Auk

	Aukje
	Admiring Iain Oughtred's designs for years, I decided to build one of his smallest boats, to serve as a tender to our Falmouth Working Boat. The Acorn Tender, which is a rather small but voluminous little boat is 7'10" long and to be build using 5 mm. marine ply for the lapstrake skin, combined with solid mahogany and pine for structural members and seats etc. The plans are very detailed, consisting of four sheets, 1 Construction plan. 2 Full size templates for moulds, stem and knees. 3 Sail plan. 4 Lines plan.



	The Clinker Plywood building procedure, a step by step manual is also supplied, for the first time (lapstrake)builder this is a good help. I found Iain Oughtred's book, Clinker Plywood boatbuilding manual even more helpfull. When buying the plans and expensive (ply)wood, you better also spend a little more money buying this book, it could save you money and time in the end.


	The temporary moulds can be cut acurately, using the full size templates. I used 12 mm. okoume plywood, somewhat more expensive than neccesary, but I can perhaps re-use it later, when rebuilding the interior of "Janner", our Falmouth Working Boat. After setting up the building frame, bolting it firmly to the concrete shopfloor, the actual buiding can begin. At first I laminated the inner and outer stem, using solid mahogany. 10 hours of work involved so far.




		The stransom is build, using solid mahogany framing, 5 mm. mahogany plywood is glued to this.


	The mahogany keel is glued to the stem and the transom. 37 hours of work so far.



		5 planks each side, still 3 planks to go (per side).



			Second plank on Port side glued, using scrap ply clamps with wedges.(55 hours)


	The last plank is fitted.


	Planking done after 100 hours of work !


	Hull turned over, fitting out started.


	Small boat, Great Bow !


	The stern knee, laminated from 3mm. iroko strips. Due to the sharp bending curve, they had to be boiled for half an hour to prevent breaking. After boiling they were temp. bend around the mould to get used to the curve, after drying for 24 hours, they were glued, using Poly-urethane glue. The solid mahogany filler piece was fitted to the knee, before the whole assembly was fitted in place.


			Interiour, seats and knees temp. fitted. About 150 hours of work so far.


	Spoonbladed oars. In the great book, “25 WOODWORKING PROJECTS”, chapter XXI shows how to build yourself a pair of spoonbladed oars. I used the patterns, printed in the book and slightly adapted them to fit the recomended lenght of the oars for Auk. I used the same pine that I used for the thwarts and floors, left over from the wooden floor we laid in our bedroom 2 years ago. For the oars I selected knot-free parts and glued mahogany strips in the “spoon”, just for the looks.


	Hull Complete. 4 bilge-strakes receive a coating of thin epoxy, to prevent wateringress. The interiour as well as the outside of the top-strake are to be varnished. Prior to varnishing everything has to be sanded and sanded and sanded. First 4 or 5 coats of Epifanes PP-varnish is going to be applied without sanding in between.The recoating time at 20 degrees is 5 hours, so 3 coats of PP-varnish can be applied on one day if you start early. For extra UV-protection 3 coats of traditional varnish is to be applied. This, I hope, will give the rich colour and glasslike finish I like Auk to have.



	The inside is varnished, using varnish by Epifanes. After 3 coats of 2-pot PP-varnish, 4 more coats of traditional varnish were applied. I chose for the PP-varnish, because you can discard the sanding inbetween coats if they are applied within 72 hours. I found however that too much irregularities build up, when applying 3 layers without sanding.


	The outside is painted white, and the upper strake varnished.