dinghy gunwales

[Melissa Goudeseune]

Ok, next set of questions: the dinghy is right-side up again, and the next step is to install the gunwales.

1. bending + position

I tried clamping the 1x2's at the transom and bending them into shape, and I'm hitting the same problem as with the keel -- excessive force required. So, I'll probably rip them and do a 2-ply laminate. The bigger question is the vertical position. When pulled together at the bow, they don't follow the top edge of the sides, and sit a bit low at the bow (like 2 inches). Any hints on how to get this to line up?

2. fendering

The mini-paw will be used as a tender for my Tanzer 22 sailboat. So, I'm concerned about protecting the gelcoat on the mother ship. This would point towards using the fire-hose-and-foam gunwale cover as suggested in the plans. On the other hand, I really like the look of a rope that runs all the way around the dinghy, set into a small groove in the gunwale. But -- will this provide sufficient protection when the dinghy moves around? I really don't want to bother with tiny dinghy-sized fenders :roll: . Thoughts?

Michel

[Designer]

When installing the gunwales it is necessary to take advantage of leverage when you bend by starting with the hardest bend and bending toward the softer bend or straighter area. Since the area of maximum bend is at the bow, you should clamp your gunwales at the bow and bend them towards the stern. One mistake sometimes made is to try to fit the guwales tight/parallel to the boat when you attach at the bow. Just clamp them at the bow and let them angle out where they will. Also, I like to add a screw through the gunwale into the bow transom stiffener in ADDITION to the clamp. This allows you to get the gunwale exactly back in the same position for your glueing as for the dry run. It is necessary to to bend both gunwales at the same time. Now you can use the leverage and bring both gunwales together at the stern. You might need a little help if the gunwales are wider than your arms can reach. It's good to have help when installing the gunwales. The way to do it is. Attaching the bow and having one person hold the transom ends (which you left long of course for this purpose). As the person at the transom pulls in the assistant clamps each side as the gunwales touch along from bow to stern.

As this is happening you are forcing the gunwale to follow the sheer. Once you have done this as a dry run, you do the same thing with the epoxy.

There is a lot of curvature in the mini because it is a curvaceous small boat, so there is a fair amount of bending in the gunwales. The 3/4" X 1 1/2" is a little larger than necessary but it is a stock size. If you have clear straight grained stock you can rip it down to to 3/4" X 1 1/4". As for laminating, you should be able to get around in 1 piece. There is about 1 5/16" edge bend which is easily attainable in this size stock and length when done as described above.

A last suggestion - I like to let the ends of the gunwale stand up about 3/16" above the sheer in this size boat . It gives the gunwales a lighter visual feeling without any loss of strength.

While I agree, the rope fendering looks more "shippy", it still leaves the corners a bit exposed and able to bite the mother ship. The firehose fendering covers it top, edges and bottom, so no matter how it hits the boat, the motherboat is protected (and the mini too!). The fire hose does not use foam under it like the commercial stuff. It is stiff enough to have the right amount of cushioning without the foam.

[Charlie Jones]

Fire hose fendering??? Plans??? Not on mine Graham?

I'm planning to cove the rub rail and add rope, running it around the bow and stern for a ways. That ain't on my plans either!!!

Has there been THAT much change???

[Melissa Goudeseune]

Charlie,

my plans only mention the fire-hose bit. The page "Assembly Details & Gunwales" shows a last-updated date of 11-29-2002. I don't know exactly when you bought your plans.

The cove and rope idea was just me dreaming -- it's not in the plans. What I was thinking of was to extend the gunwales around the bow and stern, rout in the cove, and then make a huge 3-strand grommet which would get snapped around the perimeter of the boat.

But, it sounds like the rope won't protect well enough, and there's enough curve in the top of the stern transom that it would be difficult for the rope to stay put.

