From this

Drawing and offsets (click images to enalrge)

To this

…. in five fascinating, challenging, occasionally frustrating, and deeply satisfying months. ‘With a little help from my friends’.

The first week of July, 06‘, after putting up a 12’ x 20’ screen tent from Sears, and building a strong back, work on “Wanderer” commenced for real. What follows is an overview of that effort; neither a building log nor a ’how-to’, but enough I hope to give Duckworks readers a good sense of what I‘ve been up to. As with the design itself, there are several places where my approach is a bit different from the usual … but still sound, I hope.

The first couple of weeks were devoted to scarfing the bottom sheets cut from ½” BC exterior ply, carefully laying out the bulkheads and stem on 3/8” ply, adding 1x2 edge reinforcement, mounting the bottom on the strongback and blocking up the rocker, cutting the bottom to the measured line. The transom is ½”. Finally each component was set in place, leveled and measured again, braced and clamped, and screwed and glued. Since I am building directly from the offsets generated on the Carlson Hulls program and my one, 2” = 1’ drawing there is a lot of careful measuring. It was a strange blend of satisfaction and relief when the transom and bulkheads rested directly on the marks.

(I’m referring to it as a “bottom” as there will be a ‘swing keel’. or swing ‘off-centerboard’ through and below it. The experts and purists can help me get the terminology right … as long as it builds correctly.) Since cost is a driving consideration I bought four “good” 16’ 2x4’s and with a neighbors table saw sliced them into four stringers (chine logs? … I‘ve built several radio-controlled airplanes and that terminology is in my head). Plus 1x2‘s for their many uses. With the upper and lower stringers in place the shape and dimensions of the sides and lower panels are defined. (dead rise panels ? .. bilge panels ?).

Voila … no tedious, worrisome lofting!

The general approach follows the ‘bottom up’ scheme you see on John Welsford’s lovely designs (and elsewhere), but I haven’t seen this approach to getting the panel dimensions anywhere else. I couldn’t get the “Plyboats” software to download earlier in the year and this seemed logical to me. I did get it running on a recent rainy day and if she sails as expected I may type in all the data and prepare some more adequate plans. This would make a “stitch & glue” approach possible instead of my “screw and glue” method. I’m happy with what I’ve got, though; it seems pretty stout and another 10 or 20# is of little concern. Anyhow, you can imagine my delight when, with the stringers in place, the shape looked to be just like the Hulls generated views !

Transom and bulkheads laid out (forward one later cut at hull level)

Little by little it begins to emerge from the pile of wood

Stern to stem .. seat supports help hold the bulkheads to measure

This seems like a good place to mention my “1 - 2% rule”. I’ve adopted it as a corollary to John Welsford’s admonition that ‘there are few mistakes that epoxy filler can’t fix’ (I paraphrase). Take a look back at the second picture at the top of the article. The shape at the bow and other “1 or 2%” imprecision’s are pretty hard to find and I’m betting they won’t be noticeable on the water either.

As noted in a review a couple of months ago, I’ve used GelMagic for the most part, although I did try Gorilla Glue on some non-stressed components. I also bought a set of clamps from a local big box and have used them a lot, but somewhere on Duckworks I read that sheet rock screws were great for temporary joining. They are, and I’ve used them a lot, especially on the sides, bilge panels (?), decking and roof which you see further on. They set in the drill tip and start easily .. no little thing when working alone, as I generally have. Then they back out, sometimes giving the drill a bit of a help to break them free. No sheet rock screws have been left in place, but there are a couple dozen brass screws in major joints. As I’ve gone along I’ve left fewer as I realized how strong the epoxied joints are. Oh, and I’ve used some waterproof formula Titebond III to add the roof and decking. It is time consuming and awkward to mix batch after batch of epoxy - and handle the drill and screws. But all of the hull joints are epoxy.

