Comment

Comment by AJ DeRosa on June 1, 2011 at 7:33pm

Tylar,

This is a very good question and I can tell you that most of us that hang out here on this forum have a very good answer to it.  Here is mine.  When I was a kid of about 8 years old my family and I spent two weeks every summer at my Uncle Allen's cabin in southern Wisconsin.  We lived in south suburban Chicago and two weeks in a cottage by a lake was something I had never experienced.  There was a dock in front of the cottage and I spent most of my time hanging worms off a boobber at the end of that dock catching Blue Gills.  Tied to that dock was an old wooden row boat with a 1952 3hp Johnson outboard motor.  We used that boat, with my dad at the controls, to explore the lake and find the holes where we could catch Pearch.  When I was in that boat with my dad and my Uncle Home'rs old bait casting rod I was in my own little heaven.  We caught lots of fish out of that boat but my most vivid memory as an eight year old kid was laying in the the bow of that boat while tied to the dock and falling asleep to the sound of waves on that old wooden hill.  Fast forward twenty years as I launched my first wooden drift boat.  I had seen these boats only after moving to Jackson Hole after college and was struck by their loveley lines.  The first that I saw and rowed was a fiberglass Lavro.  It far out shined the heavy rafts that I had been rowing and somehow imagined that they were originally made of wood.  A year of searching confirmed my suspision and I bought an old woodie. 

Lot's of sanding and painting and my "new to me woodie" was ready to splash into the Snake River at the South Park Bridge.  I floated with a fishing buddy, Bill Roney, who had an Eastside fiberglass boat, on my "maiden" voyage.  Not more than a hundred yards into our float I heard it.  Flash back twenty years to an eight year old kid snoozing in the bow of an old wooden rowboat, the sound of waves on a wooden hull.  This was me. I knew at that moment that I had been touched by a wooden boat.  That sound never gets old.  You will never hear it in anything but a wooden boat.  Pretty corny isn't.  Yeah it's corny but it's true.  Be careful,  you might get caught too.

 

AJ

 

Comment by Tylar Johnson on June 1, 2011 at 1:37pm

Have you always loved wood boats or is it a newfound passion?

Comment by Sam Wiswell on May 13, 2011 at 8:51pm

We are just about to put on the last layer of stain to our boat and then we will be on to painting. Are there any precautions you would take or last touch ups that you would do before the boat hits the water? Also are there any precautions we should take when we first put the boat in the water?

Comment by Rick Newman on May 13, 2011 at 9:28am

Brandon, it is not uncommon to "break" the edge of sharp corners. By this I mean that you take a sheet of sandpaper with a grit size of 120 or 150 and take several passes over the sharp edges. Not really rounding the profile, just "breaking the edge" , just enough to feel that is smooth. In my woodworking experience I find that this helps reduce slivers and allows the finish, especially paint to flow a little better around the edge making it harder to chip off.

While I have been building my drift boat an ever-changing list has guided me through the process. Like Chris said it allows him to prioritize what tasks need to be done and what tasks remain. Since I have used Microsoft Excel for so many years I use that to build my lists and track what is done and what isn't done. You don't need to use that system, a handwritten list, sometimes called a "punch" list in the construction world will do the same thing. Write down all the tasks that need to be done, while it easier to complete the tasks if you list them in order, the most important if you choose to do this is to make sure you don't skip tasks and that you determine a priority for each. You can then decide what to do each day. I often try to estimate the time it will take based on past experiences. Since you are all first time Bank's Dory builders you will have to give it your best guess. I am often wrong, but it gives me a way to improve my future time estimation.

If I can raise enough spending money I hope to attend AJ's Memorial Day event. If time also allows I hope that I can visit your class and see what has been accomplished.

 

Rick Newman

Comment by Brandon on May 13, 2011 at 6:47am

My group just started the sanding stage. Would you recommend that we sand all of the corners round, or just the ones inside of our boat?

Comment by turner dobell on May 13, 2011 at 6:11am

My group is about to move onto the painting process, and our plan is to paint the outside only. However, after looking at the oiled inside (teak oil), it is possible to see all of the woodfiller. Time left in school is running short and painting the inside could take too much time. Would painting the inside to cover the woodfiller be worth it?

