It was when we priced epoxy resin($86 for five gallons) that we changed

our construction plans. We decided touse our remaining Plyfoam to make asmooth mold. Then we would cover itwith th in sheet polyethylene plastic toprotect it from polyester resin ($5.50 agallon) and lay up a s t ra ight fiberglasshull without the foam core. If money isno object, you can build the hull withPlyfoam and epoxy resin. Otherwise,follow our lead.

LARGE-SCALE PLANS

are available, complete withtext and photographs. To pur-chase a copy, send $5 toMechanix Illustrated PlansService, Fawcett B u i l d i n g ,G r e e n w i c h . C o n n . 06830.Specify Sport Sub, Plan No.SS4-66.

Mechanix Illustrated

89

STRIPS of plastic under Plyfoam jointsprevent epoxy resin from bonding to wood.

PLYFOAM makes smooth mold, is coveredwith thin sheet plastic for fiberglass lay-up.

TOP hall of hull slips over projecting1/4x2-1/2-in. oak screwed to inside of bottom.

TAIL FIN passes through hull. This in-side view shows cleats and motor shaft.

T h e d r a w i n g s show the simplicity ofthe mold. Each frame is a half-circle—with an ex t r a two inches at the bottom,As is the case with any original project,you often think of a be t t e r way to dosomething after you 've done it. Tha t ex-t ra two inches is the bet ter way wedidn' t use in our construct ion. Thus thephotos differ slightly from the drawingstha t should be followed.

After going th rough the process oftacking the foam and the fiberglass onthe unders ide of our mold, we decidedit would have been be t t e r to have astraight band a round the bot tom to

which they could have been tacked.F u r t h e r m o r e , if a na r row, 1/8-in. slitwe re left at the top of the band, a sha rpknife could be inser ted and each f iber-glass shell could be cu t from the moldwi th uniform ease. Tha t ' s why the d r a w -ings show a l7/8-in. pine tacking s t r ipa round the bot tom of the mold. The re ' sa solid block unde r the nose.

The way the mold frames a re erectedand braced at r ight angles on the back-bone and the bui lding platform is welli l lustrated. It 's also clear how the 1/4xl-in. r i bbands a r e applied with half-in.brads . The nose is the only thing that

90 Mechanix Illustrated

l - V PINEBLOCK DKBEtBOW FUUtHC

BATTERY CASE will hold two six-volt bat-teries. It is strapped in forward chocks.

STEERING is worked by means of pivot-ing-arm control attached to motor shaft

April, 1966 91

SPORTSUBMARINE

requires extra care. As shown in aphoto, take a thin, flexible batten andbend it from the side around to thecenter point of the nose on the back-bone, establishing a smooth curve byeye. Then tack the batten in place andslip a piece of cardboard under it tomake a template.

The template can be used to make upthe 3/4-in. pine sections that form thebow. Naturally, the bottom edges of allbut the center one will have to be cutand beveled to fit them in flush withthe line of the hull.

At this point you could complete themold entirely of wood, filling in all theopen spaces and closing up small crackswith plaster or patching compound.

You then could sand the entire formsmooth, coat it with a wax releasingagent and lay up your fiberglass. Weproceeded in a different way, using ourPlyfoam to make the smooth mold.

The Plyfoam was easily shaped overthe mold with the aid of an electricheater. We just held the heater closeand formed the foam with our handswhen it got hot Where it tended tobuckle (we used sheets almost half thelength of the hull), we cut narrow tri-angular darts from the bottom up andpulled the edges together smoothly. Alledges of the Plyfoam were bonded to-gether with epoxy resin after pushingstrips of polyethylene plastic under thejoints to keep [Continued on page 124]

92 Mechanix Illustrated

Build Your Submarine[Continued from page 92]

the resin from bonding to the wood.The edges of the Plyfoam required some

care. When two sheets were heat-formedaround a curve and butted the edgestended to curl up. When the sheets wereformed our first cuts were rough. Then, toget the edges to butt perfectly, we madea simple gadget. It consisted of two paral-lel razor blades clamped to a 94-in.-widepiece of wood. By drawing them along oneither side of our rough cut, we got clean,parallel cuts—and also eliminated theslight curl at the edges. Epoxy resin andsome staples into the wooden ribbandssecured the sheets firmly.

On the nose, we formed and cut indi-vidual pie-shape sections of Plyfoam, thenedge-glued them together along the cen-terline of each 3/4-in. pine section. A fewbrads driven in flush kept the foam in placeuntil the resin hardened.

The fiberglass was laid up after we hadcovered the mold with thin sheet plastic.The first layer was heavy woven roving.After it was sanded smooth, a layer of 10-oz. glass cloth was applied. When this hadcured, a complete sanding followed, withclose attention to every imperfection.Where any bad spot was sanded out poly-ester patching compound was used to fillit in smooth.

