Thread: Coquina

Mike

I used jarrah veeneered ply on the back compartment and trimmed with about 20 by 5mm mahogany. this means you have to cover the side deck to rear deck join along with another at the rowlock block. This doesn't drain as well as it could of course but I am happy with the look. If you prefer the full tapered timber deck you still need to blend in with the sheerstrake somehow. Ned Treartha's boat looks very good in the photos.

I figure whichever way you go you will be happy with it. From your posts you are obviously more of a perfectionist than me and I am sure your boat will reflect this. I am happier with something less like furniture and more practical to use. Many would use the word sloppy but I prefer practical. To each his own.

I am also reminded of a quote from someone from the couta boat club and also the many wooden fishing boats you see in europe in everyday use. The quote was "varnish belongs on furniture. A couta boat should be painted and preferably with house paint"

Mine is brushed on and tipped out etc and I am happy with the paintjob and varnish. I would imagine that the Herreshofff manufacturing Company would have done better. But I see a lot of wooden boats where builders try to achieve a car polish finish. I admire their work but know that nothing I build will end up like that as I am too busy sailing. I know I am more a sailer than a builder.

My apologies for a tardy response to the posts, work commitments and life have got in the way of boat building and the forum.

However I'm always grateful for the feedback, comments and suggestions despite my silence.

Re the varnishing or should I say the boat builders curse many words have been written about that I guess while I strive for an immaculate finish as part of the overall build I often need to reassess the target.

Many thanks for the feedback on the steering everyone I'm tempted to drill the holes in the transom for the lines now but I'm resisting till the hull is turned to confirm position.

Ah turning it will happen.............soon I hope.

Cheers

Yes, Definately leave the holes to last as you need to peen both ends of the copper tubes and the control line needs to clear the mizzen mast partner, the centre thwart knees and if I had built mine again I would have put the saddle at the bow higher so that when you step the mast the mast lays under the pulley and saddle where as mine now that I have an inch of rubber cushion on top of the thwarts for padding has the mast laying above the saddle/pulley which means you have to jiggle it back and they forward to get the mast to lay In his letters/journals he talks about the need to make sailing easy and quick otherwise people wouldn't buy his boats. He used to time the rig up times to make it quick. From his papers he didn't bother too much with covers to protect the boats like his Coquina which used to hang at the factory ready for after work sailing.

Again, the two part (whip) tackle is necessary to decrease the response when working the steering line. If you use a direct attachment arrangement, then the steering will be very quick and will lack the necessary sensitivity.

The rudder by every account I've heard and in personal use, was decidedly under sized. Why 'ol Capt. Nat elected to employ this plan form and area is lost to time, but the few that I know that have added area to the blade have reported much better maneuverability. The "old man" was a clever fart and likely knew his requirements for this boat, didn't need as big a blade as typically seen (he was a master skipper with America's Cup victories to his credit), so would likely have enjoyed playing the sheets more then is customary by today's sailors. In his day, they didn't have engines, so working back to shore in fluky winds was an art that's long lost on us 21st century, kicker equipped skippers. They knew how to handle a set of sheets better then you can possably imagine.

You have to remember and as Wizened has mentioned, this was his boat and he knew what he wanted, so he didn't have to detail these things in the plans. Boats that I've designed for me, often don't have plans, just station molds or in Herreshoff's case just a half model.

PAR is absolutely right. This is a fun boat that a master skipper built for himself to sail as a fun after work boat or to take away on holidays to the Carribean. And dont forget he and his brother sailed it considerable distance throught theeurope canals and parts of the Baltic and the Med. It is also quite quick when compared to other boats especially off the breeze. He also had lots of different rigs and centreboards as mentioned in his writings so presumably he tried differing rudders as well.

I thouroughly enjoy sailing it and the boat can do lots of things that are harder in todays dinghies. you can mizzen sheet on and park head to wind with the rudder centred. Handy on the start line then when ready back the main boom then away you go. I think there was another differencs back then and that was the number of boats. The small rudder is a bit less useful at the marks and in close quarters so you are forced to use the sheets more consisely.

Setup and packup time is very quick especially noticeable at regattas watching kids set up their skiffs.

The shallow draft rudder is also handy in shallow water and when beaching.

It also rows easily and carry heaps.

I still have to explore lifting the centrboard more down hill,and a flooding test for when I go for a swim although it is very forgiving. Also Capt Nat's ballast. I have put in thicker lighter western red cedar sole boards which theoretically will give a bit of ballast quite low down with the benefit of longevity and a bit of bouyancy when swamped. Only small benefits but everything helps like the aluminium centreboard. Capt Nat had lead ballast but his boards were lead filled timber, sheet brass with thin timber sides and also straight brass sheet at various times. He must have been very consciuos of shallow water as he thought the lead ballsted timber was the best as it didn't need to be locked down but was quick to kick up on grounding. From the short visit I had to the old factory there are plenty of shallows to explore in the area.

