Ariadne

This is a builder's log of the construction of one of these launches using the epoxy stitch and tape method of plywood construction. The site is best viewed via broadband, as it contains many photos and will be slow to load with a dial up connection. It is a long and detailed examination of the boat-building process, including mistakes and reinventions; it covers the thought processes involved as well as the actual building. It is not meant to be a guide to readers as to how they should proceed, as I am a first time boat builder. Rather, it is a record and schedule for this particular boat, and may be helpful to others.

The site was originally designed on a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, and may not display properly on a lesser setting. Starting in mid 2008 the design was changed to a wide screen at 1440 x 900 pixels, and although it is meant to work on a traditional screen, there may be compatibility problems of which I am unaware.

Construction began in January, 2006 in my home garage in Sydney. It was completed at the end of 2010. For a glimpse of the state of the boat's progress now click Current.

These classic Thames river boats were devised, and mostly produced by John Andrews of Bourne End during the 1930s and 1940s, although the prototype, Merk, was built in 1912/3.

Many of the later original boats still exist, and they are now keenly sought collectors' items for restoration and preservation. Originally powered by marinised car petrol engines, they were designed to move at quite a speed (up to 12 mph), and yet to keep the wash low. The slipper stern with its wide, flat expanse virtually eliminated wash, but not necessarily churn or noise. The most common lengths in production were 25 to 30 feet, although three 50 foot boats were built. One of them, Knight Errant, has recently undergone a complete rebuild. It is unusual in having an enclosed cabin with galley and head.

The seating in slipper launches was traditionally provided by Lloyd Loom chairs and a rear upholstered bench at low level, and weather protection was achieved by a collapsible soft top, similar to the British sports cars of the time.

"Wenona" with Lloyd Loom chairs in two rows. I don't think that is Elton John driving.

One notable exception to this arrangement was the launch "Dandini", once owned by the Beverley Sisters, which boasted a rear enclosed cabin (perhaps necessary to protect the hair?)

A more common arrangement was the forward half cuddy, as seen in Lady Petite II, one of only three slipper launches built by Andrews after World War II.

The Selway Fisher "Kennet" slipper launch can be constructed by the conventional ply on frame system, with chine stringers, or by the stitch and tape method. Stitch and tape seems to be an attractive option at first glance, because of the potential savings in timber. The chine stringers can be dispensed with altogether, as the chine seams are made by epoxy fillets instead of wood, and the frames along the side and bottom of the bulkheads can also be replaced by epoxy fillets. Also, the laminated hog can be left out. When you compare the cost of epoxy with that of timber, however, there is a lot to be said for the traditional approach. Nevertheless, I decided to do the stitch and tape method.

In a stitch and tape canoe type construction there are no longitudinal girders, such as is called for in the slipper launch at the stem, and it is feasible that the girder could be left out here as well, but in view of the fact that the boat will be trailered and subject to repeated traction forces at the bow, the extra strength provided by the girder will be very useful, and I propose to incorporate it.

There is, of course, the awkwardness of manipulating the four scarfed ply panels (twelve sheets in all) into a stable hull shape prior to gluing, especially if you are working alone. Some suitably shaped female forms can assist here, but the savings in timber are being partly lost if forms have to be made. So, while stitch and tape may be a quick and easy method of construction for small craft such as canoes, it requires a considerable organisation of resources, especially the availability of helpers, in vessels of the size of slipper launches.

The Selway Fisher plans include three versions: the original is a plumb stemmed 20' one with a relatively small cockpit of 2.178 metres. There is a 21'9" version which has a sloped stem and a considerably enlarged cockpit at 2.483 metres, with the extra room all located behind the driver. And there is a 22' version, plumb stemmed, with the same smaller cockpit as the 20' version, but with a larger engine compartment. The one I have chosen to build is the 21'9" one, but by the time I have introduced some alterations it will be 22', or 6.7 metres long.

You can follow the progress of this boat by clicking on the links below. For regular visitors to this site, who may wish to avoid downloading this page at every visit, the following Monthly Progress chart is reproduced on its own dedicated page, which you might care to bookmark instead. It is my intention to update the site every day on which I can do any work on the boat so a shortcut to the "Current" page will also serve the more frequent visitor well.

