THE LINES OF THE BOAT.
First, procure two hemlock boards—being the cheapest—10 feet long. Take off in the proper scale, from body plan of boat, Fig. 3, the sections numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Instead of cutting out curve of deck, as shown in body plan, make the part flat where the curve should be, as shown in mould No. 6. Carefully draw them upon pieces of planed pine boards. With a saw go over the lines and cut the sections out, taking great care, as the shape of your boat will depend upon these sections.
Lay the hemlock boards on the floor, and nail strips across them, leaving an opening of 8 inches between the boards. Turn the boards over, and with pencil marks divide them at every foot, and fasten the sections, narrower side up, strongly upon these boards in the order and manner shown in Nos. 6 and 7. It is better to fasten the mould (planks and sections) together with screws, as it will be easier to take apart when done with, thus enabling the wood in it to be used in the construction of the boat.
We will now commence on the boat proper. The work so far is only preparatory, it being necessary to have the mould to hold the planking of the boat in place until the braces and ribs can be put in. Take two half-inch pine boards 10-1/4 feet long, and nail one lightly on each side of the mould. With a fine gimlet bore a small hole through the board where it meets the angles formed by each section, as shown in No. 7 on mould. Take the board off again, and bending a thin moulding so that it passes through each gimlet hole, trace a pencil line around the outside of the moulding. After having done this with the four lines of holes, go over the pencil lines with a saw, and you have your side planks finished. Nail one of these on each side of the mould narrower ends to section No. 2, allowing the extra ends to project beyond 2, driving the nails in the holes made the first time, using as few nails as possible, and taking care that the upper edges of boards are on a level with the upper edges of the sections.
Select a nice piece of wood—oak, if possible—18 inches long, 6 inches wide by 3-3/4 inches thick, and make the horizontal stern-post (No. 9). The side and half-breadth plans are shown in the cut, but to get section through A B use section No. 1, body plan (Fig. 3) The rabbetting is half-inch deep, and is intended to receive the side, deck, and bottom planking.
Cut from a piece of three-quarter-inch plank the section numbered 11. This is the stern-board. Withdraw the nails holding the side planks to section 11 in the mould, and knock the section off the mould, substituting for it the stern-board. You are now ready to put on the bottom boards, which are of half-inch material. These are nailed on crosswise, the ends of the boards resting on the top of the sides. Screw on the stern-post, putting side B C uppermost.
We have now finished the shell of our boat, and we must dispense with the mould before the work can continue. Having placed braces between sides at M, N, and O, Fig. 2, carefully withdraw the nails that hold the sides to the sections, and lift the mould out.
Take a three-quarter-inch board 10 feet 5 inches long by 4 inches wide, and measure off from one of the ends two points 2 feet 4 inches and 4 feet 4-1/2 inches distant, respectively, marking these points with a pencil. Between these points cut with a chisel a slot 1-1/4 inches wide, extending through the board, and at each end, distant a half-inch from end of slot, cut a hole 1 inch long and half an inch wide. Nail this plank down the centre of the boat, inside, nailing it securely and with plenty of nails to the bottom boards, where the slot is cut in the plank (keelson). Now, with a chisel, continue the slot through the bottom boards. Take two pieces of wood 2-1/2 inches wide, 1-1/4 inches thick, and 12-3/4 and 10-7/8 inches in length, respectively, and cut them at one end, so that they will fit tightly in the little slots in keelson, and put them in place, the shorter one nearest bow (No. 5) Cut out deck beams B and C, fastening them at B and C, and knock away braces.
To get the curve of the deck beams A, B, and C (Fig. 2), we will take curve of A. To proper scale draw a line equal to width of boat at A. Measure height from gunwale to crown of deck at A, and draw a perpendicular at centre of line equal to this distance. Describe an arc touching the extremities of the line and passing through the top of the perpendicular, and this arc is the curve desired.