With the 1/8-in. slit around the bottom,cutting each fiberglass shell from the moldshould be easier than it was for us. But thehull sections at this point are still not stiffenough. A layer of l-1/2-oz. mat on the in-

To get the two halves of the hull to mateperfectly we devised a scheme. A 1/4x2-1/2in. oak strip was screw-fastened to the in-side top of the bottom half of the sub, halfits width projecting above the edge. Theends of the screws, incidentally, wereground off flush on the inside. At the bow,a piece of 4x8-in. fir was shaped and fittedinside to take a bow ring later. Then thetop half of the sub was fitted on and screw-fastened into the oak along the edge. Onthe outside, a three-in. width of glass tapewas bonded over the joint with polyesterand sanded smooth after curing.

Cutting out the cockpit opening was[Continued on page 126]

April. 1966

On each side, 6-1/2 in. above the cen-line, we cut straight lines, curving themby eye into the back of the cockpit. Thecross the front is a straight one fromto side. A curved 1-1/2-in.-wide cleatglued and screwed across the forwardof the cockpit on the inside to providefastening of the dash and 3/4-in.-sq.

were glued to the undersides aroundeither edges. Then all cleats were cov-with fiberglass tape which was latersanded smooth.Rather than fasten a weak tail fin onthe side, we made a one-piece tail to passthrough the hull . To accommodate it,

1x10-in. slot was cut in the lower halfthe sub from the centerline down onthe side. The part of the tail which passesthrough the hull extends 10 in. forward ofstern and provides great rigidity whereneeded. As illustrated, cleats brace theinside and the thickness is doubledwith another layer of 3/8-in. plywood on

outside. It 's all faired off nicely, sealedthe joints with fiberglass tape andsanded. It is not necessary to fiberglass

The watershield is necessary to keepface mask from being torn off becausesub can move up to 4 mph underpower. Cut the quarter-in. Plexiglas to thesize shown. Then hold the sheet in frontof open oven with the heat turned upbending it gradually to the hull form,

work can be simplified by making afrom a sheet aluminum template

wich is bent to shape on the hull. Thenplexigias can be formed over the moldor you can send the mold to a plasticsshop to have the job done.YOUR dash, a quarter-in, plywood panel,fitted with a decompression gauge and

instruments: thermometer, depthgauge, timer and pressure gauge to keep awatch on the air tanks. A compass, whichhelps keep the sub level, is mountedup behind the watershield.Little could be said about the steeringcontrol and the diving planes that isn't de-tailed in our drawings. Use an exterior-

-construction-grade aluminum andcover the planes with epoxy after prim-Chocks for the battery case can beglued to the inside of the hull with epoxy

The power in our sub is a pressure-

the wood.

sealed 1/4-hp, 12-volt motor developed bythe Davee Co. of New York City and soldthrough Richard's Aqua Lung Center, 233W. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. 10036. Themotor and battery case have been testedto a depth of 100 ft. and this is the recom-mended safe limit for our sub.

With wiring harness and a safety shroudover the propeller, the motor sells for S112.The battery case, complete with wiring,switch and O-ring seals, costs $101. Thecase will hold two AC-78,12-volt, aircraft-type, Exide batteries. They list at $48.35each. One battery may be used for slowspeed; two batteries hooked in series toput 24 volts on the motor will give speedsup to 4 mph.

The sub must be buoyed in the samemanner as a diver. This is accomplished bytrial and error, using Styrofoam flotationand weights as necessary. P u t the flotationin the top half of the sub fore and aft andsecure it firmly when you have it right.Any weight should be in the bottom to keepthe sub upright. Be sure it trims level foreand aft. Jus t the slightest amount of posi-tive buoyancy so the sub floats withthe top just awash at the surface is de-sirable.

In handling the sub the tendency of be-ginners is to over-control, depressing orelevating the diving planes too much andturning the motor too far. Only slightmovement is required and it even wouldbe advisable to put limit stops on the con-trols. Rolls should be avoided The bat-teries won't spill in a quick roll but theywill if kept upside down too long. One cau-tion: the sub is not for novice divers. Be-come proficient as a free diver before youattempt to handle an underwater vehicle.

