# Building a 25' Ply on Frame Cabin Cruiser



## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Introduction - 161105*

Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day. 

We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


As a fellow boat builder, I'm looking forward to reading your blog over coffee in the morning before heading off to work. Sounds like a very cool project. Part boat, part tiny home…


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


Al,

I just found your blog. I am looking forward to your build. This will be as much fun for us as it is for you. There are a lot of people here on Lumberjocks that will be happy to help and answer any questions. But it looks like you have the process down. Take lots of pictures and let us see it all.

John


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


I have a lot of catching up to do with this blog.

I started by building the 13 frames according to the plans. Well, almost. The boat will be modeled after a Searay Sundancer 240, which has a mid-state room that can sleep a couple children (or adults that don't mind a low ceiling). The deck boards for those frames are 30" from the floor of the hull.

















After building the frames, I cut out the notches for the keelson using a drill press, I asked for this for last Christmas just for this project!









How quickly it starts to look like a boat! The frames will be 20" apart.









Then I got either real smart or real stupid, only time will tell. The plans are to scale so I used the angles in the plans to measure angles for the sheer clamp and chine log. (These are the longitudinal rails running along the sides of the top and bottom of the hull.)


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


Al,

It's starting to look like fun. Worst case on cutting the chine and sheer at this point is you may have to shim it out or cut more off, but I think you will be close.

On you blog, If you start a new blog part on each update, the system will put it at the top of the blog page and more jocks will see your changes and add there comments.

keep it coming and thanks for sharing,

John


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


John,

Yeah, I expect to shave and shim. I decided not to do the last three frames as the cuts are most dramatic up that far.
And thanks for the tip about blogging.

I made a mistake with the first frame: I forgot to flip the angle when moving to the other side. I used some thickened resin to put the piece back in and did the cut correctly after it hardened. You'd never know I made a mistake. (Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration.)

Al


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

AlTriolo said:


> *Introduction - 161105*
> 
> Welcome to my boat building journey. Two years ago, I started this 14' ply on frame flat bottom boat. It's a Spira International boat. It was a great project for the family. My wife, three sons, and especially our dog love joining me out on the river. We've been on the Potomac in VA and MD, a lake in PA, the Long Island Sound, the Intracoastal in NC, and even briefly out into the ocean-on a calm day.
> 
> We love our boat so much we decided to build another! This time a weekend getaway for my wife and I. And a source of entertainment not only for our boys and their friends, but for their families some day, too. I started it two weeks ago and photos with stories will be coming soon. Welcome to our journey!


I am greatly looking forward to your progress on this! Thank you for posting a blog about the build.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Building frames - 161127*

I have a lot of catching up to do with this blog.

I started by building the 13 frames according to the plans. Well, almost. The boat will be modeled after a SeaRay Sundancer 240, which has a mid-state room that can sleep a couple children, (or adults who don't mind a low ceiling). The deck boards for those frames are 30" from the floor of the hull.


















After building the frames, I cut out the notches for the keelson using a drill press, (I asked for this for last Christmas just for this project).









How quickly it starts to look like a boat! The frames will be 20" apart.









Then I got either really smart or really stupid, only time will tell. Since the plans are to scale, I used the angles in the plans to measure angles for the sheer clamp and chine log. (These are the longitudinal rails running along the sides of the top and bottom of the hull.)


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

AlTriolo said:


> *Building frames - 161127*
> 
> I have a lot of catching up to do with this blog.
> 
> ...


Cool!


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## hnau (Nov 30, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Building frames - 161127*
> 
> I have a lot of catching up to do with this blog.
> 
> ...


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Building frames - 161127*
> 
> I have a lot of catching up to do with this blog.
> 
> ...


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Prepping frames*

I learned the hard way not to add lumber to your order when you've hand selected boards for delievery. I added one sheet of ply for a work table and they took all different wood for the entire delivery! Rather, than return it (should have), I worked with it, (well, most of it; I didn't use the worst of it). I filled knots and any visible minor splits with thickened epoxy resin and used 6 oz glass cloth in a few places. Every frame was fully resined front, back, and insides. I did not resin surfaces that I knew would be plained.

Yes, I took my time and did this over the winter. The project really picked up after Easter. More posts will come soon.










Scrapping out and visible potential rot.









