BLUFF RATTY v0.1 SCUPPERS 24 Jan 21 New Side Planks and Board Stretchers

24 Jan 21:

We have been all over the place design wise with the little punt we are building, there are elements for Popular Science's 1966 12 Dollar Boat and elements from other craft we have built or repaired. She's a BLUFF RATTY in spirit and we think her call sign will be SCUPPERS. The design changes wandered some more when I realized that I had cut off about 6 extra inches on the bow when I thought it would be a good idea to rake the bow. No time for the Moaning Chair, rain is coming, it was time to pull out the table saw and cut 2 new 8 foot planks for the sheer planks, 4 inches wide. I also cut a new bow and stern seat to be 10 inches wide instead of 8.

To add length back to the bow I joined scraps of 1/4 inch plywood to to the garboards with THIXO and butt plates. For the hull we cut a butt plate, fastened it with THIXO WOOD and clamped it while the THIXO dries. Once these pieces firm up we'll cut the new rocker and attach new chine strips. The old sheer planks, too short now, will be replaced with the new 8 foot planks.

R. D. "Pete" Culler once said "Boatbuilding is simply about correcting one mistake after another, with the first mistake being to have begun in the first place. But oh what fun!"

Log Of SCUPPERS. 

Pascagoula Diamond Bottom Catboat MARGARET ROSE 13 Jul 20 Bottom Planks

13 Jul 20:

Air Temp 88 F, Dewpoint 82 F, Heat Index 104 F so we are hiding in the air conditioning. Winds gusty all day too, 15 knots gusting over 20 at times. So if you like windy saunas, head to Florida!

We'll be learning a new planking method with MARGARET ROSE, diamond bottom cross planked. She was planked that was for expediency and because those were the materials available, off cuts from the shipyard. We are chatting with a few folks about the method and referencing some photos from Pete Culler's book Skiffs and Schooners.

We did sneak out long enough to see how the inner stem might look.

And if you're wondering if you could evere build boats, Pete Culler said...

Log of MARGARET ROSE.

Mariner's Catalog Volumes 1-4

01 Apr 20:

I was looking for some articles by Pete Culler and the Mariner's Catalog popped up as a reference (International marine Publishing.) So I bought Volumes 1-4 and am having fun looking through all of the articles, from the mid 1970s. Each catalog is around 180 pages of Editor articles and other articles submitted by readers and suppliers.

Boats and Craft - Building and Design - Tools and Fittings - Gear and Supplies - Ideas for Mariners - Engines, Oars, Rigs - Marine Books - Rare and Unusual Sources

Editors: Peter H. Spectre, George Putz, Pete Culler, David R. Getchell

Pascagoula Catboat MARGARET ROSE 17 Mar 20 Design Ideas

17 Mar 20:

Looked at some drawings by R.D. Pete Culler of a diamond bottom catboat, they'll be good to develop scantlings.

So she got to go to the top of the Marine Traffic Control Board.

Log of Margaret Rose

Sailing Canoe Inspiration

06 Oct 19:

The temp index here in Florida is dropping below 100F, so maybe a few projects will start moving again. One we worked on earlier this year was a gaff rigged sailing canoe, using our Grumman 17 canoe SCOUT as the platform. We are having fun with it, we were inspired by Skipper's family, they built a sailing canoe with a lateen rig when she was little. It had a nice shark nose, and tail, and sported a lateen rig. Capn Jack did a nice job fashioning the spars, a pair of leeboards and line steered rudder. Admiral Nelson did a beautiful job of trimming down a Sunfish sail to about 60 square feet.

Sea Trial reports from 1970 were that the canoe was fun, but some of the Test Crew reported concern over capsize potential and staying clear of the maze of lines. The trick was to stay low and go slow, in light winds. We have experienced similar characteristics, but are still in the early stages of the CDIO lifecycle, hovering around the design phase and focused on fashioning a rudder system next.

Capn Pete Culler said boatbuilding was "mostly about correcting one mistake after another, with the first mistake having been to have begun in the first place. But oh what fun!"

Log of SCOUT