A New Build Wooden Broads Cruiser

[MargeandParge]

Absolutely amazing a wonderful project and thankyou for a write up we can understand. 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[JanetAnne]

The chines are let into the rear of the stem post before being wrapped in plastic ready for their 'boil in the bag' treatment. Yes, we do have a steam box but this method allows the wood to be in position before being steamed and also keeps the heat in it while we bend and clamp it. Once cool, probably the following day, we remove the bag.

In position waiting for the joints to be cut

All set here

Into the bags

Fire up the boiler

And retire for a cuppa

Then the real fun commences. Steamed oak is a bit bloody hot and also larger than it was a couple of hours ago due to the steam penetrating through the wood causing it to swell. It made for an interesting hour or so getting our new chine into place and it certainly warms you up!

And finally clamped. Phew!

[JanetAnne]

Next day we are back at it again.

Yesterday's chine is released and, once out of the bag, left to dry out. In the meantime we machine and prepare the second layer and cut the joints ready for when out first chines are dry enough to proceed. 

Dry at last and following a coat of primer on the back (you'll notice everything gradually turning grey as we seal all the joints and end grains during assembly) our first layer is drilled and screwed to the frames beneath.

Here's the second layer fitted against the first after steaming. 

Once again it'll all be allowed to dry and then we will glue and laminate the two layers together to form a very substantial structure. I wouldn't want to be the person needing to take it apart should it ever need repair!

[JanetAnne]

Don't forget to comment by the way. Our new builds owner is a frequent visitor here and although he hasn't plucked up the courage to post on here himself, he does enjoy reading your feedback.

[JanetAnne]

And one for Vaughan..... complete with period aprons and hat!

 

[MargeandParge]

We have to say in our best Norfolk accent that we are so pleased the owner decided to do this and trusted you to make it happen. It must be bringing commitment and skills to an audience that never would have expected to see them. A marvelous moment and legacy that will be appreciated by many now and into the future. Thankyou to all that are involved. 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[BrundallNavy]

 

Can’t have been a Thursday or you would have had cake with your tea. 😀

[Lulu]

It is an amazing project and cannot wait to see it finished but its great seeing this from the absolute beginning.   The curved bits (see I’m picking up the technical jargon…) do slightly scare me when they are released that they wont just ping back straight! 

[Roy]

What a great project to be involved in just curious doses anybody know what was the last full wooden broads cruiser to be built and when was it ?
As it’s interesting to think one is now being built again using the skills from a bygone age and no fibreglass in sight 😊

[Turnoar]

I was wondering that too Roy. Maybe the last Martham Silver Jubilee for a motor cruiser?

[WherryNice]

This is a fascinating project to follow for the craft and technical aspects and it would also be interesting to see just how it stacks up against a restoration in terms of time and effort to achieve similar results.

4 hours ago, Roy said:

What a great project to be involved in just curious doses anybody know what was the last full wooden broads cruiser to be built and when was it ?
As it’s interesting to think one is now being built again using the skills from a bygone age and no fibreglass in sight 😊

 

3 hours ago, Turnoar said:

I was wondering that too Roy. Maybe the last Martham Silver Jubilee for a motor cruiser?

I was talking about boats hired in the past with a family friend of many decades a week or two ago and one of theirs was Princess Nerina M579, as usual I looked her up on the database and was thoroughly surprised to see a build year of 1980! No idea if she was the last but seems pretty late to me. Silver Jubilee 3 was built in 1977.

[grendel]

Broad Ambition has to be a strong contender as she was the plug for the bourne 40 moulds, but either her or a marthams build would be my guess.

[BroadAmbition]

'B.A' was Jack Powles last full size all timber construction that was in 1966 so she is only fifty eight years young

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Don't forget to comment by the way. Our new builds owner is a frequent visitor here

I normally comment with him dish to dish whenever we see each other.

I'm proper grateful he is allowing our Dave to photo and document the build, interesting, entertaining and educational too 

Griff

[Smoggy]

Keep the pics coming, and the text of course as I wouldn't understand where to start with the new fangled tree things without a full explanation.

I did read somewhere that grp can go around corners without steaming, just can't find a tree made out of the stuff.....

Edit: Found some... https://www.palmbrokers.com/index.php?/catalogue/fibreglass-trees-for-hire

[JanetAnne]

1 hour ago, Smoggy said:

Keep the pics coming, and the text of course as I wouldn't understand where to start with the new fangled tree things without a full explanation.

I did read somewhere that grp can go around corners without steaming, just can't find a tree made out of the stuff.....

Edit: Found some... https://www.palmbrokers.com/index.php?/catalogue/fibreglass-trees-for-hire

Excellent news. Do you think they'll notice if we plank one up?

