Greetings,
I recieved my weekender plans a couple of weeks ago and have several questions. First, I was unable to find any means by which to order the video mentioned on the Stevenson's web site. After receiving no response to two emails sent weeks apart inquiring about this, I finally ordered the plans w/o video. The plans seem simple enough, but I am curious if there is any critical information contained on the video that is not within the plans package.
Second, I've poured over the posts regarding wood selection for the keel assembly and recognize that there is a wide array of wood being used for this. Locally, I can find clear fir and radiata pine for $80 per 1x12x16 and less desirable grades of SYP. Given this cost, I would prefer to go with white oak but have only been able to find shorter, narrower widths in FAS S2S. Is it reasonable to believe that a strong, durable keel could be produced by scarphing and edge joining these or would the single fir/pine board option handle the stress better? I am also curious if biscuit joints are acceptable for edge joining, or would these eventually become rot pockets. I should note that this will be trailered and primarily used in freshwater, although I would like to take it to the Outer Banks (NC) a time or two.
My other very time consuming keel choice would be to use cherry, but I am unable to find any information on its suitablity. I have a couple of standing trees that died last year and have entertained the thought of purchasing a chainsaw bar mill and planer to process them. From a cost standpoint, it would be about the same to purchase the equipment for this as it would to buy the oak. I am just leary about this approach as I do not want to invest so much time and money in a wood species that may not hold up well. If anyone is aware of cherry being used for boat building I would love to hear from them.
Thank You,
Paul A Gigl Jr
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paul@GiglJR.com
Welcome to the madness Paul,
The video will add considerably to the process in helping to understand some of the process. Reading the plan sheets is fine, but watching the process helps a whole lot more for the majority of the builders. It is my understanding that the Stevensons are currently in the process of redoing the video into a DVD with more information. As to how far along they have gotten or its time frame for availability isn't really known.
There are a number of builders who would probably be willing to sell you their videos since they have completed their Weekenders. I'm one if you are interested although I'm in Washington State and there should be a whole bunch on your side of the country.
White oak is a good choice for the keel. But regardless of the wood chosen, you want to pick the best material that you can obtain for a reasonable cost. Ideally you would choose clear, straight grain, quartersawn boards since they are not prone to warping or cupping as they go thru seasonal changes. There have been a considerable number of discussions about woods of choice for making these boats. A little searching will bring up a lot of discussions on them. Yes, you can scarf, biscuit join or otherwise glue up wider material from narrower boards and have a totally successful project. I would recommend that you join the edges before glueing it up first though so that there is good contact with them. Stagger the joints so that they dont' fall on top of each other when you glue the laminations together. It is being done more and more as the availability of wider stock is becoming more difficult to find at reasonable prices.
Southern Yellow Pine is also ok if you can find good lumber as is Doug Fir, mahogany and some other woods as well. For a good reference on woods suitable for boat building, you might want to go to
www.glen-l.com and read the information on wood choices.
If you choose to use plain sawn lumber for your keel you are going to experience some less than positive results down the road. Regardless of how you assemble it, you will have some seperations as the material cups and warps. Cupping/warping of this lumber is inevitable. This can lead to moisture getting between the laminations and eventually this can cause rot pockets to form. For the same reasons you don't want to glass the keel, you need to be able to see when this seperation occurs and address it when it does. The glass will not keep it from happening, but will mask it when it does.
Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are no dumb ones other than the ones you don't ask until it is too late to do anything about it. There is a lot of good information available from those that have gone before you, just don't believe that there is only one good way to do it.
You'll get lots of varying opinions and viewpoints. They are almost all valid for their local and material availability. Just sort thru the information and decide which is going to work best for you. It is always your decision and your boat. And it will work out fine if you just have the patience and a good moaning chair. Just take your time, understand what steps you are going to take and how it all relates. Read ahead and understand what is going to happen next. As you go, you will find that the plans end up being a guideline ratherthan an absolute. Cut to fit once you get the sub assemblies together. Set up with a level place to work and level and square things up as you go, it will make everything fit so much better and easier as you go along.
Southern Yellow and Douglas fur (in that order of preference) would be my recommendation (cherry isn't suitable, though makes a real pretty trim inside the cabin). You could build up from stacked white oak, but it isn't necessary, in regard to effort, expense and coating difficulties. The strength of Weekender is from the tortured to shape, plywood planking. The forward part of the keel does help hold up the stem and sprit, but could be done other ways without losing any strength. The real thing you want in keel lumber, is vertical grain (quarter or rift sawn stock). This makes the lumber much more stable (also the reason I recommend softwood keels) from moisture content changes.
Keys to building are to keep it light and resist the temptation to make things stronger with thicker materials or dimensions. She's way over built as designed, so you have plenty of fudge room. She'll perform best if kept light, though she can tolerate a surprising amount of owner installed niceties.
Use the search tool and look up keels and related topics. Much discussion has taken place and the research will be informative, if nothing else.
No two Weekenders have been built alike, each reflecting the owners desires and ideas of the ideal little cruiser. Yours will be no different and this design is well suited to these types of enhancements. Check out the Weekender gallery and you'll see much more then different paint jobs and varnish treatments. Weekenders have been built without cabins, different rigs, longer cockpits, raked sterns, center and daggerboards have been added, just about every convention you can imagine has likely been tried, including one man's idea of a 15 century pirate ship, crows nests and all.
Spend an evening with the archived previous posts and you'll learn a lot about what people have done, complained about, some fixes to known issues, general tooling and toiling in their Weekenders.
Quote: If anyone is aware of cherry being used for boat building I would love to hear from them.
As Paul States Cherry in
NOT a good choice. Also not a good choice
Red Oak.
J. Stephen Mustico
Welcome aboard Paul
I used cherry as trim on the deck and cabin inside and out. The only real structural use is in my cabin roof beam supports, and the handrails and sliders for my cabin entry. After three seasons, all is still doing well. I'll need to apply another coat of spar varnish in the spring though. I plan to redo all the exterior bright work then.
As for your plan to use an old cherry tree for lumber, that sound good to me. If you mill it yourself, you can get the desired quatersawn wood that Barry recommends. The wood should have plenty of time to dry after milling. Stacking with wood strips to separate boards, and kiln drying will give you a stable product to work with. It will take time too. My wood was bought from a mill, stacked, and stored in my shop for 6 years prior to using, and was very dry and stable.
I would not recommend cherry for any below waterline construction, unless it's totally encapsulated in epoxy. For anything else it should be fine, I'm happy with my results so far.
Greg