The Selway Fisher Coble plans offer a number of design options: a 14ft or 15ft version - the former having a less raked transom; a 5 or 9 strake (plank) hull - the latter intended I think for clinker construction; and various sail layouts. Construction can be either by stitch and glue (ugh!) or glued clinker. To be fair, stitch and glue is a quicker and probably lighter process but uses masses of epoxy and involves struggling with a huge wobbly pea pod of a hull before it looks like a boat. I'm frightened the pea pod might win one day - and anyway, 
it's just not cool. The clinker procedure, however, does require building a mould around which to lay the strakes - which is all extra time and material - but personally I just like doing it this way. The mould itself is quite attractive - just doesn't float well. The pic. shows the mould for the MacGregor canoe.
So I opt for clinker which I think would suit a 9 strake rather than a 5 strake design, the 9 giving a more rounded and stronger hull. The 5 strake option would use planks up to 300mm wide which would probably suit stitch and glue rather than clinker. The instructions suggest either 6 or 9mm ply for the strakes and the 9 strake version would be strong enough with 6mm, whilst the 5 strake option might need 9mm - especially if the builder is going to risk using exterior rather than marine ply. Marine ply is a lot more expensive but stiffer and nicer to work with: 6mm marine has 5 ply where exterior has 3. However, Alex Jordan of Jordan Boats in Fife sells a kit of planks and moulds and he uses 9mm (he says he feels 'the boat deserves 9mm' - I like that) so who am I to argue?
The downside of the 9 plank version is that the
S.F. plans only give profiles for the 5 plank version; admittedly for stitch and glue construction but they can still serve as guidance for the clinker method. I've searched around for software to produce these 3D to 2D projections but with no luck so it looks like the plank profiles will have to be taken from the mould. The pic. shows the profiles for the 5 strake coble.
The size of boat is usually limited by the size of your workshop - I use a 20ft x 10ft polytunnel - but there's also the problem of getting it out onto the nearest road or track. This is a big problem for me and I'll need a load of helpers to move the boat out on its side. It may not make it - we'll see . . . .
I'm promising myself to keep track of the costs this time. I kid myself that I'm saving loads of money by building a boat - it's what I tell other people anyway - but I sometimes doubt it.
So, the running costs are as shown top right.
Looking ahead a bit, I've discovered a source of low price marine ply but may have to buy a trial sheet to see what it's like . . . .
it's just not cool. The clinker procedure, however, does require building a mould around which to lay the strakes - which is all extra time and material - but personally I just like doing it this way. The mould itself is quite attractive - just doesn't float well. The pic. shows the mould for the MacGregor canoe.So I opt for clinker which I think would suit a 9 strake rather than a 5 strake design, the 9 giving a more rounded and stronger hull. The 5 strake option would use planks up to 300mm wide which would probably suit stitch and glue rather than clinker. The instructions suggest either 6 or 9mm ply for the strakes and the 9 strake version would be strong enough with 6mm, whilst the 5 strake option might need 9mm - especially if the builder is going to risk using exterior rather than marine ply. Marine ply is a lot more expensive but stiffer and nicer to work with: 6mm marine has 5 ply where exterior has 3. However, Alex Jordan of Jordan Boats in Fife sells a kit of planks and moulds and he uses 9mm (he says he feels 'the boat deserves 9mm' - I like that) so who am I to argue?
The downside of the 9 plank version is that the
S.F. plans only give profiles for the 5 plank version; admittedly for stitch and glue construction but they can still serve as guidance for the clinker method. I've searched around for software to produce these 3D to 2D projections but with no luck so it looks like the plank profiles will have to be taken from the mould. The pic. shows the profiles for the 5 strake coble.The size of boat is usually limited by the size of your workshop - I use a 20ft x 10ft polytunnel - but there's also the problem of getting it out onto the nearest road or track. This is a big problem for me and I'll need a load of helpers to move the boat out on its side. It may not make it - we'll see . . . .
I'm promising myself to keep track of the costs this time. I kid myself that I'm saving loads of money by building a boat - it's what I tell other people anyway - but I sometimes doubt it.
So, the running costs are as shown top right.
Looking ahead a bit, I've discovered a source of low price marine ply but may have to buy a trial sheet to see what it's like . . . .
