Cradle boats

[PaulB]

Hello. I am new to this forum, and have a questen. I have a new one on the way, and am thinking of building a cradle boat. Any one build one? What plans are good, and not to hard to build. I have been studying boat building for years, but have only built one boat, a Teal. I am handy, and have a bit of woodworking experance. Thanks for any help, and I hope I posted to the correct forum.

Paul B

[Dave Hadfield]

I built one 3 years ago, but to no plans. I picked a dory miniature, propping a picture of one up on the workbench and shaving away at a piece of doorskin until it got about the right shape. Then stitch and tape, paint, attach outwales, varnish, and install rockers. Easy really, and it sure attracts comments.

Later when the kid turns rambunctious you can take the rockers off it and it becomes a toybox.

[Ron Williamson]

Ditto Dave's comments,except that when they had grown out of it, I installed a samson post with handles,a seat and another set of longitudinal rockers so that it was a bigger kids toy.I knew they had grown out of it this time when they were rocking it from one side of the room to the other,trying to make each other fall out.
I eyeballed the design from one of Gardner's books(Building Classic Small Craft,I think)
Have fun
R

[Howard Gmelch]

Hey, here's a question. Why do all the designers/builders of rocking boats place the rowing station so that the oarsman faces forward???

[Keith Wilson]

I've built two, both to "plans" ( sketches really) that I drew myself. One was a double-ender with a round sides and a flat bottom (easier to attach rockers - looked sort of like a peapod cut off at the waterline), and the second was a sort of whitehall type, which looked nice but was significantly more work for no better result. Fitting the rockers to the lapstrake bottom was a . . well, an interesting challenge. Both were glued lapstrake out of 3mm lauan doorskin, painted inside (nontoxic paint so the little bugger can chew on it and not do himself harm) and varnished outboard.

Designing a cradle boat is a great way to practice designing and lofting a boat. It doesn't have to float, just look nice, and you can do the lofting on a half-sheet of plywood on the dining room table. It's also fun to build with $7 sheets of plywood - I wish I could build real boats that way. I also think it's a good way to try out a method of costruction that you might want to use in a larger boat someday. It's somewhere betwen a model and a real boat, not too much money, not too much work, but you get a good taste of how it would be to build a larger hull by the same technique.

Have fun! Nobody I know is having a baby anytime soon, so I probably won't make another one for a while, but they were great fun to build.

[Greg H]

Have a look at William Gardens cradle boat Nod, it's realy cute and will function as a first real boat when it comes time. The plans are in Wb#147 March /April 1999.
I don't know any babies at the moment so I haven't any built one yet.....
---G

[Kevin G]

Paul:
I built the Bahama Dinghy from the "Expectant Father's Cradle Boat Book" and did not find it all that difficult. It was my first boatbuilding experience, altho I had rebuilt a few before. I am now building the Baby Tender by Jordan Boats. It is lapstrake and riveted and more traditional than the Bahama Dinghy which is strip built. This one is going along pretty well too. My cradle is on "My Wooden
Boat". It is number 767. Some one else posted the Baby Tender that he built. It is Number 902. If you decide on the Bahama Dinghy, I'll send Bob Lincoln's address to you.

Kevin

[Chadd Hamilton]

I just received plans for the Baby Tender II cradle boat designed by Warren Jordan. The plans are great with 4 sheets and a (rough) guide on construction.
http://www.jordanwoodboats.com/bt.htm

I've just finished an glue lap Acorn Tender and am looking to hone my riveting skills on something smaller before I build a Melonseed next fall.

[PaulB]

Greg,
I looked over the story about Nod, and wile it looks good, I was looking for something more downeast looking.

Blueearth,
I was looking at that one also. Has the look I am going for. How easy is it to build? Any reason why I should not build it?

And lastly, You guys are talking about door skin. Are you talking about the cheap hollow core doors? Do you cut the doors up to get the skin?

Thanks for all your input.

Paul B

[Chadd Hamilton]

I'd say it's fairly easy to build, Paul. In fact, one sheet contains the templates for each strake, so no spiling skills required. Additionally, the contruction call fortraditional fastenings(copper rivets), but you could just as well assemble it with epoxy. I think it would make an ideal first project.