Comment by chris towles on May 13, 2011 at 1:28am

to the folks asking about what to do to finish on time, i would start with a list. make a list of everything you need to do to complete the boat. catogorize the tasks and list in the order they need to get completed. now that you have an idea of whats left to finish the boat, start delegating. come up with daily goals to finish off that list by the time school gets out. delegate tasks to team member and start building. if you have an hour or so after school and can get your group together, you could have 5-10 more man hours of work done in one afternoon.

 

for oars, a 16x48 mckenzie generally takes 9' oars. the length of the oars has to do with many variables, mainly bean width and size of the boat. being that your boats are a bit thinner than the standard mckenzie and possibly a bit shorter, i might try to get your hands on a pair of 8 ft oars to try out. you want to set the oars so there is a 3-6" gap (depending on preferance) between the end of the handles when seated in the locks. you can use rubber stop or oar rights to set the oar position in the locks. oar rights are nice for beginner rowers also, but also limits your ability to feather the oars to deal with squirlly eddy water, wind, etc. if you are on a budget, a cheap set of carlisle's will get you by.

 

for paint, as i mentioned before, oil based porch and deck enamel works well and is cheap and readily available. i reccommend a coat of primer first. the old dories all seems to use solid primary colors, so thats what i would stick with...hunter green is classic, but white or red would probably look nice too. i would suggest the oil interior, its quick, cheap and easy to maintain...you will need to reapply oil fairly often, but that is generally quick and easy. im a painter, and i live in the area. if you or any other members of your class need help with finish options, feel free to contact me on the site and i'll do what i can to help. i also see aj and the boys have been checking in on your project and those guys know their stuff...they are a great source of information and history. those guys can also answer any of your finish questions.

 

as to river worthiness, first and most important question...do your boats have a chine batten? river boats need something to protect the chine joint..it is the most damage prone spot on the boat, and without one, your boat will quickly take on alot of damage in that area. chine battens are generally made with hardwood (white oak, mahogany, ipe, a couple others are used occasionally, and clear fir will work if you are on a budget). you want to bed the batten with a bedding compound such as sikaflex 291, boat life caulk, or other polysulfide like 3m 101...this will make your boat leak free and protect the vulnerable chine joint from damage..think of it like a bumper on your car. if you plan to use these boats on the river, they will need a chine batten, otherwise they will quickly take on damage and you could wreck your brand new boat. the other thing you may want to consider is your hull. looks like you build these boats board and batten, not sure what your hull bottom looks like. most river boats use either fiberglass on the bottom or a 1/4" plywood sacrificial rub shoe. if you try and run an oiled or painted soft pine bottom on the snake, you might quickly take damage to the hull. you could also try an off the shelf product like coat it which is an epoxy/graphite coating...although many here might suggest otherwise, and the stuff can be a bear to remove come refinish time. either way..if these boats plan to see the river, they will see rocks, and you need to be prepared for that. take a look at your hull, and chine joint, and ask yourself if these could withstand repeated bashing and scraping against rocks...if the answer is no, you may want to think about putting on battens and a rub shoe early summer before the river drops.

 

and my last thought...people asked where to float these boats. i would say a lake is a great place to start..lakes in the area should be iced off soon and ready to float. floating on a lake will give you the opportunity to get in the boats and get a feel for how they handle. it will also give you the chance to learn rowing techniques in a controlled environment. if you do head to the river...please BE CAREFUL! the river is a dangerous place, and with this years snowpack, flows will be high all year. high water, new boats, and inexperianced oarsmen are a recipe for disaster on the river. things happen very quick on the river, and it could literally only take a 2 sec mistake to wrap your boat on a rock and destroy months worth or work..also sending you, your gear, and your passengers for a dangerous swim.take the time to learn to row in a controlled environment first, and once you have a handle on that and are ready to move to the current, start slowly. i would also highly advise taking a more experianced oarsmen with you on your first trip or two. someone who can teach you how river currents work and who can teach you how to manuever the boat thru them. if you try to just wing it, an inexperianced oarsmen could and will likely land themselves in trouble quickly. the river is wonderful and rewarding place, but it is also a place that can and will kill you if you are not on your game. take it slow, learn the ropes, and you may have a lifetimes worth of new things to see from a boat ahead of you.

chris

Comment by Rick Newman on May 12, 2011 at 11:06pm

Lucas, if you check out "Bank's Dories" on Google Images you can see many pictures of previously built boats and their color schemes. It appears that basic, primary colors are often used. Look for yourself and develop a color scheme that works for your group.