Here's a knot filled and reinforced with glass. I placed wax paper on the resin for a smooth surface, (the resin does not adhere to the wax paper).









I didn't leave this one on wax paper!









Boy am I lucky my wife wants this boat as much as I do. Every room seems to be a boat staging area!


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Prepping frames*
> 
> I learned the hard way not to add lumber to your order when you've hand selected boards for delievery. I added one sheet of ply for a work table and they took all different wood for the entire delivery! Rather, than return it (should have), I worked with it, (well, most of it; I didn't use the worst of it). I filled knots and any visible minor splits with thickened epoxy resin and used 6 oz glass cloth in a few places. Every frame was fully resined front, back, and insides. I did not resin surfaces that I knew would be plained.
> 
> ...


Al,

Looks like a lot of tedious work. Looking forward to more blog updates and watching this boat build to the waters edge.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Prepping frames*
> 
> I learned the hard way not to add lumber to your order when you've hand selected boards for delievery. I added one sheet of ply for a work table and they took all different wood for the entire delivery! Rather, than return it (should have), I worked with it, (well, most of it; I didn't use the worst of it). I filled knots and any visible minor splits with thickened epoxy resin and used 6 oz glass cloth in a few places. Every frame was fully resined front, back, and insides. I did not resin surfaces that I knew would be plained.
> 
> ...


One of joys of building a second boat is that I have the first boat to enjoy while I build. There's no timeline, to rush to get anything done.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*A good reason to miss a day of building...*


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *A good reason to miss a day of building...*


Not much work going on there!!!. Looks relaxing..


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Scarfing*

The last time I scarfed joints (for my 14'er), I used spacers on my combo miter saw to cut into 1×3s at the correct angle. It worked okay, but not great. This time I would have nine scarf joints (or 18 scarfs to cut!) and one of them for my 24' keelson, so I figured I'd make something better.

I found some examples of scarfing rigs online and made one for my job. I used a spare piece of mdf because it was nice and flat. I cut an angle that would give me slightly more than an 8:1 ratio in some lumber and connected them to the board. Then I needed to make a guide for my router.

These pix should give you the idea. The scarfs aren't perfect, but they will do. I've already resined a few of them and am quite pleased. The resin is thickened and applied to both sides of the joint. The boards are lined up and wrapped with wax paper before I clamp them (careful not to push out too much resin as it's the strength). As a friend reminded me, the boards soak up some resin and when it hardens the wood with the resin in between becomes as one piece.





































The router will simply follow the angle of the guides. I found that I would need to raise the boards in addition to changing the depth of the bit, but it worked. 









As I said, the boat has taken over the house! These are for the 30' 1×4s. They're in the family room. 




































My garbage pail work horses (you'd be surprised how often those pails do this kind of work for me), were not enough for a 16' board. Fortunately, I had help. 


















Using the belt sander to even out the job. I didn't use this too much on the 1×4s, but because the rig was small, I didn't want to risk accidentally slipping at the top of the 2×8s. Also, I wasn't too concerned about a perfect edge. Thickened epoxy will fill it in nicely. 


















No photo of the resined joint. Sorry.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Scarfing*
> 
> The last time I scarfed joints (for my 14'er), I used spacers on my combo miter saw to cut into 1×3s at the correct angle. It worked okay, but not great. This time I would have nine scarf joints (or 18 scarfs to cut!) and one of them for my 24' keelson, so I figured I'd make something better.
> 
> ...


The scarf looks great, this is end grain joints so watch out for dry joints. I had a few that were too dry and the joint failed.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Scarfing Continued*

Slow but steady wins the race. A little each day and the boat will eventually get done. Today was to join the keelson boards. I used thickened resin to glue together a scarfed 16' 2×8 and a scarfed 10' 2×8 (previous entry).

I wiped off any excess sawdust.









Covered both sides with thickened resin (about a toothpaste consistency).









I eyeballed for straight and clamped (not too tight as the resin is the strength).









Doubled checked for straight. It should come out nice. I'm not terribly concerned about it being perfectly straight as the boards themselves are not perfect. I will be dropping a straight line down the center using a plumb line before installing onto the frames. That line will be my center line.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Scarfing Continued*
> 
> Slow but steady wins the race. A little each day and the boat will eventually get done. Today was to join the keelson boards. I used thickened resin to glue together a scarfed 16' 2×8 and a scarfed 10' 2×8 (previous entry).
> 
> ...