Chadd

[Art Read]

"Door skin" is refering to the inexpensive luan(?) plywood that one "skins" those hollow, interior doors with. (I guess some folks still build their own rather than just buying them pre-built...) I used it for making test "patterns" of my planking before committing to the expensive boat lumber. I used to be able to get it at the "Orange store", but they've stopped carrying it around here anyway. Had to go to more of a specialty lumber yard to find it last time. It usually comes about 1/8" thick in a 3' x 7' panel.

[Kermit]

Jordan's Baby Tender and Baby Tender II are both nifty little boats. I've used both as projects where kids were learning about real boatbuilding, but when the budget and space available seriously limited the options. Both make dandy cradles. The little flat-bottomed cross-planked fella is quite a bit easier to build. A consideration. We actually built one in lumberyard common pine to cut corners. Turned out fine. Good thing the copper fasteners were donated. Anyway, go for it. It's a fun project. Now if my own daughter would produce a grandchild...

[PaulB]

kermit,
Don't feel bad, I am 36 and this is my first.

Blueearth,
I think I will use the copper. I am planing on building some more full size boats after my new house gets built, and I have a little more room. And I want to learn a few outher ways of boatbuilding, so it will give me some expearance.

Thanks everyone

PaulB

[TomRobb]

Because of time constraints (the kid would need a real boat before I got a fancy cradle finished) I built two of Jordan's pram style cradles. One for the first grandchild and one for a neice's baby. The transoms and gunn'ls are mahogany, the rockers - red oak, the bottom - poplar, and the sides are 2mm(about) 3 ply baltic birch. They're both bronze fastened and varnished. The birch has a neat figure when the light hits it just so and the fasteners look good bright.
The mistakes drive me nuts but the mothers seem not to notice and claim to be thrilled.
Go for it. They're nice projects and you get lots of points with the family for doing something "useful" with all those expensive tools http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/biggrin.gif My only complaint about the plan is that the rocking motion seems twitchy to me. The period too short. Again the moms have not complained about that. Just me perhaps.

[This message has been edited by TomRobb (edited 12-11-2001).]

[Kermit]

Twitchy rockers? Ever since I built a cradle for my own daughter 31 years ago, I've never used the patterns that come with any cradle. Since my daughter's was the first for me, I sought help, and a geezer I met then who'd built a bunch told me a radius of 22" is what works. It did. It does. I just don't bother checking plans or patterns; I just lay out my own.

[TomRobb]

Kermit, thanks for the advice. If there's another one I'll have to try the 22" radius idea. Never tried to measure it but I'd guess the the radius on Jordan's was rather larger.

[liveoak]

I have built several. I would not waste the money on a book or set of plans. I did and was sorely disappointed. Get yourself a piece of painted mdo plywood put it on the floor and loft yourself out a boat which suits you. Keep it simple unless you want the kid to be starting school before it is done. I recommend a flat bottom dory type cradle boat- make her lapstrake if you feel ambitious- use lauan plywood for planking white pine for floor and transom and non toxic latex paint to paint with. Good luck!

[PaulB]

Liveoak,
Well, I am kind of new to boatbuilding, and have never done any lofting. I have read a bit about it, so maby I will give it a try. This is a small project. I guess with this, if I mess it up, I would only wast a small amount of wood.

Paul B

[imported_Krueg]

I bought plans for the Baby Tender II from Jordan early this year. It was supposed to have been finished for the new arrival back in August. I live in a condominium however, and it's difficult to have to set up my workshop on my tiny patio every time I want to work on it. I have a good portion of it completed, it's just that my son is already getting too big for it. I'll be moving soon to a house with a proper garage soon, and plan to wait until then to finish it. I'll just have to wait for another niece or nephew to come along so somebody gets to use it. I elected to plank with Honduran mahogany, with white oak for the davits, keelson, transom, and knees. So far I've had fun working on it and learned a bit in the process, (as well as it being a great excuse for new tools). I think his plans are very clear and the plank patterns probably save a lot of time for the beginner. The first Baby Tender looks beautiful, but I thought it might be a bit much for my first "boatbuilding" project. Good luck, post pictures.

Eric

[PaulB]

Thanks guys for all your help. I think I will be going with the babytender II plans. I will post some pics if I get it done.

Paul B