Building Beginners: Ship Build Episode 5; Plank until you Float.
By: M.P. Erickson
Tags: Motivation, Woodworking, Beginning, Projects, Hobby

“A sailing vessel is alive in a way that no ship with mechanical power ever [will] be.” -Aubrey de Selincourt

Bust out your tools and prepare for another round of building!

In the last episode, we made preparations and carved out the rabbet line, and attached the garboard planks. In this episode, we’ll do the tedious, monotonous, and mind-numbing task of planking.

Won’t that be fun! Did I mention that it would be painstaking?

What I knew ahead of time was that every plank would need to be customized. What I didn’t realize was how hard it was going to be to get my planks around each unique curve.

I settled on two different techniques to bend each piece to fit and sometimes combined both for a difficult piece. One way was to boil water and let the end of the shaped plank soak for a few minutes. Another way was to press an indention into the side of the wood I was bending. The bend follows the angle of each indention.

Planking with a view of the mainmast.

Starboard side planking.

Aligning planks.

About this point, I took a break from building.

A long break.

How long? Well, let's just say I was freshly shaven when I packed it away and looked a little like this when I started up again.

Photo by Keren Fedida on Unsplash

What? Don’t bust my chops…it was only about 2 years.

When I started again I pushed hard to get the planking level up to the waterline. Based on my measurements I believed it would be at about the 2.5" mark.

Waterline measurements.

So I kept planking.

Aft planking.

And planking…

Port clamped planking.

And…*sigh*, fixing my planking…

Sawdust/woodglue repair putty.

Once I planked above the waterline I glued the interior to help seal the ship. By now the ship was eager to get into the water and sail. After all, that’s what ships are built for.

For the test, I used a level to see if the ship would list so I could add ballast if necessary. I used thick layers of wood glue as ballast along the inside and hoped for the best.

Waiting in drydock for the first float test.

The anticipation pulled at me as I kept my fingers crossed.

And the verdict?

First float test.

And she floats! Well, with a few minor leaks. Not only did she float, but the ship sat about 1/2" higher in the water than expected. Which I should have expected since there was a lot more wood still to add to weigh the ship down.

One thing I did in anticipation of this was put several more boards and precut mast pieces on top of the ship while floating to get an idea of where it would sit in the water. There was hardly any dent made, which allowed me to add more ballast to the bottom of the ship. My favorite ballast was to glue pennies along the keel on the inside.

Ponder Point:

Have you ever taken a break from your project? I mean an unexpectedly long break?

Whether planned or not, it’s no shame to take breaks. Life happens and as responsible adults, we have to deal with it.

But if you find yourself on “break” from a project and wish to start again then why not start now? No time like the present. A few minutes of being constructive in a hobby might be just the thing you need to refresh your creative spirit.

So grab that file, holster that hammer, and bring out the glue! Whatever your hobby, craft, or project is get yourself prepared!

For we are about to set sail!

Be purposeful. Be intentional. Be a beginner.

Next Episode: Planking finished and decking begins!