Re: Build time for Shearw

Posted by CLC on Oct 17, 2005

>>>>>>>>>>>>What is the difference in the built time vs. say the Ches17? That is - has anyone built both the Chesapeake and the Shearwater and how would you compare the build time and complexity of the two?

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I've built two Shearwaters and scores of Chesapeakes. I think the elapsed building time of the two boats is about the same. We kept an eye on the hours when we built the second Shearwater 17 and it was about 80 hours total. That was moving fast, and often with two people working on it at once.

There are no scarfs to glue and no sheerclamps to plane on the standard Shearwater, and that reduces time compared to the Chesapeake. You gain all of that back in putting the Shearwater's deck on. Actually, you have the deck on and off about four times in the process of assembling it. None of the processes are any more difficult than the Chesapeake, just different.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Are there any significant difference in the build techniques? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

The sequence for the standard Shearwater is thus: Wire the hull up like any other CLC boat, install fillets, etc. Wire together the deck (with a few temporary forms providing the deck camber), apply "tack welds" to the deck, and wire it onto the hull. Take the deck back off to finish the fillets and fiberglass on the deck. Like most of the hull, the deck is fiberglassed on both sides; there are about four layers of 'glass right behind the cockpit. At a last you wire the deck on for good and apply fillets to the hull-to-deck joint.

The Shearwater Hybrid process is different: there are temporary forms upon which the stripped deck is assembled, and the hull has the usual CLC sheerclamps to which the strip deck is ultimately fastened once the forms are removed. Definitely takes more time to build, but a fraction of the time of an all-strip hull.

>>>>>>>Does the shape of the deck make this one any harder to glass then the standard CLC deck?

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No. You do want to take care with your sanding on that pretty Sapele, but that's always true.

>>>>>>>>What is the thickness of the wood and the fiberglass cloth on the Shearwater? The standard at CLC is 4mm and 6oz. If that is the case here, can these be built with 3mm and 4oz (i.e. racing kit) and how would one order this and what would be the delta in price?

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Currently we aren't going to do any hull substitutions on the Shearwater. The "standard layup" is a 4mm Okoume hull with 4oz 'glass (doubled on the bottom panels); glass on the interior in the cockpit area. The deck is 4mm Okoume and 3mm Sapele, 'glassed with 4oz on both sides, with an additional three layers or so behind the cockpit on the underside.

>>>>>>>Lastly, are the footbraces on the Shearwater the standard screw through the hull type, or are they they the inside peg variety?

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They are the standard, KISS-principle, screws-through-the-hull. You can always use the CKC footbrace mounting kit.

>>>>>>>>On the inlay/onlay's - has anyone found a vendor who can make these from supplied artwork? >>>>>>>>>>

I haven't heard of custom inlays, though they must exist. Probably expensive; we bought up a bunch of them to get the price down. Better to just find some veneer and an Xacto knife and make up your own.

The tech help line is below if you have further questions.

In Response to: Build time for Shearwater by Dave on Oct 15, 2005

Replies:

• Re: Build time for Shearw by Rick on Oct 17, 2005
• Re: Build time for Shearw by Dave on Oct 18, 2005
  • Re: Build time for Shearw by Dave on Oct 18, 2005
    • Re: Build time for Shearw by terry on Oct 18, 2005