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And thus the work proceeds;
the two tackles hoisting and lowering simultaneously;
both whale and windlass heaving, the heavers singing,
the blubber-room gentlemen coiling, the mates scarfing,
the ship straining, and all hands swearing occasionally,
by way of assuaging the general friction. —Herman Melville

Ahoy,

Somehow I keep thinking of Johnny Horton's song about the famous German battleship, Bismark.

"Hit those decks a runn'n, boys
and turn those guns around"

I'm not sure about turning the guns around, but I am sure about hitting the decks, running. We needed to seal the decks with epoxy before our summer rains hit, and I am pleased to announce: Success!

The decks, however, still look a mess, but at least, now there is some semblance of protection. This next photo is of starboard. The mooring bitt asked if he could be in the picture even though the topic is now about decks, planking, and things like that—



"What's the white substance?" you ask. Well, those are microballoons; everyone needs to work with microballoons. Indeed, when we first started working with epoxy, Bill Olney unabashedly asked me, "Do you have microballoons? You know you need to have microballoons." Well, as you can see I have microballoons, but what I did with them was really stupid.

Das ist dach dumb!
I thought I could save time by thickening the epoxy a bit and apply the soup like substance both as a sealer and a filler. That's not a good idea. Oh yes, it works, but not very well. At least, though, I did get a chance to see what a white deck might look like on our boat.

For contrast and balance, here is the port deck. (You need to keep a balance on a boat, you know. It's almost a violation of nautical principle to talk about starboard and never mention port.) At any rate, here is the port deck with the mooring bitt once again. (That bitt is really a ham, always muscling his way into the picture.)




Walking the plank
Now, I need to tell you that both Paul Riccelli and Barry Pyeatt are both cautioning me privately about going with a wooden deck. They would say it in public, but would rather not have me looking uninformed and perhaps lacking in nautical acumen. I appreciate their concerns, especially the concerns about weight, about high temperatures, and about maintenance.

Our boat will be exposed to the elements, not sheltered in a boatshed or garage somewhere, and the Arizona sun is intense— very, very intense.
What that means is that the more brightwork we have, the more work we do in bright sunlight.

The laying out of the deck and cutting the planks to fit would be a most welcome challenge. Capsizing with Miss Pat aboard, however, would not be a welcome challenge in the least. Yet, still the notion of having wooden planking for a deck is a captivating notion. The famous Friendship Sloop Dictator has such a deck—



But there's something almost wrong with this picture. The boat is certainly beautiful, but there is a lot of wood on the exterior. As a 31 footer, the Dictator is larger than the boat we are building with a much wider beam as well. Indeed, the Dictator boasts a 11 foot beam. (Our beam is a puny 8 feet, and that's part of the problem— we need to make some changes in design for the balance to work.) For our taste, there may be almost too much wood here. Miss Pat just corrected my lack of good taste, telling me that the Dictator is well balanced and quite striking. I think she is telling me that we need to finish our boat by making it look as much as we can like the Dictator.

On the other hand, the Friendship Sloop Amie, docked at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle, has almost no wood. The deck is white with just a hint of trim here and there. This Friendship Sloop is much closer in size to ours. The look, of course, is still salty, but it is a far different look. For our taste, there may not be enough wood here, but the look is clean. shipshape, and tidy.



What are we going to do? Maybe there is someway to hit a happy medium, and that's exactly what we are thinking about at the moment. Barry Pyeatt keeps talking about Spantex, and Paul Riccelli keeps talking about mock canvas decks with kingplanks.

I'm not sure what we're going to do yet, but I do like the idea of some white and some wood. It's all a matter of finding the right proportion, of achieving the right balance so that a small boat such as ours does not end up looking gaudy, or unbalanced. You might say that it's a lot like eating mash potatoes and gravy. You need a balance of both. Too much gravy, and it's on your shirt. Too little potatoes, and why bother to eat at all?

(If I'm not mistaken, the deck on the Dictator looks like brightwork. Is that varnish I see? That reminds me of the words of another song, Slipp'n and slide'n . . .)

Deck covering options have been a simple choice for many generations, then new materials and products appeared on the market to add some confusion to the options.

Canvas decking was the traditional small boat covering. It was applied over plank decking material, bedded and saturated with lead paint. Sometimes it was cushioned with "Irish felt" a felt soaked with roofing tar sort of material, which made the most comfortable deck to walk on imaginable. The canvas provided enough tooth for good traction, permitting the caulked decking planks the movement they required and if reasonably well cared for, lasted 20 years. I've seen one that was 50 years when I changed it, still in pretty good shape, just worn thin from use.

