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Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
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The Annapolis Wherry, designed by Chesapeake Light Craft in Fall 1997, offers thoroughbred
performance on the water combined with breathtaking grace. Hundreds and hundreds have been
built all over the world.
Solid stability, sea kindly lines, excellent tracking, a buoyant bow, and ample flare make the
Wherry a natural choice for rowing in choppy conditions. The open design allows for plenty of
sprawling and a picnic basket when beach cruising. Stability is strong for a performance rowing
boat: you can step into the boat from a dock and even stand up if you're sober. However, thenar-
row waterline means that the Annapolis Wherry is as fast as many " rec" shells, sprinting at 7 knots
and cruising at 4-5 knots. At this speed you could cover 30 or 40 miles in a day. We hear of Wher-
ries being used for camping and fishing expeditions.
The Annapolis Wherry is at its best with a sliding seat. From the beginning the interior was
designed around a Piantedosi Row Wing, the nicest sliding seat unit on the market. Used with a slid-
ing seat, the Wherry might be unsurpassed as a rowing trainer, exercise boat, long-distance cruiser,
or even for open water racing.
The Annapolis Wherry's payload is 350 pounds. A typical max load is an adult rower with a
small child or pet sitting in back. Many have been rigged as tandem sliding seat boats, but the com-
bined weight of sliding seat units and crew should not exceed 350 pounds.
Please remember that when buying a boat kit you are buying the right to build one boat. You
must buy additional kits and/ or get written permission to build additional boats. CLC and the boat's
designer retain all rights, including copyright, to the design.
3
4
Stitch-and-Glue Essentials
It takes relatively few tools to build a stitch-and-glue boat. Here's a list. Many of these items are available
from Chesapeake Light Craft.
--Tape Measure and a yardstick/straightedge- These are the most useful tools in your shop. Get a good qual-
ity 25--foot tape and a metal yardstick.
--String Line or Chalk Line- Here are two vital tools for any boat builder. You should have one of each.
-- Carpenter's Square -The standard 24" Roofing Square will do. A smaller Tri-Square is handy as well.
-- Level: A 48" carpenter's level is very handy.
-- Pencils & Magic Markers.
-- Small Handsaw - Best are Japanese style saws that cut on the pull stroke. A small back saw or dovetail saw
will also work.
-- Block Plane- Make sure it is sharp.
-- Drill and bits -Along with a set of high-speed bits, you will need a countersink with a 3/8" plug borer. Buy
an extra 1116" drill bit, the size needed for drilling wire stitch holes. You'll break them.
-- Screwdrivers.
--Pliers-The best are the "lineman's", specifically for working with wire.
--Wire cutters -These are for cutting stitches; the diagonal cutter type is by far the best.
-- Flat or round rasp.
-- Sharp knife- A regular utility knife with a box of new blades.
-- Small hammer- 12 oz. or 16 oz.
-- Sawhorses - The straight-top style is best for gluing up your hull.
-- Sanding mask or respirator.
-- Safety glasses -Wear them .
-- Clamps- You'll need at least 15 clamps; 30 is better. Get a few spring clamps that can be used with one
hand. Rub soap, wax, or grease on clamp threads so epoxy won't stick to them . You can make simple clamps
from 4-inch schedule-40 plastic drain pipe. An 8-foot length costs about $6 at the local home improvement
store. To make a clamp simply cut off a 1-112-inch ring, split it, and there you are. These little spring clamps
are perfect for use on sheer clamps, coaming rings, and other small stuff. If you need more clamping pres-
sure, cut the rings wider. (Note: this tip originates with Tom Whalen, Cohoes, NY.)
-- Electric sander - The 5-inch random orbital type is the most versatile and that's what you see in the photos
in this manual. A big 8-inch grinder is also nice to have, but it takes a lot of skill to use one without destroying
the boat.
Optional Tools:
-- Router - with round-over bits.
