Thread: Goat Island Skiff - New Build - Walnut Creek CA

That stem can be tricky so take it slow and easy. It's been about a year since I made mine but here is what I recall of the process.

I cut it just slightly overlength for starters, maybe a half inch total. I then drew the shape of the top and bottom on the ends (they are different). In shaping to the end-drawings I stopped a little short of the lines on the top and took away all of the lines on the bottom. This meant when the top end was trimmed about 1/4 inch the size got smaller and was about right at the new length; the opposite happens when you trim the bottom--it gets a tad bigger because of the taper. As you know from the instructions it's a little bigger at the top than at the bottom.

IIRC I just got down to it with my electric hand plane, first taking a little more off the bottom, thinner end. The angle of the plane isn't a big deal at first but as you get closer to the final size you have to make sure you adjust it (the angle) so you finish with an end-to-end pass that hits the layout lines.

Oh, one more thing, don't cut to the final fore-aft dimension until you are finished shaping it. I had enough extra width for clamping it for planing. I drew a line representing the final size and worked to the line for the wide point and to a centerline representing the forward point on the adjacent side. If you've already sized it you can attach a piece of scrap to the after face and use that for clamping.

The experts probably have better ways but that's what this novice did.

Thanks MAM... I cut the blank for the stem a bit oversize hopefully it is enough. I remember from the LYS I started on the importance of leaving some extra for clamping. And going slow.

I don't have an electric plane so I will be doing it with a jigsaw and block plane. The WRC seems fairly easy to work with, I will just make sure I go nice and slow.

Bob - I will post my experiences with the stem when I finish it, and will hopefully have a nice set of pictures to go with it.

Not sure how much work I will get done in the next couple of weeks, the folks are coming in for Thanksgiving. Maybe I can put them to work while they are here. They restored a couple of woodies when I was a kid, a 25' Trojan, and a 28' Chris Craft. My first boat was a 16' Lyman we bought for $175 and brought back to life.

The comments in the post above from MAM were very useful. Here are my attempts at the GIS stem:

24 November 2008

The Stem - In Three Parts

Sunday I had plenty of chores to do, but I worked in enough to time to complete gluing up the chine log on the remaining hull side (no photos - see last post). Then I cut and shaped the stem.

The stem proved to be a challenge. Lucky for me, I had some extra WRC laying about the garage. My first two attempts were not quite spectacular failures.
From Goat Island Skiff Stem

Finally, on the third attempt I ended up with a stem I was satisfied with:

The blank from WRC, from the first attempt. You will notice that I didn't leave much extra length for clamping:
From Goat Island Skiff Stem

The aft side lay out - I used a sharpie so that it was easy to see the lines. This is from the second attempt - I left extra length top and bottom. I found the bottom length not really necessary and cut it off.
From Goat Island Skiff Stem

The centerline of the foreward side:
From Goat Island Skiff Stem
The end result - the square top section will be cut off after the fit up:
From Goat Island Skiff Stem

The method that worked best for me was to use the jigsaw set to the bevel of the bottom section (22 mm wide aft, to centerline front), then cut to the mark up to the top (36 mm wide). This left extra material to remove where the bevel changes.

To remove the extra material, I used (carefully) a sharp chisel to remove a bit more material, getting it close. In retrospect, I think a spoke shave would have been better, but I inexplicably forgot that I owned a spokeshave. Too bad, as I like using it. After the chisel, I used the block plane to finish it off. The WRC is easy to work with with both the plane and chisel.

Attempts 1 and 2 were similar. Attempt #1 was close to perfect, but feeling good, and wanting to do better, I pushed it a bit too far with the chisel. In to the burn pile. Attempt #2 I tried a different method - I used the pull saw to mark hash marks along the length, from the front to back. Then I followed along with the chisel. Here again, the chisel can be dangerous, and I took out a large chunk of wood that I did not want to.

By the third attempt, I was very, very careful with the chisel, using it only to take off small pieces at time along the front centerline, then using the plane to do the rest. It didn't take long and was enjoyable work (I didn't mind starting over twice).

It will be very difficult to trim the top after the fit up unless you mean a dry fit. The breast hook should run across the top of the stem piece so the top needs an angle to match the slope of the sides at the bow and should be set 19mm below the top edges of the sides. You can let it run wild at the bottom then trim flush to take the bottom.

Thanks MAM - as always, enlightening for me to find this out. I plan to do a dry fit, then trim the stem. Do you recommend trimming the stem straight across at the top, then planing to fit the breast hook?

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Jamie,

Thanks for an illustrated account of your adventures making the stem. I have to say your explanation, together with MAM's comments, and pictures helped me "see" what I wasn't quite getting from the plans. Very helpful indeed. You have no idea - well, maybe you do - how much help you have helped me. And I haven't even started cutting lumber!

Bob

The top surface of the stem piece needs to be sloped the same as the top edge of the side strakes at the bow. It should not run to the top of the sides but stop short by the thickness of the breast hook--19mm per the materials list. Some have just added the breast hook on top of everything but it looks nicer to have everything flush at the bow.

MAM, where are you at on your boat?

I'm hoping to get a couple coats of varnish on the interior and gunwales and then I'll turn it over for one more primer coat and two coats of Perfection. At that point I'll be ready to mount the rudder box which is built as are the foils. I've also shaped and epoxied the yard and boom so I have all of the components on hand except for the mast.

Originally Posted by MiddleAgesMan

The top surface of the stem piece needs to be sloped the same as the top edge of the side strakes at the bow. It should not run to the top of the sides but stop short by the thickness of the breast hook--19mm per the materials list. Some have just added the breast hook on top of everything but it looks nicer to have everything flush at the bow.

Agree ... did the plans say to do that?

Michael

I don't recall if it was mentioned or not, MIK. It just seems it has to be done that way unless you are OK with one stuck on top of everything or if you're OK with having the end grain of the stem piece exposed. Neither seemed like a good idea to me.

I had trouble getting it exactly right on my pirogue and then again on the GIS. The angle was slightly off on both but thickened epoxy took care of things.

Good hint about the thickened epoxy ... just added this text to the assembly instructions (how did I overlook!!!

First the Stem needs to be trimmed to allow for the bow knee later. Hold it alongside the side panel as in the diagram right. The back edge of the stem's bottom end lines up with the ply. (Fig 8). Mark this clearly. Without moving the stem mark the stem with the position of the side panel sheerline (top end of stem).

The stem needs to be trimmed 18mm shorter than this measurement to allow for the bow knee to be fitted above it.

Good question, Mik!

I've been going back and forth between this thread and the plans looking for how to install the "breast hook." I may be slow, but I am sorta persistent so it took me a short while to find the illustrated part about installing the "bow knee" (I like pictures), Whew, I felt relieved... until I realized I wasn't seeing what MAM was describing. Good to know I found the right place in the plans and that there is help right here! It is also good to know I didn't miss something the first dozen or so times I've read through the plans.

With Jamie and MAM pointing out their errors and sharing how they took care of them, I am left to wonder just what original mistakes I will make along the way!

As an aside: I haven't solved my housing situation just yet, but I am just about ready to start the foils.

Bob

18mm is better. Assuming a 19mm thick bow knee you'll have a little excess you can plane and sand to give the top of the knee a little crown.