With the advent of epoxy and plywood, having a membrane stretched over, attached around the perimeter, soaked in paint or lagging compound isn't necessary. The plywood doesn't move like laid planking, so the covering can be bonded to the whole of the surface and more durable, abrasion resistant materials (Dynal or other fabric), which can simulate the weave of canvas duck, can be used to great effect.

Epoxy bonded fabrics last a long time, but are difficult to remove when it comes time to do so, usually requiring the deck also be replaced. This is one of the reasons canvas has endured the test of time, the decking can be recaulked with a new coating applied over, without having to strip her down to the beams and start again.

Epoxy and plywood decks also can have a "production boat" look if desired. Neatly taped off "waterways" around deck openings and hardware make an especially attractive surface, particularly if the taped off areas are well planned and cleanly done. These waterways are effective at shedding water away from the hardware and hatches, performing a necessary task. A texture material applied in the wet top coats of paint will insure great traction, with grits that can be varied by technique or material. This is by far the easiest deck to apply and understandably the reason it's so often used. Avoid using sand, it is very difficult to remove, use walnut shells or other sandable material for the texture. Also avoid the pre-textured paints. It's very difficult to keep the grit in suspension while applying it to the deck, unless you have a helper, who's sole job is to aggressively and continuously mix the paint during the process.

The advantages of a canvas covering are; it can be easily removed and recovered, in the event of damage or age, the color can be changed, traction is good and the traditional looks are hard to beat. The disadvantages are; it isn't as durable as a fully bonded covering, with neglect, it may developed cracks and splits, usually around high stress or wear areas and some fabrics may require a seam or two to completely cover the boat.

Epoxy coated fabrics will be much more resistant to wear, but will have the devil on your back, when it comes time to fix gouges in the fore deck, from a run away anchor, repair, replacement or such.

An epoxy coat with texture applied deck has more texture options, both in grit and application (waterways), is easiest to apply, very durable, but to many, not particularly traditional, though more function then canvas if wet.

In small craft (under 30'), raw wood decking usually wasn't popular. In days past, the thickness necessary for a raw wood deck to be effective may have been cost prohibitive or required plank thicknesses that were to heavy for the boat to handle in it's deck (raised the CG too much). Certainly there were many planked decks, but these were covered.

Some 25 to 30 foot yachts received teak or pine decks, but most didn't. Teak is difficult to recommend as a deck covering in a plywood boat. The weight and thickness of the teak requires a hefty design to carry the burden that high up and beam, subdeck and fastener rot is a constant worry. Another reason for not selecting teak is the planking usually has to be laid fore and aft, because to spring the planks around the tight radiuses of a small boat would break a lot of stock, before she was completed. Breaking lumber that costs as much as good teak will make a grown man cry, so most small boats had the planking run straight and over the sheer, where it was caped with a covering board or other treatment to hide the end grain. Then there is a comfort factor with raw wood, down below in hot climates. Even the silver/gray of un-maintained teak will increase cabin temperatures quite a lot. Freshly oiled wood will be worse in this regard. Here in Florida, a 40 degree difference between a bright white deck and oiled teak isn't unusual.

I've seen teak placed over plywood several ways, but the only way I recommend is to lay it over a fabric covered subdeck, well bedded in material of choice (I suggest 3M 4200 or 101). It's only this way do the issues relating to leaking around the teak (seams, fasteners, etc.) get addressed well enough to keep the plywood, fasteners and beams from rotting out later. The fasteners holes should be bonded and the end grain well sealed in a bedded covering board. This deck will provide many years of service and can be easily replaced when the teak wears out (it will) without the need to replace the subdeck too.
Some new products have appeared in recent years that are making inroads on the deck covering market. Elasticomeric compounds and rubber membranes most specifically show promise, but I feel the jury is still out on these materials, particularly in the harsh, extreme environment sailing locations we have.

I've seen many products used, including "cool deck" which is a concrete coating, used around pools and patios, here in the deep south, to keep from burning your toes on a sun baked deck. It's common among the workboat crowd, often called Miami teak. These are folks that will need to replace their deck every five years so the product doesn't have the test of time, most yacht owners require, but it's cheap and easy to apply, also cool on the feet (and below decks).