--Chisels- Don't buy cheap chisels. Keep them sharp on the sharpening stones you bought for your plane
trans.
--Mallet.
-- Marking gauge.
-- Bevel square.
-- Even more c-clamps.
5
Supply List
6
Stitch & Glue Essentials
Marine Epoxy Basics
Throughout this manual, we refer to waiting until epoxy hardens, or, cures. In reality it takes weeks
for epoxy to cure ("activate" is the precise term, but you know what we mean), but assemblies can
be moved safely after the adhesive feels dry to the touch. 24 hours is long enough at 70 degrees and
above. Whenever an assembly has some critical curing time, we'll be specific.
Epoxy is a two-part adhesive, consisting of a resin and a hardener. You can pick the hardener's speed
- fast, medium, or slow; but you can't change the ratio at which you mix the two. A chemical reac-
tion causes the epoxy to activate and "cure." As the mixture begins to cure the chemical reaction
generates heat. This can be a problem if you mix too much at a time and take too long to use the ep-
oxy. Plan ahead and even rehearse assembly procedures so you are able to get the epoxy out of the
cup in a reasonable time. The reaction always runs faster in higher ambient temperatures and slower
in lower ambient temperatures. When in doubt, mix small batches.
The epoxy CLC provides is mixed at a ratio of two parts resin to one part hardener. Unlike Polyes-
ter Resin, you cannot speed up or slow down the epoxy cure by altering this ratio. If you change the
ratio, the epoxy may never cure.
We use epoxy in several different ways to build our stitch-and-glue boat. We're going to use it as:
• A liquid coating, to seal the wood.
• Adhesive to bond wood parts.
• A structural filler, mixed with wood flour to make a paste.
Mixing Epoxy
Our epoxy comes in two jugs, one with resin and one with hardener. When we speak of un-thickened
epoxy it means that no thickeners have been added. One push on the resin pump and then one on the
hardener pump automatically dispenses the proper amount of resin and the proper amount of hard-
ener. Carefully follow the instructions included in the resin and hardener pump package. Be sure to
put the hardener pump in the hardener and the resin pump in the resin . Make sure the resin pump is
dispensing twice as much material as the hardener pump.
When you're making a big batch of epoxy, pump out the resin and hardener by alternating strokes on
first one pump and then the other; the two parts will have a head start towards being mixed.
Mix well by hand or with a simple mixer inserted into a slow-speed drill. Most problems arise from
not having mixed the epoxy long enough. Thirty seconds mixing for every pump of resin is ideal, up
to a maximum of 4 minutes for larger batches.
7
Stitch & Glue Essentials ... continued
Microballoons are also just what they sound like: microscopic phenolic resin spheres. Since they are
thin-walled spheres, Microballoons are mostly air. The epoxy mix is light, like foam, and easy to
sand. Think of it as industrial-strength Bondo, perfect for filling in pits or low spots. A Microballoon
mix is not for gluing joints. Professionals will sometimes mix it with wood flour for a customized,
lightweight filleting blend.
Whenever you make up thickened epoxy, pump out the resin and hardener by alternating resin and
hardener, mix the two completely, and then begin adding the thickener a little at a time until you
have the consistency you want.
Subsequent coats fill the weave prior to painting or varnishing. The best tool to use is a disposable
yellow foam roller specifically designed for epoxy application. After rolling on the epoxy "tip" it out
with a brush (a foam brush is fine) to pop the tiny air bubbles left by the rollers.
Epoxy cures to a bumpy surface. When you are sanding an epoxy finish in preparation for varnish,
you want to remove all of the shiny spots. Sand the really jagged spots with 80 grit paper. 120 grit is
good for leveling everything in preparation for paint primer. Areas to be varnished should be rubbed
down with 220 grit sandpaper first to remove the swirls left by coarser sandpaper. You can preview a
varnished finish with a swipe of denatured alcohol.
