She sails

Today I took WHISP out to the lake and tested her sailing rig.  She sails.  Success and surprise.  The surprise is that she sails without the use of any added underwater parts (centerboard or rudder) and that she even sails to windward this way.

At first I was using the oars for steering, that was awkward but somewhat affective.  While going forward to take up on the snotter for the sprit yard I noticed that my body weight moving affected the track of the boat.  I had the mainsheet made fast to the cleat and moving forward caused the boat to head up into the wind.  Moving aft caused it to fall off.  I also noticed that leaning to leeward could add to the affect of heading up and leaning to windward caused us to fall off the wind.

I also think that the external chine has a large affect on reducing the boats leeway.

I was able to tack the boat thru the wind twice, simply by moving all the way forward and to leeward until the boat came about, then moving back aft as the sail filled on the opposite tack.  I was really amazed.  I did miss a tack completely once, but used the oars, which were at the ready, to easily move the boat around.

The nicest thing about this is the freedom of clutter in the boat and the simplicity.  No center/dagger board, or leeboard to deal with.  No tiller.  I was able to lie prone with my head on a boat cushion and the mainsheet in my hand and by simply moving my feet from one side of the boat to the other and leaning my body a tiny bit, was able to steer a coarse.  Another thing is I had no worries about catching the under body on a rock.

I hope to post some pics or vids of the boat underway in the next week.

I think I will build a rudder for the boat in case of being out in stronger winds and needing to use my body weight more robustly.  I may also try a leeboard as well.  I can always not use them if I find I don't need them.

I am very happy that the sail worked out.  The shape of it was pretty good for making it out of a reclaimed old jib from my 27 footer.  The sprit rig seemed much simpler to use than the lug rig I had used on a dink I had set up a year or so ago.

It is nice to be sailing in one of my own boats once again.

Project Completed, "Tartlet", the Sam Pram single sheet plywood boat and custom oars!

A bit of chill in the air but otherwise a sunny, beautiful sunday morning.  The dog and I took the little boat and it's newly made oars across the way and down to the pond to give it the official trial and launching.  It works, and even better, it works well.  The oars turned out to be just right.  My "thole pins"  work to, though not as well as I would like, but I have ideas of how to make them even better.

I am surprised by how well the little boat tracks with such a short water line.  My fiberglass dinghy that has been the tender for the Bristol has always made me very happy and comfortable with it's rowing characteristics, even when going out in 30 knot plus, 5 foot short cycle waves, when all the inflatables were left tied to the dock.  It tracked well but was agile.  This little boat feels similar, but to a lesser degree.  That makes it comfortable to me and a boat that comforts me is a good boat.

The elevated floors and seating proved itself today when I picked up some wet trash from the pond (why do litterbugs always have such bad taste in beer?).  The bottom of the boat ended up with about 3/4 of an inch of water but I stayed very dry.  I gotta remember to keep a sponge on board.

I was also surprised at how easy it is to carry this boat.  The oars tie down to the floors and the whole thing is carried like a turtle shell, using the braces for handles and the oars rest pleasantly against my back.  I was worried that they might be a bit heavy but they were no problem.

While sitting and looking at the boat I had the epiphany I had been waiting for about the updated and "yacht tender" version of this boat.  It would be a simple thing to come up with if I were to give up my "one sheet of plywood" requirement, but where is the fun in that?  Lots of boats have been drawn that will serve as a small tender, but not many are made so conservatively.  Anyway, I think I know what to draw for the next version, though it may not be a pram as much as a pointy bowed skiff. I do like the utility of a pram bow over the pointy end which has less useable interior space.  At this scale, every inch counts, literally.

Now is the time to set aside the boat building and get on with the boat using.  So much the better because for me building boats is a necessary evil, first to get me thru the winter, secondly to get me a boat that I might not otherwise be able to afford, and thirdly, it gets me messing about in boats, but the best thing is just to be out on the water in boats.

"Tartlet", the Sam Pram, one sheet plywood boat with custom oars.
Project completed April 21, 2013. (begun Jan. 10, 2013)

Leathered and Laced.

Stitching on the leathers on a Friday evening after dinner was a pleasant way to spend some quite time.

leathers laced on.  Note the extra lace
left on until they settle in for a time, in case they need to be tightened.

 I cut 2- 6" by 5" pieces of leather from a big piece (like an entire hide) I bought years ago when I found a good buy on it at some shop, for just such purposes.  I wet them down and then temporarily attached them to the oars with plastic tie wraps so that I could do the final trim marking, making sure to mark the orientation and which oar they were intended for.  I marked them on the inside with ink pen.