Al,

Looking Good. As you say one step at a time and it will come together. I'm looking forward to watching this build.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Scarfing Chine Logs & Sheer Clamps*

I should have realized that 30' boards would be a challenge. Like most steps of this project, there's so much trial and error. I figured I'd use my driveway to glue the joints. Of course, the seams in the concrete were separated and at different heights every 10'-that is, right at the joints! So, I needed to abort on the spot and do what I could. That turned out to be gluing 3 of the 5 remaining joints. The other two I did today with a much better rig. My garbagepails make the BEST workhorses! I use them all the time! Now that I've got it figured out, I have no more scarfing to do.

Driveway nightmare redeemed:









What they looked like today. Pretty straight. The natural curves in the wood are more crooked than the scarfs. When I stacked them, I found that over the 30' length, they are only about 1.5" apart at the far end.









2 10' boards scarfed to make a 20': 









Can anyone tell me how to get a portrait photo not to flip?









Gluing:









Clamping, but not too tight, the resin is the strength:









The full picture:


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Scarfing Chine Logs & Sheer Clamps*
> 
> I should have realized that 30' boards would be a challenge. Like most steps of this project, there's so much trial and error. I figured I'd use my driveway to glue the joints. Of course, the seams in the concrete were separated and at different heights every 10'-that is, right at the joints! So, I needed to abort on the spot and do what I could. That turned out to be gluing 3 of the 5 remaining joints. The other two I did today with a much better rig. My garbagepails make the BEST workhorses! I use them all the time! Now that I've got it figured out, I have no more scarfing to do.
> 
> ...


Al,
It's starting to take shape. I don't envy your task of installing the chine and sheer with all the rocker on that boat. I used clamps in three different directions when install mine and it was a hard task. I had two bust out, the two that broke did not have good straight grain.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Finished scarf joints and work with the keelson*

I finished all my scarf joints. They say this thickened epoxy is supposed to be hard to sand. Tell that to the belt sander with an 80 grit belt! It was no match.

Here's an example…they weren't all this bad. 









After:









And just as everyplace in the house is a boat staging area, everything around gets to be a tool.


















And here are the four 30' boards side by side.









I installed tracks at my 20" marks to help get the frames square with the keelson. These will be removed later. The keelson is 25' and I need all but about 9" of it!









I had tried to square everything with 1×2 strips but that did not work! The boards were so warped that everything was terribly out of line. That was before the keelson and tracks. So, to work with the keelson, I cut 18.5" spacers and used them to space the frames. Bingo! Like a charm!


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Finished scarf joints and work with the keelson*
> 
> I finished all my scarf joints. They say this thickened epoxy is supposed to be hard to sand. Tell that to the belt sander with an 80 grit belt! It was no match.
> 
> ...


Al,

The scarfed boards look straight. I had a lot of problems when I put on my chine and sheers on with keeping the boat straight. I had to go back and use a clamp to pull the boat straight has I was installing the side planking. So your braces are a good idea, but keep a eye on the frame. It would be a lot easier to fix before the epoxy goes on the chine and sheer.

That's going to be one big boat!!


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Finished scarf joints and work with the keelson*
> 
> I finished all my scarf joints. They say this thickened epoxy is supposed to be hard to sand. Tell that to the belt sander with an 80 grit belt! It was no match.
> 
> ...


Hi John,

The plan is to finish screwing the keelson in place then adding the c/l and s/c without expect. Once I confirm that everything is in line, I'll back them out and epoxy them in one at a time.

I really couldn't believe how well the keelson tracks and spacers worked. Even without rotating the frames at all, the were lining up so much better than with the 1×2s.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Progress! Keelson, Stem, and Transom*

I got to work for six hours today and accomplished a lot! Here's where I left off. Getting there took some hard work. 









I started by shaving frames 8-13 to receive the curve of the keelson as the bow rises. In addition to these random photos, I also used a pull saw and random orbital sander. Each frame got the treatment at least twice. One frame got five passes.




























Next was to get set up for the transom. I cut the keelson to the correct angle and cut a guild to be placed into the jig. I then used a straight edge to line them up and added lumber for the transom to rest on. 




































