Planking begins with Austral Plywood
This week began with lining off the planking and ended with fitting the second broad strakes.
Once the backbone and moulds were set up, the next step was to line out the planks, this simply means springing battens around the hull to determine the shapes and spacing of each plank. With a vessel such as mine, with a relatively soft turn to the bilge, I simply divided each mould by 8 (the number of planks each side) and sprung the battens around these marks. A little bit of adjusting here and there, and we're ready to plank!
The material I have chosen to plank my boat with is 6.5mm hoop pine plywood. This plywood is made here in Brisbane by Austral Plywoods. This is simply the best plywood money can buy. The sheets consist of 5 layers, all of the same thickness, I haven't seen a single core void yet and I wonder if I will. The timber to make the plywood comes from Hoop Pine plantations only a couple of hours drive north. Austral Plywood is the highest quality and most sustainable plywood I have used. I am lucky enough to have Austral onboard as a sponsor. However I'd be saying the same thing even if they weren't affiliated. www.australply.com.au/products/marine-plywood
One of the biggest advantages of this plywood is that it comes in 2.7 meter sheets as an option. This is fantastic for me, as I am able to scarph 3 sheets together to make each plank, as opposed to 4 sheets, had I been using standard length plywood.
A not so standard 8 metre sheet of plywood!
A pair of garboards
The garboard planks and first broads went on without too much fuss, however a few errors were make on the third planks, nothing a boatbuilder can't fix. Planking a plywood clinker, double ender, with the rabbets already cut, is an unforgiving task. The planks need to be cut exactly to the right length, and any edge-set one might try to put into a plank only distorts the shape. Care must be taken. Today I learnt this the hard way...
It's been so nice having so much support, from commercial sponsorship, down to a hot meal from a mate.
Although there are much easier ways to skin a boat, I am very happy I chose clinker. The challenge is very rewarding and I feel as though I'm acquiring a new skill.