Meadowbird 16

[Arthur Averitt]

In a recent post, Garland Reese and some others introduced me to the Meadowbird 16 design. I've managed to find a few pics of some examples (thank you, Wayne Lancaster) but other info seems to be a bit sparse. I downloaded the study plans from CMD and will send for the construction plans, but wonder if there are any projects in progress out there? The other mentioned site, databoat, seems to be temporarily down. Is this the Gary Clements site? Thanks,
Arthur

[Venchka]

Originally posted by Arthur Averitt:
My casual search for the so-called pocket cruiser design seems to invariably turn up flat bottomed hulls or stitch & glue designs. Are there any round bilge designs appropriate for strip or glued lapstrake between 17 - 20'? Looking for a boat that's short enough to build in a standard garage but has a little more sophisticated shape. I like the wee seal but surely there's some more choices out there?The newer lapstrake hull/yawl rig version of Meadowbird is a definite improvement. It is still a very small boat. Can real adults fit in it's "cabin"? Just wondering.

http://www.cmdboats.com/images/mb_lapstrakekit.gif

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Arthur Averitt]

Why is the lapstrake/yawl a better design? What are the relative merits of the yawl vs. sloop in a boat like this. I have some experinece building cedar strip canoes but have not built anything in glued lapstrake. Is the strip method here vastly different from cedar strip/epoxy composite process with which I'm familiar? I'm assuming this would only get fiberglassed on the outside, right? Are the strips nailed, as I've read elsewhere? The space of this small cuddy would be akin to a backpacking tent; enough room to spend a night or two, but the wife's already told me she's staying home.

[Venchka]

By all accounts, glued lap plywood construction is not too difficult. The materials are readily available by truck freight. The look is right-to my eye. Personal choice and all that. Fairing is almost elminated.

Reading the CMD description. OK, I missed the strip plank part. In a nutshell, no it's not the same as canoe strips. Based on the plans in my hand for an 18' boat, the strips are 1"x1/2". You'll have to find suitable stock and cut your own strips. Edge nailed and epoxy glued is the current practice. Then fairing. And more fairing. Then fiberglass. Then more fairing. A lot of hours to get a smooth hull that glued lap plywood delivers without fairing or fiberglass.

I just looked up Thorndale, TX on the map. Good luck finding anything approaching boat lumber. You might find western red cedar for strips. I doubt that it will be clear stock. Probably more like fence boards full of knots.

As for the yawl rig, it's part personal choice and part genuine benefit. The main benefit is the ability to balance the boat under jib and mizzen when things get nasty. More work to be sure. On a boat this size, maybe not worth the trouble. However, almost every Welsford Navigator you see has the 3 sail rig. There must be something to it.

I own two backpacking tents. One is a 3 lb. solo tent & the other your basic 2-man 6 pound North Face tent. From the looks of the profile for Meadowbird, my solo tent might be more comfortable. The North Face would be palatial. But you did say you would be using it alone, eh? When you get the plans, make a mock up of the cabin and see what it's like. I hope I'm wrong.

Find people who have built this boat. Ask hard questions about the useability of the cabin. An open boat with backpacking gear and camping onshore might be a better investment.

Good Luck!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Venchka]

Something like this...a 14' boat, salt water, bacon and eggs. Some people are having entirely too much fun!

http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/david77/bacon.jpg

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[NormMessinger]

Friend up the road built a meadowbird mostly from salvaged lumber. I didn't have the camera the day he launched it but here are a few construction pictures: http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMmrRs0Zsmj6Y

[Venchka]

There you go. Start scrounging lumber. A few sheets of Doug-Fir ACX. Before you know it you'll have a boat!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Jon Etheredge]

I just looked up Thorndale, TX on the map. Good luck finding anything approaching boat lumber. You might find western red cedar for strips. I doubt that it will be clear stock. Probably more like fence boards full of knots.
You can buy Western Red Cedar lumber in Austin (which is an easy drive from Thorndale) without any problems. Yes, the fencing supply places are the best bet. Venchka is right that if you buy 1x6 stock it will be very knotty. The answer is to buy 2x6's or wider if you can find it. In my experience, the 2x6's are always of better quality than the 1x stuff.

The advantage of strip planking is that you really don't need to start with clear stock to build a good boat. I planked my catboat using 1/2" x 1 1/2" strips. I ripped the strips out of flat grain 2x6's to give me a strip that is vertical grain. Vertical grain is very desirable for strip planking. I found that by talking to the folks at the fencing supply places and telling them what I was doing, they would take a little interest and let me pick the piles a bit. I am always careful to leave the piles as neat or neater than I find them when I pick lumber.