Finally, before the rain came, it was time for the stem. I didn't follow the plans for the measurement since I've stretched it 11%. So I measured the actual angle and cut he board to fit. I used a protractor from some tool and used a 1×3 as a spacer. Worked like a charm. The cut was nearly perfect. I drew a center line on the stem and screwed it in. I will resin this before trimming for chime log and sheer clamp. I didn't get a photo before the rain came. :-(


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress! Keelson, Stem, and Transom*
> 
> I got to work for six hours today and accomplished a lot! Here's where I left off. Getting there took some hard work.
> 
> ...


I mean this sincerely. You are my new hero. What you are accomplishing there is beyond my comprehension. Keep posting.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress! Keelson, Stem, and Transom*
> 
> I got to work for six hours today and accomplished a lot! Here's where I left off. Getting there took some hard work.
> 
> ...


Al,

It's coming together. Looks like your work space is going to be a little restrictive. That's going to be a big boat. You may need to add on to the carport first!!!

It looks great, all the frames look good and straight. Thanks for posting!!!!

Post note for you.. I just got Big Brother ready for the water for the season. In addition to the repairs I had to do on the transom, I had more cracks around the cabin. Each spring when I have uncovered the boat I have found where the plywood I used for everything above the hull, gunwales up, has been expanding and contracting causing cracks in the glass and paint. The hull plywood is Douglass Fir marine plywood and I have not seen any issues with expanding and contracting and no checking so far. But the plywood I used for the gunwales up is a Home center grade 1/2" Lauan plywood, it was suppose to be exterior grade. On Jeff's site he talks about plywood and said that the hardwood plywood at the home stores is fine to use. So I saved a little money and used it. I will say that I was not as patient as I should have been. Some of the plywood got installed and I did not pre-coat the underside before installing. Then when I was finishing I realized that a few areas it was not possible to get back into the areas to seal the underside, the gunwales and the roof overhangs where the worst places.

I found cracks around the gunwales last season, and this year around the gunwales and the pilot house roof. The roof cracks looks like they were there last season and I didn't notice it. Water had gotten in and rotted the pilot house roof overhang on the port side forward. All of these areas had been glassed. So the expansion cracked the glass and opened the seam between the joints on the plywood. Water seeps in, and the plywood swells more opening a bigger crack, vicious circle. I have also had some DE-lamination of the lauan plywood under the windows where water leaks through my windows slides and into the end grain of the plywood at the window. These areas where glassed and epoxied.

So the moral to this story is be sure your plywood is exterior grade. Make the supplier provide glue specs., and be sure to take the time to seal the underside of every thing that goes on the boat. After you have been working on the boat for months, the water starts calling you and saying "put the boat in the water". For me I just built and didn't think ahead far enough. Now I have to make repairs more often.

For this year all rot is removed and cracks sealed and Big Brother is ready for the summer. But I will be inspecting for cracks more often, fixing the cracks is easy. Replacing plywood because of rot, not so.

Sorry to steel your blog with my issues but wanted to let you know that patients will save you lots of work down the road.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress! Keelson, Stem, and Transom*
> 
> I got to work for six hours today and accomplished a lot! Here's where I left off. Getting there took some hard work.
> 
> ...


Hi John,

Your insights and experiences are perfect for this blog! Thank you. I'm still waiting on my lumber yard to get back to me on some questions I have. Now I have more.

Regarding space, my plan is to move it elsewhere on the property and cover it once it's flipped. I'll then either work under the cover or remove the cover depending on the weather.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress! Keelson, Stem, and Transom*
> 
> I got to work for six hours today and accomplished a lot! Here's where I left off. Getting there took some hard work.
> 
> ...


Al,

I had a 24×28 shop, but the boat was in a side bay that was 24×12. With tools all round I had to roll the boat side to side and front to back depending where I was working. I think it had several miles on it before it left the shop.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*"Slow but steady"*

Spent half the week sick and couldn't do anything on the build. When the weekend came, I was able to get back to work. "Slow but steady" has become my mantra and it's working out well.

I had to cut notches for the chine log (c/l) and sheer clamp (s/c) in the transom. As I've said, everything is a tool, even the house itself!









Then I had a great moment: placing the c/l into the grooves! I am very pleased with my pre-cut frames. It's going to be easy to trim them. 



























I built more spacers to keep the frames in line as I screw in the keelson, and later the s/c and c/l.









