Thread: Beginners Advise on old 'hoy' style boat building

Are you sure you want to build in the true clinker style? That's where there the planks are solid wood and it's the expansion of these planks in the water that keeps the water out. It requires very good fits. It also requires you to steam or otherwise bend ribs, and to rivet the planks to those ribs. It requires a high level of skill.

An alternative, is plywood clinker, a modern method of building. The timber is marine plywood. Epoxy is used to hold it all together and the framing is not needed. Epoxy is a gap filling glue and so tight fits aren't essential. The skill level required is not as high, well within the bounds of your average wood worker (cripes, my little Redback floats ).

As you have no experience in building boats, I'd suggest two things. First, attend a boat building course. TAFE has them in some (if not all) states. Secondly, consider building a boat out of ply first. You will still have to shape a lot of real wood. You will still find yourself laminating curved parts, as many as on your clinker hull. The end product will be indistinguishable from a real clinker boat from the outside and you need to be a boat nut to realise that it's not from the inside (you can also put in fake frames if you wish so that no one will guess).

Importantly though, a plywood boat will give you a robust boat that will always be ready to use. True clinker boats will leak if allowed to dry out - quite badly in some cases - until the wood has had a chance to swell again. It's usually best to keep them in the water whereas a ply boat is quite happy being stored in your shed.

Mate, you need to be nuts to take on real clinker. Nicely nuts, and you will have my admiration and support, but nuts.

If you MUST work with real timber, consider strip planking. The hull is made out of thin strips of timber glued side by side. The use of epoxy means that the hull is solid so there is no need for the wood to swell and you don't get to practice putting in a thousand or more rivets. The hull is smooth - not that lovely clinker look, but it is also round. This method produces light, strong, elegant hulls that can look stunning if finished bright.

However, this doesn't answer your other question - where to get plans.
David Payne does clinker plans ... I think, he certainly does a lot of his plans in plywood clinker AND strip (same boat basically, just a different hull convering). He'd probably be able to give you the scantlings to convert one of his plywood clinker designs if you asked. Iain Oughtred, the father of plywood clinker, shows the scantlings for real clinker with his designs. I have the plans for his Auk here, an 8 ft tender, and they came with the scantlings, but even if the design didn't come with them, you'd be able to write to Iain and ask.

David Payne's website is here
David Payne Yachts

Iain Oughtred is so traditional he still uses a pen knife to sharpen his quills. He doesn't have a website but his catalogue is widely available or, if you prefer, you can write directly to him (no email). He has a reputation for answering all letters in a full and gentlemanly manner and has been known to add little goodies like sneak previews of new designs with his letters. I strongly recommend that you write directly to him with questions and buy your plans from him.

Hope this helps
Richard

I'm with Richard on this one.

Unless you have a particular reason for building in clinker, there isn't much point.... ply clinker (lapstrake) construction will give a stronger lighter hull which looks similar and is maintenance free, without all the mechanical fastenings.

David Payne's website is a good place to start http//:www.payneyachts.com

I think Ian Smith at the Sydney Wooden Boat School also has/had a heap of different designs at his disposal, including many traditional construction.

Cheers,

P

Yes, Ian Smith will teach you how to make a true clinker hull. Give him a ring at the Sydney Wooden Boat School.
Cheers
Graeme

Hi Peter,

Don't be discouraged about the talk of clinker being overly difficult. If you have half decent woodworking skills it is not a problem.

A good book to start with is clinker boatbuilding by John Leather ( bit expensive) or I an Smith also has one on the same topic for about $16-17 from boat books.

Steaming and roving are also easily learned skills.

Cost wise really depends on what you use for materials. I have just finished a 10 footer in huon pine with grown huon knees and king billy thwarts and the material costs including spars and sails is somewhere around $2-2,500. ( Huon was about $16 a super).

If you want to buy one, look at Ned Trewarthas' website ( www.nedtrewarthawoodenboats.com.au ).

regards,

AD