[sillybilly]

I notice the most important tool is being well used -there's no beating a mug of tea😄

If in doubt Mash! 

Great project thanks for sharing 

 

[Vaughan]

17 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

And one for Vaughan..... complete with period aprons and hat!

It's funny but when I posted that photo of Heartbeat I had a good look at it and thought to myself how small the chine appears to be, compared with the mass of solid oak that my father insisted on, for the stem.  This proved itself in many a collision!

The chine is, as you say, set almost vertical, in line with the topsides.  In fact it is not often that you get a photo of this stage of the building, where the chine is clearly visible.  I had always assumed that the strength in that area came from the two very wide "chine board" planks, above and below the chine itself.

As a crane driver myself I am well aware of the strains inflicted by webbing straps and it is essential that a boat should not be lifted without spreader bars on the lifting slings, to stop the whole thing being squeezed.  Broads boats are designed to be hauled out on a slipway, which is why they have a long straight keel, which they will happily sit on, whilst coming up "on the ways".  They have no bilge keels though, so will not "dry out" on a low tide, as we see often on Breydon mud flats.  Broads wooden boats were almost always hauled out, or came out in a cradle, on a marine railway, such as at Jack Powles and at Trumans, on Oulton Broad.  The Trumans system was clever, as the boat could be hauled into the sheds straight off the cradle, once it reached the top of the slip.

Your method of fitting the chine is excellent and it is obvious how very much stronger this will be.  I also like the new method of boil-in-the-bag steaming, which I first saw done only about 5 years ago, at Southgates.  The simplest ideas are usually the best!

Thank you very much for taking us with you on this journey : I am learning an awful lot from it!

 

[CambridgeCabby]

19 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

Don't forget to comment by the way. Our new builds owner is a frequent visitor here and although he hasn't plucked up the courage to post on here himself, he does enjoy reading your feedback.

Fascinating , informative and wonderful , sums it up for me .

Looking forward to the next chapter eagerly 

[Bikertov]

I'm also fascinated by this build

For me, what will also be really interesting is the internal fitout, and how modern or not it will be.

In particular, I can't wait to see from the technical and "systems" side how you will bring a traditional build into the modern day designed-in from the outset, rather than compromised retro-fits. 

[JanetAnne]

Our chine ends up as two layers, each with three sections scarphed together. 

Here's the first layer in place along the hull

And it's joints glued and clamped 

Next day everything is cleaned up and prepared for the second layer to go on. With our front section dried out and the joints all prepared and trial fitted, we break out Robins entire clamp collection and send Ali off to raid my place for another 30 or so. 

Then the fun starts. 34ft6in of chine second layer fitted and clamped in one go!

I think it was something like 126 clamps Talk about make your hands ache..

 

 

[JanetAnne]

Next day we finished the other side

[ExSurveyor]

I have clamp envy, 😁

Fantastic and interesting thread, thank you.

 

[grendel]

It was the same making the model, I must have about 30 1" clamps, some with the foot modified to slip between the ribs.

[Vaughan]

On 30/06/2024 at 16:42, JanetAnne said:

 

 I hope I am not drifting off the tread here but that lovely image that Dave has created, of old Ted Dean, sitting under the brand new boat, posing for the camera, evokes very fond memories for me.  Very ghostly, in fact.  If Ted were here today to see that, he could tell you some stories!

When my father bought Hearts in 1946, all the staff that he took on had all served through the War, most of them in the Navy, and so he ran the yard much like a ship. Ted had been a deck hand in the Merchant Navy and had had three ships torpedoed under him, but somehow survived and served again.  He finished the War as the bosun on a cargo ship.

Father employed him as the "Ship's Husband".  This was an old term, in the Navy as well as the Merch, for the man who looked after the deck.  Ensured all the cordage was in good order; gangways were rigged; fenders were in place and ships boats were well maintained.  At Hearts, he did the rigging on the two yachts, sorted out all the sailing and rowing dinghies, checked all the mooring ropes and deck gear and changed the flags when necessary.  He spliced all the wires and sewed the cringles into the sails.  In his spare time he got in a dinghy and touched up the paintwork on the hulls.

As a young boy I learned all this from him, until I took over responsibility for the two yachts myself.   When I went to naval college at Pangbourne, age 13, I didn't dare tell the imposing Warrant Officer who taught seamanship, that I could already do an eye splice behind my back.  Taught by Ted Dean.

 

The Panellists were Isobel Barnet, Cyril Fletcher, Polly Elwys and Gilbert Harding.  All famous commentators and narrators of their day.  Chairman was Eamonn Andrews.