I added a track to support the transom. This way I can remove it for resining and not need a partner to help put it back!









Today I cut the first s/c, trimmed the keelson, and cut one side for the s/c. 


















And here's a fun view from the inside. Now that I'm covering the exposed portion with a tarp, we can get an idea of what the cabin might feel like. Plenty of space!


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *"Slow but steady"*
> 
> Spent half the week sick and couldn't do anything on the build. When the weekend came, I was able to get back to work. "Slow but steady" has become my mantra and it's working out well.
> 
> ...


Al,

I see in the pictures the benefit of having built a boat before. The braces for the frames are a great idea. A step that I missed and paid for dearly. Slow and Steady is a a great motto for boat building. The joints in the chine, look great!!.

Thanks for posting.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Leveling frames*

Still not feeling well but a little each day and we'll get there. I am using tie-downs to accomplish three goals: secure the boat to the jig, reinforce four wheels (the wheels are strong enough but my screws aren't!), and level the frames.

I secured a tie down to eyes screwed into two wheels. 


















Because this is done on both sides, I can level the frames not only front-to-back but side-to-side. Everything will be as square as I want it to be.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Leveling frames*
> 
> Still not feeling well but a little each day and we'll get there. I am using tie-downs to accomplish three goals: secure the boat to the jig, reinforce four wheels (the wheels are strong enough but my screws aren't!), and level the frames.
> 
> ...


Al, 
Looks like good planing!! It should be very straight.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

AlTriolo said:


> *Leveling frames*
> 
> Still not feeling well but a little each day and we'll get there. I am using tie-downs to accomplish three goals: secure the boat to the jig, reinforce four wheels (the wheels are strong enough but my screws aren't!), and level the frames.
> 
> ...


Al

I have been wanting to do the same thing for years. Mostly so I could fish again and have something big enough so it would not hurt my back and neck setting for a while and still having some comforts of home to.

How are you going to do the shell or outside of the boat? Do you have any plans?


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Beginning the c/l installation*

I'm not sure why I only took one photo. There are 13 frames plus the transom and stem. I trimmed about 11 of those. Pre-cutting the groves really helped! The spacers did too. I will not complete port side before beginning starboard. To help keep everything in line, I will work side to side as I move forward. I've also learned that it's A LOT easier to bend the wood for a 25.5' boat than for a 14'er. The curves are not as pronounced. I still need the clamps though.










Then I threw some ply inside to make some shelving.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Beginning the c/l installation*
> 
> I'm not sure why I only took one photo. There are 13 frames plus the transom and stem. I trimmed about 11 of those. Pre-cutting the groves really helped! The spacers did too. I will not complete port side before beginning starboard. To help keep everything in line, I will work side to side as I move forward. I've also learned that it's A LOT easier to bend the wood for a 25.5' boat than for a 14'er. The curves are not as pronounced. I still need the clamps though.
> 
> ...


Those straight grain chine log help a lot. Looks like it's coming together steadily.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Update ... snail speed!*

A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:









Since my last post, the work I have done is tedious and doesn't show much progress. For one thing, I realized that my stem and three forward frames were not lining up properly because of the twist in the keelson. I had added 1×2 strips to keep everything together. Those needed to come out. I then used a series of tie downs and used tension to pull the frames into alignment. Once all squared up, I added two sets of 1×2. Today I started the s/c.


















Here's me using a few scraps as a tool to measure the height of the 1×4 in the groove. The outside edge should be flush with frame. Three pieces of the same thickness does the trick.









During those many days of doing nothing, I had to feel like I did something. So I cut a c/l.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Update ... snail speed!*
> 
> A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:
> 
> ...


Hey it's starting to look like a boat. Slow is good. Getting this right is very important..


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Update ... snail speed!*
> 
> A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:
> 
> ...


Hi John,
How important is it really to get everything even? I've been captain compulsive getting these frames evenly spaced and even front to back and port to starboard. Then I and support it all with multiple 1×2. And still I noticed that frames somehow became uneven. Argh!
Thanks,
Al


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Update ... snail speed!*
> 
> A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:
> 
> ...


