Hi Jim,

The Morris SOF is a really fun boat to build, lots of new stuff to figure out and it goes together quickly.

On the end shape, it really is up to you to decide what shape you like. I used 1x6 pine I had on hand and figured out the shape with a piece of cardboard. Its one of those things that you shouldn't worry too much about until you get there and it won't be as hard as you think.
Pay attention to how deep you want the boat at the ends and how much rocker overall you want to have and get those worked out and the ends will come together.

It helped me to look at a bunch of building photo's to get the shape worked out in my head.

As far as the cockpit goes, I would urge you to consider making it the traditional shape so you can get a masik that fits right. It would be hard to get the keyhole cockpit and still maintain the tight fit these boats need.

thinking more about it...

I suppose that the Masik is really only a deckbeam that you place to function as a thigh brace. If you were to move the masik forward to the front of your larger cockpit and then also make really secure thigh braces you could run the deck stringers forward from those.

Mike Hanks has a Putz Walrus SOF that has a keyhole cockpit, I really like his boat but the construction and design is very different from the Morris boat.

Do a search for "skinny walrus" to find a photo of his boat.

Ben Staley

: Hi all -

: I'm planning to build a lashed SOF this fall. I've read and re-read Morris'
: book and Brinck's book, too. I'll be building a Greenland-style SOF and
: I'm not sure how to: 1. Enlarge the cockpit into a keyhole cockpit with
: thigh braces instead of a knee-brace/masik. Do I simply build a larger
: cockpit coaming and put a deck beam where the fore-edge of the cockpit
: will be?

: 2. Figure out the actual size and shape of the bow and stern frame pieces. I
: noticed a small line drawing of the bow piece on graph paper in Morris'
: book. But I haven't found any specific direction on how to size and shape
: the bow and stern piece. Is this one of those "organic" elements
: of building an SOF, building what suits the eye?

: How have the rest of you SOF folks addressed these questions?

: Thanks - Jim