BYYB Forums

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,

Our boat looked despondent— dry docked, unfinished, isolated from water and abandoned in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Boats are not suppose to be in a dry desert; water is the boat's element. Crashing waves, salty air, open breezes— these are the longings of a boat. Our boat, though, had been orphaned and forsaken, or so it seemed.

The mahongany cabin roof had been trimed and shaped. The look, however, was a barren look, unpromising and stark. Our boat looked unfinished and ashamed—



Paul Riccelli had told us about the nautical eyebrow, how such an eyebrow not only functioned to keep water from dripping into the cabin portholes, but added texture and depth to any boat. If a boat is respectable, it must have a cabin eyebrow, or so he seemed to say. He even sent a sketch or two our way—





All this was well and good. We had worked hard and long on our cabin roof just to get it to this stage. Earlier this week we began cutting narrow strips which would later become a laminated eyebrow. Our little cabin would soon display a true nautical eyebrow. We began laminating mahogany strips. (You have to admit— that step-ladder makes a nice reflection.)



The first layer left a lot to be desired. True, the mahogany strips would later be shaped, extending the camber of the cabin roof. For now, though, the hopeful eyebrow looked rather unpromising. Undaunted, we continued on—



Layer upon layer added a deepening depth. The eyebrow began to take on a more promising look; and we, a more hopeful heart. We shaped the final layer with a router, just to give everything a more finished appearance. Here is a close-up of how the eyebrow now looks—



After the epoxy dries, we will shape the eyebrow to follow the camber of the roof. At the moment, the eybrow is much too high. Once the final shape has been determined, we will install a brass half-round. Once that is done, the eybrow will be done.

As the sun was setting, we stepped back and took a look at our boat. Somehow, the falling shadows cast an even deeper shadow along the lines of the nautical eyebrow. Here is promise; here is depth; here is nautical integrity.

Well, maybe not quite all that much, but we're on our way, and the eyebrow will soon be finished. Or, so we hope. In the meantime, we think the boat looks a little bit better. Paul, I like your suggestion. The eybrow is a nice touch. The cabin walls definately needed an overhang. The boat almost looks like a different boat. Thanks, Paul!

Ever notice how some boats have a particularly salty air about them? Maybe the nicely served rigging or a sheer with a sweet spring to her, but it's difficult to place a finger on the few components that define the true saltiness of the craft. It just looks 'right' some how and the best designers seem to hit this tone with regularity. The eye brow is one of those design elements that help define the cabin roof profile and if carefully shaped, can serve a few useful functions.

You'll note, in the sketches I supplied, these are cross sections of the cabin side/roof juncture. The outer cap, which is sort of a rub rail for the roof line, would traditionally "capture" the canvas roof covering. The roof would have duck stretched over it, stapled or nailed along the perimeter and the cap would cover these fasteners and canvas edges. Of course it was bedded in an oil based goo to keep out water. The construction shows a reverse slope on the filler piece found inboard of the outer cap. Combined with the slight taper to the cap, this filler piece creates a subtle point, where a drip of water may form, after rolling off the roof and fall, clear of the cabin sides. These old boat builders were a pretty clever bunch, which I try to understand and imitate as often as possible. Some of the simplest and most inventive things I've seen in boat construction have been elegant ways to shed moisture. These old time builders didn't have circular saws and cordless drills, they used hand saws and bit with brace. This required some brilliant methods to accommodate some need, usually with a minimum of pieces, fasteners and exposure to possible failure.

So, the eye brow does help with an aesthetic value in defining the roof line a touch, but with some planning can also hide the edges of a roof covering ('glass or other wise), protect the roof edge from dings and if shaped properly, will drop moisture to the deck, where it belongs, instead of leaving running stains down the cabin sides. Man these old guys were good . . .

Ahoy Paul,

Handtools, you say. Handtools, indeed! In cutting the eyebrow to confrom to the camber, the best tools for the job for us turned out to be a handsaw and a chisel. Nothing else removed stock as fast or as clean— not a beltsander, not a grinder, not a plane.