8
Stitch & Glue Essentials ...continued
Finishing
It may seem peculiar to start our manual with a discussion of the boat's finish, but how you plan to
finish the boat can make a difference in how you build the boat. In general, the neater you are as you
build, the easier the boat will be to finish. You can easily spend as much time, or more, on the finish
as you did in actually assembling the boat.
You must apply some type of finish to your boat. Epoxy, like many plastics, deteriorates in sunlight,
turning yellow and dull and after a while, beginning to crack. It needs to be protected with either
paint or varnish.
Types of Finish:
Varnish
A "Bright finish" in the world of boatbuilding means a clear coating over the wood. (Not to be con-
fused with "staining," a term from furniture building that implies changing the color of the wood.)
It's the traditional way to finish small pleasure boats like canoes and rowing skiffs. In modern times
it has become a favorite finish for epoxy and plywood small craft. A bright finish means you need
to take great care with your plywood---no scratches or sanding marks l---and your fillets need to be
really neat. Virtually everyone will varnish the interior of their Annapolis Wherry but only the truly
brave and dedicated will varnish the whole hull, inside and out.
You'll want 3-5 coats of a good marine quality exterior varnish. Don't be tempted to use less expen-
sive household interior or polyurethane varnishes. Use either a top quality natural bristle or a dispos-
able foam brush and sand lightly between coats.
Paint
Lapstrake boats like the Annapolis Wherry tend to benefit from a light-colored paint on the hull.
Even given the choice, we' d paint the hull of our Wherry white, off-white, or perhaps light gray.
The laps cast interesting shadows in the sunlight when painted white. We recommend marine-grade
polyurethane paint on top of a primer for this.
Most first time boat builders want a bright finish. However, there's an argument to be made for
painting. Paint holds up better than varnish; it's more abrasion resistant; it's easier to touch up; not
as many coats are required; and you can use fillers or primer under the paint to achieve a smoother
finish. Even big scratches or chips in the wood can be repaired with epoxy fillers and hidden un-
der paint. But, surprisingly, surface irregularities and poor sanding seem more visible on a painted
surface than on a varnished one. Whatever you do, make sure every wooden surface on the boat is
coated in epoxy.
9
ANNAPOliS WHERRY
COMPLETE KIT
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10
Trimming Machine Tabs and Gluing up the Rub Rails
After you have unpacked your kit don't throw that cardboard away. It will make a great cover for
the floor in your shop.
The parts in your kit have small tabs left from the CNC
machine similar to those you encountered when you as-
sembled a plastic model airplane kit. .. remember those?
Glue the scarfs together on the rubrails. There are two long sections and a short section, with scarf
joints where they 're glued together. Use a bit of scrap wood as a "splint" to ensure that you' ve
aligned the scarfs to create straight sections of rubrail. Cover the scrap of wood with packing tape to
keep it from getting glued in with the rest. Protect the floor with a bit of plastic.
Mix 3oz. of epoxy and thicken it with silica powder to a mustard (yellow, not Dijon) consistency.
For each scarf joint, coat both surfaces and clamp the wood securely. Use the scraps of wood as
stiffeners along the joints.
11
Assembling the Puzzle Joints
The Annapolis Wherry has five strakes, or planks, on each side. Each of these consists of two long
sections and a short aft section. Identify the parts of each strake and lay them out on your workbench
or floor. You can work on the floor, but your back and knees will thank you if you put a couple of
4x8 sheets of plywood atop sawhorses to form a big, temporary workbench for scatf gluing.
Because it's vitally important that the panels for the left and right sides come out symmetrically, you
will glue the matching left and right panels in a stack, one atop the other, at the same time.
12
Puzzle Joint Alignment
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The left and right panels must be separated at each puzzle joint with a sheet of plastic or waxed pa-
per. Gluing the lefts and rights together at this stage would not be funny. (We've done it.)
13
On certain panels you may find that the
thin rabbetted edge does not lay flat and
line up at the puzzle joint. These sections
will need to be clamped while the epoxy
cures.