I used tarred marlin doubled for the stitching, pre-drilling holes every half inch on each side.  I tried to keep as most of the lacing under the leather to protect it from chafe.  I guess I ended up with half under, half out.

I had to re lace the first one to make it match the 2nd and the better pattern.

 It took me about of week to get these done.  Not very long and much less in actual time spent working on them.  But the time was enjoyable.  Shaping the oars was a lot of fun.  Now having custom made oars that just fit their purpose is very rewarding.  I am especially happy about them having paint that matches the boat they are for, that they are made from reclaimed wood, shop scrap, limited power tools (I used the table saw to rip the lengths of wood, and the belt sander for a few short moments before the belt broke, took that for a sign!) and mostly they were shaped by planes and a spokeshave.  The dimensions are all my own on research I did by looking thru every book I owned and magazines and the internet.

custom made oars, finished.

Over all, a fun project that has removed my fear or doubts about my ability for success.  I am more inclined to build a set for the skiff now and a sculling oar for the Bristol and..............!

Varnish

The varnish came in at the hardware store, so brusha, brusha brusha!

first coat of varnish.
The spars for the skiff are in the background and get another
coat of varnish while I am at it.

 As I was varnishing the oars I noticed that there was something different about them, or the way I felt about them than how I felt about the boat.  I think it has something to do with the fact that I had to find the shape of the oars within the larger block of wood, be it a few pieces laminated together.

sculpted ridge on oar blade

 The shape was less determined by the predetermined characteristics of the plywood that I used for the boats hull.  I also got a lot of satisfaction at having to not only carve out the proper shape of an oar, but having to match it on both oars.  Not at all a perfect match, but close enough I think.

the dark hardwood tip looks nice on the end

Using the blades, the plane and spokeshave, and using the sand paper to do this shaping takes a bit of time, but it is time well spent and the piles of shavings that accumulated on the shop floor added to the sense of accomplishment.  As the pile got deeper the shape of the oars became clearer.
I prefer working with wood over fiberglass to an immeasurable degree, but I think I might prefer to work with solid wood over plywood to a great degree as well.  Makes me want to build a boat from solid wood.

Oars

I think I have shaped them enough.  So now I have put on a bit of paint to help them match the pram and when I get some more varnish I can do that.  They feel pretty strong and pretty light weight.  Once they are varnished I am done with the pram and can get to regular use of it.

Painted but not varnished.  I am thinking of putting
the name of the boat on the square part of the loom.

Shaping by eye and planes and spoke shave takes a bit of time and there were some compromises that were made from taking a bit too much here or there, but overall I am pretty happy with these.  I did use the belt sander on the blades for a moment until the sand paper belt tore thru.  Took it for a sign and sat in the sun with a wood block and 80 grit paper to finish that shaping.

smOARz

All the glueing up is done.  

 Trying to figure out the final shape had me looking at picture after picture of different oars.  With a basic idea of what I wanted I started drawing in lines for dimensioning and then planning down to those lines.

Keeping the oars right next to each other helped me make sure
that I shaped them the same.

the basic shape.

planning the blades flat.

Square looms help to offset the weight of the blade.

Looks like a big wooden screwdriver.

Keeping the handles thin for an easy grip.

Just a bit of tapering of the shaft, then on to thinning down the blades.

moOARzzza

Today I found a piece of mahogany, I think, that will make a nice blade end for the oars.  It will contrast the color of the rest of the blade and deal with the abuse the end of the oar usually gets.  The wood is scrap from a friend who was cleaning out his garage last year.

hardwood blade tip for protection

I was doing research on the shape of the oars, after I already decided on the shape and glued up the first oar.  I found some great ideas on laminating contrasting colored woods and realized I have some cedar that would have been great, had I thought of it earlier.  Maybe next time.

I knew that 6 foot long clamp would come
in handy for something!

 I was going to try and clamp on the end piece with some line run around the length of the blade, so I would have to glue up the piece before I cut the shape out, but then I realized that I have this really long and awkward furniture clamp, 6 feet long.  I had wondered if I should cut down the pipe to a reasonable size, now I am glad that I didn't.  It just fits the entire length of the oar.

Initial planing of the shaft to match the blade has started.

On the first side, I used a saw to cut the shaft flat to match the blade and although it was quicker it wasn't as nice a finish and on the second side just used the planes and spoke shave.  It takes longer but it gives me time to look at the piece while I am working and finalize the shape I want it to be.

I will have to deduct the length of the end piece from the other end of the oar at the handle in order to keep the oar short enough to store in the boat.