Boys' Book of Model Boats

by Raymond F. Yates

MODEL boat-hulls are generally made by one of two methods. One method is that of cutting the hull from a solid piece of wood. The other method is commonly known as the "bread-and-butter" system. The hull is built up of planks laid on top one of another with marine glue spread between them. The last-mentioned method (which shall hereafter be called the built-up method) possesses many advantages over the first.

Cutting a model boat-hull from a solid piece of wood is by no means a simple or easy task, especially for beginners. Of course, after several hulls have been produced in this fashion, the worker becomes practised in cutting them out.

The construction of hulls on the built-up principle will be described first. For the sake of convenience, the drawings of the boat-hull shown in [Figs. 7] and [8] will be followed out. Before going further it will be well to understand drawings of boat-hulls; that is, how to know the lines of a boat from a drawing. By the "lines" is meant its shape. Marine architects employ a regular method in drawing boat-hulls. [Fig. 7] shows the side of a boat and half of the deck plan. It will be seen that this drawing does not tell much about the real shape of the boat, and if a hull were to be produced according to the shape given, the builder would have to use his own judgment as to the outline of the hull at different places. For convenience, the boat is divided into ten sections, represented by the lines 0 to 10. It will be seen that the shape of the hull at section 2 will be different from the shape of the hull at section 8. Again, section 0 will be much narrower than section 5.

Now look at [Fig. 8]. Note the shape of the cross-section of the hull at the different sections. For instance, the line at section 1 in [Fig. 8] represents the shape of the hull at section 1 in [Fig. 7]. It must be remembered, however, that this is only half of the section, and that the line 1 in [Fig. 8] would have to be duplicated by another line to show the true shape. The cross-section of the boat at section 0 is shown in [Fig. 9]. One half of the drawing in [Fig. 8] represents the forward half of the hull, and the other half represents the stern half of the hull. If the shape of the boat at section 10 is desired, the line 10 in [Fig. 8] could be traced on a piece of tissue paper. The paper could then be folded in half and the line first made traced on the second half. This would then produce the section of the boat at point 10. Thus, by closely examining [Fig. 8] the shape of the entire hull can be seen.

If pieces of wire could be used to form the lines of the hull at the various sections, it would appear as shown in [Fig. 10] when assembled.

Notice that in [Fig. 8] there is a load water-line, which the vessel sinks to when loaded, and the second and first load water-line, which the vessel sinks to when only partially loaded or when carrying no load aside from its regular necessary equipment. The keel line of the boat is the line that runs along the bottom from bow to stern. (The bow of the boat is the front and the stern the back.)