Re: strip tops

Posted by Kurt Maurer on Apr 3, 2006

Hmmm, lotsa bad ideas going around here, if I may be so tactless as to come right out and say so. Hybrids are spectacularly wonderful boats, since you get the best of both worlds... fast construction from the S&G hull, and the beauty and versatility of the stripped deck. And the lightest boat I've managed yet is a hybrid: Leslie's Cormorant, at 35 lbs (foreground in the pic below). Sweeeeet.

Forget the plywood substrate, and use forms... should work fine to space 'em at 18". Use a strongback arrangement as I've done, or hot glue those rascals in place or otherwise temporarily attach 'em directly to the hull (what does CLC do?). Since it's your baby, make that deck sexy and functional by keeping a low profile, following the sheer line until you must raise up to make room in the cockpit - it'll look like an Arctic Hawk... cool! Fiberglass both top and bottom of the deck, 4 oz cloth oughta be dandy, so will 6 oz. Use western red cedar; hardwoods weigh a ton, and are harder to work with (bending, planing & gluing). 3/16" x 5/8" (or so) strips'll work well, as will 1/4" x 3/4" thick strips. Stripping the deck is the easiest part of building a boat, and trying to find a shortcut will generally only complicate things. Cove & bead is bigtime overkill on a hybrid's deck.

Cheers, Kurt Maurer

In Response to: Re: strip tops by Robert on Apr 3, 2006

Replies:

• Re: strip tops by Kurt Maurer on Apr 3, 2006
  • Re: strip tops by Nancy on Apr 4, 2006
    • Re: strip tops by george jung on Apr 4, 2006
      • Re: strip tops LOOK! by James Eager on Apr 5, 2006