Building the Annapolis Wherry

Building the Annapolis Wherry
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Version 3.1 April 2007 $35
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Thanks for your order. This manual will help you assemble your boat from a CLC kit. Building your Annapolis Wherry will be much easier if you read through the manual once or twice before
starting construction. If you encounter any technical problems while building your boat please feel
free to call us: 9am to 5pm (Eastern time) Monday through Friday. You can email any time.
The Annapolis Wherry
The Annapolis Wherry, designed by Chesapeake Light Craft in Fall 1997, offers thoroughbred
performance on the water combined with breathtaking grace. Hundreds and hundreds have been
built all over the world.
Solid stability, sea kindly lines, excellent tracking, a buoyant bow, and ample flare make the
Wherry a natural choice for rowing in choppy conditions. The open design allows for plenty of
sprawling and a picnic basket when beach cruising. Stability is strong for a performance rowing
boat: you can step into the boat from a dock and even stand up if you're sober. However, thenarrow waterline means that the Annapolis Wherry is as fast as many " rec" shells, sprinting at 7 knots
and cruising at 4-5 knots. At this speed you could cover 30 or 40 miles in a day. We hear of Wherries being used for camping and fishing expeditions.
The Annapolis Wherry is at its best with a sliding seat. From the beginning the interior was
designed around a Piantedosi Row Wing, the nicest sliding seat unit on the market. Used with a sliding seat, the Wherry might be unsurpassed as a rowing trainer, exercise boat, long-distance cruiser,
or even for open water racing.
The Annapolis Wherry's payload is 350 pounds. A typical max load is an adult rower with a
small child or pet sitting in back. Many have been rigged as tandem sliding seat boats, but the combined weight of sliding seat units and crew should not exceed 350 pounds.
Please remember that when buying a boat kit you are buying the right to build one boat. You
must buy additional kits and/ or get written permission to build additional boats. CLC and the boat's
designer retain all rights, including copyright, to the design.
CHESAPEAKE L IGHT CRAFT: WWW.CLCBOATS.COM OR EMAIL: INFO@CLCBOATS.COM
© 1997-2007 Chesapeake Light Craft, LLC.
1805 George Avenue
Annapolis, MD 2140 I
(410) 267-0137
3
4
Stitch-and-Glue Essentials
Tools and Supplies
It takes relatively few tools to build a stitch-and-glue boat. Here's a list. Many of these items are available
from Chesapeake Light Craft.
--Tape Measure and a yardstick/straightedge- These are the most useful tools in your shop. Get a good quality 25--foot tape and a metal yardstick.
--String Line or Chalk Line- Here are two vital tools for any boat builder. You should have one of each.
-- Carpenter's Square -The standard 24" Roofing Square will do. A smaller Tri-Square is handy as well.
-- Level: A 48" carpenter's level is very handy.
-- Pencils & Magic Markers.
-- Small Handsaw - Best are Japanese style saws that cut on the pull stroke. A small back saw or dovetail saw
will also work.
-- Block Plane- Make sure it is sharp.
-- Drill and bits -Along with a set of high-speed bits, you will need a countersink with a 3/8" plug borer. Buy
an extra 1116" drill bit, the size needed for drilling wire stitch holes. You'll break them.
-- Screwdrivers.
--Pliers-The best are the "lineman's", specifically for working with wire.
--Wire cutters -These are for cutting stitches; the diagonal cutter type is by far the best.
-- Flat or round rasp.
-- Sharp knife- A regular utility knife with a box of new blades.
-- Small hammer- 12 oz. or 16 oz.
-- Sawhorses - The straight-top style is best for gluing up your hull.
-- Sanding mask or respirator.
-- Safety glasses -Wear them .
-- Clamps- You'll need at least 15 clamps; 30 is better. Get a few spring clamps that can be used with one
hand. Rub soap, wax, or grease on clamp threads so epoxy won't stick to them . You can make simple clamps
from 4-inch schedule-40 plastic drain pipe. An 8-foot length costs about $6 at the local home improvement
store. To make a clamp simply cut off a 1-112-inch ring, split it, and there you are. These little spring clamps
are perfect for use on sheer clamps, coaming rings, and other small stuff. If you need more clamping pressure, cut the rings wider. (Note: this tip originates with Tom Whalen, Cohoes, NY.)
