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to exact dimensions on the NC mill. The frames are erected upside down, and from that point on strip planking can be performed in an incredibly straightforward process that is no more complicated than basic basket weaving. John has built wooden boats with more complex approaches and also with simpler approaches (down to hard chine ? berglass covered ply- wood construction on boats that still pass USCG inspection 35 years later), but this approach is so straightforward that it actu- ally begs for semi production line construction.

Scarano boats is a busy shop running many simultaneous projects, so it is dif? cult to put a large team on the strip plank- ing job. While it is done within the budget with two ship car- penters who are making slow and steady progress, it would be much more fun, much faster, and even much cheaper, if it were done by a gang that spent some time optimizing the production line.

A team of six builders consisting of one skilled boat builder and 5 teenagers would probably be able to plank this boat at 50% fewer total manhours than John’s two skilled boat build- ers, who spend way too much time picking up and moving tools, moving staging and trimming fresh planks. Once the team would get the rhythm going, it would be a thing of beau- ty to behold, and construction speed would rival skilled lami- nating teams building hulls (and framing) in prefab molds.

This may seem counterintuitive, but remember, with compos- ite molded hulls the job is not done until the frames and bulk- heads are laminated in. However, on this strip planked, boat the frames and bulkhead are already ? tted when the hull is planked.

One may think the smooth molded composite surface is a time and cost saver (discounting the cost of the mold), but fairing this strip planked hull is really not that much work and neither is the downhand laminating of the exterior ? berglass skin. Actually, the big cost saver between the aluminum hull of the earlier boats and the wooden hull is the reduction in fairing costs on the wooden hull. ventilation are of vital importance. It is not dif? cult to achieve,

Once the boat is ? ipped, the interior is half ? nished and the but it requires almost fanatic attention to detail. Modern boat biggest decision rests on whether the laminated frames and operation today requires dry bilges and this actually makes hull interior should be ? nished bright or painted. wooden hulls more attractive, since a wooden boat with dry

Modern urethanes work incredibly well on the wooden sub- bilges will actually live forever.

structure with the ? berglass skin. Repainting these hulls does And ? nally, there is one thing that cannot be designed away. not occur more frequently than on any other hull material and No vessel should ever lack maintenance, but with wooden the interior ? nish of these hulls outlasts any other interior hull boats it is absolutely imperative that they receive timely main- material. The oldest boats in the ? eet have seen very little inte- tenance. A composite boat stands a change when neglected for rior re? nishing and often re? nishing destroys the patina. a while, but a wooden boat will simply die from neglect. Love

What is also remarkable and unexpected is that proper hull a wooden boat and it will love you forever, whether as your repairs are less expensive than composite, steel or aluminum personal yacht or as a USCG inspected commercial vessel. hull repairs. Especially aluminum hull repairs are expensive, and one of the reasons that John has moved away from alu-

For each column I write, MREN has agreed to make minum is that he does not have to worry about stray current a small donation to an organization of my choice. corrosion in today’s electrical world.

For this column I choose Rocking the Boat, https://

Are there any secrets to this approach?

rockingtheboat.org/ a great kids boatbuilding and

Yes, there are a few. First, only an experienced wooden boat messing in boats program in Hunt’s Point NYC.

designer should design wooden boats, because drainage and www.marinelink.com 17

MR #2 (1-17).indd 17 1/28/2025 11:33:49 AM