New Boat Project.....Pics

[Jim Jacobs]

Been busy the past few weeks on a new punt..... 15' Length, 13" depth, 24"/37" beam, 1:2 flare at beam tapering to 2:5 at qtr. stations and 1:4 at the transoms. I'm getting close to finishing it, but I'm taking my time. If I don't get it varnished before the cold weather sets in it won't be put it on the water until next Spring. Anyway, a few pics....

Making a pattern for the stem and stern......
Laying out....





Cut out.....


and some final dressing with a file.....



Daughter Arwyn helping fill screw holes on side panels....


Completed hull, ready for thwart, tholes and a lot of finish work......



(And my kids were more than happy to try the new punt on for size.)

This boat is no longer or wider in the beam than my pirogue, and the side panels are only slightly wider, but it's amazing how much more capacity and stability this hull has. The punt's not quite as quick in the water as a pirogue, and you don't put one together in 2 or 3 days, but they're a handy boat.

[Pit]

Nice punt Jim.I hope to get on the water next weekend.Good to see ya posting.

_________________
Stop harshing on my mellow.

[Jim Jacobs]

Thank you Pit. Where you going? Sounds like fun, I'm envious.

[dannyb55]

This looks like an Ashley River Batteau. Scows like this used to be made out of pine boards, planked fore and aft or cross planked. I have thought many times of building one in b.c.x. plywood and epoxy, good work.
The price of juniper planking and oil paint is so low here on the coast that I might as well make her the old way and caulk her with some cotton and pitch or paint. We have a couple of nice rivers that are deep and slow and wander through deer country. My mind is a whirrin. Thanks friend.

[Jim Jacobs]

You're welcome sir. There's nothing better than hunting from a boat. I'd love to build a good period correct plank scow, but I'm afraid for the timebeing anyway it would probably stay moored in my driveway most of the time. I like the classic lines on the early boats, but period correct or not the modern materials and construction methods are more practical for me. And for reenacting they're certainly no worse than the widely accepted fiberglass bark canoe, IMHO.

Do you have a period picture of an Ashley River Bateau? My punt's built from the 1760 Thames punt plan pictured in Howard Chapelle's, "American Small Sailing Craft."

[dannyb55]

I have it on the shelf somewhere, I'll get back to you.

[dannyb55]

Building Classic Small Craft by John Gardner of Mystic Seaports small craft collection. Chapter one, The Common Punt pp 12-14. These things are probably on Trajan's Column in Rome. Big Scows are well documented By Chappell in American Small Sailing Craft and the New Jersey Garvey is a Developed Version. The Basic slab sided scow is the standard floating bridge unit for all of the European Armies and You can probably find it in Diderot.
On the other hand the dugout is older. If you want to make a dugout that will not crack when dry, Lamminate one up out of 2x and carve it out with a chain saw, skil saw and a power plane. Finish it with a belt sander then epoxy coat it and give it a coat of barn paint or whatever. Around my way the Crusoe Islanders were making dugouts out of sunken Cypres logs about 12 feet log with 3-4 inches of freeboard, as late as the 1980s. Bon Chance, Danny

[carlilex]

Jim,
My wife says you are a bad influence... LOL. Now I wanna build a punt :-)

Dave
One of these days I am going to join you on your November expedition.... one of these days, sigh.

[dannyb55]

The bateau I am refering to is square all around, your straight stock stays straight. A table saw will come in handy. Hint Hint.

[Jim Jacobs]

[carlilex]

[quote="Jim Jacobs"]

[dannyb55]

We do alot of fine tuning with a Black and Decker high speed grinder with 36 g discs. At home I like my jack plane and low angle block plane.

[Jim Jacobs]

[carlilex]

[giantmonster]

Thats a nice work jim.. i would love to know more detailing of how to create one of these....If you can help me out..