Note that we've added another small scrap of plastic to prevent gluing the binder clip to the panel.
/
I
14
Carefully screw a clamping pad down on the puzzle joint with the drywall screws. Make sure
you've got a piece of plastic protecting the clamping pad from the epoxy, or you ' ll have to chisel it
off tomorrow.
If you cannot clamp the joint with screws, set a bucket with 10-15 LBS of sand on the clamping pad.
15
When the epoxy has cured, sand
off any that has squeezed out of
the joints. Also sand or scrape
off any glue in the rabbets or
grooves at the bottom edge of
the strake, but be careful not to
sand off any wood or to make
the strakes thinner by over-sand-
mg.
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17
Connect the two #1 strakes at the keel line. Twist the
wires on the outside of the hull, leaving the stitches a bit
loose for now.
To join the panels, drill a new hole next to the existing one.
Note that the panel ends are even.
18
Here, the #1 strakes are wired together
and we have begun to add the port #2
strake.
19
Attach the #3, #4, and #5
panels in the same man-
ner.
20
Don't be surprised to see some "stair-stepping," as seen on the left. Later, after the epoxy has cured,
it will be very easy to sand the stem to the smooth profile on the right.
21
With stem and transom fastened in
place, you will add the four bulk-
heads to provide stiffness and shap-
mg.
22
Gluing the Hull
Make yourself a "filleting tool," which looks like a very large
popsicle stick or tongue depressor, with about a l -inch round
on the end of it. Use thin scrap wood or stiff plastic.
23
With a helper, gently turn the hull over before the epoxy fillets cure.
This is the first of several opportunities to make sure your hull isn't twisted. Trust your eyeballs on
this. If the boat doesn't look twisted, it probably isn't.
Good Bad
Make sure the sawhorses are perpendicular to the centerline of the hull. Sight down the hull from
the bow and make sure you're seeing a shape like the one on the left. Those "splints" you applied
back on page 20 are helpful for eyeballing the plumb of the stem.
Same story with the stern. Adjusting the sawhorse is one strategy for correcting any twist in the hull.
You can also simply take hold of the hull and overtwist in the opposite direction to effect a correc-
tion. We've found over many years that the Annapolis Wherry is hard to build with a twist in it.
24
With the hull settled on
the sawhorses, make
sure you or the kids can't
knock it off the marks.
25
Filleting the Frames and Bulkheads
26
'Glassing the Hull Interior
-- -
----..... --
~
The Annapolis Wherry is stiffened with a layer of fiberglass that covers the bottom four planks in
the inside of the hull. You'll need to create a small epoxy fillet in the keel and in the seam between
strake #1 and strake #2 so that the fabric flows smoothly over those seams.
We mixed woodftour with resin and hardener to create a "peanut butter" consistency blend. With
the mixed epoxy transferred to an ordinary
freezer bag, you can dispense it neatly into
the seam in an even bead. Smooth the epoxy
with a plastic spreader (below).
27
Before the epoxy cures, cut rect-
angles of fiberglass to fit in each of
the five "compartments." Spread
the fabric neatly on the bottom of
the hull.
28
Mix resin and hardener, about eight
ounces total , this time without any
thickener. Pour it into the bottom
of the hull and use a flexible plastic
spreader to distribute the epoxy.
29
Installing the Breasthook and Quarter Knees
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30
The quarter knees work the
same way. Use epoxy thick-
ened with silica to a paste
consistency, and a few spring
clamps.
31
'Glassing the Hull Bottom
32
To prepare the bottom for fiberglass,
smooth off the keel and round the
stem into a "bullet" shape. Fiberglass
won't tolerate a sharp comer; the stem
in particular needs to be a smooth
radius.
33
Mix up about eight ounces of epoxy and wet out the
fabric using a plastic spreader. As before, you want
the fabric clear for the first coat, with the weave still
prominent, but no white or cloudy sections.