Keeping the frames straight will allow the lines to be the same on both sides. If they are off by much it will affect the line the boat will steer. I moved mine after the plywood way installed. They can easily be moved aft after the plywood is installed by using pipe camps set up to push. They don't have to be perfect to the plans, just the same on both sides. Then they can be locked down with screws and epoxy filieted to insure the bond. Any that are out just a little 1/2" or less. Just push it in place pushing off a fixed frame, one that is screwed and glued. Then screw down the pushed frame and filet it latter to bond plywood to frame.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Update ... snail speed!*
> 
> A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:
> 
> ...


I know I am being totally compulsive but I was so disappointed to find it out of alignment after a lot of work to get it right. I'm not in any hurry (I'm actually on the water on The Trowlson as I write this). So, I think I will cut new spacers from 1×2s which I will screw in frame by frame. That will keep the spacing correct and allow me to twist each frame into alignment. This truly is the longest part of the main hull. (Once it's flipped over it's going to take wars.) But I want to get this right.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Update ... snail speed!*
> 
> A busy schedule has made progress very slow these past two weeks. I used the one nice day that coincided with a free day for this:
> 
> ...


Al. My wife and I took mine out Friday, Got into some 3 ft seas down near the Navy base out in the middle of the Harbor. I was able to make 12 mph in the waves and chop. We decided to abandon the idea of going to Harbor fest and took a trip down one of the rivers. When we returned to the harbor from our river trip the seas had calmed and the water was smooth. Total trip 62.3 miles on 15 gallons of gas. We took a picnic lunch and had a ball. We were out about 6 hours.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Back to work!*

Hey lumber jocks, I think it's been about 5 or 6 weeks since I've done any work on this build. Well, the drought ended today! While I feel like I accomplished much, there really aren't many pix to show. Today I:

1) trimmed the back end of the keelson because the transom was not sitting squarely. 
2) worked on leveling the frames (AGAIN). They went off with all the pulling for the sheer clamp work I did last month. 
3) shaved the preliminary work done on the bottom of the frames where the keelson is installed. Up till today, the keelson was not level with the bottom rails of the frames.
4) and this is the part that really excites me as I wasn't expecting to do this today… I resined and screwed the keelson into the aft 6 frames! This is a major step closer to getting the bottom ply in place!

So, why haven't I worked in 5-6 weeks?

Trailered to NC and accomplished our final original goal. Motor to our favorite Southport restaurant, Fishy Fishy










Then we got a 10×12 inflatable island for an upcoming summer vacation and tried it on the Potomac. Our 14-yr-old grilled the burgers!



















And here are a couple boring photos from today:

(By the way, I realized that when I'm inside the boat and need to get around it, it's often easier for me to go over it!


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Back to work!*
> 
> Hey lumber jocks, I think it's been about 5 or 6 weeks since I've done any work on this build. Well, the drought ended today! While I feel like I accomplished much, there really aren't many pix to show. Today I:
> 
> ...


Al,

Looks like you have had a lot of fun this summer. I have spent the summer so far, building Kayaks but I am finished finally. 
You have lots to go. Looking forward to seeing your boat coming together. Take your time and get it right. I missed a few steps like epoxy coating areas has I went that I would not be able to get back to for sealing. So I have a little expanding at seams each season that I have to monitor and repair.

I should have done what you did and built a smaller boat first to learn on. I think you are going to have a great boat that your family will enjoy for many years.

You are braver than I having a fire on a wooden boat.

John


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Slow but steady resumes! -- resin and final chine log fitting *

We glued the keelson in place 2 and 3 days ago. (No pic.)

Now, some of the most difficult work for the hull is now behind us! We finished cutting and shaving the frames to receive the keelson, and this includes the stem. We are quite pleased with how it came out.










Along the way we found that I mismeasured a frame! I was using a 48" ruler and the measurement should have been either 23.5" or 24.5". Well, because the ruler is marked 1-48" in both directions, I didn't realize my error and we're 1" wider on one side than the other. While it's not perfectly symmetrical, but a 13/16" spacer restored a proper curve to the C/L and we called it a day. We'll be using the same spacer for the S/C and gunwale.










Of course, now it all needs to be removed and resined in place!  We began that process today. In order to assure the screws return to their holes and I'm not making new ones, we drilled about 1/4" into the holes with a bit slightly thicker than the screws. This way, the screws will be like pegs fitting into holes in the frames. This worked for the stem and keelson so I'm feeling good for the C/L.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Slow but steady resumes! -- resin and final chine log fitting *
> 
> We glued the keelson in place 2 and 3 days ago. (No pic.)
> 
> ...