-- Electric sander - The 5-inch random orbital type is the most versatile and that's what you see in the photos
in this manual. A big 8-inch grinder is also nice to have, but it takes a lot of skill to use one without destroying
the boat.
Optional Tools:
-- Router - with round-over bits.
--Chisels- Don't buy cheap chisels. Keep them sharp on the sharpening stones you bought for your plane
trans.
--Mallet.
-- Marking gauge.
-- Bevel square.
-- Even more c-clamps.
5
Supply List
-- Sandpaper- 80-grit, 120-grit, 220-grit, and for the obsessive, 400-grit.
-- l ib box of #6 X 2" drywall screws.
-- llb box of #6 X 1" drywall screws.
-- Disposable foam brushes - with wooden, not plastic, handles. About 24.
-- Disposable bristle brushes- So-called "chip brushes," about 24 for this project.
-- Disposable foam rollers- Buy only the short nap yellow type that is also used for applying lacquer. Never
use the black foam rollers. About a dozen.
-- Epoxy metering pumps- These pumps are included in our kits.
-- Stirring sticks - Popsicle sticks or any similar pieces of wood.
-- Disposable gloves - It's economical to buy a box of 100.
-- Respirator or disposable masks.
-- Plastic sheet or waxed paper.
-- Duct Tape.
-- Zip Loc bags.
-- Denatured Alcohol (not isopropyl).
-- Rags, rags & rags.
-- Did we mention C-clamps?
6
Stitch & Glue Essentials
Marine Epoxy Basics
Throughout this manual, we refer to waiting until epoxy hardens, or, cures. In reality it takes weeks
for epoxy to cure ("activate" is the precise term, but you know what we mean), but assemblies can
be moved safely after the adhesive feels dry to the touch. 24 hours is long enough at 70 degrees and
above. Whenever an assembly has some critical curing time, we'll be specific.
Epoxy is a two-part adhesive, consisting of a resin and a hardener. You can pick the hardener's speed
- fast, medium, or slow; but you can't change the ratio at which you mix the two. A chemical reaction causes the epoxy to activate and "cure." As the mixture begins to cure the chemical reaction
generates heat. This can be a problem if you mix too much at a time and take too long to use the epoxy. Plan ahead and even rehearse assembly procedures so you are able to get the epoxy out of the
cup in a reasonable time. The reaction always runs faster in higher ambient temperatures and slower
in lower ambient temperatures. When in doubt, mix small batches.
The epoxy CLC provides is mixed at a ratio of two parts resin to one part hardener. Unlike Polyester Resin, you cannot speed up or slow down the epoxy cure by altering this ratio. If you change the
ratio, the epoxy may never cure.
We use epoxy in several different ways to build our stitch-and-glue boat. We're going to use it as:
• A liquid coating, to seal the wood.
• Adhesive to bond wood parts.
• A structural filler, mixed with wood flour to make a paste.
Mixing Epoxy
Our epoxy comes in two jugs, one with resin and one with hardener. When we speak of un-thickened
epoxy it means that no thickeners have been added. One push on the resin pump and then one on the
hardener pump automatically dispenses the proper amount of resin and the proper amount of hardener. Carefully follow the instructions included in the resin and hardener pump package. Be sure to
put the hardener pump in the hardener and the resin pump in the resin . Make sure the resin pump is
dispensing twice as much material as the hardener pump.
When you're making a big batch of epoxy, pump out the resin and hardener by alternating strokes on
first one pump and then the other; the two parts will have a head start towards being mixed.
Mix well by hand or with a simple mixer inserted into a slow-speed drill. Most problems arise from
not having mixed the epoxy long enough. Thirty seconds mixing for every pump of resin is ideal, up
to a maximum of 4 minutes for larger batches.
Clamping Glued Joints
For clamped wood-to-wood joints like scarfs, we need the strongest possible mix. We mix silica
powder into the epoxy to thicken it. Silica powder is very dense; it's literally very fine sand. This
mixture produces an extremely hard adhesive. It's no fun to sand so clean up carefully. We refer to
the ideal thickness of such a mix as a "mustard" consistency. It doesn 't drip off a stick, but it spreads
easily and smoothly.
