Thread: The Latest Sixpence

Another option- but you've probably already discounted this for some good and obvious reason- is to make it from the same veneers that you used for'ard.

OK I've put my water pistol away as well but am going to throw ina curve ball.

Richard you always talk about a work boat look so go with pacific maple and paint the coaming white, a beige deck and an accent between the gunwhale and rub strip, I'd have navy blue but that's me. Plus the other Richards Yellowtail looks really cool.

Then a few bright bits inside to get the varnish bug out of your system, OK then varnish the deck if you must.......no don't do it beige....oh I don't know.

Originally Posted by rob540

Another option- but you've probably already discounted this for some good and obvious reason- is to make it from the same veneers that you used for'ard.

I don't have enough veneers for starters, and they'd need to be joined a few times along the way. Then there'd be the glue up, it'd cost me a fortune in epoxy, not to mention being a hell of a lot of work.

I did consider it, rather carefully, but you're bumping into the laws of dimishing returns very quickly. On a fancier build, it might be worth it, but while she's a bit above work boat, that's only by my standards.

Originally Posted by m2c1Iw

Richard you always talk about a work boat look so go with pacific maple and paint the coaming white, a beige deck and an accent between the gunwhale and rub strip, I'd have navy blue but that's me. Plus the other Richards Yellowtail looks really cool.

Then a few bright bits inside to get the varnish bug out of your system, OK then varnish the deck if you must.......no don't do it beige....oh I don't know.

The plan is for her to be bright from the lower rubbing strip upwards, which is a lot of varnish for me. The final decision will be made come epoxy coating time - it it looks good coated in epoxy, I'll do the bright work bit, if it looks rubbish or like too much timber, I'll reach for some paint. Below that lower rubbing strip on the outside and below the coaming on the inside will be painted.

Richard

Originally Posted by rob540

As to exposed end-grain. Go for it. It saves work, can look really lovely if carefully sanded and varnished with care- and that will be easy after thorough epoxying. And don't worry about de-lamination as long as you maintain the epoxy if it gets dinged. I actually really like the look of ply. And it's honest.

That's my feeling and, being a coaming, it doesn't matter if it does come apart because it's relatively easy to replace. I sort of feel that ply would be stronger than solid timber anyway considering it'll be a plank supported at one edge with people climbing over it - the vertical curve will help support it but only up to a point.

Richard

... It doesn't have to be flat on top though, you could run a round-over bit both ways to make it half-round...that protects the laminations from abrasion (and people's bottoms) too. And if it's epoxied on you won't move it in a hurry -intentionally or not, and repairs will only need to be localized.

Originally Posted by rob540

... It doesn't have to be flat on top though, you could run a round-over bit both ways to make it half-round...that protects the laminations from abrasion (and people's bottoms) too. And if it's epoxied on you won't move it in a hurry -intentionally or not, and repairs will only need to be localized.

Yeah. I was always going to be rounded, though I'm thinking of rounding the ply, not adding half round to the top. With the laminated front end, it'll just look odd if it suddenly becomes clear timber once you get to the sides. The curve around the front, vertically and horizontally, doesn't really make me want to go putting any capping around the front.

Sheesh, such a lot of mucking about just for a coaming

Richard

Paint hides a lot of sins doesn't it

Richard

Originally Posted by Daddles

Paint hides a lot of sins doesn't it

Richard

paint it you know you want to

it will look so much better, let me give you a little encouragement

i have to say though i wish i had done a better job of joining the shear plank because i thought it looked better after i had epoxied itand the ply came up a lovely colour.
but my intention from the start was to paint it navy so not enough care was taken with the join

Mate that really is a stunning pic of your Yellowtail, she is beautiful.

Captures the essence of the boat if you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by honkongphoie

paint it you know you want to

it will look so much better, let me give you a little encouragement

i have to say though i wish i had done a better job of joining the shear plank because i thought it looked better after i had epoxied itand the ply came up a lovely colour.
but my intention from the start was to paint it navy so not enough care was taken with the join

Yeah, but how did you do your coaming? I know you used ply but did you cap it or just round it off?

Richard

Originally Posted by Daddles

Yeah, but how did you do your coaming? I know you used ply but did you cap it or just round it off?