Conclusions are quick to come and easy to generalize, but each boat needs a careful assessment to figure out what treatment will suit them. Cost alone will dictate canvas and paint. With the additional expensive of epoxy, you can have the canvas or the production boat look, but more effort is necessary. If the design can support the load, raw wood is very attractive and very good under foot when wet, but it too has it's issues, being much more costly initially, in replacement and possible repairs due to damage or leaks.

Dictator and Pemaquid are two of the more famous Friendships still alive. There is some debate as to the original nature of these two boats. There have been many copies built, 25 to 38 foot versions have carried a name board bearing Dictator, so which one is it. My understanding is she was originally canvassed over T&G, it was later discovered the T&G was fine enough to leave natural, then restored to that condition with a new deck. Her shapely covering board aft suggests this, though the nibbed king planks indicates a raw deck was envisioned. Who knows, but both treatments look traditional. On a small boat, a fabric covering weighs just a fraction of a solid timber overlay. On both Peraquid and Dictator, there is much more boat below the waterline then above, which easily supports the additional weight of a laid deck. Vacationer has only a few inches of boat below the waterline (the keel doesn't count for much) and though she has more initial stability then the real Friendships, not nearly as much reserve stability as they, which is where you'll run into trouble with a top heavy boat.

Picking your poison can be a daunting task.

Jim, I would caution you about the white in the intense sun. It will be blinding. However, a cream or beige will give you the light color, thus less heat absordtion, yet be much easier on your eyes. Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be lovely.

Ahoy,

Thanks Paul for the prudent comments and suggestions. As usual what you have to say is insightful and always helpful. And thanks to you, too—Angie. The glare from an absolute white deck could be blinding.

We have reached a decision, though— our boat will have a laid wooden deck, but the wood will not be teak. Teak is much too dense, and heavy for a boat like ours. Instead, we will either use cypress or cedar, both of which are rot resistant, and both of which are very light weight.

I guess you could say that the woodworker in me won out. I may never build another boat. Indeed, I have put so much of my heart and soul into this boat that a laid deck seems almost mandatory.

Thin strips of light weight wood should keep any additional weight relatively neglegible. Since our underdeck is fully insulated, heat retention may be brought within a more reasonable range. (Whether we use cypress or cedar, the wood itself will not be finished dark.) We will apply mulptile layers of a high quality varnish with ground walnut shells for traction in key areas.

The question now seems to be whether the planking should be sprung or straight. Chris Gerkin went with a sprung look for his boat. (Chris and I have often corresponded. His words have been most encouraging and helpful.) As you can see, the foredeck on Chris' fine boat includes a beautiful kingplank. (This is a picture of the deck under construction, not a picture of the finished deck itself.)



Our foredeck is very different and may not allow a kingplank such as Chris used. So, for the moment we are uncertain as to the details of the design and whether or not the deck will be sprung or straight. For now, I am leaning toward having a covering board around the perimeter of the hatch and other deck intrusions such as the mast.

Yes, you are right. The laid deck in the photo is beautiful, but you must admit that the mooring bitt is outstanding. You may have even seen a similar mooring bitt on another boat. This mooring bitt, however, is the original; the other, a mere shameless copy.

In this last photo, the fearless seadog, Sheba Girl, inspects the deck, shaking her head in disbelief at the crude and unsavory appearance of the boat.



"What a revolting situation this deck is!"

Fair Winds!

Today the temperature reached 111 degrees Fahrenheit. The afternoon sun was so intense that it actually blistered the skin. Of course, I had stopped working before the sun and temperature reached its zenith, but while the temperature range was still in the low 100's or high 90's, I fiberglassed the starboard deck from the cabin front to the stern. Here is a photo—



The photos are not necessarily pretty, but the surface is smooth. The transparent property of epoxied fiberglass can be deceptive. In the photo what appears to be defects are really smooth areas. If you could run your hand across the suface, you would see that it is smooth, smooth as glass.

This was the first time I have been able to work with epoxy in such extreme temperatures. I bought the epoxy from a local supplier. The epoxy apparently had been mixed for the extreme Arizona heat. Here is another photo—



I was pleased to have had enough work time to fiberglass such a large area without the epoxy chemically setting off. There seems to be only one or two high spots, and these can be sanded out.

