Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Timber substitutes for an Australian build
So I'm going to build a 16' (or more correctly 4.88 meter) McKenzie River drift boat from scratch in Australia. This is going to present a number of interesting issues.
Even before Roger Fletcher's book and Don Hill plans arrive, one of the first issues I'm presented with (there will be plenty more - you'll hear from me) is Timber Selection.
Seems perverse to use native US materials - shipping, economics etc. What's more, the 'use what's at hand' spirit is a strong undercurrent in what I've read on drift boat history to this point. So in a way I figure I'm keeping to the Tradition, if not ending up with a traditional artifact (folly anyway - I'm not in the NW USA).
Plywood
High grade (BS1088 & AS 2272) is readily available. Only real issue here (aside from $) is selecting the flavour - mahogany or hoop pine (see below). Hoop pine marine ply is, I believe, cheaper and a probable candidate for the bottom. There are likely to be issues with sheet size but I'll leave that until confirmed - and another post.
Oak - chines, gunwales etc.
American white oak can be sourced I'm sure - just an issue of cost and trouble. Australia has some awesome native hardwoods (and lots of them).
My indigenous alternative candidate is Jarrah - which research suggests has a history of application in boat building.
(Technical data - http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_5419.htm)
It is generally a deep red/brown colour, hard, dense, workable and has a lovely grain.
Douglas fir - frames
We call it Oregon here. It was shipped in abundance in the past for the building industry for use as structural framing but isn't so common now. It is available (though more commonly the New Zealand sourced - which is less superior) and not such a concern.
My suggested indigenous alternative is Hoop pine. It appears to have fairly common properties to Douglas fir and a rich precedent in boat building.
(Technical data - http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_6832.htm)
It is a pale cream to light yellow brown with fine grain.
This may be suitable for internal fit out too - haven't quite got there yet
So finally to my questions:
1) any thoughts/advice on the suitability of these timbers?
2) how will dark red/brown jarrah gunwales look with the paler light yellow brown hoop pine frames and mahogany or hoop pine ply sides (depending on my eventual choice)? Any similar examples out there I can look at?
3) any better suggestions?
Many thanks - Scott
Even before Roger Fletcher's book and Don Hill plans arrive, one of the first issues I'm presented with (there will be plenty more - you'll hear from me) is Timber Selection.
Seems perverse to use native US materials - shipping, economics etc. What's more, the 'use what's at hand' spirit is a strong undercurrent in what I've read on drift boat history to this point. So in a way I figure I'm keeping to the Tradition, if not ending up with a traditional artifact (folly anyway - I'm not in the NW USA).
Plywood
High grade (BS1088 & AS 2272) is readily available. Only real issue here (aside from $) is selecting the flavour - mahogany or hoop pine (see below). Hoop pine marine ply is, I believe, cheaper and a probable candidate for the bottom. There are likely to be issues with sheet size but I'll leave that until confirmed - and another post.
Oak - chines, gunwales etc.
American white oak can be sourced I'm sure - just an issue of cost and trouble. Australia has some awesome native hardwoods (and lots of them).
My indigenous alternative candidate is Jarrah - which research suggests has a history of application in boat building.
(Technical data - http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_5419.htm)
It is generally a deep red/brown colour, hard, dense, workable and has a lovely grain.
Douglas fir - frames
We call it Oregon here. It was shipped in abundance in the past for the building industry for use as structural framing but isn't so common now. It is available (though more commonly the New Zealand sourced - which is less superior) and not such a concern.
My suggested indigenous alternative is Hoop pine. It appears to have fairly common properties to Douglas fir and a rich precedent in boat building.
(Technical data - http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_6832.htm)
It is a pale cream to light yellow brown with fine grain.
This may be suitable for internal fit out too - haven't quite got there yet
So finally to my questions:
1) any thoughts/advice on the suitability of these timbers?
2) how will dark red/brown jarrah gunwales look with the paler light yellow brown hoop pine frames and mahogany or hoop pine ply sides (depending on my eventual choice)? Any similar examples out there I can look at?
3) any better suggestions?
Many thanks - Scott
Views: 154
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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I wish that I could get Australian Hoop pine in BS1088 in the US. I don't believe that it's allowed out of AUS any longer. I would go with the hoop pine for frames and plywood.
http://www.glen-l.com/ is a page that has some information on Australian boat building woods and a link to another site that might help you out.
Click on the link on the left side of the page that says WOOD AND PLYWOOD INFORMATION.
Go local.
About the dark brown rails with the light plywood sides. It's beautiful. I think this has become the standard for Ray Heater at Ray's River Dories. Fir plywood and mahogany rails. It's beautiful.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Pattison on
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Thanks Randy - appreciate your advice. Hoop pine frames and ply with dark red jarrah it will be.
Doing further research on BS1088 & AS2272 (Australian equivalent) on on the web reveals a whole new world of quite passionate debate. Hoop pine ply (only produced to the Aus. standard funnily enough) gets great wraps. If I come across any export status information in my travels I'll pass it on.
Now some design decisions are made, the next steps are setup, procurement and, eventually, construction - the journey begins.
Cheers,
Scott
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