Thread: Suffolk Beach Punt

I've admired this design since I first saw it-I presume you're doing the clinker option?The photos look fine to me,if you don't mind one observation,I'd be happier to see diagonal braces from the base of each corner leg to the main bearers to firm the frame up for when you start planking,but if it seems stable to you,take this with a grain of salt.Looking forward to further progress pics,
Cheers,
Dave.

Hi Dave,

Yes I am doing the boat in clinker ply. Paul Fisher does give construction details and plank shapes for S & G on the drawings, but I wouldn't fancy doing a boat this big by that method. I have built a clinker ply boat before plus 2 S & G's and I far prefer the clinker method anyway.

Learning from my previous clinker build I am trying to keep the space between the moulds as clear as possible to allow easy access under the boat for cleaning up epoxy from the lap seams as I go. I pretty much boxed myself out last time and had a lot of hard work to do cleaning up cured epoxy when the boat was turned over.

What you probably can't see from the photos are brackets that I have screwed to the top of each mould into the keel. Also, at the first mould and again at the transom I have locked the vertical members with cross members above and below the main bearers. These two features seem to have locked the whole structure up pretty tight. I certainly can't move it much be leaning on it.

I do take your point though and will need to keep an eye on it as the planking loads come on, or in case things loosen up and move about, so thanks for the suggestion.

Actually, as I write this the first garboard plank has been installed and I will get the other one on this weekend. I intend to get the first 2 pairs of planks done and will then stop and do the skeg so I can get to it without having to lean over that wide beam.

I will certainly post more pics as things progress. There is a good set of photos of one of these boat being built in the Yahoo SFD owner/builders forum and I have got a few tips from the builder. His boat had only been on the water a couple of times when it was damaged in a road accident. Damage was not severe, but I really felt for him after all his hard work that went in to it when I heard about it.

Cheers, Cameron.

Dave,

Just read your post again, might have misread what you were saying the first time.

If you mean diagonal bracing on the legs of the strongback between the main bearers and the floor, then yes I agree and it is actually there, you just can't see it in the photos. Both end bays of the strongback are diagonally braced in all directions. Additionally, each intermediate leg is bolted to the concrete floor via steel angle brackets.

The strongback structure is absolutely rock solid and needs to be too!

Cheers, Cameron.

The first two planks are on now. Here are some more photos.

Look at the beautiful Celery Top Pine in the transom.

Cheers, Cameron.

Still going well. I now have the second pair of planks fitted and have prepared the keel centreline ready to fit the skeg.

I decided to stop planking and fit the skeg at this stage thinking it would be easier to work across the hull, and get underneath it, without all the planks fitted as it is a very beamy boat.

Here are some more photos

Cheers, Cameron.

The boat now has the skeg fitted and 3 pairs of planks.

More photos attached.

Cheers, Cameron.

Latest progress update:

Five pairs of planks each side and looking much more boat shaped now. Have also fitted the bilge runners.

More photos attached.

Cheers, Cameron.

Looking Good Cameron. I see that the bilge runners are straight, when building the Auk I thought I would be smart and bend the bilge runners to same shape of the planking. Of course when I went to fit the brass strip I could not bend it enough , so wound up cutting it short (the brass that is). you will not have the same problem.
Ian L

Ian,

On a couple of previous boats I also ran the bilge runners around with the curvature of the plank laps. I actually think it looks neater this way.

On this buuild though, after tossing it around with another builder of the same design in the UK, I decided to keep the bilge runners straight. Main reason was the other guy's experience with the hull drawing up straight and being well supported on it's trailer.

You are right about the brass strip. I don't have brass strips on the curved runners on the other boats and never intended to, but I do intend to fit them to this one and yes, it will be dead easy.

Cheers, Cameron.

The build is still progressing. Really looking like a boat now.

The hull now has 7 planks each side. Only one pair to go.

Even though there are 7 planks, in the photos it might look like only 6 at the transom. That is because the garboards narrow right down towards transom and I have cut gains so the next plank is let into them.

This gives a slight wineglass effect at the transom which I thought would look neater than having a plank lap so close to the skeg. You can see how I let these two planks in together in the last photo, so there really are 7 pairs on her!

Cheers, Cameron.

Planking is now complete.

Working now on the last of the external hull components. Next jobs are to attach the outer stem, a small section of keel between the stem and the centrecase, and some rubbing strips.

Then comes the long task cleaning up, fairing off, epoxy coating and painting the hull before it is turned over to start work on the inside. I think I will leave the gunnels until it is turned over too.

I did a trial fit of the outer stem today. Less than 1mm gap all round, so quite happy with it.

Cheers, Cameron.

Well done Cameron,it's always nice to get to this stage.The cleanup,not so much,but fairing shouldn't be a problem on a clinker hull-any plans to sheathe her?
Cheers,
Dave.

Looking good Cameron. Planning to build the Phoenix III one day. Have a car to finish restoring first and a house to build.

Rickey

Dave,

By fairing, I suppose I really just mean filling the odd ding here and there and plugging screw heads. Actually the clean up won't be too bad either come to think of it because I did a fair bit of it as I went with the planking. You are right about clinker ply construction, it is pretty easy to get a fair hull with this method. I like it!

No intention to sheath, but I will epoxy coat the hull inside and out.


Rickey,

The Phoenix is a good looking design. It was on my shortlist actually before I settled on this one. There is a thread in this forum somewhere about construction of one.


Cheers, Cameron.