As I went along I added the seat supports in the cockpit and on one side of the cabin. This served to hold the transom and bulkheads in position. You will note only a port side cockpit seat brace and a temporary 2x4 for the starboard side. That’s where the off-center board/keel and it’s case will go. That’s a project for this winter when I can leave the boat covered most of the time and work on my partially closed back porch.

There is also a smaller forward bulkhead measured directly from the in - place stringers. This forms an anchor compartment above and flotation compartment below while adding considerable strength to the bow. Two other flotation compartments are either side up there. There are vertical 1x2 pieces to complete frames every 20”along each side. And with the ease of working while standing with the boat still upright on the strong back I added seat supports in the cabin and framed out flotation compartments along either side if the cockpit beneath the side decks. There is about 3 cubic feet there and 2+ forward, entirely sealed. I even remembered to paint them inside as I went along. With the large, “tight” stowage compartments beneath the cockpit and cabin seats, and more stowage beneath the foredeck she’ll be pretty hard to sink. Plus she’s a modified birdwatcher and it will be pretty hard for any water to get into that cabin. See the tests Jim Michalick has run.

Cabin seat supports .. it is easier to get at some of this work now than later Forward starboard flotation .. There is another beneath the anchor well

Starboard cockpit aft flotation compartment, backside to cockpit seats

The first week of September I took a break and we went up to Trout House and rented a cottage. This is northern Lake George, Hague, where I first learned to sail in 1974. It was a dad’s dream come true as my daughter and son-in-law came up for a weekend bringing two of the four grandchildren for their first Adirondack vacation. They‘re still talking about it. (My son’s two live in Oakland, CA - hope to have them back east for the launching next May)

Daughter Cambria, Mattie & Kareem Jr enjoy one of our cleanest lakes

Wife Terry et al. The boat will be dedicated the “Terry Jeanne”.

When we returned I spent a couple of days measuring/outlining the sides of ¼” lauan ply directly in place against the stringers, cutting them, and screwing/gluing them in place (epoxy). They were joined in place with an 8” piece fitted between the stringers. This was really quite straightforward. And when I flipped the starboard side pieces over and tried them to port it was a mirror image … well, almost … within ¼” - 1 - 2 % rule! With these ‘glued and screwed’ in place I shanghaied son-in-law Kareem, and neighbor, Luke Hayden, to turn it over. A real milestone.

The 3/8 deadrise panels (?) were made by using shelf paper to draw a full size pattern in place, then I cut the scarfed pieces ½’’ oversize all around. Again, they were mirror images ! The bevels on the bottom were cut using my little jigsaw and a handsaw, leaving a ¾” - 1” surface against which to glue. I screwed/glued them in place (epoxy) and trimmed them with my jigsaw and hand saw to the gradually steeper bevels matching the bottom. This I confess was a job and no doubt motivated me to figure out they Plyboat download. But it worked … see below!

Sides cut a bit oversize, interiors of side flotation compartments painted

These are the power tools used .. a hand plane has had a lot of use too

Notice the “false” bow pieces blended to the angled forward stem - Granddaughter Mattie checking on Grandpa

I’m sorry that there are no pictures of fitting the bilge (dead rise) panels before turned it over. And only two of the fiber glassing. In addition to it’s being awkward to use the camera when working by myself, let alone with sticky, epoxy-gloved hands, I was feeling the pressure of getting enough done to get the tent down and boat covered for the winter months.

The first five feet from the bow has 6# fiberglass tape reinforcement. The bottom and bilge panels are then covered with 6# cloth, double overlapped the length of the boat. The sides have 4# cloth, again double overlapped the full length. So triple thick joints at the bow 1/3rd; double thick the remaining 2/3rds. This yields considerable strength to these joints which already are epoxied with ample surface width. The whole glassing process took about a month. When done and it had set a couple of days a neighbor, Joe Shillington, helped me slide/turn it back over. This time the strongback is removed and it is blocked on several planks about 3” off the ground.

