Developing stable reproducible rib length determining systems is the hardest thing I do. Basically the idea is to identify a series of mathematical relationships between the width of the deck and the appropriate hull shape. When this works it means that you can completely rib the canoe perfectly in less than an hour and that includes cutting the wood. The keyword here though is when.
Usually the rough system only takes me about five or six boats to start to understand but that’s not something that I can release in a plan set, it can’t be almost right it has to be right and that’s where things get difficult. I can quickly walk through and cut and trim until it’s the right shape but then I need to identify a mathematical system that explains how that works and then I need to rerib the boat with the new system and then several other boats of different sizes to see if the system is stable between different but dimensions and still reproduces the same shape. Additionally the system can’t be too complex so people can use it easily.
Right now I’m just standing here staring at the boat I just ribbed and I’m so frustrated because this is almost right but what needs to be done to make it right isn’t something that I can find a mathematical relationship for, I’m sure it’s there I’m just not seeing it….
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