John Burritt

At one point there were plans for an Outerbanks 24. Graham & I fussed w/ them a number of years ago (before Chick built the OB20). I got diverted into rehabbing an old Core Sound fishing boat and never got back to the 24. I'm sure Graham has revised the building process since then, but he may still be able to help you. Can't help you on the price of materials or the other questions.

I'm not sure Scott isn't setting you up for a lot of hard work. Many times yellow paint doesn't have a lot of substance. The prime coats must be really good for the yellow finish coat to look good.

Graham is now the owner of the original(?) Outer Banks 20. Its currently undergoing a bit of rehab before he takes it to Maine next month. Not sure that he has any construction photos from the builder.

Some days hand tools outrank power tools. Using the chisel and hand plane, you'll be finished long before you could make all the changing adjustments to the power tools - and be less likely to have gross errors.

They're around. Busy as usual. Keep trying.

Use something like microspheres to fair out any hard seams or scratches - minimal structural strength, but easy fairing and sanding. Otherwise, coat the hull multiple THIN coats of epoxy spread w/ a roller & finished w/ a wide foam brush. Keep watching after you've applied each coat. The epoxy will warm as it starts to cure. If it starts to sag or run, it needs to be spread more/thinner w/ a dry foam brush. Recoating is possible once the previous coat sets up. If it cures & the finish feels slippery, it needs to be wiped down w/ water or acetone to remove the blush. This, however, gives you a chance to sand any runs. If you've glassed the hull, don't sand into the glass. (Looks like you've got 3 answers saying about the same thing.)

Jim - re: assembling your long scarfed staves. If you have a flat floor in your shop, you can set them up on edge so that the scarf on one stave alligns with the flat on the next one. Put some plastic around each glued scarf. You should be able to assemble the whole set and clamp them all together without tacks. Setting them on edge will keep the staves straight at the scarf joints.

Cut a small chamfer on each side of each end - either w/ a plane or a router bit. This will give the inevitable open space at the ends of the thwart a finished look.

ricknriver - have you considered one of Graham's Birders? He developed it awhile back for some of us older, larger, "not-so-agile" folks interested in a kayak. Check his web site for particulars.

I'd fillet & tape. I've seen joints that were just filleted break under not too much stress. The tape helps spread the load.

Spindrifts are built w/ 6mm okoume plywood. Well coated w/ epoxy it becomes very durable. If you haven't, contact Designer re: plans. etc. Everything available from plans to CNC cut kits.

Peter's alternative for pre-wetting the tape is viable. We got into the "wet-it-out-in-place" alternative working in boat class where we haven't had lots of extra space. The "gentle touch" is still needed to get the fillet & tape properly mated.

I'd do 1 side at a time. The process can be time consuming. Pull all the wires on that side, watching the most highly stressed spots to make sure they don't let go. Clean up any remaining bumps. Cut your glass tape to length before you mix your epoxy. (Actually, you can cut the tape for both sides at the same time. Just make sure it doesn't get near the epoxy until you're ready to lay it in.) Then recoat where you'll be filleting w/ unthickened epoxy. Mix thickened epoxy and apply the fillet down the first side. Go back and clean up any excess. Now GENTLY apply another coat of UNTHICKENED epoxy over the fillet, smoothing as you go. Then lay the pre-cut tape along the filleted seam, spacing it evenly up the sides & on the bottom panel. Again, use your brush to GENTLY set the tape into the wet epoxy. The epoxy will soak into the tape, changing it from white to grey to clear. As it soaks in, you'll see the areas that need extra attention. Try hard not to disturb the fillet. If it wants to stay dry, add a little extra epoxy, but not to much. If its too wet, the tape will lift off the fillet. Not good. Watch for epoxy runs. Clean them up before the epoxy sets. Once you're satisfied w/ one side, do the other.

Frank - Have you checked on Ancestry.com? I did a quick check & found Louise D. Mullis w/ POB 128 in Union Grove, NC in 1988 & at RR 2 POB 252 in Hamptonville, NC 27020 in 1993. Might give you some direction.

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't you trying to make a complicated job out of a simple one? Okoume is not so soft that it can't be installed before coating.

Mike - there are lots of folks using spindrifts for the purposes you described. The most definitive answer to your questions will come from Graham. As noted above, the best way to get the answer will be to send him an email. Being a bit on the busy side, he doesn't spend as much time on the forum as some of the rest of us.

Sounds disgustingly square. Also sounds like your variances are nothing more than variations in wood thickness. Good luck getting your gunwales glued on.

What you need to check is the straight distance from the stem to the corner on each side of the transom where it meets the shear. This will tell you if the hull is square. As you're working from a kit, measuring around the outside of the shear on each side won't work. You already know that the panels are the same length. You can check the symetry by pulling a line from the stem to the center of the transom at the top. Then measure how far the shear on each side is from the line you pulled into place. Measuring from the same point, these measurements should be the same.

Dry fit the gunwales to each side first, starting at the bow and gradually working toward the stern. Use a screw to secure them at the bow, then clamps along each side, working from bow to stern, keeping the sides symetrical. Be gradual and gentle bending the gunwales. A screw isn't necessary at the stern if you're using enough clamps. Once you're satisfied everything is in the right place and the hull is fair, release the clamps on one side, from back to front. Apply your epoxy (thickened), re-install the bow screw and repeat the clamping process, bow to stern. Once you're satisfied its clamped back in the right spot, the sides are still symetrical, and you've cleaned up the epoxy that has squeezed out, you're ready for side 2. You can do it right away or whenever. Just don't release the dry clamps until you're ready to glue it in place. Understand why you might have been confused. Your revised order of events is correct.

Get the gunwales on the boat before you finalize the knees & breasthook. Also get the insides seams taped and filleted.

You could actually thin it a bit both ways. Don't know if the plans mention it, but you should bevel the bottom edge of the gunwale at about 15 deg. Looks less bulky, and it also keeps the gunwale from hooking as easily on the edge of a dock, or ???.

The gunwales should be at least clamped (if not glued) to the shear to pull the shape fair before you do the inside filleting & taping. Be sure to do both sides at the same time to keep the sides symmetrical. The transom & the bulkheads need to be wired in place to make sure everything fits the hull shape is fair.

Tapering the bottom side of the gunwales at each end gives a better visual appearance without impacting the integrity of the gunwale. Maintaining the same thickness for the full length makes the ends appear thicker or heavier.

The offset daggerboard is a non-issue. The boat doesn't know the difference. Actually, the continuous keel w/ the offset daggerboard has better strength & better water flow along it than one that has a section cut out in the middle. The daggerboard's job is to prevent/reduce side-slip. It can do this even if it is clear to one side of the boat. Many boats around have lee boards - one on each side that are adjustable like a daggerboard - which do the job just fine.

Morley - Are you ordering a kit from Graham, or just plans?