Richard

i rounded the top off with a 6mm round over bit in the router, and to make sure the grain was sealed i gave it two coats of epoxy wet on wet before giving the whole lot three coats wet on wet, so the exposed edge grain of the ply has had 5 coats of pox

a word of warning though with the router, with the coaming strip laying flat on the bench you can do one side with ease, but when you turn it over to do the other side the bearing on the round over bit has nothing to run against and the bit just sinks into the ply so i clamped the coaming in the vice and did it on edge (a bit tricky to keep stable but it can be done)

Originally Posted by honkongphoie

i rounded the top off with a 6mm round over bit in the router, and to make sure the grain was sealed i gave it two coats of epoxy wet on wet before giving the whole lot three coats wet on wet, so the exposed edge grain of the ply has had 5 coats of pox

a word of warning though with the router, with the coaming strip laying flat on the bench you can do one side with ease, but when you turn it over to do the other side the bearing on the round over bit has nothing to run against and the bit just sinks into the ply so i clamped the coaming in the vice and did it on edge (a bit tricky to keep stable but it can be done)

I thought that's what you'd done. I even have a cunning play to address the rounding of both edges conundrum ... but I won't tell you what it is until I'm proved either genius or idiot

Richard

Originally Posted by Daddles

I thought that's what you'd done. I even have a cunning play to address the rounding of both edges conundrum ... but I won't tell you what it is until I'm proved either genius or idiot

Richard

in my case i was an idiot
totally forgot there would be a rounded edge on the inside when turned over but nothing a bit of filler didn't sort out,

The latest thinking for Sixpence is to finish her as a row boat.

There's a bit of interconnected reasonning behind this.

Firstly, it'll get the thing out of me shed and into the water.

The Yellowtail is known to row well and surprisingly, she's no tubbier than the Little Black Dog (looks rather dainty next to the LBD actually).

I think she'd serve well as the family rowboat ie, the boat you take when you're taking the family as this is where the extra volume, seating and stability will pay off rather than being a liability. She's not unlike all those working rowboats that used to ply our waterways. The side seating is a bit ... umm ... different in this role but it's there now.

The centreboard is yet to be purchased though the centreboard case is in place. The pivot for the centreboard sits in some ply doublers and I'll fit them but won't go any further. The aim will be to avoid as much effort now as possible but to still allow for installing the centreboard later. This will save the weight and expense of a thumping great big sheet of steel (it's a steel centreboard) plus all the stuffing about installing it and working out some sort of lifting mechanism.

I'll screw a lid onto the centreboard case, something that can be removed easily come centreboard time but which will seal the hull in the interim. I'm thinking of screws and Sikafex - is that a good or a daft solution?

My current thinking is to leave the centreboard slot open on the grounds that yes, it will create drag but trying to fill it will probably create it's own drag, trying to fill it won't be a simple job if I want to get the filler out later and filling it could lead to rot issues considering it'll be hard to dry out any moisture that does find its way into the centreboard case. Again, is this a good plan (leaving the slot open) or a daft plan?

The mast steps and partners are in - I'll simply make caps for them, might even make one of those fancy mooring posts to go in the front one (basically a very short 'mast' with a cross piece and something, maybe a wooden pin, under the deck to secure it)

I'll probably make and fit a rudder at some point so a passenger can play at being the coxain Actually, I see that as a sensible move and need not be done before launching her ie, it's an easy add on though I will need to look at whether the pintles should be mounted before closing the rear seat (bolted through the hull rather than screws).

This will get Sixpence onto the water and provide a more useful family rower than Redback.

It will give me a chance to work out just what she's likely to need in the way of trailers and things if I keep her long term.

If I find that I need something more than rowing power, it won't be hard to register her and bolt on the outboard - the boat plate carry on is simple because I'll register her as a sail boat and construction was started before the date where one was needed (South Oz rules apply here and I've checked that I'll be right). By starting as a row boat, I avoid a bit of expense up front.

The final conversion to sail will still be possible and can be done around or between other projects ... and I'll be able budget to do that properly.

While this solution wouldn't suit someone who wants to go sailing, it does suit me at the moment.

Any thoughts? I'll be swinging into this as soon as the Little Black Dog hits the water which surely can't be toooooooo far away.

Richard