34
When the epoxy has cured, trim off the
extra fabric with a razor knife, and peel up
the tape. If the tape has gotten glued in
place, you can knock off the gooey inside
corner with a sanding block, and the tape
will come up easily.
35
Installing the Outwales
If you have a helper, it's possible to laminate both layers of the out-
wales onto the side of the hull at once. This requires careful chore-
ography and efficiency of motion, for example, applying epoxy to
both layers at once.
For a less hectic installation, you may glue on one layer at a time.
36
Installing the Skeg
37
With your helper(s) holding the skeg rig-
idly on center and plumb, crawl under the
hull and pre-drill for the four screws with
a countersinking bit. We use three longer
and one shorter #8 screws. We recommend
a dry run of this procedure before mixing
epoxy, including driving the screws to make
sure you have them on center in the thin
plywood skeg.
38
Installing the Seats and Flotation Tanks
Count on working the edges of the
bow and stern seats to fit well in the
hull. It's impossible to avoid some
variation in hull shape that makes
these odd fits. A sharp block plane
will dress the edges in a hurry.
39
When the seats are ready, mix
up epoxy with wood flour to a
smooth "peanut butter" consis-
tency. Transfer the epoxy to a
freezer bag, snip one comer, and
dispense a smooth bead into all
of the comers. Use a filleting
tool to shape epoxy fillets.
40
Sanding the Interior
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epoxy, and there's a lot ofunsanded hl) "f :)J.,, , : .:~-;~·~£~~~=~
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epoxy in the interior of the
Annapolis Wherry. Now you'll
discover the origin of the cliche:
"Boatbuilding is 9 5% sanding. "
Start out with 120-grit to get the really ugly blobs flattened out. Be careful about cutting
through the plywood---that surface veneer is pretty thin.
Simple sanding blocks are ideal for getting into the tricky corners, and for cleaning up
fillets. Varnish won't hide anything!
41
This pretty much sums up the sanding experience: lots of little nooks and crannies to patiently
address.
42
Sanding, Priming, and Painting
While we've seen every color ofthe rainbow and a wild array of finishing schemes on Annapolis
Wherries, most builders elect to paint the hull a light color and varnish the interior. We find that
a white hull shows the Wherry's beautiful shape to best advantage, the laps casting shadows that
accentuate the shape ofthe hull. This effect is lost on a dark or varnished hull.
43
You should apply a minimum of two coats of finish paint on the hull. Short of a spray booth,
the best way to get a perfectly smooth surface is to roll on the paint with a thin-nap foam roller,
followed seconds later by a foam brush or fine brush to "tip out" the bubbles left by the roller. The
roller applies the paint in a uniform, even film; the brush pops the bubbles. (These photos are of a
Passagemaker Dinghy.)
It works best if one person rolls while the other "tips," as seen below, so that you maintain a "wet
edge" and don't leave brush marks in the fast-drying polyurethane.
44
Varnishing the Interior
Varnishing works a lot like painting. First, all epoxy surfaces must be sanded to a gray-white
texture. (It will turn clear again as soon as you apply varnish.) Varnish won't stick to glossy epoxy,
nor will it hide bumps or inconsistencies in the surface.
Anything you're varnishing wil1 need to be finish-sanded with 220-grit sandpaper. Varnish won't
cover the cuts and swirls left behind by coarser paper.
When you're done with sanding, thoroughly clean every surface with denatured alcohol and clean
rags. It takes at least three coats of varnish to look glossy and protect the epoxy from UV rays.
(Don't be tempted to take epoxied surfaces
outdoors for more than a day or two without UV
protection.)
45
Outfitting
The flotation tanks at bow and
stern should be ventilated with
drain plugs. Simply drill a hole
for the drain plugs and drive
in the screws, with a dab of
silicone beneath the flange to
seal the plug. Loosen the plugs
whenever you store the boat
to equalize air pressure in the
tanks and to prevent moisture
from condensing out of the
trapped air.
