Doggone, for some reason the mailer addressed this to Ed, instead of the
listserv (didn't even know it could do that, it sure doesn't when I want
it to). Oh well, try again...

On Aug 22, 14:44, Ed Bell wrote:
> Subject: Re: very belated bio John McCoy wisely wrote:
> >
> > I'm building a boat
>
> Hi. Care to elaborate? What size, style? Are you working from some
> standard plans? Is this the first boat you've built? I'm wondering
> because, long term, this is something that I think about doing.

It's a shellback dingy - 11 1/2 feet, lug rig. I'm building it from
plans & a book I got thru Woodenboat magazine. Mahogany (actually
Okoume) ply lapstrake hull, mostly mahogany for the other bits, held
together with bronze screws and (lots of) West system epoxy. I've been
working on it for around 10 months, between interruptions, and hope to
be out rowing by years end (one advantage to the south Fla location, I
can go rowing in winter time).

This is my first boat. In hindsight, it is a little ambitious for a
first boat, altho someone with better woodworking skills than I might
not think so. It seems to me in boatbuilding there are some dimensions
which are critical, and some where you have some leeway; you need
experience to know which ones you really need to be carefull with, and
to train your eyes (I'm thinking of planking bevels in particular
here). I guess that's not so different from most anything else in
woodworking tho.

If I were starting over I think I'd build one of Dynamite Payson's
boats first - I've been reading his "building the new instant boats". I
think something like that would teach you "what looks right" and give
you something inexpensive to play with before tackling a more
traditional design.

John

(just say  I'd have my eye on the plans for some bigger boats, if I
only had a barn to build them in)

--
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John McCoy mccoy@p... excp01@e... Motorola Inc Radio Products Group 8000
W Sunrise Blvd Plantation FL 33322