: Years ago I watched a friend's dad who was a professional boat
: carpenter build a strip planked sailboat. Inside (other than the
: pretty wood color) looked much like a glass boat with no ribs at
: all. Hull was though something like 5/8" or 3/4" thick
: as I remember. And the strips were nailed thru the width into
: the next two strips (gonna need really skinny nails for
: 1/4" strips ). Held up really well, from what I've heard
: it's still sailing, I was in high school at the time and am
: nearing retirement now, only a few years ago :)

: Bill H.

Hi Bill,
I've seen a few of those type and they can be absolutely gorgeous inside. And easy to fit out. :) no ribs or ribbands to work around.
Glued strip, you can nail through just two strips, the older luted ones needed to go through three strips. And you had to keep track of where the previous nails were.

I seen a 1/4", or maybe 3/8" thick hull made by making half lap joints, a bit like a clinker without the lands. As fiddly as all heck to do, apparently, but the guy wanted to do it. It came out pretty strong though.

If you look around, there probably isn't a method that hasn't been used in boat building. Heck, one of the old English workboats had their bottom planks running athwart-wise. Double planked with a serious chine log and keelson. If you can find it, the book Working Boats of Britain by Eric McKee is interesting. Check libraries, it's a bit pricy to buy.

Mike Savage
South West Cork