Simple question on the 'king plank

[boguing]

Simple question on the \'king plank

Do you lay the king plank first, then let the deck into it - or vice versa?

Before you get excited, this is a restoration of my Dad's pond yacht!

 

[Frangipani]

Re: Simple question on the \'king plank

On a full size yacht, the kingplank should always go in first: this is because on the foredeck it effectively acts as a compression post between stem and mast, and is therefore often thicker than the rest of the deck. It is recessed into the deck beams below, and has rebates to take the planking, so must go in first.
On a model yacht, or even a full size one where the laid deck is decorational rather than structural, I daresay that this is not an issue - but I personally still find it easier to start in the middle and work outwards.

 

[boguing]

Re: Simple question on the \'king plank

Thanks for that. That's what I'd figured, so it will be the way I do it.

Whilst on the subject, there are two other areas of geometric concern:-

At the transom, (counter stern) the planking obviously has to run off fair. At this point I haven't measured the angles from the centreline, so it's speculative, I'm thinking that a 'covering board' (for want of the correct term) around the stern, will be split into an odd number of pieces (so that the central one is athwartships). At the moment it looking (as is probably normal in fine looking yachts) at a toss up between hex/sept/oct agons - is there an established / superstitious way of choosing?

Or perhaps it's done by angle change and perimeter without regard to a right polygon?

And secondly, assume you chose an even numbered polygon - you have to use the same around the mast step?

Ridiculous really. Whole of the foredeck centreline will be hidden by the bowsprit, the rest too far away to see through varifocals.

Anally retentive architect.... possibly.

 

[pyrojames]

Re: Simple question on the \'king plank

I have just relaid my deck as a teak over ply. I laid the KP last. It was easier to fit it to the plank ends rather than having to predict where the planks would end and then cut them in to the king plank as I went along. I let the planks be slightly over length and cut them to length once they were all laid. I then made a KP template from left over plank ends, dropping short pieces in to the KP space as if they were extending the existing planks. I laid a piece of thin ply over the 20 odd template pieces, held all pieces in position then pinned the thin ply to the short template pieces. Once it was all stable, I pulled out the template, laid it out on the new teak for the KP and cut it out. The one at the stern dropped in very neatly. The one at the bow took a little more tweaking to get right.