Tomorrow we plan to try and fiberglass the port deck. Indeed, as you can see, the fiberglass cloth has already been placed on the deck. Here are a couple of photos—








This may not look like much to the untrained eye, but it was a good day today. The change in the brand of epoxy made all the difference. I am actually looking forward to fiberglassing the port deck.

Something must be wrong. Maybe I have breathed too many epoxy fumes. Something is wrong, but I hope tomorrow goes just as wrong as today did. That would be good.

Bill Olney had told me about this supplier last year, and I'm glad he did. I just wished I had used the high temperature epoxy last year as well. That Bill really gets around. He has a heart of gold.

Jim, i am glad to hear that the different stuff worked out better than the last... i still think that you should just go with the oak pattern cloth and call it done :lol: :roll:

you would be the talk of the club, that is for sure.

You sure do fine work. I'm continually amazed at the degree of quality you are putting into your work. Your attention to detail is commendable. Reminds me of our visit to Walt Disney World last week. Have you checked out the deck that Brit Howell did on his weekender? He did a beautiful job as well. Keep up the good work Jim and keep that lemonade coming and keep as cool as you can.

Ahoy,

The cloth Bill mentioned was wood-grained alright. The appearance was so bad that it would have made a blue light special from K-Mart look good. It ought to be against the law to sell something like that, but sell it they did. Someone has to be buying it. While we were there, Bill said, "I've seen cheap tablecloths that looked better." The woman was never insulted; she just smiled, almost in agreement. The whole scene reminded me of something out of a Woody Allen movie.

Steve, you are most kind, or most blind. As you know, at this stage of construction a fiberglass project can become rather ugly, and ours is. Yet, we are happy with the ugly results. Indeed, we should be able to finish the entire deck by Saturday. A smoothing layer of epoxy and some paint— the deck would look almost as good as the hull. But paint we will not do. At the moment, we have our heart set on a wooden deck.

Everything's going much faster than I had anticipated. The wooden deck wil slow everything down to a turtle crawl. But the deck will be woodworking, and I am looking forward to that. Epoxy is wonderful stuff, but so is salt. Too much ruins the meal.

Ahoy,

A new book arrived today, a book about yachts from yesteryear, yachts from the 1920's and 1930's. I had ordered the book specifically to see how the decks had been laid, and what the design elements may have been at the time.

Modern wooden decks are nice, but do not misunderstand me, but there is something about their look that I dislike. Not really dislike, I suppose, but the moden deck at times looks too busy, too feminine, too nice. Certainly, I like fine china and things like that, but in furniture I prefer Greene and Greene mission style over French Provencial. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference, but I like a sense of strength in furniture and some of the older designs have that timeless and classic look. I like the look and feel of a well built and sturdy Captain's desk.

Such is why in part, I suppose, I tend toward the look of the yachts from the 1920's and 1930's. The boats have a solid and seaworthy look about them. The production boats, on the other hand, often look plastic, look hospital clean and sanitized. The teak on the deck is attractive enough and helps with the look of the boat, but at times, the teak decking becomes the focal point of the boat itself with far too much emphasis. The design loses its balance with the whole effect capsizing.

Well, such are my thoughts and you may or may not agree with them. On our boat, though, we want to project a sense of rugged beauty, of strength and gracefulness befitting the dangers of the open sea. That is the look that I want.

Here, then, are a couple of cover photos taken from Ron McClure's fine books. Admittedly, these yachts are not sailboats, but the salty look and feel are there, unmistakably there.

In the first photo, we have a good example of a straight deck. It is simple and quietly elegant.



The same elegance and simplicity are represented in this next photo, a sprung deck with different woods providing the needed contrast and balance.



I'm still uncertain what will be the look of our deck, but examples such as these fine decks provoke inspiration and much thought. I like for a boat to look its part.

A quote from Bud McIntosh, who built and designed cruising boats for some 50 odd years—


You can oil it, scrub it, and become a slave to the loveliest of all decks. Sometimes, in some cases, the effort is justified, and you can dwell with beauty and joy forever — if you can get some reliable party to sluice it down twice a day when you're not on board.

And finally: If you pay any attention to the doubts expressed above, you will cause me great disappointment. This involvement of ours, this almost passionate and slightly unreasonable feeling we have for wooden boats, does not welcome quantitative analysis in terms of man-hours, materials costs, and consumer demand. We're just ornery enough to think that we can take a few ancient hand tools and shape natural wood into a thing of great beauty and usefulness. No matter what you may think, I love that sprung laid deck.

— How to Build a Wooden Boat