We made stop cuts with the saw and then simply removed stock with a chisel. Our cuts were controlled, and when we had removed enough stock, we finished with a beltsander, and later with a sanding block.

The camber of the roof changes constantly and the sweep is very sharp and acute. As a result, when we made our initial cuts, the results were less than satisfactory. However, once we marked our lines and sanded with a sanding block, the results were encouraging.

In following the contour and camber of the roof line, the eyebrow will have a slight but nice twist. We'll post a photo or two in a few days, and that way maybe what we are saying will be a little clearer.

So, in brief— if you decide to add an eyebrow to your boat as well, just expect the eyebrow to look bad before it looks good. Be careful with that handsaw, or you'll inadvertently cut into the roof planking. I did. We think we can sand out the marks. At least, I hope so.

Great looking eyebrow Jim, I just may have to consider adding one to my cabin top.

Brian.

A light dusting with some shadow and a little mascara maybe . . .

Ahoy,

Paul Riccelli called today. We spoke briefly about contours, eyebrows, and changing cambers. Fitting the eyebrow to a changing camber can be a little difficult. In fact, you may find yourself focusing on a good fit, only to stand back and later and discover you created a dip in the roof line.

Let me reassure you— we had our share of waves and dips in the eyebrow, but gradually the shape is beginning to take shape. The eybrow does not appear as heavy now that we have cut the profile back a bit. We almost have the look we want.



We cut the eyebrow down from its original width, and now must fair in the curves and sweeps. It does not look too bad for now. The overhang seems about right, and the lines seem to follow a graceful curve. The afternoon shadows accentuate and add to the salty look.



Perhaps this next photo better illustrates what we mean by a shifting camber. The sweeps and curves of the cabin roof are everywhere. The eyebrow must blend all the curves and yet remain straight. In this photo, the portholes appear distorted, apearing as different circumferences and positioned on different planes. That is not the case, however. The camera lens must really be confused.



The front of the cabin, of course, follows a much more constant plane, and therefore, is much easier for the eyebrow to follow. Even there, though, the curves are much more subtle and changing than one would expect. The lines may look straight, but they are not.



We still have a lot of work to do. Most likely a patternmaker rasp and some files should give us a good finish and a smooth curve. In the meantime, though, let me make a suggestion or two for those who may want to add a nautical eyebrow to their own boat.

As you cut the profile, think more of carving than woodworking. By that I mean be aware of where the end of your blade may be (whether saw or sanding block). It's the same thing with carving when the blade of the knife is embedded in the wood. You must envision what you cannot see. You must know where the tip of the blade is at all times. In some respects, I suppose, it is more of a feel than anything else.

Fitting the eyebrow to the profile of a changing camber is the same kind of thing. The saw and chisel will work fine, but be careful with the saw. Otherwise, you will cut into your roof itself and not know it until later. I did.

Another suggestion I would make is as you approach the profile, let someone else stand off a few feet or even yards and tell you what they see. The eyebrow must look good up close and from afar. You will not be able to see the imperfections up close.

We're glad we went with the eyebrow. The look does seem to add some mysterious nautical ambiance to the boat. We'll keep working on the eyebrow this week, and maybe in a few days, we'll be able to add the brass half-round.

Looking good Jim. You might want to make youself a flexible sanding block for that curve. Use a beltsander belt and put a thin piece of MDF inside it. I usually sand or plane down a 1/4" thick piece to about 1/8th. It makes a great sanding block that you can bend to fit your curve

Keith

Ahoy,

This week I made a new friend, an amatuer boatbuilder and an architect. His name is Willy Schlein. His wife is an adjunct professor where I teach, and that's really how I came to meet Willy. He recently finished a pram for his four-year-old son.

He came to our boat site this week, and next week Miss Pat and I will go to his site, just to look over what he's built.




Since Willy is an architect, I asked him about the changing camber of the cabin roof. He thought our fairing lines were close with any minor defects easily overlooked and forgotten.

Willy made a point or two about design and boats. His views and those of Paul Riccelli are similar— Stand back 30 feet or even further and look at the boat. A distant perspective will show where the defects are.