7
Stitch & Glue Essentials ... continued
Filling and Fairing
For filling gaps, or for epoxy "fillets" (pronounced "fill-it" in this application, not "fil-AY," as in filet
of fish), we use low density thickener. The most common material is wood flour, which is nothing
more complicated than refined sawdust. You will mix it with the resin and hardener to create a peanut butter-like paste, and you'll be using gobs of it in the Annapolis Wherry. Wood flour and epoxy
creates a strong filler which adheres to the wood on either side of a joint, fills gaps well, and can be
spread smoothly with simple filleting tools.
Microballoons are also just what they sound like: microscopic phenolic resin spheres. Since they are
thin-walled spheres, Microballoons are mostly air. The epoxy mix is light, like foam, and easy to
sand. Think of it as industrial-strength Bondo, perfect for filling in pits or low spots. A Microballoon
mix is not for gluing joints. Professionals will sometimes mix it with wood flour for a customized,
lightweight filleting blend.
Whenever you make up thickened epoxy, pump out the resin and hardener by alternating resin and
hardener, mix the two completely, and then begin adding the thickener a little at a time until you
have the consistency you want.
Applying Epoxy and Glass Cloth
You will be applying fiberglass cloth to portions of the interior and the exterior of your Annapolis
Wherry. With the low-viscosity epoxy we supply in our kits, you can roll out fiberglass fabric onto
clean dry surfaces, make sure everything's smooth, then apply epoxy. Take extra care to remove
wrinkles in fiberglass fabric before you mix the epoxy. Coating the glass, or 'wetting out, ' is done
with un-thickened epoxy. Mix in batches of about 10-12 ounces and use a spreader or a squeegee to
spread the poured liquid evenly over the fiberglass. The first coat must be only thick enough to saturate the cloth. As the cloth is saturated it will become transparent and any dry spots will be loudly
obvious. When properly done, the cloth will be transparent but the weave will still be very evident.
If you apply too much epoxy on the first coat the cloth will float to the surface and you will have a
weaker structure.
Subsequent coats fill the weave prior to painting or varnishing. The best tool to use is a disposable
yellow foam roller specifically designed for epoxy application. After rolling on the epoxy "tip" it out
with a brush (a foam brush is fine) to pop the tiny air bubbles left by the rollers.
Epoxy cures to a bumpy surface. When you are sanding an epoxy finish in preparation for varnish,
you want to remove all of the shiny spots. Sand the really jagged spots with 80 grit paper. 120 grit is
good for leveling everything in preparation for paint primer. Areas to be varnished should be rubbed
down with 220 grit sandpaper first to remove the swirls left by coarser sandpaper. You can preview a
varnished finish with a swipe of denatured alcohol.
8
Stitch & Glue Essentials ...continued
Finishing
It may seem peculiar to start our manual with a discussion of the boat's finish, but how you plan to
finish the boat can make a difference in how you build the boat. In general, the neater you are as you
build, the easier the boat will be to finish. You can easily spend as much time, or more, on the finish
as you did in actually assembling the boat.
You must apply some type of finish to your boat. Epoxy, like many plastics, deteriorates in sunlight,
turning yellow and dull and after a while, beginning to crack. It needs to be protected with either
paint or varnish.
Types of Finish:
Varnish
A "Bright finish" in the world of boatbuilding means a clear coating over the wood. (Not to be confused with "staining," a term from furniture building that implies changing the color of the wood.)
It's the traditional way to finish small pleasure boats like canoes and rowing skiffs. In modern times
it has become a favorite finish for epoxy and plywood small craft. A bright finish means you need
to take great care with your plywood---no scratches or sanding marks l---and your fillets need to be
really neat. Virtually everyone will varnish the interior of their Annapolis Wherry but only the truly
brave and dedicated will varnish the whole hull, inside and out.
You'll want 3-5 coats of a good marine quality exterior varnish. Don't be tempted to use less expensive household interior or polyurethane varnishes. Use either a top quality natural bristle or a disposable foam brush and sand lightly between coats.
Paint
Lapstrake boats like the Annapolis Wherry tend to benefit from a light-colored paint on the hull.
Even given the choice, we' d paint the hull of our Wherry white, off-white, or perhaps light gray.
