Re: Sassafras 16

Posted by David Warren on May 23, 2006

I built a Sass 16 from the book. The only problem I found in the plans was that the garboards (the wide strakes along the keel-line) are an inch short on each end, leading to a 'step' in the stem-curve. because of all the twisting and whatnot, it only became apparent once the boat was stitched, so I proceeded to glue it as-was, and then used a Japanese saw-rasp and a crosscut saw to gently blend the stem-curve of the second and third strakes into the garboard. Not difficult.

An alternative would be to screw/glue a 1" hardwood shaped filler to the end of the garboard. Advantages would include better rock-impact resistance and you'd retain the full waterline length. Another alternative would be to correct at the lofting stage, perhaps by adding an inch to each half-garboard at the scarf-end. Not sure how this would affect the final shape, so caveat lector!

Good choice BTW. I love my Sass, it was a joy to build and a pleasure to paddle!

In Response to: Sassafras 16 by Gabe Doyle on May 23, 2006

Replies:

• Re: Sassafras 16 by Gabe Doyle on May 24, 2006