BUILDING THE BOOTHBAY HARBOR ONE-DESIGN
Interior joinerwork, laying the deck, exterior trim, and lots more.
- ERIC BLAKE —AUGUST 22–28
Last season, instructor Eric Blake led a highly motivated and proficient group of students through two exciting one-week sessions building the hull for this good-looking daysailer-racer. The focus was on strip-planked and cold-molded wood construction and the end result was a very strong and dimensionally stable hull. On the final day of class, there was a ton of enthusiasm from Eric and his students to continue with the project this season and take it to completion. So, here’s the invitation for you to join professional boatbuilder Eric Blake for an energetic week of finishing out the Boothbay Harbor One-Design.
This busy week will begin with Eric and his students reviewing the plans and discussing the strategies for the work that lies ahead. Factors affecting the interior structure will include keeping weight to a minimum, using the interior to improve the vessel structure, increasing interior utility, and creating an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable cockpit. The hull in its present form presents an unobstructed and smooth interior surface. Eric will explain epoxy-bonded joints, the advantages of making templates, laying out the cabin sole, and how to spile and install bulkheads. Preparing the hull for deck construction will follow and students will learn how to fair the sheer line, develop the camber of the deck, fashion and install the deck beams, and frame out blocking for the deck hardware. When the deck has been faired, it’ll be time to apply the plywood decking panels, prepare the deck for its Dynel covering, and install coamings and other exterior trim. By mid-week, some students will be busy creating the rudder and tiller, and if there is interest and time, the mast and boom.
Each day will find your instructor leading class discussions on material selection, tooling, costs and time, and application techniques. Obvious topics that will receive individual attention will include epoxy resins, health and safety, fastening systems, and joinerwork detail. As you can see, there will definitely be plenty going on over these six days, so come prepared to roll up your sleeves, put in a full week, and learn more about finishing out a hull than you could have ever imagined.
Tuition: $750
Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.