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Permalink Reply by Michael Kinney on June 21, 2011 at 6:30am

Here is a description of the boat from the website:

 

"SHORE BIRD" - 14' Flat-bottom outboard skiff, wood. Here's a little "Grain Belt Yacht", in the words of the designer, for those lazy fishing days with a beer, out for sunnies or perch. As easy to build as bailing a hook, she features a built-in live bait well. Includes construction drawings, outboard profile, plan of bottom, etc., and article reprint. 3 sheets.

Out on the sunfish and crappie waters of the Iowa and Minnesota sand lake country, you’ll see hundreds of board-and-slat skiffs pulled up on shore.

There’s nothing fancy about these grain-belt yachts. Their claim to fame is their simplicity and economy. They may not be worthy of floor space at a boat show, and you never see one of their kind there, but for quick building, satisfaction in service and long life, they are just the ticket. Anybody who wants to go fishing badly enough can build one. For sitting in the sun over a crappie hole, you can’t beat ‘em.

Shorebird here is typical of the type. You cut out a stem, bolt a couple of plain planks to the stem through temporary cleats, spread the planks with a midship mould, and then horse the planks home to the transom with a Spanish windlass. This windlass is merely rope around the planks near the transom through which a stick is passed. Turning the stick winds the planks together.

The planks are screwed to the transom, then the bolt at the stem is tapped a little to let the planks find their place at the stem, and the planks are sérewed to the stem.

Stream in the 1” x 2” chine stringers and bevel the bottom plank landing fair so the bottom boards will screw on to complete this step.

Next, the sheer battens are screwed or clinch-nailed in place and the whole job is caulked and painted outside. Rolling the boat over, the sheer edges are planed down, the seats and (in Shorebird’s case) the bait-well amidships is fitted. The side frames which hold the risers for the seats (thwarts) are screwed in with fastenings as shown in the detail on the drawings. The seats are then cut and fitted, the boat is painted and you can go to sea.

What you’ll have is not a thing of beauty, nor the most perfect of flat-bottomed models. Nevertheless, it is a boat that you can row fairly well, which will also take a 2 or 3 hp light outboard. Shorebird will build for from $30 to $50, depending upon how close you live to lumber supply. (Tells you how old the plans are, ay?)

Thus, I make no apology for Shorebird’s shape. Her bottom rockers according to the sweep of her bent topside planking and her dimensions are dictated by lumber available in standard sizes in any local yard. She is heavy enough to weather any average chop. Just remember that as long as the forefoot of a flat-bottomed boat is loaded a little below the waterline, they act like boats. Get them cocked too high and they slam—all of them.

 

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on June 21, 2011 at 7:12am

Why not stick to the original plans and use solid wood? It would be even more unique than a store bought boat, especially aluminum and could use lumber you can purchase at the nearby big boxes. Will you have to learn a few new skills? You bet, but the boat would be true to the plans and be pretty cool. Do you have access to a planer? I am guessing that the planking is probably 1/2" rather than the 3/4" stock you buy now. You can be selective in the search and know what is on the inside unlike today's plywood with voids and such.

 

Just an idea.

 

Rick Newman

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Kinney on June 21, 2011 at 5:35pm

Using solid wood is my intention.. The type of wood is the question..

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on June 21, 2011 at 9:07pm

Many traditional boats were built in the Northwest with the available species: Douglas Fir; Pine of one sort or another; Port Orford Cedar; Spruce, etc. east Coast, Midwest I don't know, depends on either locally grown available species or the woods that wholesalers and retailers could obtain and make a reasonable profit on. Unfortunately for all of us overharvesting in my opinion has limited the quantity and quality of the currently available lumber.

 

What is most important is the qualities that the lumber exhibits. The woods mentioned above don't all share the same characteristics but also weren't used in exactly the same applications. Rib materials are chosen for a combination of strength and lightness. Wood for the sides needs to be able to bend and remain strong. Stems are often made from harder, more dense woods because of the need to hold fasteners under some pressure. So I am saying that in my opinion the wood was chosen to fit the function required of it. As plywood was introduced it came in a variety of thicknesses and often had a nicely figured side that was easy to finish and looked good. As the wood resources have been used up the quality of the nationally grown and produced has declined. Footballs, patches to cover problems in the wood are more common and voids inside the plywood create potential future problems, especially when the plywood is flexed.

