Day 4: Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

Day 4) skin-on-frame row/sail canoe. 7 hrs. 15’6 x 40.5”x 15” Late last night I realized that my canoe formula probably still works at this size, I just hadn’t scaled the central ratio up quite far enough. So today I gave it another go with fresh oak and a new base number, and the formula spit out a good canoe shape. .
Despite that success I almost abandoned the project mid day because my brain is so tuned to the hull shapes of small traditional row boats that the relative fullness in the bilge in the quarters just hurts my brain. Part of this is an optical illusion because a similarly sized st Lawrence skiff or Peapod would have a much fuller shape in the plan view towards the ends, so If you visualize those quarter ribs flaring off at a steeper angle, the turn of the bilge isnt quite as brutal as it looks. Depth also plays a factor here. The boat would be far sexier an inch shallower but given my proclivity for inadvisable wind speeds and excessive angles of heel, I dare not go less. For sure it’s still a little chubby in the quarters but only way to find out if that actually matters is just to finish it and try it out. .
These experiments weigh a little more heavily on me in larger size boats. It’s not so much the cost or the time involved with building the boat, that’s only about a week and $400. Its the twelve days and $800 that you spend building the oars and the rig that makes you really not want to blow it with a crappy design! Skin on frame is lightning quick and dead easy once you get the shape, scantlings, and system dialed in. That’s the experience I like to share with my students. The behind the scenes side of things is significantly more challenging though. Sometimes I get really lucky and the first prototype or two works great but usually I’ve got to get at least six boats into it before I have a clue what I’m doing. Sometimes it’s a 10 boat rabbit hole that leads nowhere. We’ll see where this one goes...
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Day 4, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 7 hrs. 15’6 x 40.5”x 15”

Late last night I realized that my canoe formula probably still works at this size, I just hadn’t scaled the central ratio up quite far enough. So today I gave it another go with fresh oak and a new base number, and the formula spit out a good canoe shape.

Despite that success I almost abandoned the project mid day because my brain is so tuned to the hull shapes of small traditional row boats that the relative fullness in the bilge in the quarters just hurts my brain. Part of this is an optical illusion because a similarly sized st Lawrence skiff or Peapod would have a much fuller shape in the plan view towards the ends, so If you visualize those quarter ribs flaring off at a steeper angle, the turn of the bilge isn’t quite as brutal as it looks. Depth also plays a factor here. The boat would be far sexier an inch shallower but given my proclivity for inadvisable wind speeds and excessive angles of heel, I dare not go less. For sure it’s still a little chubby in the quarters but only way to find out if that actually matters is just to finish it and try it out.

These experiments weigh a little more heavily on me in larger size boats. It’s not so much the cost or the time involved with building the boat, that’s only about a week and $400. Its the twelve days and $800 that you spend building the oars and the rig that makes you really not want to blow it with a crappy design!

Skin on frame is lightning quick and dead easy once you get the shape, scantlings, and system dialed in. That’s the experience I like to share with my students. The behind the scenes side of things is significantly more challenging though. Sometimes I get really lucky and the first prototype or two works great but usually I’ve got to get at least six boats into it before I have a clue what I’m doing. Sometimes it’s a 10 boat rabbit hole that leads nowhere. We’ll see where this one goes…