: Sing is talking about scarfing the gunwale boards for an SOF, not boards that
: will be ripped into strips. I don't disagree with anything you've said,
: but I do feel that it's preferable to use full length gunwale boards, as
: it makes matching them for flex easier.

I can't see how there would be any difference in the flex.

A long scarf joint (anything over say 6:1) flexes evenly. A 10 foot 1x6, ripped in half and then flipped so that the top of each half recombines in the area of the scarf joint forms a nice 18 foot strip, or chine, or gunwale. Ten foot boards are much easier to find than 18 foot ones.

I scarfed the gunwales and all the long chines on my skin on frame trial. The only technical difference between ripping a strips for a strip-built boat or for chines for a SOF would be the dimensions. Depending on the location and use I'll rip nominal 1x stock, or 5/4 stock to 3/8, or 1/2 inch thick strips -- or any other size -- as needed.

If I recall, I needed some strips 1/2 by 1 1/4 for the keel and I made those by ripping 1 1/4 inch wide strips from 3/4 inch thick stock ( nominal 1x stock) and then running those through the rip saw to narrow them from 3/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. I was working with a 14 foot long board, which was 8 feet long, and twice as wide before I ripped it and scarfed it.

If you an get long stock at a reasonable price, then go for it. But if it is difficult to obtain, or you run into premium prices for lengths over 14 or 16 feet, then remember that you have an alternative.

PGJ