Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory - Planning a Launch

So today was a breakthrough for the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory.  All of the frames and stems have been attached to the bottom panel, and I priced cedar planking at Moynihan Lumber in Beverly where I bought the stock for the Herreshoff ColumbiaTender that I built nine years ago.

We are talking $3.47 per Linear Foot for 5/4" x 6" wide cedar.   They have a number of boards at a twenty foot length, and that is the size that I will need without any scarf joints.   So it looks like the Planking lumber will run about $540.00 for six planks from which I will rip eleven 1/4" strips from each.

Each twenty foot strip will then be routed with a bead on one end and a cove on the other.  The strips will be put in a steam box made from twenty feet of PVC Pipe so that it can curve around the frames,  Each frame will be planed at the junction of the plank so that the plank rests flush with the frame and glue will be added in each cove so that each plank will meld with the corresponding one.

All of this should take place in January and February, In March, the fiberglass and epoxy will be applied to the entire exterior and interior of the hull and the seats, decking and scantlings will be installed.   I have some nice olkume marine 8 mm plywood that I bought from Boulter Plywood some time ago for the decking and seating.

At this point, I do not intend to install a centerboard and sail port but I am definately going to construct  a motor well and install a 10 HP motor..... probably a 4 stroke Yamaha that will be rigged to a unit that can raise and lower the outboard in the well.

The boat maintains the Chamberlain lines that John Gardner drew, but I am exaggerating the bow and transom stems so that it will give a hint of a Viking Long Boat vessel.  That should cause a little stir around the Marblehead and Salem harbors. At least I won't be mounting shields on the gunnels.   Although how cool would that be?????

 Also, Gardner has  standard six inch planking with hard chines on the frames, and this will not be the case, as I have rounded the chines and will be going with the cedar strip planking with the aid of steaming to make the tight planking curves.

The Marblehead Harbormaster left me word today that I am able to transfer my float ring from the Village Street Wharf to the new Patterson Wharf which is at the end of Stramski Way.  So being able to walk to the tender on the ring and locating the Dory off of Stramski will be really convenient.

Nothing left to do but to finish this dory by May.... then fish will DIE!