Enter plywoods made from imported wood. Mahogany, Meranti, Sapelle, etc became available.  They are made from quality wood, often with pleasing figures on the most visible side and made of many layers or plys glued with waterproof glues. The plywood that meets the highest standards is stamped to show it meets these standards.

Unfortunately as our economy has progressed the lumberyards of yesterday have disappeared. I grew up in a town of 10,000 and we had at least three lumberyards and one major sawmill. I grew up in Central Washington and lumber was king. Now there is only one remaining lumberyard and maybe one operating sawmill within 100 miles.

So what you are faced with is determining what woods are available locally, see if they have the characteristics the boat you are building requires. Your task is to interpret the plans you have chosen, decide the function of the different required pieces will be and then try to match the available products with your needs. There are a tremendous amount of resources available on the internet. There is a great search function on here that have provided assistance to many of us. The web site, Wooden Boat Forum has more traditional boat builders than are commonly found here. I consider the Internet like a very large, often free grocery store of knowledge. As you wonder the aisles grab the resources you need for the current meal or project. When you need something, take another trip and grab what you need that time.

Obviously the information I have provided you is my opinion, there are lots of opinions available from the knowledgeable members of this site. I hope my ramblings have helped you out. I don't think that there may be an easy answer for your wood choices. However within the resources of the members that reach across the United States you may find a few surprises and needed help. Keep asking questions.

 

Good luck on your build.

 

Rick Newman

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Permalink Reply by Michael Kinney on June 22, 2011 at 6:09am

I grew up in Coastal Washington. Fir was my wood of choice. I have built small boats before but they were stitch and glue boats and I used fir plywood and fir lumber. Fir plywood worked well if covered with 4 or 6 oz cloth. The wood around here is geared more for the home builder industry not the backyard boatbuilder. I have a stack of probably 15-20 boat plans sitting in the closet but pulled this one out because it was designed to be built with solid lumber. That being said I am limited to what I can get locally. If I have to run all the way into Tucson for wood the cost adds up and then I might as well look to a metal boat. If I still lived in Washington with its abundant water sources I would consider the cost as being worth it but here with the lake so far off and when I figure in the limited usage it will get I think twice.

  I have built boats from odd wood before with amazing results. My first boat I ever made was the six hour canoe. Took me two days. Built it from fir plywood and ripped 16' 2x6 lumber and put it together using original titebond glue and ring nails. I knew nothing about fiberglass so I sealed the boat by cutting strips from a large piece of cloth and used a small can of polyester resin I bought at the hardware store. Caulked the inside and hit it with latex paint. It worked and the boat is still being used by my friend 12 years later.  I made a small boat one time from birch plywood and pine boards for the seats. With the plywood covered with epoxy it held up really well. Everyone cringed when I told them but it worked. But here, with the dry heat I am concerned about how plywood will stand up. I am even a bit concerned about epoxy joints in this heat. Probably Silver Tip would handle it OK and that's always an option if I change my mind on the design. 

  At the moment I am leaning towards Pine for the sides and bottom. It's common here. For the stem I perhaps could find some fir 2x4's and rip them. Some people have told me that hardwoods won't stand up to the sun. I have no idea if that's true. I have a client that may have some spare mesquite that I could use for the stem and perhaps the frames. That stuff seems to stand up to everything. As for treating the wood against the effects of the sun I am still a bit stumped. I don't think that just painting it will be enough.

                                                       Michael

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on June 22, 2011 at 9:49pm

Micheal, there are numerous drift boats built in Arizona. It seems that the wood isn't a much of a problem as is the finish you apply to protect it. As you stated the boat you made with an epoxy coating held up real well. As you probably know the epoxy has to be protected from UV with paint of some sort. Since you have mentioned price as a consideration a coating of an oil based porch paint will probably be both UV protective and economical. The epoxy will be the expensive part. If the lumber you can purchase fits the plans then the above plan should work, it has worked for others in a similar climate. I guess that you will need to decide between the beauty and grace of a well made boat versus the convenience of a ready made one. Maybe buy an aluminum one cheaply for a temporary fix until you can afford the materials that make the most sense to you.

 

Regards,

 

Rick Newman

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