The Hull Interior

The interior of the hull has a lot of detail to it.  When I first started out with this boat, I figured I'd glue the hull together, stick on the mast, rudder, etc, and off  I'd go.  Not so.  The plans have very detailed instructions for installing the daggerboard case and other necessary items, and I have been very happy overall with the plans as drawn.  They are clear, detailed, and leave little to interpretation where it counts.  The optional stuff turned into quite a challenge though, as they only gave some rudimetary details for fitting the interior out.  I guess with all of the possible variations it would be virtually impossible to address each one.

First, there was the consideration of a secondary power source.  Wind is free, and wind is great, but if the wind stops, or if there is a pressing need to get to shore in a hurry, there needs to be a way to do it that doesn't rely on wind.  This notion of a secondary method of propulsion was only reinforced by listening to tales of woe from my fellow sailors at the Windward Sailing Club. It only takes one story of paddling a sailboat for miles and miles (or is that knots and knots?) with a sneaker, or with one's hands, to encourage the aspiring sailor to include a backup.

Originally, I planned for oars.  After a quick tour of the local marine supply stores, I knew it was going to have to be a custom oar.  I thought about building them myself, but I decided that I wanted to launch the boat sometime before I was eligible for Social Security.  So I called around.  After talking to a couple of knowlegeable oar makers, I learned that I would need oars 8 1/2 feet long.     An inexpensive pair (cheap can't be used in describing these oars) was going to cost me about $150.00 or so, and that was before the leathers, the locks, etc.  Okay, I can deal with that.  But where am I going to put them?

As I pondered the problem of storing oars, I also contemplated the distinct possibility of having to row this thing for miles and miles (or is that...?).  Hold on.  I'm building this thing for fun and relaxation.  Now, I know that there are those of you who think that rowing your brains out is fun and relaxing.  That's fine.  Different strokes for different folks (ouch).  My idea of fun is to be pushed along by the wind with nothing but the sound of the swishing water and creaking rigging. Rowing just didn't appeal to me.  But what to do?  I didn't really have the money or the inclination to hang a smelly, noisy, outboard off the back of this boat.  Besides, it's too small for that.  But wait!  What about a trolling motor?  That would work.  It would be quiet, they're small, and it wouldn't take up nearly as much room as a couple of oars.

Another call to the local marine supply revealed that they had a trolling motor on closeout.  I ended up getting a 37 lb. thrust Minn-kota for a few dollars more than the oars would have cost me, and I already had a deep cycle marine battery that spends most of its life sitting on the pop up trailer waiting to be used.  But, a modern, plastic, electric outboard with five speeds forward and two in reverse doesn't exactly look right at home on a traditional looking boat, especially one that is trying real hard to look Chinese.  If it wasn't being used, I wanted it hidden, not hanging off the stern.

One nice thing about building a boat is the time spent sitting with a cold drink, my feet up, and the plans.  I've spent hours doing just that.  If it's during work, that cold drink is water, Gator Ade, or a soda.  After work, it's a beer.  I'll just sit and stare at the boat, or at the plans, and dream of sailing.  This time is important for the recreational aspect.  Building the thing is supposed to be fun too.  It is during this part of the building process that ideas have a chance to develop.  This is the time to work out the parts where the designer says, "fit out to your own specifications".  So, I sat there with a trolling motor and stared at the boat.

One idea I had seen while cruising the web was at Devlin Boats.  They had rigged a version of Nancy's China with an electric motor built right into the rudder.  That looked like a pretty neat idea.  So, I wrote them and asked about it.  I received a very gracious and helpful response from Joel, the yard foreman.  (My apologies, Joel, if you are reading this and I've gotten your title wrong.)  Joel went into considerable detail about how they did the job, and even sent me an expanded diagram of the rudder/motor combination.  This looked very attractive to me, and I spent some time working out the details with my own setup.  My biggest concern was tearing up a perfectly good motor (still under warranty!) and refitting it to be waterproof.  My second concern was bottoming out.  Our sailing club likes to moor their boats along a shallow section of the lake shore where we pitch our picnic tent.  I was concerned that I might be asking for more trouble than I needed in trying to fit the motor out this way, especially with a kick up rudder design.  It was on to Plan B.

Plan B developed when I discovered that I could stick the motor crossways across the stern (athwartships) just forward of the stern transom.  After rigging a scrap of plywood with a couple of clamps, I further discovered that a compartment could be fashioned that would contain and conceal the motor and its battery while not in use.  Along with that, the motor would be handy if needed while under way (or even more importantly, while not under way).  It was fairly quick work to set up a bulkhead, stitch it in, and glue it fast to the hull.  Actually, it wasn't quick.  Straightforward would be a better word.  

Standing at the stern looking forward.  The aft bulkhead has been installed as well as the bulkheads for the seats.  The clamps are holding cleats to which the seats will be attached.

The aft compartment after a whole lot more work.  Inside is a vertical stiffener for mounting the rudder hardware.

As you can probably tell by these two pictures, a whole lot of stuff went on between pictures.  I think I lost a few somewhere, so I just retook them.  In the picture above, the compartment is just about complete.  It needs to be faired, sanded and painted on the outside, and then a hinged mahogany hatch cover will be installed.  The small deck immediately forward of the transom will hold the brackets(?) for the traveler and cleats for mooring the boat alongside a dock.