So, I'm probably going with the fire-hose route. The idea is that it's fabric fused to rubber. So you cut it open lengthwise, then slip it over the gunwale, leaving an air pocket between the hose and the gunwale. It will have some give. Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

Michel

[Garry]

This is one area that I have learned not to take any shortcuts. Keeping the dinghy from damaging the topsides is very important. I have heard the fire hose idea many times but haven't seen it in practice. Is it really as good as the dinghy guards offered commercially?

Here is a link to one option which would cost about $90.00 for my Spindrift 11:

http://www.defender.com/cgi-bin/Web_store/web_store.cgi?keywords=gunnel+guard&frames=yes&store=yes

[Charlie Jones]

I don't remember when I got mine- I built the dink in the winter or spring of 2003. I lose track of which boat was when.

I have some fire hose, BUT- my wife even hauled the dinghy into the living room to varnish the rubrails so the wind wouldn't mess up her varnish job. It lived in the living room for a week while she finished up. Ain't NO WAY we're covering that varnish up with fire hose I suspect I can get by with rope in a cove- that'll still leave the upper edge of the varnish showing.

[Greg Luckett]

What a gal, Charlie.

My hat is off to her!

I am going to tell my wife about her.

[Charlie Jones]

LOL- That she is Greg. Excellent sailor and extremely talented too, plus she's pretty cute.

Took me half a century and two previous tries to find her - I think I'll hang on tight

[Greg Luckett]

I have spent a lot of time pondering the gunwhales on the boats I have built. These are small boats. I would love to see several or more examples of how people are doing gunwhales, especially on plywood boats.

How does the cove molding and rope work? Are you guys talking about real fire hose, or something just called that?

Thanks,

Greg.

[capt jake]

OK, I haven't read teh 'whole' thred but Fire hose caught my eye.

The idea is that it's fabric fused to rubber. So you cut it open lengthwise, then slip it over the gunwale, leaving an air pocket between the hose and the gunwale. It will have some give. Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

No, teh jacket on the hose is NOT fused to the inner rubber lining.

Now there is hose and there is 'old' hose. 'Old' hose is a double jacket made of Cotton (ended production in the 60's or so). Newer hose is a synthetis jacket which is much les prone to mildew and rot, unlike cotton.

Cotton is much softer (which I think is what we are after here) and the sythenic is very abrasive (ooh, my hands can attest to this)!

If you cut the hose, you can take the jacket off of it with ease (not fused). You call also separate the two jacket layers with ease.

I think I may know where a few section of the cotton jacketed hose are. If you a re interested, i will see if they are still hanging around and see if I can pry them loose! Now, what size hose are we talking about?? I think I can maybe get some 1 1/2" and possibly some 2 1/2".

:) :)

[Designer]

The fire hose that we use for fenders is 1 1/2". It is 2 layers of 2 ply nylon and neoprene. When the fire hose is worn out you can usually get it for nothing. The hose is flat and you can split it in two by cutting it down both edges. Throw the outside cover away because it is dirty and worn, inside it is clean and pristine. Because you cut it in two you now have two fenders. The new generation of fire hose is plastic (I think it is PVC) and is usually coloured, ours are yellow, they are much lighter and easier to use than the older white hose. We have not worn any out yet so I have not had the opportunity to open them up to see if they will work as fenders.

There are two pictures, one with the commercial $5. 00 + per foot fender which was glued in place using Sika polyurethane and the other is fire hose nailed top and bottom with bronze ring nails. The gunwales under the fire hose were made from pressure treated pine to prevent them from rotting from water ingress around the nails.

Both fenders work very well, the commercial one being heavier. If one wants to preserve the varnished gunwales as has been mentioned earlier, then the rope fender will look very shippy but it will not fender as well.

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[capt jake]

Can I say, "DOHH!", I forgot you are a firefighter, Graham. The newer stuff is some sort of a blend, not PVC but some PV-something!!

My offer still stands if interested, let me know.

[Scott Dufour]

On the cover of the most recent Jamestown Distributors catalog theres a picture of two people in a dingy working near the bowsprit of a gorgeous boat. The dingy's gunnels are classic and beauiful, and the people don't seem too worried about the rubbing effect. Should they be?