Thread: Goat Island Skiff (Guatemala)

Originally Posted by Flatdog

Really nice to watch the progress. This is a really clean and precise build Surlyone. You have great woodworking skills.

Cheers,
Kev.

Thanks Kev. I think for me patience is more of a virtue then my wood working skills, though I have noticed that my wood working skills have improved over the course of the build. I'm really enjoying seeing it all come together at the moment.

I have a question about attaching the gunwales. In the plans it indicates that these should be attached 33mm below the top of the plywood (lifted slighted higher at the front and back).

Does this mean that the top 12mm will have to be planned off after the gunwale has been glued on? Also what effect does lifting the gunwale slightly at the front and back of the boat have?

Cheers

Matt

With the usual disclaimer that I have done this in my head a thousand times, but never in real life: Yes, the gunwales will protrude over the ply and will then have to be planed down. This seems like a lot to be planed off, but I am sure it goes quite quickly. I assume this is because MIK specifies 45mm "standard" width of the timber, if you rip it yourself you might start with slightly less wide boards? The lifting of the gunwales in the end will result in them being a bit thinner at the ends after you have planed everything down. This will look a bit better than if the were the same width all the way to the ends.

Pontus

"...installed 33mm lower than the top of the plywood" would be the bottom edge of the the gunwales, not the top edge. You should lift them slightly at bow and stern for a better look: a tapered gunwale looks more yachty than gunwales with a constant height.

No, you don't want to plane off 12mm of the plywood by setting the gunwales too low. You should be planing material from the gunwales, not the ply.

It did seem like there was a bit to plane off, but it went fairly quickly. I used a power planer to start and switched to a hand plane when I got close. I found that I ended up fooling with the bevel of the gunwale structure as I faired it to the knees. The resulting angle of the top face of the gunwale to the sides ended up less than 90 (by that I mean mine came out more parallel to the water). So that extra wood gives you some leeway to fool around with that angle.

Thanks Pontus and MAM. I should have been more specific in my original post in that it is the BOTTOM of the gunwales are attached 33mm below the top of the plywood.

OK, so I think I understand what is required now. The gunwales will end up being approx. 33mm deep at the plywood face and the outer face approx. 25mm (due to the bevel on the bottom edge). Does anyone have an opinion as to why the depth of the gunwales is reduced from the 45mm stock; is it that 33mm is all that is required structurally, for aesthetic reasons or both these reasons?

Originally Posted by Beaton1

It did seem like there was a bit to plane off, but it went fairly quickly. I used a power planer to start and switched to a hand plane when I got close. I found that I ended up fooling with the bevel of the gunwale structure as I faired it to the knees. The resulting angle of the top face of the gunwale to the sides ended up less than 90 (by that I mean mine came out more parallel to the water). So that extra wood gives you some leeway to fool around with that angle.

Thanks for the info Beaton1. I noticed in the photo of your goat that you posted a couple of days back that the gunwales and front knee are "flat" and was wondering if this was one of the reasons for lifting the gunwales slightly at the front.

Originally Posted by surlyone

Does anyone have an opinion as to why the depth of the gunwales is reduced from the 45mm stock; is it that 33mm is all that is required structurally, for aesthetic reasons or both these reasons?

Both I'd say

P.

The front knee can be glued in a bit proud of the gunwales and then faired down. I left it slightly domed. I think the lift of the gunwales at the ends is simply to keep the parts from looking a little heavy, especially up at the bow where everything is getting closer together. I also tapered the out wale a few mm in thickness at both ends and for the same 1-1.5 m of length. I wonder if the 45 mm stock is simply to give you a little wiggle room on the scarfing and ripping. Was also thinking it might bend around a little smoother than narrower stock.

Thanks Beaton1. Still don't know what I am exactly going to do with my front knee yet so the info is useful.

Glued up the rudder blank and installed the centreboard front gusset and central seat side cleats.

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I think you mean "rudder blank". I was looking at the post for about ten seconds thinking "Rubber blank? What's he gluing rubber for?" D'oh.

Originally Posted by Sumbloak

I think you mean "rudder blank". I was looking at the post for about ten seconds thinking "Rubber blank? What's he gluing rubber for?" D'oh.

The rubber timber industry is pretty advanced here in Guatemala! Thanks corrected.

Spent quite a lot of time today fitting the centre seat. I decided to combine it with a centre case "cap" that a few other goat builders have pioneered. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

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