The laps cast interesting shadows in the sunlight when painted white. We recommend marine-grade
polyurethane paint on top of a primer for this.
Painting versus Varnishing
Most first time boat builders want a bright finish. However, there's an argument to be made for
painting. Paint holds up better than varnish; it's more abrasion resistant; it's easier to touch up; not
as many coats are required; and you can use fillers or primer under the paint to achieve a smoother
finish. Even big scratches or chips in the wood can be repaired with epoxy fillers and hidden under paint. But, surprisingly, surface irregularities and poor sanding seem more visible on a painted
surface than on a varnished one. Whatever you do, make sure every wooden surface on the boat is
coated in epoxy.
9
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10
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Trimming Machine Tabs and Gluing up the Rub Rails
After you have unpacked your kit don't throw that cardboard away. It will make a great cover for
the floor in your shop.
The parts in your kit have small tabs left from the CNC
machine similar to those you encountered when you assembled a plastic model airplane kit. .. remember those?
Using the sanding block, gently remove these tabs.
Don't sand into the panel!
Glue the scarfs together on the rubrails. There are two long sections and a short section, with scarf
joints where they 're glued together. Use a bit of scrap wood as a "splint" to ensure that you' ve
aligned the scarfs to create straight sections of rubrail. Cover the scrap of wood with packing tape to
keep it from getting glued in with the rest. Protect the floor with a bit of plastic.
Mix 3oz. of epoxy and thicken it with silica powder to a mustard (yellow, not Dijon) consistency.
For each scarf joint, coat both surfaces and clamp the wood securely. Use the scraps of wood as
stiffeners along the joints.
Allow to cure for 24 hours at 75 degrees F before moving the rails to a safe spot in your shop.
11
Assembling the Puzzle Joints
The Annapolis Wherry has five strakes, or planks, on each side. Each of these consists of two long
sections and a short aft section. Identify the parts of each strake and lay them out on your workbench
or floor. You can work on the floor, but your back and knees will thank you if you put a couple of
4x8 sheets of plywood atop sawhorses to form a big, temporary workbench for scatf gluing.
Because it's vitally important that the panels for the left and right sides come out symmetrically, you
will glue the matching left and right panels in a stack, one atop the other, at the same time.
For each set of panels, mix 2oz. of epoxy
and thicken it with silica powder to a
mustard consistency.
Brush the thickened epoxy on to all edges
of the puzzle joint.
12
Puzzle Joint Alignment
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The left and right panels must be separated at each puzzle joint with a sheet of plastic or waxed paper. Gluing the lefts and rights together at this stage would not be funny. (We've done it.)
13
On certain panels you may find that the
thin rabbetted edge does not lay flat and
line up at the puzzle joint. These sections
will need to be clamped while the epoxy
cures.
Place the left and right panels back to
back (put plastic or waxed paper in
between!) with the rabbets together. We
use small binder clips (from your office
supply store) to keep the rabbets flat.
Note that we've added another small scrap of plastic to prevent gluing the binder clip to the panel.
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14
Carefully screw a clamping pad down on the puzzle joint with the drywall screws. Make sure
you've got a piece of plastic protecting the clamping pad from the epoxy, or you ' ll have to chisel it
off tomorrow.
If you cannot clamp the joint with screws, set a bucket with 10-15 LBS of sand on the clamping pad.
Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours at 75 degrees F.
15
When the epoxy has cured, sand
off any that has squeezed out of
the joints. Also sand or scrape
off any glue in the rabbets or
grooves at the bottom edge of
the strake, but be careful not to
sand off any wood or to make
the strakes thinner by over-sandmg.
Where the strakes meet at the
bow, there is a notch known in
boatbuilding as a "gain." Sand
the "gain" on the bow edge of
the top 4 strakes (#2 through
#5). The "gain" is the taper in
the rabbet that al1ows the strakes
to come together smoothly at the
stem.
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16
Stitching the Hull Together
We begin hull assembly by drilling holes in the
hull panels.
Clamp the #1 panels together back-to-back.
Using a 1116" bit, drill holes 112" from the edge
every 6 inches around the entire the perimeter of
the #I panels.
NOTE: Repeat this step for the #2, #3 and #4
panels, with one important difference: On
panels 2, 3, and 4, we are drilling only the top
edge; the rabbetted edges are drilled later, during
assembly.
