How to Build and Sail a Small Boat
��By Stillman Taylor
��THE average boy will find it compar- atively easy to build a thoroughly satisfactory sailboat, and no diffi- culty will be experienced if the simple instructions which follow are well under- stood before undertaking the work. A boat of this flat-bottom or "sharpie" model, is the easiest of all sailing craft to construct, it will be found safe and stable and will show a fair amount of speed with a reasonable spread of sail. It is, moreover, essentially a boy's boat, suitable for use on rivers and lakes, and because of the flat bottom, it draws but little water, and is upon this account a very desirable boat for use at the sea- shore, for it may be pulled up on the sandy beach.
The cost of building will naturally vary somewhat — depending upon the locality and the kind of fittings used. The finished hull may be built for $io, and if the mast is rounded out by the builder, and the sail is stitched by mother or sister on the sewing-machine, the total cost may be kept within $20. A completely rigged boat of this type will cost not less than $75 if made by a boat-builder.
In beginning the work, first cut out the stem as shown in Fig. 3. Oak or ash is the best material for this part of the craft, but cypress may be used. As
��may be noted in the diagram, the stem is rabbeted out on a bevel to receive the sideboards.
The sideboards may next be marked to the shape and dimensions shown in Fig. 2, and then carefully sawed out with a rip saw.
The molds, which give the correct width and shape of the boat, are merely used to keep the sides in shape while put- ting in the ribs and flooring. These are re- moved when this part of the work has been com- pleted, hence they may be made from any odd pieces of old lumber found about the house — packing boxes, etc. Three molds are required, the dimensions being shown in Fig. 4.
The stern or transom is best made of oak or ash, but cypress or cedar will answer very well. This is first drawn to shape and sawed out to the shape and dimensions shown in Fig. 5.
Having gotten out these pieces, the
���Deck plan
��Material Required for Hull
��2 pes. Cypress f
2 pes. Cypress j
2 pes. Cypress g
I pc. Cypress i J-
1 pc. Cypress g
I pc. Cypress J
I pc. Cypress J
4 pes. Cypress J
1 pe. Oak or Ash 6
2 pes. Oak or Ash |
I pe. Oak or Ash |
I pc. Oak or Ash \
1 pc. Oak or .Ash \
2 pes. Oak or Ash 2
2 pes. Oak or Ash |
I pc. Georgia pine | in
I pc. C^orgia pine i "
1 pc. Georgia pine I
5 pes. Cedar or white pine.. 5 in 5 yds. ""
��in. X 18 In. X 15 ft Sideboards
in. X 2 in. X 15 ft Floor-stringers
in. X I in. X 14 ft .Seat-risings
n. X 9 in. X 12 ft Seats
in. X 15 in. X 8 ft Sides centerboard trunk
in. X 3 in. X 12 ft Deck beams and knees
n. X 2 in. X 30 in Centerboard posts
n. X 18 ft Decks
n. X 18 in Mast blocks
n. X 15 ft Ribs
n. X 31 in Stern transom
n. X 12 ft Cockpit coaming
n. X 46 in Top centerboard trunk
n. Half-Roimd Molding. . . . Fenderwales n. (Juarter-Round
Molding To cover tacked edge on coaming
c 6 in. X 15 ft Outside keel or shoe
c 7 in. X 7 ft Centerboard
c 8 in. X 4 ft Rudder
c 6 in. X 16 ft Flooring-i)oards
��13
5 3"
��No. 8 or 10 ounce Canvas Deck
765
��covering
�� �
