Thread: Stitch and Glue?

on my Surf Scoter the sides are 1/2" ply and the bottom needs to be 3/4" thick but there is no way you would be able to bend the 3/4" to the shape required in the stich and glue method, so to make it easier the bottom is first stiched to the sides using 1/2" ply and once the hull has been filleted another layer of 1/4" ply is cold moulded to the bottom to bring it to the requied thickness, you need to epoxy the 1/4" ply sheets to the bottom of the hull and aply even pressure to ensure the two sheets of ply bcome bonded as one.

There are several methods that use multiple layers of plywood or solid wood veneers. You don't have to use epoxy, though it's the easiest glue to use, because it permits mistakes, gaps, wide temperature swings, etc., which other glues may not.

Other then bulking up hull skin thickness as described above, many of these methods produce round bilge shapes, instead of the hard chine shapes of stitch and glue. Round bilge shapes are much more pleasant to look at and offer a softer ride too.

... and generally less efficient for planing boats

(oooops ... at planing speeds!)

Well, that's true to a degree, but at lower S/L ratios (still up on plane), the round bilge is the better boat. If you want to really blast alone though, you'll need chines.

I will go with chines if the power is low and planing is desired. (this could be never ending!)

MIK

Whilst working for Tom Fexas Yacht Designs as a Naval Architect, all their power boats were designed to operate in speed to length ratios of between 2 to 3. All had chines and all we're Test tanked for maximum efficiency at those speeds.
As you say though Mike, this discussion could be never ending as to the pro's and con's.