I just wanted to share with you my newest creation, my first hollow wood longboard. It’s 9’5", 22 1/4 wide, 12 3/4 tail, 19 nose, and just shy of 3" thick, with a domed deck. I used the “Jensen method” of building up cork rails, and used mahogany, birch ply, balsa, bamboo, and marine ply for the construction. Less than 20 pounds so far, and almost complete. These shots don’t show the finish coat, so no need to criticize the finish (yet). Hopefully she’ll have her maiden voyage tomorrow, if the waves hold up…
Thanks Jase. It’s all in the details, right? The nose/tail blocks and lines through the fin are marine ply from a transom of an old Zodiac that has long since died. I still had the transom for some reason, decided to rip into it, and found it to be excellent wood. The round dots (inlays) in those pieces are bamboo chopsticks that I brought home from Vietnam a few years back, and now they have a purpose. I built the whole board using mostly hand tools, except for a circular and jigsaw, as well as a drill press. Very fun, learning experience for sure. Took me about 6 weeks, that whole work thing got in the way…
Not a woodworker by trade. I’m a sailor/artist. The board was glassed with West System 105/207, but I think I’ll switch to Resin Research for number two, simply because of the clarity, wet-out, and UV inhibitors…
I’ve built several small sailboat models (remote controlled) from scratch and have always been inspired by my fathers’ woodworking skills (he’s not a pro either). I just love working with wood, and I guess I put a lot of my art into its function. Thanks again for the compliments, I’ve attached a pic of a scratch built sailboat for kicks… And yes, the “captain” is also hand-made.
