<<<<< BUILDING THE GLOUCESTER GULL LIGHT DORY PART (4) >>>>>

The side panels are now glued in place, and I have dry fitted one of the gunwales. I did this with the gunwale for my peace of mind as it was a bit of a mission bending the chines around the molds. But thank goodness this gunwale dry fit went quickly and smoothly. I will slightly taper the gunwales at both ends which will make them even easier to fit when the time comes. So, next job is leveling up the bottom of the chines, trimming the bottom of the plywood side panels where required and fitting the bottom panel.

<<<<< BUILDING THE GLOUCESTER GULL LIGHT DORY PART (3) >>>>>

The dory chines have been the most challenging part of the build so far. The building manual advises two reliable methods and strongly advises not to use another third unadvisable method. I used the strongly advised not to use method. Let me unpack that: Method 1 is to cut notches for the chines in the molds and install the chines when the plywood sides have been installed (Slipping the chines between the in-situ plywood and molds). Method 2 is not to use chines logs at all, simply use the stitch and glue method after the hull has been turned upright and tape the chines from the inside with double bias fiberglass tape and then cove the joint with thickened resin.

I cut the notches for the chine logs into the molds and tried to dry fit the three quarter by one and three quarter inch chines onto the frames. I found it impossible as the chines had to bend in two different directions - if I had forced the issue with G-clamps the chine logs would have broken. I don't know the nature of the wood that Harold 'Dynamite' Payson used as described in his manual but it must have been of a very soft and cooperative nature.

My work around was to cut the chines vertically and laminate them into place on the molds. I found even this a bit of a mission to get the chines to sit correctly and flush with the sides of the molds and bent correctly to the modest rocker of the dory's bottom shape.

If I was to build again I would cut each chine vertically (or horizontally) into three or even four pieces and laminate them together. Other builders of this dory may have had easy experiences with the chines but this hasn't been my experience.

Interestingly the issues with the chines is actually a metaphor for all boat building. It is all about problem solving, adaptation and finding work arounds if required. Also if (like my situation) you are working pretty much with only hand tools in a confined space (no band saw, table saw, etc) different ways of working have to be found.

These two photos (directly above and below) show some early dry fitting of the plywood side panels before the chines were laminated. 

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The next stage in the build is to glue and nail the side panels to the laminated and correctly beveled chines, stem and transom. I am hoping that when it comes time to fit the gunwales to the sheer line it will be a easier operation than the chines have been - time will tell!

<<<<< BUILDING THE GLOUCESTER GULL LIGHT DORY PART (2) >>>>>

I was surprised that I had to shim the bottom of the building frame at both ends to get it absolutely level. Whatever you build on, don't assume that (in this case) a concrete floor is level. In the background to the left are the molds ready for placement on the building frame.

 

I attached the seven molds to crossbeams on top of the building frame. In retrospect I should have made the molds out of three quarter inch or one inch plywood rather than five eighths of an inch which has tended to flex and buckle a little bit for no apparent reason (it's not under any tension at this stage) - so I have had to cross brace some of the molds that have distorted a little bit. However, once I did the bracing, all the molds are now square and fair and ready to go.

A long flexible fairing batten was used to pick up the plotted marking points on the plywood. The black square is my foam rubber kneeling cushion which saved my knees. The two sheets of 8 x 4-foot 6mm (quarter inch) Gaboon plywood are resting on two sheets of thick construction ply (see next photo) which gave me something to nail the Gaboon to while I was doing the drafting.

Each side panel of the dory is in two parts. I cut each of the part panels out with a jigsaw and faired them up with a small hand plane. I then glued and screwed the two parts of each paneltogether with a 6mm, 4-inch wide plywood cleat. I then modified (reduced by 6mm) the central mold on each side where the cleats will lie when the side panels are attached.

The top of the stem is held in place by a large bolt onto the building frame and is awaiting beveling, which I did with a hand plane, checking the bevel regularly with the fairing batten pictured.

The transom was as tricky to align as the stem, but once in place it provides, in tandem with the stem, a strong anchor for the bending and fitting of the chines and side panels.

<<<<<< DORY - BUILDING THE GLOUCESTER LIGHT DORY (1 ) >>>>>>

Gloucester Gull Dory (Photo from the internet)

The Gloucester Light Dory (Also referred to as the Gloucester Gull Dory) was designed by the innovative American yacht designer Phil Bolger. Harold Payson popularized this Dory with his book 'How to Build The Gloucester Light Dory'. I have had Payson's book for years and have decided now is the time to build my own Dory. With arthritis affecting my left ankle and right knee to the point that long walks or running (what's that?) are distant memories I am going to add to my fitness kit of sailing my OK Dinghy and riding my Brompton folding bike by building a boat I can row - a Gloucester Gull Dory.

The first step is to read the manual. This is all that I have to go on - no full sized patterns or plans. But the book will do - but I need a magnifying glass, not just because of my age, but because some of the measurements are a bit blurry and hard to read.

I drafted the shape of each mold out onto half inch construction plywood. The first four molds are ready to go. I cut them out close to the drafted lines with a jigsaw and fine tuned the shapes with a small hand plane.......... to be continued - much more to come.