For stitching we'll need a bunch of
short lengths of copper wire. Cutting
the spools of wire included in the kit
into thirds yields the right length.
17
Connect the two #1 strakes at the keel line. Twist the
wires on the outside of the hull, leaving the stitches a bit
loose for now.
In order to wire on the next panel, we'll need to drill
holes in the #2 strake that correspond to the holes in the
#1 strake. Begin lining up the panels from the bow.
The new holes should be drilled just above the rabbet,
about 1116" from the edge. This allows the wire to pull
the plank firmly into the rabbet.
Stitch the planks together from bow to stem, adding a
few wires at a time. This will prevent the panel from
slipping forward or aft and forcing you to redrill.
To join the panels, drill a new hole next to the existing one.
Note that the panel ends are even.
18
Here, the #1 strakes are wired together
and we have begun to add the port #2
strake.
A correct wire stitch, as seen from the outside
(the boat is upside down in this photo).
Here, the #4 right strake is being attached.
Note the clamp on the sawhorse (far right
foreground in photo), which will help you
manage unruly panels as you add them to the
boat. A human helper is even better.
19
Attach the #3, #4, and #5
panels in the same manner.
Notice that we've allowed
the bow ends of the #1
planks to overlap for the
moment. Like the skin
of a banana, the Annapolis Wherry's strakes will
resist lying flat as they
are connected around the
edges.
With all five planks wired together, you can bring
the planks together at the stem and fasten port and
starboard sides together.
When viewed from the front, the assembled stem
should be a straight line. "Splinting" the stem with
some scraps of wood and clamps will force everything into line while you epoxy the interior.
20
Don't be surprised to see some "stair-stepping," as seen on the left. Later, after the epoxy has cured,
it will be very easy to sand the stem to the smooth profile on the right.
The transom is next. It'll be a snug fit, and will
require some patient work with drill and copper
wire to fasten into place. The transom fits inside the
strakes, and it's okay for there to be some overhang
of the strakes if the transom fits better that way.
Here's the transom wired in place.
21
With stem and transom fastened in
place, you will add the four bulkheads to provide stiffness and shapmg.
The measurements on the plans are
from the stem, measured straight
down the centerline of the boat. To
transfer the measurements down to
the keel, use an ordinary builder's
square, as shown.
Here's a closeup of the tape measure and square in action.
Extreme precision with bulkhead
placement isn't necessary, but we
find that they fit pretty well so try
to get them within a half-inch or so.
If the bulkheads are fighting you,
try adjusting the distance between
the sawhorses supporting the boat.
More or less "rocker" or fore-andaft curve will affect bulkhead fit.
Bulkheads are stitched in place with copper wire. Each
stitch will require three holes: one in the bulkhead, and
two in the planking (one hole on either side of the bulkhead). Thread the wire through all three holes and twist
the wires on the outside.
You don't need a stitch on every strake. Two or three on
each side of the boat is typical. We suggest a helper to
hold the bulkhead while you drill and stitch.
"Frame 2" and "Frame 3" look a lot alike---"Frame 2" is
the deeper of the two frames.
22
Gluing the Hull
Make yourself a "filleting tool," which looks like a very large
popsicle stick or tongue depressor, with about a l -inch round
on the end of it. Use thin scrap wood or stiff plastic.
Gluing begins with the transom and stem.
Mix resin, hardener, and wood flour to a
"peanut butter" consistency. The right texture
is important. This should be "creamy peanut
butter," not chunky or watery. As a simple
test, you're ready to apply the epoxy as soon
as it's too thick to run off the mixing stick.
Spread the epoxy in a neat fillet around the
inside seams of the transom.
Apply a generous epoxy fillet to
the inside of the stem. The fillet
should run from top to bottom, and
back about eight inches along the #1
panels.
Before you move on, use a spreader
or mixing stick to remove the top
of the fillets at the bow and stern so
that breasthook and quarter knees
may be fitted. (See page 29.)
Clean up any excess epoxy as it's
terribly difficult to sand once cured!
23
With a helper, gently turn the hull over before the epoxy fillets cure.
This is the first of several opportunities to make sure your hull isn't twisted. Trust your eyeballs on
this. If the boat doesn't look twisted, it probably isn't.
