Builing an IOM Model Yacht
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Making a Wooden Boat
  Making wooden plug / hull  
  Making a wooden deck  
  Finishing hull  
 

Decking a Wooden Boat

Decking of a wooden IOM boat is typically done with 0.8 mm water-resistant birch ply, sometimes referred to as "light ply". alternatively you may choose to deck the boat in thin pre-prepared flat sheets of epoxy / glass fibre, which wil probably lead to a lighter and stronger boat. I chose the looks of wood.

 
   
 

A second inside gunwale strip (plank) is added, again using clothes pegs as clamps. This was to make a wider area for gluing decks onto, and to give more strength in an area most likely to get hit.   Bulkheads are added and glued in place. In this case by a fillet radius of epoxy and thickening powder. Also the boat was coated with epoxy inside. You can use epoxy and glass. The bow is held in place temporarily by the ply "triangle" with is glued to the bow of the boat so it cannot twist easily.

Sorry, photo of putting in centre case lost

 
    The centrecase / mast tube has been added, in this case a David Creed one off GRP one, and then extra bulkheads were added to support the case. The hull is locally strengthed with about 25 mm of GRP going under the main bulkheads and roudn the hull (i.e. in high stress aread).

 
Detail of centre case and mast tube shown above. The "King plank" is shown that supports the foredeck. In this case 2 pieces of planking are separated by spacers to the width of a jib track channel.   Platforms for winch and rudder servo added, along with boat number. Also stringers added to support where deck patch will go, as well as preparing for a well for the mast
 

Detail of area around mast well. Note I have also prepared for fitting a Creedy deck hatch (GRP with plastic lid)   Winch support platform and mainsheet post in place
 

Rudder servo platform detail   Rudder stock tube glued in. Not visible here , but the brass tube is cut off so the tiller arm can be clamped under the re-enforcing at deck level. There is also a brass tube acting as a top bearing here.

 
Jib channel detail shown   Further jib channel detail
 

Ready for decking except the sides of the mast well not glued in yet. All re-enforcing for shrouds, backstay and jib swivel channel are in place, and captive nuts are put in place so that you can just screw in the chain plate machine screws etc. In the case of the foredeck, there is no access once the deck is on, so any nuts have to be in place and captive, or one will have to cut into the foredeck. All bare wood needs coating with epoxy or paint or varnish to protect from water damage, except for mating surfaces with the decks.   Mast well sides glued in, stern deck in 0.8mm ply glued on. The black tape is preparation to fixing the Creed GRP hatch. The underside of the plywood needs coating, ideally with epoxy just before gluing with epoxy. If painting, do not paint on the bits that are to be glued.
You could alsouse glues such a Titebond 111 or Gorilla, although Epoxy with thickners is very forgiving on any unintentional gaps.
 

Foredeck glued in place. Note before gluing, the foredeck was prepared several days in advance by bending over a tube down the centre while wet, then left to dry and take suitable shape. Also note the GRP deck hatch is now glued in place, as are the external gunwales   Showing gunwales being glued in place, after all decks are one, held by elastic and masking tape. This is quite hard to do well, and it would be easier to just glue the deck flat onto the gunwale, and have the plywood edge showing at the gunwale.
 
Showing how gunwale is glued on at an angle. It is later faired in and rounded   Gunwales rounded, decks sanded (be carefull, veneer is very thin)
   
Boat ready to be varnished.   Next page