Can anyone help me find timber for a 20' sharpie?

[giles_grant]

Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

Hi all,

Have just registered on the forum as I desperately need help with my new project to build a 20' Chesapeake Bay Sharpie, as per H Chapelle's plans in Boat Building. Spent many hours reasearching how to build it and have just started to build the strongback that I am going to build it on and loft it.

But I am getting seriously concerned about where to get timber from. The drawings state White Oak and Cedar (I am assuming that this would be Eastern Cedar, as this is where the boats were built, is this a fair assumption).

Does anyone have any suggestions about what would be best to use, and would give the best balance between authenticity and cost.

I was considering of building it from UK timber, Larch on Oak. Does this make sense??

Can anyone recommend places to buy timber from?

What level of defects can I cope with in the keel timbers and planking?

Final question... on a craft of this size does the keel need to be made from timber that has the middle of the tree running down it. I always assumed that was only required for big boats, however looking at some books recently I have noticed a number of sketches for small craft where the grain is as if the middle of the tree is in the centre of the keel timber. Is this is a requirement for small keels, or just artistic licence?

Hope someone can help

Thanks

Giles

 

[Poignard]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

Robbins Timber of Bristol are very experienced suppliers of boatbuilding timber and they deliver anywhere.
www.robbins.co.uk
They also have some excellent marine plywood but I`ve never had a sheet delivered that wasn`t damaged in some way by the carrier. Complaints produce an immediate replacement but that also get damaged! Eventually you can get a sheet that`s not too bad and negotiate a discount but it would save a lot of hassle if they found a carrier-proof method of packing. It`s worth going and collecting it yourself if you can.

There was a good article about building and sailing a 28 foot sharpie in "Wooden Boat" magazine January/February 1984. I could send you a copy if you have difficulty getting a back issue.

The Wooden Boat magazine forum is a good place to go for practical advice.

 

[Peterduck]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

The boats that Howard Chappelle documented were designed and built before waterproof plywood had been invented, so it is quite in order to use that where wide boards are specified. Most of the sharpies that I have seen would be much simplified by building in plywood. It is always a good idea to use local timbers. "Chap" specified White Oak and Cedar because they were the timbers that were local to him. Here in Australia we have brilliant local timbers that he would never have heard of. Whether to use the heart of a tree depend on the species. This is illustrated by the old saying "Heart of Oak, bark of Ash". Some species have a rapid spurt of growth to begin with, and then settle down to some serious wood production. This rapid growth results in a pulpy core which should be avoided. The illustration showing the heart of a tree can be taken as artistic licence influenced by local practice. Small, tight knots can be lived with provided that they are not many. Some timbers cup, buckle and warp during the seasoning process if not restrained, and this you cannot put up with. Shakes [longitudinal splits] should be avoided, but fine ones might be gluable before you actually begin to use the timber. If the timber has to be sawn to a particular shape you may be able to avoid a defect which is near the edge. If you buy a plank with the intention of sawing into lighter strips such a chine logs, then it is important to get one which follows the grain. If the grain wanders out to one side it will split when you try to bend the strip, Heartwood is usually preferable to sapwood, although the two may be very difficult to distinguish. Obviously, ash is the exception to this maxim.
Peter.

 

[giles_grant]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

Thanks for the response, nice to know that people out there are up for helping people who ask stupid questions.

I have spoken to Robbins timber and I am lucky cause they are 15 mins away (I am based in Chepstow, yes this boat is going to be sailed on the Severn, 14.7 m tides, water that makes your boat muddy, nuclear power stations and tidal waves, its great here!!). However I was after someone else to go to just so that I can get a couple of quotes.

I am building the boat as a bit of a practice run for more complex carvel boats so I am keen to keep off the ply. However a question that I have raised on the Boat Design forum has resulted in advice to not cross plank the bottom as it will leak when sailed hard (and you got to sail hard, haven't you!). In addition to this further advice to not trail a cross planked boat. Does anyone agree with this??

Would love to get a copy of the Wooden Boat article, I'll have to look on their website.

Thanks for the advice on timber flaws. It seems to be the one bit of info that the books never seem to go into enough detail on. You always get a drawing of how log is cut or how it should be stacked when drying, but never any explanation of how bad a plank can be before it is unusable.

If anyone in the UK can recommed and alternative to Robbins then that would be fantastic,

Larch on Oak?? any thoughts???

Thanks again

Giles

 

[old_salt]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

Is your "Sharpie" the same type as the one on "getting afloat" with Nick Gates, may be he is the man to speak to, an excellent program unfortunately the present series has just ended on sky, but some one might know how to put you in touch with him.

 

[giles_grant]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

please tell more, unfortunately I live in the dark ages and don't have TV let alone sky.

Giles

 

[Captain Coochie]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

I looked into and bought the plans to build a slipper launch back in the summer . When i called the suppliers of the plans they said white oak (American white oak ) would be great . On later speaking to boatbuilders and on here i was advised to steer clear of American white oak . AWO is the only white oak i know thats availible .
As for timber sources try Timbmet in Oxford . They are know as Timbmet silverman now i think . Ive also been told of a boatbuilding source for timber called honey suckle bottom , its somewhere on the south coast im told.
I think it may be worth your while getting involved with a local joinery yard if you are planning to build more than one boat as they buy thier timber in bulk rather than bigger suppliers selling in pre sized timber ,plus they will take the time to explain and show you what timber they have and what they can do for you . They will also be able to get most timber you ask for because they can add it onto a bigger order and also pass on a little discount ( maybe )

 

[Grajan]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

Speak with Alex Jordan of Jordan Boats Fife he can digitize your plans so as planks can be cut out of plywood with a CNC router www.jordanboats.co.uk

 

[OceanPearl]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

No, the boat restored by Nick Gates on Getting Afloat was a 12-Square Metre Sharpie – an Olympic class in the 1956 Olympics.

 

[maggier]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

we also have a very good timber yard in newport just down the road from you, they are very helpfull they sorted me out with a new oak plank for my boat, and your right the severn is very interesting , a [--word removed--] mooring a boat though

 

[maggier]

Re: Can anyone help me find timber for a 20\' sharpie?

i meant to say the timber yard is called monmoutheshire timber suplies and the word deleted was bu**er