The “workshop” was just big enough and served pretty well through the Summer months. I even had lights to help in the latter part of the evening. It held up for three months, but in October a big storm caused a support to break and I came out in the middle of the night to find three or four inches of water in side. PANIC ! I bailed it out and dried it with towels and paper towel, then ran a small heater through the next two days. There is no sign of swelling or delaminating and it seemed entirely dry so I proceeded to frame up the cabin, using mostly 1x2. The top cabin sides are 1” x 4” cut to the curve of the side deck. The is no fancy finish carpentry here but every joint overlaps and it is pretty sturdy, especially with the roof and those lower side panels in place.

The two forward corner posts are 1” x 3” poplar, doubled either side of 3/8 ply … very sturdy. Then 3” poplar runs from those to the upper mast box, which at that point is 42” above the base of the mast. As I noted in the previous write-up, I hope to do without shrouds on the side although it won’t take much to use them if needed. I know I can lift the whole boat by pulling on a front corner post!

Fiberglass in place … sanding off the high spots before a 2nd filler coat.

Simple, sturdy cabin framing .. and it will be hidden by paint

Temporary pieces until the roof slot is cut and hinged .. the mast is stepped by walking it in, setting it in the lower box and raising it into the upper slot

The foredeck was framed out with plenty of support so it can be walked on and the kids can sit up there when they are older. The windshield was also framed out. But then a second disaster! Serious worry and high blood pressure. Another storm broke the tent frame at several points, it completely collapsed at one end, and more water got in to the boat. I had to take the tent down, with help of a friend - George Sinkler. It was a mess but there was less water and with five balmy, Indian Summer days and the little heater it dried out again. With several weeks gone by and no sign of further trouble my blood pressure is normal again.

Foredeck framing … lots of scrap lumber by this stage

Decking in place and trimmed … 5” sides and 20” X 30” up front behind the anchor well. There will be a bow sprit too.

All wrapped up … double tarps with lumber to assure drainage - outer one the remainder of the tent. Cockpit covered with a wooden cap that will be used when it’s finished too. Dry as a bone after two rains .. whew !

Over the last month I have climbed into the cockpit and cabin several times and let myself picture being on the water. Great fun! There is lots of room and great visibility. Two people can comfortably sleep for a night or two and there is room for lots of gear. With the main, self-tending jib and mizzen it should sail comfortably, with a strong electric trolling motor as auxiliary power. A small 2 - 4 hp 4-cycle outboard for fishing and casual cruising will extend the days I can use it. I’m beginning to dream about some outings next Summer !

Over the next three months I will build the swing keel / off-center board and case, then find a warm day and install it. On other warm days I’ll finish hinging the roof doors, build the drop boards, and maybe convert the rudder I’ve got from my old Wildflower to a balanced, naca foil. And there will be a jib and mizzen to make from polytarp. I’ll measure, cut and tape them myself, then send them along to my sister who has agreed to sew them. I’d like to get two or three seasons and then, with experience, perhaps cut a genoa and other new sails. These, like all of my materials so far, will be ordered from Sandra and Chuck, without whose Duckworks resources and community I would never have come this far.

Come March and April I’ll build a mast and sprit for the Mizzen, a boarding ladder for the port side of the transom, and install the rest of the rigging. Paint looks like white with orange trim along the upper chine. Maybe - maybe - the deck will be covered with 4 oz. cloth and left clear … or maybe the only bright work will be the rails on the roof and rub rails the length of the hull. This has been a splendid adventure and I am indebted to every one who has pitched in, on the net and in the back yard. There’s lot’s left to do, of course, including making time to get the garden in, but I aim for a launch by Memorial Day so that I can enjoy the sailing season.

And then I hope I can get to meet a few of the good folks I’ve met along the way and show her off a bit !

Articles by Bob Throne

• Pocket Cruiser
• Review - System Three Silvertip GelMagic
• Wanderer Update