There you have it. In construction of themold and the basic hull we used seven gal-lons of polyester resin ($38.50); six yardsof 10-oz. glass cloth ($7.92); six yards ofwoven roving ($8.40); six yards of 1-1/2-oz.mat ($6.60); two 4x8-ft sheets of %-in.plywood ($14); 224 ft of 1/4xl-in. pinestrips ($11.20); 16 ft of 1/4xl-in. oak($1.12); and the Plyfoam ($16.50)—atotal of $107. Hardware and Plexiglasbrought our full cost to near $150. Com-plete, the sub can be put in the water forabout $476, which is less than half what acommercial equivalent was selling forwhen we set that mold up. •

Mechanix Illustrated

Ily ~ d w a r d S. Spanke and rank N. Stephany

OU WILL SEE more boats and trailers When buying a boat trailer, size and Ythan ever before at resorts and fishing weight capacity are the first things to con- areas this summer, and a closer look likely sider. There is no hard-and-fast rule. The will disclose that the cars have out-of-state trailer should handle your present boat and license plates and big-city windshield even be able to carry a somewhat larger stickers. one that you may purchase in the future.

Yes, you've guessed it. Folks are bring- Several factors determine the weight-car- ing their boats hundreds of miles to the wing capacity required-weight of the waters they want to fish, explore and en- outboard motor if it remains on the tran- joy. And they're not all country people som while towing, and weight of extra fuel, or suburbanites who might be expected to luggage and camping gear that may be have a boat-trailer rig and plerity of room stowed in the boat. So estimate the total to store it during the off season. Many of weight of everything to be carried in the these boat owners live right in the hearts boat and select a trailer accordingly. If the of the large cities. weight comes within 100 lb. of the rated

The boat trailer did it. Now, no matter capacity, better get a trailer of the next where you live, or how far it mi ht be from largest size. If You intend to carry the motor the water, you can own an out % oard boat. On the boat, the trailer should be designed All you need is garage or yard space in to support the boat transom. which to store the ouffit. As far as size is As the hitch is the most important trailer concerned, you can go from a small utility accessory, don't attempt to - improvise at boat all the way up to a cabin cruiser that this point. Use a standard ball-and-socket will sleep four to six people. car hitch, preferably one with a latch

that keeps the coupling from Everything is set for his family to enjoy a pleasant day of boating working loose. Safetv chains

I are required in some states, but they are well worth their small cost regardless of where you live.

A taillight is necessary for night-time driving, and can be anything from a flash- light clamped to the boat transom to a combination stop light and taillight. The latter operates on the car battery and plugs into an extension cord kept in the trunk.

Before driving off with the boat and trailer, be sure that the boat is tied down secure- ly, that the hitch is locked tightly and that the safety chains are in place. It's also wise to stick some reflective tape on the boat transom or the rear of the trailer in case the taillight should burn out.

Hauling the trailer over

170 I r (

kX

For night trailering, a combination stop light and Treat your trailer tires just as you would those of taillight either on boa* or trailer is ideal. Light is the car. Check air pressure before traveling, es- plugged into extension cord kept in trunk of the car pecially if you haven't used trailer for a while

Being sure that hitch is clamped tightly is tops in Safety chains are as inexpensive a form of insurance importance. Most couplers have a safety latch >o as you can get. Should the trailer hitch fail, chains 1 keep the socket from working loose while under way keep boat and trailer from taking off cross-country

. left to right, but not too hard-iust enough to even out turn. Now, you begin to get "feel" of turn

Turn begins to straighten out here. This is done : by bringing steering wheel a little harder to right. To sharpen turn, bring the whwl to Ieft

As boat starts to line up with driveway, bring steering wheel to the Ieft to come out of turn

If boat bow poinh either right or left, cut steer- ing wheel in the opposite direction to straighten it

POPULAR mcHANIcs 1

the road is no problem as long as you ! remember that it's there when driving j in traffic or passing. In fact, it's a good t idea to have something in the boat that I wi l l rattle and serve as a reminder. The onIy troublesome maneuver in trailer- ing is backing up, and this is explained by the photos and diagrams on the opposite page. You will find that all trailers built by reputable manufae- turers are designed to be towed at high speeds--but it's wise to stay somewhat under the posted speed limits. With a trailer in tow, it is going to take more distance to brake the car.

Trailer maintenance is simplicity it- self. Your trailer wheels most lilgely wil l have high-speed bearings, so be sure they are lubricated with. wheel- bearing grease and nothing else. Keep

Launching boat is easy. Back trail& so end af boom is at water, releaso winch lock and push.boat into wahr

the tires-at recommended a i r pressure and occasionally oil the moving parts, such as rollers and winch. If rust ap- pears, remove it and repaint. * *. *

1 To bring bout~aut of water, fasten winch rope to bow, line up boat with the trailer boom and reel in the boat

Transom support is shown on trailer at Idt. Rollers un- der transom prevent its being weakened by motor weight

Modern trailers are truly one-man, or one-woman, opew ahd. Hefty boot, below, is handled easily by one penon

JUNE 1955