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WOOD/EPOXY BOATBUILDING NEWS

WOOD/EPOXY BOATBUILDING TECHNIQUES:

MOULDED PLYWOOD OR VENEER

This method of construction can be used to build several of our designs, and plans are available based on this technique.

From full size patterns supplied with the plans , station frames are marked and cut out of scrap timber and plywood. Stringer positions are marked and notched. The frames are erected on a prepared strongback and the stringers, keelson and stem are added. Very little fairing off is necessary as the stringers go in at the correct angle and allow the plywood or veneer strips to be added glued and nailed to the stringers.

The plywood or veneer strips are applied diagonally and sometimes vertically and fore and aft as shown in the plans. To ensure a good bond between the layers, staples are used to pressurize the glue while this hardens. If silicon bronze or stainless steel staples are used they may be left in the hull.

ROBERTS 53
This moulded veneer Wood/Epoxy hull was built in Brazil where good timber is still relatively plentiful. Many Bruce Roberts designs are available for use where this method of construction can be used.
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BUILDING TIP: When installing veneers or other material that requires temporary staples, one of the most onerous jobs is removing the staples. Many methods have been tried but this one successfully used by Russ Stevenson works well....buy some narrow THIN packaging METAL tape and this can be used underneath the staples....easy to remove when the glue has set...simply give a hefty tug on one end of the tape and the staples come out without a whimper...make sure to wear goggles as staples may fly in all directions.

Dan Aadland's building of
Spray  27 in Wood Epoxy

The lifelong desire to sail has prompted my present (major) project, a Spray 27 cutter designed by Bruce Roberts. This is the second smallest of his Spray series and the larger of the two trailerable ones. A multi-chine plywood design, the cutter can be built with either Marconi or gaff rigs and in either pilot house or conventional sailboat configuration. Luckily, decisions on those two matters need not be made until bulkheads are installed, so I have a while yet to decide.
I made two modifications. First, the Sprays have a conventional transom which turns to vertical for the upper one foot. I kept the taper of the transom all the way aft, which will increase cockpit (or lazarette) space and overall length (to about 28'). The shape is more pleasing to my eye. Secondly, I am building the hull with a modified stitch-and-glue or, more accurately, epoxy chine method. I’ve built the hull over the same temporary frames specified but eliminating the chine logs and instead edge-gluing the plywood panels with filled epoxy. The hull is roughed in and when fibreglassed will be turned over with the temporary frames still supporting it. At that point the fillets of filled epoxy will be installed inside as the chines. This modification was done with the blessings of Mr. Roberts himself, incidentally.
A Spring ‘99 Update: I completed the planking, built up the keel with fir, and built a steel ballast box to be later filled with lead and thickened resin.  This ballast box, still empty, was fitted into place and the wooden keel laminated up around it.   Then I removed it to be bolted in position later with the hull upright.  I also located an old-but-good Yanmar 8h.p. diesel, the old horizontal cylinder model, and purchased it for later installation.
  A stern view of the hull, now covered with 6 oz. fibreglass cloth set in epoxy resin.  (Much sanding and fairing remains before it will be ready for paint.)   To turn the hull we had, naturally, a party.  Two heavy Polly ropes were run from the ends of the trusses on each side of our pole shed, under the hull (but over the building form), then to cable-type “come-along's.”  To protect the hull we padded the area with tires and also put foam pipe insulation over the ropes.  Then we cranked on the come-alongs until the hull lifted off the form. We lifted the hull until it went over gently onto the ropes.  Then everyone quickly skidded the building form forward out of the way.  Then we pushed the hull back onto the concrete building platform and blocked it.
  Final positioning of the hull was easy, and with this nice old-fashioned straight keel design, the hull ended up dead level with the waterline (as shown by the marks on the temporary frames still inside).  Emily and I posed in front of our sailboat to be, then she posed me by the stern.  We’re tentatively planing to name the boat Sjo Hest, “sea horse” in Norwegian, a marriage of our Scandinavian heritage and our preoccupation with the world of horses.  Hopefully it will take us over the waters of Puget Sound and the Sea of Cortez. Watch this space for more on the building of Dan Aadland's Spray 27

MORE INFO Spray 27

Setting up the frames

Here the ballast keel section is being welded

Ballast keel in position, then being removed after completing lamination of the wooden sections.

Hull ready for turn-over

Dan and Emily Aadland