Flotsam and Jetsam
Your letters and such....
Reader Rick Pratt had a suggestion after reading our article on bending chines and sheers.
“Make sure the boat set up shows a fair curve along the chines and sheer clamp. Otherwise you have to torture the wood into place, and even with steam it is still liable to crack at a later date. The Fair Curve is the center of the boat building universe.
Rick Pratt
Director, Farley Boat Works
Retired”
Reader Dan Mielke had another point of concern for anyone designing or building a rudder. He wrote: “You might want to remind your readers that the loads on the rudder cheeks are not only the twisting loads of the tiller but also a large side load similar to that on the centerboard and the centerboard case. The cheek design is critical.”
Our Tech Bights columnist Jerry Culik received some kudos from reader Mark Bertacchi, who wrote: “I’m enjoying all your online content. I especially appreciate the in-depth analysis, research, and precise measurements of Jerry Culik. Jerry’s approach and conclusions rivals that of Practical Sailor, another fine but pricey publication. Thanks for keeping his articles coming.”
About Marty Loken’s article You Can Restore an Old Wooden Boat, reader Gary Christensen said: “Excellent article! As I near retirement (61 years old), I am looking at older 18-20ish-foot wood sailboats. Having had some ‘firewood’ boats, and built an 18 1/2-foot stitch and glue kayak, I'm excited about finding my project. Thanks again for an excellent article!”
Don’t forget to send your terrifying-time-on-the-water stories to us. Look for the first installment in the next couple of days.
Feel free to send your comments, letters and suggestions to us at josh@smallcraftadvisor.com
More thoughts on steaming: Flat, transparent polyurethane tubing is available from various online sources, including Amazon. It comes in various diameters, and best of all, it withstands the temperature from wallpaper removal steamers. I had two 20 foot pieces of 1x2 inch white oak that needed to be formed around a curved small sailboat cabin. I simply cut the tubing to length, clamped the ends of the tubing, inserted the steamer nozzle in the poly tubing at the center, steamed away, and the oak came out relaxed like cooked pasta. It was lovely. And cheap. I found this idea online, it's a brilliant hack but not invented here.