Turned the hull today...................at last.


Attachment 189955

Attachment 189956

Drop-dead gorgeous....and nice of you to put those lovely purple flowers in her for decoration

Originally Posted by rob540

Drop-dead gorgeous....and nice of you to put those lovely purple flowers in her for decoration

Hi Rob the Bouganvillea puts on a good show every year pity it refuses to spread along the fence.

Glassed the tips of the rudder and cenreboard today in preparation to glassing them then spent the day scraping and sanding epoxy , still any day in the shed is a good day.

Mike

Looking beautiful, Mike. You must be very proud of it! And your efforts :).

Cheers,
Alex.

Today I fitted the inwhales and thanks again to Mr. Barnacle for the supply of Oregon the length worked out just great.

Now I thought I'd have a break from scraping and sanding to fit these what ever you like to call them....can't be too hard I thought apart from getting the cut angles correct at bow and stern hmm not to be.

Attachment 190726

Despite my many trial fits I could not get the angles and length right at the stem so in the end I cut them short and will add a filler piece which is not really necessay I think as the area is hidden by the deck but I will know it's there.
If anyone can provide some hints on how one measures the length allowing for the compound angles at each end I'm all ears.

Attachment 190727

The stern end turned out OK

Attachment 190729

Anyway in between manhandling the inwhales they had a surprising amount of spring I got the foils glassed and sanded.

Here is a view of the boat from the back end only because I like it.

Attachment 190728

I have a bad case of BBADD or boat builders attention deficit disorder been jumping from one job to another without finishing anything.

First up the breasthook which is ready to dry fit and a trial mast fit to make sure the rake is OK I dislike a forward rake.

Attachment 193983

Then a couple of floors for the cabin and to locate the bulkhead position.

Attachment 193986

Bulkhead cut out and dry fitted and the bulkhead deck beam the others can wait for the moment.

Attachment 193984

Milled some celery top pine for the frames etc. and knocked up a steam box set up so just waiting to borrow one of those big LPG burner rings hopefully will have a play later this week.

Attachment 193987

Spent quite a bit of time milling a board of celery top for the mizzen thwart that had some nice grain pattern even though it had a lot of checking and knot holes I thought I could resaw enough from the centre of the stuff with enough thickness. Unfortunately it was not to be so a bit of Oregon will have to do. Pity it was a nice bit of wood.

Attachment 193985

Looks fantastic. I just used an old prims camp stove for the steamer and it had plenty of heat input. It wasn't flash just a piece of an old aluminium mast I had lying under the house bashed over at either end to stop half the water running out and then timber in one end held above the water and a rag in the other end water top up end. With your professional properly sealed set up I dont think you would need much heat input.

Thanks Wizened,
Don't really like using the forum name to address people but oh well and BTW thanks for your detailed posts I've just gone back and re read them it's great to have you and PAR comment about the boat and what to expect.

A mate popped around today to use my drill press so while he was here I pressed him into giving me a hand to test the steamer and after a few beers (important addition to the learning session) I can report it works a treat even though I had managed to mill the stuff with the grain running the wrong way. After about 15 minutes the celery top bent easily. Here is a bit after bending.

Attachment 194091

Another little stuff up surfaced today as I was cutting the centrecase parts by not reading the plans properly or thinking properly or both I've managed to overlook the curve in the hog when making the centreboard.

Attachment 194090

After much swearing etc I've decided to cut the top edge of the board to allow enough room in the case to properly raise the board instead of reshaping the leading edge reglassing etc. I hate fibreglass.

The photo of the centreboard doesn't look to bad. No need to suggest moving the pin a bit as I assume you have already tried that.

I am not keen on sanding fibreglass which was also part of my use of aluminium for the board. Also I get a bit slack and use it as a brake sometimes when beaching.

Meanwhile back to sailing my boat. It survives well with no breakages and is getting used regularly. Improving a bit on the works. Still generally dont take it out when the wind is above about 15 to 18kts mainly as it gets wet and I haven't tried a capsize yet. Have been out in 20 plus a few times and it is still very forgiving although wet of course. Haven't fitted a reef yet. Need to make time to get my mate to add to the main. Too slack to unlash the main. Goose winged with the rudder set and steering with weight only works well and it tends to pick up a few places in the casual non spinaker races. Haven't tried moving main to centre thwart and removing mizzen.

Cheers Denis. Boat is named Wizened (from dictionary small, old, lined, wrinkled, the opposite of smooth)