MONTHLY PROGRESS

Background

January '06 1. The Lofting Table 2. The Scarfing Jig	January '0 7 26. The Dummy Shaft (cont.) 27. Shaft Hardware 28. Keel Construction	January '08 70. Reflection 71. The Vexed Question of Bonding 72. Completion of the Motor Compartment 73. Backing Blocks - Foredeck 74. Laying the Forward Subdeck 75. Draining the Drip Channels Fore and Aft 76. Scuppers in the Cockpit?	January '09 117. How Did I Arrive Here? 118. Considerations for the Decking 119. Side Subdeck Glue-Down 120. Suspending the Steering Column 121. Filleting the Windscreen 122. Final Fit-Out of the Motor Compartment 123. Pre-Screen Subdeck Glue-Down 124. Cockbeads for the Coamings
February '06 3. Bulkhead Construction 4. The Hull Panels 5. The Stitch Up	February '07 28. Keel Construction (cont.) 29. Gluing Sequence 30. Shaft Tube Bonding	February '08 77. Further foredecking 78. Securing the Screen and Column 79. Laying Out the Dashboard 80. The Bugatti Project	February '09 125. The Driver's Seating 125a. The Chinese Problem - Simply Galling? 125b. The Driver's Seating (cont.) 126. The Forward Accommodation 127. Locating the Battery Boxes
March '06 6. The Glue Up 7. The Seating Calculations 8. Lowering the Boat 9. The Floor Timbers 10. The Sheer Clamps	March '07 31. The Keel Runner 32. The Skeg 33. The Rudder Tube 34. Stem and Keel Fillets 35. Fairing the Hull	March '08 81. A Winch Bracket 82. The Bilge Pump 83. The Bilge Blower 84. Joining Up the Limber Holes 85. Levelling the Floors 86. Attaching the Sole 87. Finishing Touches to the Rear Seat 88. Upholstery 89. The House Battery System 90. The Instrument Bank	March '09 128. The Rear Deck 129. The Rag Top 130. Finally, the Motor Controller 131. Electrical Plumbing 132. Abandoning the Bright Strip
April '06 11. The Carlings 12. Rear Seat 13. Rollover Day 14. Filling and Fairing	April '07 36. Marking the Waterline 37. Painting the Bottom 38. The Boot Top 39. Building the New Cradle	April '08 91. Circuit Protection 92. Lagging the Cockpit 93. Glove Boxes and Speaker Boxes 94. Lagging the Dash Bulkhead 95. Completing the Subdeck 96. The Choice of Finish 97. The Throttle System and Controller	April '09 133. Painting the Motor Compartment 134. Rear Deck Glue-Down 135. The Rubbing Strake 136. The Lateral Covering Boards 137. Forward Subdeck Glue-Down
May '06 15. Cold Moulding 16. Moulding the Bow 17. The Keel Flat 18. The Transom 19. The Rudder	May '07 40. Painting the Side 41. The Second Rollover 42. Finishing the Rear Seat	May '08 98. The Coaming 99. Decorative Elements 100. Detailing the Cockpit 101. Making a Picnic of It 102. The Second Deck Skin	May '09 138. Foredeck Planning 139. Foredeck Attachment 140. King Plank and Decking 141. Revenue Raising Vandalism 142. The Battery Charger 143. The Stem and Gunwale at Deck Level 144. Completion of the Upholstery
June '06 20. The Motor and Propeller 21. Sheathing the Hull	June '07 43. The Longitudinal Floor Timbers 44. The Cockpit Sole 45. The Cockpit Lagging 46. Conduits for the Steering and Electrical Systems	June '08 103. Further Cockpit Detailing 104. The Covering Boards	June '09 145. Completing the Foredeck 146. Gunwale Rubbers 147. Hatch Hinges 148. Foredeck Hardware 149. Drink Holders
July '06 21. Sheathing the Hull (cont.)	July '07 47. The Bilge Runners 48. Consideration of the Windscreen 49. The Motor Mounts	July '08 105. Power Conversion 106. Fiddly Bits 107. Closing the Rudder Compartment	July '09 150. The Windscreen 151. The Skeg 152. The Hatch Surrounds 153. Converting the Hatch Vents to Dorades 154. Caulking the Decks 155. Coaming Beading 156. The Propeller Shaft Anode
August '06 21. Sheathing the Hull (cont.) 22. Fashioning the Stem	August '07 50. The Foredeck Stringers 51. The Foredeck Hatch 52. Fitting the Shaft Seal	August '08 108. Making Good Use of Space 109. Forward Seating 110. Battery Configuration	August '09 157. Bedding Down the Deck Hardware 158. Naming Rights 159. Why Ariadne? 160. Meanwhile, Back at the Caulking
September '06 23. Erecting a Keel Template	September '07 53. The Windscreen 54. Battery Housing 55. Compartment Venting 56. Fitting the Motor		September '09 161. Caulking the Rear Deck 162. Refinishing the Decking 163. Attending to the Transom
October '06 24. Boring the Shaft Hole	October '07 57. Building a False "Transom" 58. The Rear Deck Stringers 59. The Rear Deck Hatch	October '08 111. Rear Subdeck Glue-Down 112. Scribing and Shaping the Rear Coaming 113. Introducing the Side Coaming	October '09 164. Attaching the Beading 165. Removing the Rudder 166. Deck Hardware
November '06 25. The Keel Timber	November '07 60. The Helm 61. Finishing the Transom 62. Backing Blocks - Rear Deck 63. Electrical Wiring - Rear Deck 64. Laying the Rear Sub Deck	November '08 114. Replacing the Control Lever	November '09 167. Navigation Lights 168. Hooking Up the Horn 169. Hinging the Rear Hatch Cover 170. Hood Hardware
December '06 26. The Dummy Shaft	December '07 65. The Dashboard Layout 66. The Permanent Windscreen 67. The Steering Column 68. The Helm Mounting Box 69. Odd Jobs	December '08 115. Introducing the Side Coaming (cont.) 116. Trimming the Windscreen	December '09 171. Finishing Touches.

For a more detailed view of some of the problems I have encountered, I have opened a Problems page.

Please feel free to let us know about any broken links, or ask any questions. As long as you are not shredded in the spam filter you should receive a prompt response!


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