Willy indicated that some buildings are built to look good from the perspective of a freeway. Others are designed for a stationary perspective, and up-close. "One thing you need to remember," he said "is that a boat will move constantly on the water. Everything is shifting and changing. Your boat right now is more of a museum perspective. It's on a cradle and it's immobile, but that's not what will happen on the water."

Paul Riccelli had related how some older builders always would take the boat outdoors and then, have someone stand afar as the shipwright would fair in a curve. That makes sense. Our boat right now is elevated on a cradle, but that's not the perspective once the boat has been launched.

Consequently, of late I have been surveying the boat from a distance and standing on ladder. That way I should be able to see what the boat will look like from a dock or from the deck of another boat. I have been looking up when I should have been looking horizontally on the same plane, or even down.

Another friend of mine, Alan Mann, made the same point this morning at church, or rather after church. "You can't just work on a car inside a garage. Some people have restored cars that way only to discover how terrible the curves once you stand back a few feet. Working too close prevents you from seeing the camber and fairing. "

All of this makes sense to me, and maybe that's why I wanted to share it with you. As you build your boat, look at the boat from a distance as well. Change the perspective and line of sight. Remember the boat will be in motion when on water and that defect you now see vividly will vanish.

No need to play the role of your harshest critic, pointing out every defect. Others do not see the blemishes you do. And once the boat is under sail, what everyone looks at is a much larger picture— the sheer lines, and ratio of sails to hull length.

I found all of this to be encouraging, and maybe you will too. Good luck on your boatbuilding, and wish me the same in my endeavor.

Things happen, most will never be noticed by 99% of the boarders on your boat. The 1 remaining percent can be cast off as nay sayers and nonbelievers, or you could fess up about an issue you had to contend with during construction, possibly making them walk the plank if they repeat any word of your confessions. A general rule, in this craft of boat building is, the builder will be their own worst critic, which for the most part, is unnecessarily applied. This is particularly true of your work Jim. You'll sprain an ankle if you kick yourself in the butt to much over this one. Let her have the best shot or two you can muster, then let it go. You'll have other things to worry about before too long, so this should pass. Only a basket builder notices a minor flaw in a well built basket. Your basket is very nicely built, my friend.

AMEN!

Go back a few months when you were here in Seattle and think a bit about how you viewed the Friendship Sloop and the other boats of interest here.

How close were you to some of them when you got your impressions of what you were looking for? Then think about the angle that you saw them from?

At no time were you seeing them from water level as in another boat, unless that was a lot larger boat than we are talking about here. And if it was a that larger a boat, just how far away would you be talking about?

Think about the quality of the workmanship and finish work you saw on these boats. They all looked pretty darned great from the entrance. When you got closer, they looked a bit different than that. Some would really stand out as a fine finish from 40' away, others from 25', a few from 15' and a couple from about 8' and as I recall only one that really was fine from up close and personal. The finish work and workmanship on the Friendship was better than most Friendships I've seen, but none of them are quite like the Friendship "Dictator". But they are sailed hard and enjoyed and admired by all that see and sail on them. Just remember that you too are ultimately going to sail this boat. And it will get scratched, it will get dinged and it will get dirty. And all of the finish work will ultimately need to be redone.

Now then, It only makes sense to think about what the overall picture is like, not that little difference in the spread of the boards ontop of the cabin and the slight difference in the width of the caulk lines. Not many will ever know that you have a baby grand piano, crystal chandlier, polished marble floors, leather sofa and fine linens along with the palm trees, etc. that adorne the beautiful interior of your "yacht".

We all are our own greatest critic. What happened under that incredible finish before you got there is between those of us who were "whelmed" by what we saw before you covered it up. And we won't tell the others. :roll:

And when it is finally ready to launch, I'll be one that truly would want to get there to help celebrate that occasion. And I will truly be happy to sail along with you in the San Juan Islands when you make the trip North. And there will be a lot of builders that will be very envious of your workmanship. I be one of them. 8) :wink:

It is going to be one fine boat and I hope a great deal of fun for you and Miss Pat to go "yachting" on a fine day, upon many different sailing venues.