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Ray Frederick
05-25-2009, 9:53 PM
Hello,

I'm planning to undertake the construction of the pine rowboat from Roy Underhill's Woodwright's Workshop book. The boat looks to be a fairly simple design and I hope to knock it together quickly(hah, like that will happen :) I had a few questions that perhaps some more experienced builders can assist me with

1. Roy's plans call for clear pine, the local lumberyard carries clear Ponderosa Pine in the requisite size and shape, would this be suitable for boat construction?

2. The boat is a flat bottomed row boat(I plan to improvise some type of sail rig at some point) , Roy mentions two adults may be a lot of weight for the boat. Are there any design tweaks or flotation aids I could use that would allow me and my father to use it without fear of imminent sinking? (net weight for the two of us gentleman is probably only 350lbs)

Thanks alot,
Ray

Gary Breckenridge
05-25-2009, 11:33 PM
I admire your eagerness and your willingness to go for some hard work. I do have a few suggestions.

1. Go to a good library and research boat building woods, coatings and
paints.
2. Go to a boat store and actually sit in a small 14 ft. boat to get an idea of size.
3. Decide if you want a sail, motor or oars.
4. Shop around for boat plans. There are thousands out there. There is nothing worse than realizing that your newly built boat is just wrong for you and your needs.
5. Buy an issue of WoodenBoat and study every page. Visit the web sites for the plans and kits.

Personally I like marine plywood, white oak, mahogany, epoxy and a 10 hp motor.:D

Nate Carey
05-26-2009, 8:13 AM
Ray, just a few of my favorites -

http://tomhillboatplans.com

http://www.archdavisdesigns.com

http://www.woodenboat.com/babson14

...with all due respect to Roy Underhill, gather information about designs, methods, and materials from "experienced boat folk". Read Tom Hill's...

http://www.thomasjhillboatdesigns.com/images/book_cover_tn.jpg (http://www.thomasjhillboatdesigns.com/imgwin/ultralight_boatbuilding.html)...and WoodenBoat's...http://www.woodenboat.com/wbstore/images/GS_Vol13_cover.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:popupWindow('http://www.woodenboat.com/wbstore/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=568&zenid=k211ilbd5kro6bgnj75tus4dd6'))...and take Gary's advice; there's a wealth of information right at your finger tips...

Mac McQuinn
05-26-2009, 5:29 PM
Ray,
Is this a exercise in traditional materials and construction.....?, I certainly respect this and admire anyone who is pulling away from some of the more hazardous components used in wooden boat building today. With the price of hy-grade marine ply & epoxy what it is, My guess is your method and materials might even be cost effective with the appropriate design. While I might take a different route to this, I say jump in and build whatever you want in the method you're comfortable with;). There's many old school designs out there and that's half the fun, researching and by all means build a model 1st to get the construction method down in your head. Chapelle's "Boatbuilding" would be a good start and has lots of ideas for different vessels and construction methods.

Mac

Ray Frederick
05-26-2009, 10:23 PM
Nate/Gary/Mac

Thanks very much for your input on this project. I actually have a decent amount of boat building experience and have read quite a bit on it (including wooden boat). I've done repairs on yachts(I'm a carpenter by trade) as well as built a 17 foot sailboat out of mahogany using West Systems products.

I had chosen Mr. Underhill's designs for precisely what Mac mentioned, the traditionalness(not sure that's a word) of it. I was planning to build it with my father, who is in his 70s, in his backyard and wanted to do it with simple hand tools and wood that is slightly more affordable than mahogany or white oak. I specifically wanted to avoid a lot of epoxy work and plywood. I was hoping the Ponderosa Pine would be an option as it is quite affordable, I will consult the reference books I have at home on their opinions of it but I was hoping someone here would have firsthand experience.

I will also consult my books regarding beefing up my flat bottomed boat design and perhaps steal some ideas for mine. I've been in a number of different boats of varying sizes and have some specific reasons for wanting to utilize the small boat in Mr. Underhill's book and am quite determined to utilize that basic design.

Thanks,
Ray

Nate Carey
05-27-2009, 6:57 AM
Ray, many small (and not so small) boats have been designed to be planked with pine (or cedar or similar). I'm sure you and your father will enjoy building and using the design you have chosen. Show us progress photos as you go.

The Asa Thomson skiff is a design that I have built (x4) with pine planking using traditional methods.

http://www.woodenboat.com/wbstore/images/medium/400009.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:window.close())

Mac McQuinn
05-27-2009, 1:57 PM
I really don't see a reason not to use the Ponderosa Pine although I would definitely sort through all the wood available to you to find the vertical grain pieces. Much more stable and will save headaches later.

Do you have a link to this design? Just wondered if it has a cross-planked floor or not. If more flotation is desired, you could box in seats around foam blocks.

Mac