The Piantedosi sliding seat unit sits on top of the thwarts, and is through-bolted with a 114-20
machine screw at each thwart,_fastened with wing nuts on the underside. To reinforce the thwarts,
epoxy a rectangle of wood beneath each seat. The drawing drawing on this and the following page
will help you properly install the Piantedosi unit.
46
47
Send us pictures! info@clcboats.com
48
ANNAPOLIS WHERRY
WOOD PARTS ONLY KIT
FRAME 1
FAJ\ME 2 FRAMe 3
FINO T.ANKTO?
TRANSill.l
SKEG
BREASTHOOK Ol)ARTER KNEES
WO.RMSHOE
PL'I'WOOD CLEATS
49
Annapolis Wherry Accessories
These are a small selection ofour tools, supplies and accessories. Call410.267.0137
or visit www.dcboats.com for pricing and ordering information.
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Boatbuilding Tools
E.
F.
Low Angle Block Plane (1-3/8" x 6")
Bullnose Rabbet Plane (1 - 118" x 4") K~
G. Stanley Spokeshave
H.
I.
Warerstone
Japanese Saw L ·~
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]. Bonsai Saw
K.
L.
M.
N.
Super-hard Mi lled Scraper (set of 4)
Slid ingT-Bevel (l/2" x 6-1/4" x 7")
Plastic Epoxy Spreader
Epoxy Syringe
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50
Other Accessories
Be prepared, be safe. The Touring Safety
Kit will pull you through d1e common
emergencies you'll encounter. For the be-
ginner or the expert paddler, this kit includes
a bilge pump, whistle, signal mirror, paddle ·,'
float, paddle leash and a boat sponge all conve-
niently packaged inside a Mesh Deck Bag.
N RS Deluxe Touring Safety Kit
iiiiiiiiiiiii••-
Light Craft now from a p ile of parts to an el-
carries the Thule egantly varnished Chesapeake
(TOO-lay) line of
~===~fMii!!!.IIJII"' 16 kayal<. And your new skills
p remium-quality I apply to any wood-epoxy
roof racks that can small boat.
fir any car.
GPS/Cell Phone Case
Wildly popular waterproof padded case with
roll-down top for GPS units, cell phones, or
other similar size electronic devices. Phones
may be dialed and used and GPS units oper-
ated while sealed inside the case. Foam flota-
tion; includes clips for securing to boats.
51
Paddles, Oars and Rudders
Feathercraft Single Rudder Kit (Kl) Toe Pilot Foot Control (Smart Track
If you paddle in stro ng winds, big seas, System)
or with heavy loads, a rudder is inval u- This footbrace and rudder control as-
able. This well made surf rudder kit in- sembly includes ergonomically designed,
cludes everything you'll need to instaU two-part foo t pedals that offer signifi-
a foot steering system in any of our cant advantages over anything else on
boats. Kit includes blade, adjustable the market. Unlike other systems, your
footbraces, cables, lift line, hardware, feet don't slide back and forth to steer.
and V-block for securing stowed blade. The lower half of the pedals is locked in
position so you remain in a solid brace
Feathercraft Double Rudder Kit (K2) at all the times. Steering is accomplished
As above, but larger blade, for by minme pressure from your toes to the
doubles or sailing singles. top half of the pedals. Even while seated,
pedal position is easily adjusted for differ-
52
The Last Page
CLC T-shirts
Visit clcboats.com for a full
selection of our t-shirts.
CLCCap
The curring edge of fashion
and comfort. With the CLC
paddler.
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53
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT
THE BEST BOATS YOU CAN BU I LD.-
TEL. 410.267.0137
FAX. 410.267.5689
For shipping quotes and ordering assistance,
e-mail us at info@clcboats.com
For answers to technical questions, e-mail us at info@clcboats.com