What's New in the Shop Winter 2007

N.G. Herreshoff Aida Laurent Giles Kuan Yin

N.G. Herreshoff Sadie Designed in 1914, Sadie is a tweaked verion of Herreshoff's Alerion centerboard daysailer. Seven inches longer on the same 21'9" waterline, she is also slightly beamier and deeper.

This photo shows the "setup" for the boat under way. The molds have been plumbed and levelled and the transom is being attached.

Here the setup is almost complete with keel and floors in place. The keel is a lamination of Meranti plywood and mahogany while the floors are Angelique. You can just make out the centerboard case hanging between the molds, on the left-hand-side of the photo.

Here we see the steam-bent white oak frames in place. The ribbands bent around the moulds hold the shape of the boat for the steam-bending and provide a place to clamp the frames after they come out of the steam box.

The planking now begins, starting at the garboard. The boat is being double planked with 1/2" Douglas Fir over 1/4" Atlantic White Cedar. Epoxy glues the layers together, and bronze screws attach the planking to the frames and keel structure.

Here the planking is about one-third complete. Clamps are placed between each frame to ensure good contact between the two layers of planking while the epoxy sets.

At this stage, the planking is almost complete: there's only one more strake of fir and the final teak sheerstrake to go. At this point, we'll take a break from planking to fair the bottom and scribe the waterline. Then we'll flip the boat over, complete the planking, and fair the topsides.

The boat has now been flipped right-side-up, and the teak sheerstrake is being attached. It is shaped in the distinctive Herreshoff style.

With the molds removed, a few athwartship stiffeners are added to maintain the shape of the hull and the sheer clamp is installed. Next, the deck beams and main bulkhead are installed. The deckbeams are laminated white oak and the bulkhead is cypress laminated over plywood for stiffness. The top of the bulkhead is left long to later cut to final shape.

This overhead shots shows the beginning of planking the deck, with much work done in the interior of the boat besides. The deck will first be covered with tongue-and-groove cedar. Plywood is then epoxied on top of the cedar and this covered in epoxy-saturated Dynel cloth. This creates a very stiff and watertight deck with a traditional appear below. Notice that, down below, the ceiling is in place and the cockpit sole beams installed.

Here's the interior as it looks with ceiling and main bulkhead in place. Scrap plywood is in place over the cockpit sole beams to make walking around the cockpit easier. The teak cockpit sole will be built off the boat and installed later.

Here the deck, teak cabin sides, and carlins are in place. The main bulkhead has been trimmed to final shape, and the cabintop beams are being fitted into the carlins. Down below, the engine box and cypress seats have been fitted. Like the cockpit sole, the cabin sole has been patterned and is being built off the boat.

In the loft, the sitka spruce spars are built and varnished.

The lead keel is installed and deadwood fitted.

With the ballast keel in place, the boat is raised on blocks so that the centerboard can be test-fitted. With the test a success, it will be painted and installed.

Various rigging details are checked with the boom temporarily installed. The decks have been primed and first coats of varnish applied to the cabin sides. The hull received the first coat of traditional "Alerion Green".

The rudder is installed and work begins on the off-center propeller shaft.

As launch day approaches, the decks are painted in the final buff color and final coats of varnish applied. The cockpit looks pretty bare, but this is intentional so as to minimize wear and tear on the seats and sole.

Various varnished seats and oiled sole pieces await installation, while final work is completed...

Final photos of the boat under construction and after launch coming soon...