John Burritt

There are/were preliminary plans for a 24. Graham's been tweeking the hull shape a bit, but they might be available. Contact him @ bandbyachtdesigns.com.

Try not to precoat the edges where you're going to be filleting/taping. The epoxy soaking into the wood as the joint is sealed gives you a stronger joint than applying epoxy to a hard, sanded surface.

Seat tops can go in whenever you want. They'll help the boat hold its shape. Glue them in w/ thickened epoxy. Use weights or ?? to hold them in place. Shouldn't need additional fasteners, although temporary nails & blocks can be used. Figure out the cockpit lockers before you finish the seats. Have you put in the carlins for the side decks & coaming? Depending on how you're finishing the fore & aft decks, I might wait to fit them until I had the outside of the hull finished. They can get scarred up while the boat is upside down. If you're painting them, not an issue. Holding the decks in place is more of an issue depending on how stiff the bend is. I've seen everything from straps/rope & wedges to ring shank nails - even screws. Again, finishing details will influence what you do. If you're going to put on a toe rail on the foredeck, hide your fasteners underneath. Consider wetting the plywood in the middle to ease the bending/fastening. This is one of those areas where "planning ahead" is critical.

The pic is correct. The bottom-to-end seams fit fine. These have to be taped before you can go 3D. Its the joint between the end panels where the gap is. It can be fixed later.

I agree w/ Ray. Fair epoxy w/ epoxy - thicken it w/ microballoons, Microlight, or other easy-sanding filler.

The Nov./Dec. Woodenboat magazine is in the mail. Mine arrived yesterday. Good article about their "eco" powerboat contest and Graham's winning design (Marissa).

What happens to that gap when you pull the panels 3D? Don't put anything in that will inhibit the bend. I wouldn't mess w/ it until I pulled the boat into shape.

Look for an old Stanley block plane w/ an adjustable throat. Check antique stores, moving sales, etc. Condition doesn't have to be perfect because you'll tune it up anyway. The secret, as always, is a flat sole & a sharp blade. These are a good starting point. Then you can move up-scale if you feel its necessary. (Remember, the blade on a block plane has the bevel up, as opposed to down on most other planes.)

Watch for the next issue of Woodenboat magazine. "Marissa" also is supposed to be going to next week's IBEX show.

Watch for the next issue of Woodenboat magazine. "Marissa" also is supposed to be going to next week's IBEX show.

If you scarf the sheets together before doing the panel layouts/cuts, you don't have to worry about getting the scarfs accurately aligned.

Congratulations Graham for having the winning wooden boat design in the "eco-boat" contest. "Marissa" got justifiable kudos. Look forward to seeing her finished. (Designer has a parallel thread w/ other comments.)

Marissa is becoming more and more famous. Congrats Graham. Interesting presentation by Woodenboat & Prof. Boat Builder.

Install the trunk, then cut the opening. Make a couple of pilot holes (one close to each end of the opening)with a diameter just smaller than the projected opening before installing the trunk. Makes it easier to line up the cut after the trunk is installed. Cut w/a jig saw. DON'T hold it flush to the bottom. Hold it vertically.

I've used Hydrocore successfully for boat construction. However, it is significantly heavier than Okoumi, maybe about 20% - don't remember exactly. This is its biggest drawback when weight is an issue. The face veneers are thinner than the core layers - maybe started the same before final sanding. Its also stiffer at the same thickness. Can cause some slight variations in hull shape vs okoumi. The veneer color/grain is also a bunch different from okoumi - finishes out a reddish brown very similar to some versions of old mahogany. As w/ okoumi, it only works if it is well sealed w/ epoxy.

When sanding on boats, remember that the goal is "fair" as well as smooth. The best tool for fairing is a long sanding board that will eliminate the high spots & not make new low ones. The closest power sander I've found that comes close to this is a flat-bed 1/2 sheet sander. Milwaukee makes a good one, as well as others.

Another good alternative. You can also make U-shaped pieces of plywood or stiff plastic to fit over the gunwales and tighten the fit w/ wedges. Whatever you use, there's still no such thing as too many clamps.

There's no such thing as having too many clamps - especially when gluing on the gunwales. Be on the lookout for inexpensive c-clamps - Harbor Freight, yard sales, the neighbor's garage, etc.

If you can get a kit for the 12, the plywood problem will be solved. All will be 1088 Okoumi. If you are buildong just fom plans, order some Okoumi anyway. The wood handles totally differently - no checks - no voids. There's another thread going talking about how much extra work it was trying to seal fir, plus the extra weight.

The skills developed building a spindrift will make the core sound go together much more smoothly. If you build an S12, go up to at least a CS17. The 15 isn't that much different from the 12, although it has a more sophisticated rig.

Go to Graham's web site "bandbyachtdesigns.com" and look up the Outer Banks 20 for some good pictures and specifications. Graham & I had originally played w/ plans for a 24' version, but I got distracted from building it. Ended up as a 20'r to meet the builders desires/needs. As w/ all of Graham's designs, the OB 20 has undergone plan improvements since the last build. The boat performs every bit as well as we had hoped. Either the 20 or 24 would be great weekenders.

5200 would be better than epoxy. The 5200 can be talked into releasing w/ a bit of heat. Would be harder w/ epoxy. I might even consider a regular sealant. The screws & nuts will hold it in place.

I have heard Designer vividly describe the disadvantages of not securing a car-top tie fore & aft. It apparently provided some good abrasion testing (w/ positive results), although I don't thnk that was the plan.

Have you ever used CPES (clear penetrating epoxy)? Sold by Jamestown Distributers (and I'm sure others). Really soaks into the wood. It would seal your inside surfaces and let you put about anything you want over it. I'm too chicken and old-fashioned to use it on the outside or where water would accumulate, although they promote it as a rot inhibitor. I'd be a bit leary about spraying. You'd need to do a lot of back-checking to make sure you got good penetration, plus any time you save would probably be lost cleaning the gun. One thing on the forum over which there is complete agreement is that we can pretty much disagree about almost anything. The volume level goes up when there's a concern about the end product. There's usually plenty of options to pick from - or trash completely. Spent a good bit of time overhauling a Princess. Good building on yours.

You just made the point most of us were making. Unsealed wood will mildue/mold. Even one coat of epoxy will keep the inside looking good. A couple coats and you wouldn't have to do anything else unless you wanted to.