Oliver, yes pine is a true softwood and will soon become nicked and scratched. These marks are what add character to your boats. Have you had an opportunity to look at AJ's and Kevin's boats? They are not pristine but have developed wear marks and little areas of damage. While it will be wonderful to look at your beautifully constructed boats when they are new, time will age them gracefully, just like you will.

Perspectives will change, just like the mountains in your "backyard", they are always aging and changing and while the changes might not be noticeable from day to day they make each peak and slope special. The view you have now and the condition of the mountains will not be the same as the one you see today. Not all of the changes will be the mountains.

These boats were designed for rough service in the fishing industry and spent time at sea. The best way to avoid damage is to understand the body of water, especially if the water is moving. I learned to throw a piece of wood or something that would float into the river I was studying to observe it's path. That allowed me to predict the path that portion of water would take. However just because you can predict the path the water is moving that you have all the answers. What you now need to predict with utmost certainty is what path your boat will take and how long it will take for you to get your boat in the right position. When you are driving a car you need to look ahead and make appropriate control moves to have your car at the right point on the road to make your turn or avoid an obstacle.

The faster your vehicle is traveling the sooner you need to make the correct moves, you can't be going sixty and all of a sudden make a violent turn and remain in control or avoid the obstacle. However if you plan ahead, control your speed and maneuver appropriately you can avoid the big problems. Timing your moves is the hardest thing to learn but pays the biggest rewards.

Just as in building your boats the concept seemed simple at first, just cut up some wood, join it in the right places, slap on some finish and you'll be boating. I'll bet you have all found there are many more parts to building a boat you never thought existed. Rowing a boat in moving water or in the ocean or even in a pond has many subtleties that you will discover. How hard to pull on the oars, how to apply even pressure to the oars, what happens when you pull on one oar and push on the other and what happen if your oars aren't held at the right angle to the water. It's also a lot like the question; "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" Answer, "Practice, Practice, Practice!" Practice reading water, learning timing and how your boat moves in relation to the movement of the water and how the shape of the stream and the obstacles within effect the movement.

 

August, if you do a search on the Wooden Boat People web site you will find several different ways to build your own oars. Micheal Webb is one of the fellows that did a great job on his. In my opinion a fine craft like the ones you are building deserves wooden oars. There are also some great descriptions of finishes for your oars and methods to wrap your oars and provide oar stops, take a look at what Brad Dimock demonstrated.

You guys might also want to investigate Brad Dimock's web site and see what he is doing for the history of wooden boats in the Grand Canyon. in fact you might even want to look at how wooden boats have been used in the world to obtain food, provide transportation and move people.

For example, what did John F Kennedy have to do with boats made from plywood? What changes were made to wooden ships during the civil war that changed the way all war ships were built?

 

Your class is very fortunate to have participated in this project, it would be very interesting to me to read how some of you veiwed your participation.

 

Good Luck with your boats!

 

Rick Newman

Comment by Lucas Freeze on May 12, 2011 at 9:38pm

My group is almost done with our staining and we are about ready to move on to painting. I was wondering What's the best color scheme for a boat? I'm partial to dark green with a little bit of white. Is there something better? Razzle-dazzle is probably not the way to go on this one. Also, the heat factor my come into consideration so maybe the dark green is not the best. Thanks for all of the help!

Comment by Oliver Scofield on May 12, 2011 at 4:31pm

We are making boats out of pine. this, as proven on countless occasions, is easily dented or scratched by somthing as simple as having a putty knife fall off a seat. Is it recommendable to take these boats down a river where there will be rocks and other damaging materials? To me it seems as though they would work better in relativly harmless lakes and ponds. If we do end up taking our boats down a river, is there a fool-proof way to repare damages or avoid them?

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page