Al, 
That keelson is huge. What size is it? I like how clean and square your frame cuts look.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Slow but steady resumes! -- resin and final chine log fitting *
> 
> We glued the keelson in place 2 and 3 days ago. (No pic.)
> 
> ...


Hi John,

The plans call for a 2×8 keelson. I wanted to use fir but only spruce comes that size in my area. So I bought fir 2×10s and trimmed them down to 2×8.5 ish. I used a plum line to make a straight line roughly in the center. This line met up with the center lines on my frames.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*"Peg system" at work*

Resined one side back in. The pegs worked really well. I was able to find the screw holes fairly easily, at least in enough time before the resin began to cure.  If a board wasn't lined up perfectly, the screw going in brought it back into place. 13 frames, the transom, and the stem were done on 4.5 squirts of West System epoxy with about 11 scoops of thickener. I did this over three batches in three different containers with three different filleting applicators.




























The next day…

Finished resining the other side!

Here's my "peanut butter" mix.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *"Peg system" at work*
> 
> Resined one side back in. The pegs worked really well. I was able to find the screw holes fairly easily, at least in enough time before the resin began to cure.  If a board wasn't lined up perfectly, the screw going in brought it back into place. 13 frames, the transom, and the stem were done on 4.5 squirts of West System epoxy with about 11 scoops of thickener. I did this over three batches in three different containers with three different filleting applicators.
> 
> ...


Al, 
Looks like it's coming together nicely. You will be fairing the frame before you know it.


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*Progress. Halfway through resining the S/C*

My "tools of the trade" for final prepping include belt sander, dremel max, and block sander. (Beats the last build when I was using a steak knife!)










Rather than measure the S/C on the starboard side to the frame, I compared the heights (C/L to S/C) with the port side. If they were within an 1/8" of each other, I called it satisfactory and screwed the S/C in. When I got to the stem, I realized I'd cut my rail a tad short. No problem. Instead of cutting a notch in the stem, I shaved the S/Cs and screwed them directly in. I will add some wedges behind them for added support. I am leaving the stem flat to receive an outer stem.










Looking good!









Time to back out the S/C and screw back in with resin. I'll complete the task tomorrow. After vacation, it'll be time to fair!




























Oh yes, I almost forgot. It wasn't all smooth sailing. I found my line off a bit and needed to wedge one frame. I also cracked a seem on the transom when warping it into place. I'll be grinding resin out of it after the plywood is installed. I'll then patch it with some thickened resin before adding foam between the frames and another layer of ply on the inside.


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## English (May 10, 2014)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress. Halfway through resining the S/C*
> 
> My "tools of the trade" for final prepping include belt sander, dremel max, and block sander. (Beats the last build when I was using a steak knife!)
> 
> ...


Al,

It's starting to look like a boat. Looking good. It's going to be a big one.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress. Halfway through resining the S/C*
> 
> My "tools of the trade" for final prepping include belt sander, dremel max, and block sander. (Beats the last build when I was using a steak knife!)
> 
> ...


Hey Al, this is looking great! May I ask why this blog entry isn't included with your other serialized build blog posts?


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

AlTriolo said:


> *Progress. Halfway through resining the S/C*
> 
> My "tools of the trade" for final prepping include belt sander, dremel max, and block sander. (Beats the last build when I was using a steak knife!)
> 
> ...


Thanks, Cap! I missed that and have updated yesterday's posts.

Al



> Hey Al, this is looking great! May I ask why this blog entry isn t included with your other serialized build blog posts?
> 
> - CaptainSkully


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## AlTriolo (Nov 5, 2016)

*In the Meanwhile... (Don't miss today's earlier entry. This is extra.)*

(OPEN for images.)

I know my wife is at least equally into the project when this is her "nightmare." She wasn't being sarcastic. It was to her a nightmare.










In her dream, someone with a horse drawn carriage stole Staycation!









She was chasing them in the CRV and had me on the phone.









They got as far as three blocks away when the carriage came to a stop and Staycation fell apart!









The police came and asked how much money we had into it.









The thieves wrote a check on the spot for the loss.









And (the thieves) were responsible for the cleanup.









I'm so blessed!


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