HINA: We Built a Live-on Boat for $300
(Page 3 of 4)
January/February 1976
By Bill Hyslop
Our shaping tool was a "twist-pull" made with some strong twine and eye screws (Fig. 8). Keeping them wet, we took a few days to curve the sides a few inches at a time. Patience is the cardinal virtue here. Don't force the wood.
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The transom fits into the ship's stem. It's beveled horizontally on both edges at a 22° angle to mate smoothly with the ends of the sideboards (Fig. 9). It also tapers vertically to match the angles of flair of the boat's sides. The transom is simply made of boards fitted over a four-piece frame. Its top is rounded and designed to stand up above the sides, like a backboard (Fig. 10). The fit at the base and along the ridge of the chines is important and should be made with some care. Any excess should be trimmed until mating surfaces are flush. The transom is fastened to the sides in much the same manner as the bowstem.
For final fitting at the bow, use triangular shims lightly nailed to the frame to keep the C-clamp from sliding off (Fig 11). Elsewhere, clamps alone should do. And, for the second time, a note on glue: We used Weldwood Recorcinal resin. It's expensive, but very good. Follow the instructions that come with it.
Once stretched and fastened, the sides will tend to crimp at the point where they bend around the center frame. To prevent this, drive 2x2 cross members toward the bow and stern. Hina has four such supports, the two centermost of which lie about two feet from midship (Fig. 12). Besides shaping the hull, these struts, like the ribs, function to anchor internal framing to the boat's exterior. Since the two center cross members will hold the ballast keel (it's heavy!), they should be of oak.
(EDITOR'S NOTE:A carpenter we talked to made on alternate suggestion for the crossbeams: He felt that 2x4s could be notched so as to fit around the chines rather than just against them. This would allow the struts to be fastened to the hull, the chines and the ribs, greatly increasing their staying power, not to mention that 2x4s are sturdier than 2x2s to start with.)
To test for symmetry, stretch twine along the boat's axis and measure distances from either side to the line with a yardstick (Fig. 13). They should always be equal. Asymmetry can be corrected by adjusting the crossmembers and by twist-pulling the frame with a rope and stick.
After they've been correctly positioned and checked, struts can be lightly nailed into place to prevent shifting. (EDITOR'S NOTE: In our carpenter's alternate method, you would nail not only from the hull into the crossbeam, but also from the lip of the 2x4 into the chine, and from the rib, which isn't pictured, into the beam (Fig. 14).)
