Rikki-tikki-tavi... Hull Assembly, Skeg & Board

I have found that the Constant Camber® method lends itself well to the backyard boatbuilder. John Marples is always willing to answer important questions by phone and this support comes with the cost of the plans. I do not bother him with minutia as his time is valuable, but he has been a resource for construction issues and never fails to remind me to "just get it done and go sailing!"

His designs are very practical and well thought out. After all, he built his own Jim Brown design Searunner 37 trimaran,"Bacchanal", and lived on it. He sailed over 20,000 miles in the first four years, dashing to Hawaii in the TransPac race, then on to the South Pacific. John always applies the KISS (keep it simple, sailor!) principle.

The centerboard and skeg for the rudder are in the right foreground here. Laminated of solid wood and plywood and shaped with a plane, they are 'glassed and coated, almost ready for primer.



		The barn is filling up with boat! The final vaka side is ready to be sheathed while laying on the mold. The port ama is turned upright, while the starboard ama is receiving its hull bottom 'glass and shaping. You can see the temporary frames for the vaka where its hullside rests and the single stringer inside the ama. That's all there is... Back in the shop, I've been cutting bulkheads and frames for the wings and forward foil shapes. I try to stay efficient by outlining the sequence of events and having things ready to go.
I have found that the Constant Camber® method lends itself well to the backyard boatbuilder. John Marples is always willing to answer important questions by phone and this support comes with the cost of the plans. I do not bother him with minutia as his time is valuable, but he has been a resource for construction issues and never fails to remind me to "just get it done and go sailing!" His designs are very practical and well thought out. After all, he built his own Jim Brown design Searunner 37 trimaran,"Bacchanal", and lived on it. He sailed over 20,000 miles in the first four years, dashing to Hawaii in the TransPac race, then on to the South Pacific. John always applies the KISS (keep it simple, sailor!) principle. The centerboard and skeg for the rudder are in the right foreground here. Laminated of solid wood and plywood and shaped with a plane, they are 'glassed and coated, almost ready for primer.
	The hulls and keelson ...