It wasn't too hard to find flat grain 2x6'x with a limited number of small knots. When you rip the strips out just cut the knots out of any strips that have them and get on with the planking. A simple butt joint is all that is required when end joining strips on the boat. The lumber didn't start out as "clear lumber" but it ended up that way by the time I was planking the boat.

For a small boat like the Meadowbird, I imagine that the strips are cove and bead edged, glued with epoxy or Weldwood Plastic Resin, and then sheathed inside and out with fiberglass set in epoxy. I doubt that the strips are edge nailed. But you should ask the designer for the definitive answer.

Glued lapstrake ply is a good method too. You can buy marine plywood at Houston Hardwoods (http://www.houstonhardwoods.com) in Houston, Tx.

[ 08-23-2004, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: Jon Etheredge ]

[Venchka]

Jon,

Thanks for setting the record straight on producing strips. What did you use to cut your strips? Table saw or band saw? Did you have to do any planing after cutting the strips?

Thanks!

Wayne
Pondering a saw purchase in the Swamp. :D

[Jon Etheredge]

I used a table saw. Just your run of the mill Delta 10" contractors saw with a rip blade. A rip blade is not especially economical of material but it seems to put less load on the motor that the combination blade which was the only alternative at the time.

One of those hollow ground planer blades might be worth a try if you want to reduce the kerf width but I don't know if they are more work for the motor or not.

Yes, I planed the strips after sawing and before routing the bead and cove. I probably didn't really need to plane but... what can I say... I guess I am just anal retentive about this stuff.

[Venchka]

Originally posted by Jon Etheredge:
I used a table saw. Just your run of the mill Delta 10" contractors saw with a rip blade.

... what can I say... I guess I am just anal retentive about this stuff.Every well furnished house needs a 10" table saw. :D

When it comes to boats, I think your allowed a bit of fussiness.

OK, thanks! We are now returning you to your original post.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[gert]

would in not be easier and less wastfull to rip the strips on the band saw?

[Venchka]

That's the question I'm trying to figure out. The last time we had this discussion, I think the answer was: A good band saw is probably the right tool but if all you have is a table saw it will do the job. Since I have neither right now, I'm leaning toward the table saw. I don't think I would build the boat as designed if it requires BOTH a table saw AND a band saw.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[gert]

This discussion has been done before; and I beleive the concensus was that a band saw is way more usefull if you were sticking to boat building; however for cabinet making the table saw is more versatile.

[Jon Etheredge]

For ripping, I prefer a table saw. A bandsaw (generally) cuts a narrower kerf so it is less wasteful but I find a table saw to be <U>much</U> easier to use when I need to make lots of rip cuts.

For resawing, which is a rip cut, I use a bandsaw simply cause I can resaw a much wider piece in a single pass. Plus I hate it when you are resawing in two passes on the table saw and the kerf closes up on you on the first pass ;)

For overall usefulness in boatbuilding, my vote would go for a bandsaw if you can only have one stationary tool. But I'm not really sure that I'd want to build a strip planked boat without a table saw.

In my opinion, a table saw and a bandsaw are not interchangeable tools. They are different animals. The table saw excells at making straight cuts, rip or crosscut. A bandsaw can be used for making straight cuts but that is not really it's strong suit.

We all have our own opinions and preferences though smile.gif

[NormMessinger]

Well, it all depends, don't it.

What size band saw? What design boat?

I've found a few jobs that would have been difficult to do without my Inca 10" bandsaw but I could not have built the boats I have without the table saw. A thin kerf blade on it does not make much more waste than the bandsaw after its kerf is cleaned up.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Now, Arthur, you get back out to the carport and finish up that Bob's Special before you go off daydreaming about that next boat you want to build!!!!

[Arthur Averitt]

Well now, Steve, I need SOMETHING to do while waiting 'til pay day so I can buy some more epoxy. Thanks guys for all your responses. Meadowbird does, indeed, tickle my fancy! It seems like a boat that would do a lot of things fairly well, including behaving for one person who likes to get out by himself. I've corresponded with Bill Tosh of Rusk, Tx. who is a couple of weeks from launching his meadowbird. He's invited me to come out and take a look. I'll take my camera and, with his permission, may post some images on the forum for those interested.

[Charles Neuman]

That's funny: I just ran across that bacon photo (above), since I was just introduced to Welsford's Navigator. Here's the page that includes the bacon photo:

Navigator photos (http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/david77/pakihi.html)

or you can just get there from

http://www.openboat.co.nz/

I think those photos are amazing. If he doesn't sell them, he should.

Charles