Good
Bad
Make sure the sawhorses are perpendicular to the centerline of the hull. Sight down the hull from
the bow and make sure you're seeing a shape like the one on the left. Those "splints" you applied
back on page 20 are helpful for eyeballing the plumb of the stem.
Same story with the stern. Adjusting the sawhorse is one strategy for correcting any twist in the hull.
You can also simply take hold of the hull and overtwist in the opposite direction to effect a correction. We've found over many years that the Annapolis Wherry is hard to build with a twist in it.
24
With the hull settled on
the sawhorses, make
sure you or the kids can't
knock it off the marks.
We'll make a new epoxy mixture this time:
mix resin, hardener and
silica (the white powder)
to achieve a "mustard"
consistency, just thin
enough to draw into your
syringes.
Inject epoxy into the open seams,
filling them right up to the top.
We've found that one application in
all the seams might not be enough;
you can come back the next day
after the first run and finishing filling
the seams.
Ideal
Fill the keel seam with epoxy as shown on
the right.
When the epoxy has cured, clip all of the
wires except for the ones holding in the four
bulkheads.
25
Okay
Bad
Filleting the Frames and Bulkheads
Mask off the frames and
bulkheads, leaving about
3/4"of wood exposed on
either side of the joint.
You can set the frames
in on their marks to see
where to tape on the interior of the hull. You will
remove this tape after the
fi !lets are in place and
tooled smooth.
Mix a medium to large
batch of epoxy and ·
thicken with wood flour
to a peanut butter consistency. Cut the corner of
your E-Pastry bag a bit
larger (1/4") and load it
up. Squeeze a large bead
out on both sides of the
bulkheads.
Note that we didn't apply the tape in most of
these photos .. and yes, we paid the price in
extra sanding!
Next, run a fat bead along the bottom of the
frames and clamp them in place on their
marks. Keep going until the bag is empty.
Here you may need to run a strap around
the boat to pull the gunnels in to meet the
frames.
Smooth the fillet. Keep your work neat. If
the wood flour pulls and leaves a rough finish, slow down and wobble the tool to get the
material to "float". With a bit of practice, you
will get a smooth, even fillet.
26
'Glassing the Hull Interior
-- ----..... -~
The Annapolis Wherry is stiffened with a layer of fiberglass that covers the bottom four planks in
the inside of the hull. You'll need to create a small epoxy fillet in the keel and in the seam between
strake #1 and strake #2 so that the fabric flows smoothly over those seams.
Apply masking tape along the lower edge of
strake #3 to protect it from the fiberglass.
We mixed woodftour with resin and hardener to create a "peanut butter" consistency blend. With
the mixed epoxy transferred to an ordinary
freezer bag, you can dispense it neatly into
the seam in an even bead. Smooth the epoxy
with a plastic spreader (below).
27
Before the epoxy cures, cut rectangles of fiberglass to fit in each of
the five "compartments." Spread
the fabric neatly on the bottom of
the hull.
The fabric needs to be absolutely smooth at
this stage, with no wrinkles or bubbles obvious.
Trim the fabric along your masking tape.
We haven't trimmed the aft compartment fabric
yet in this photo. Notice that the fiberglass is
fully in contact with the epoxy everywhere, and
smoothed so that there are no wrinkles.
28
Mix resin and hardener, about eight
ounces total , this time without any
thickener. Pour it into the bottom
of the hull and use a flexible plastic
spreader to distribute the epoxy.
You'll need several batches of epoxy.
Better to make many small cups than
have one large batch kick off before
you've gotten it into the boat.
You want a very specific texture on
this first coat of epoxy. The fiberglass should tum clear, with no white
or gray areas, but the weave of the
fabric should remain prominent. If
you've put too much epoxy in the
hull, you'll see a glossy pool and the
fabric will float off the wood. Use
the spreader to "wet out" the fabric
and disperse the excess.
When the epoxy has cured, cut the excess fabric off with a sharp razor knife
and peel the masking tape.
29
Installing the Breasthook and Quarter Knees
The breasthook is fitted
next. We've done most
of the fitting for you.
-· --......__...
___
-----
-----~-._,...._.,._
Use epoxy thickened with
silica to a paste consistency for this clamped,
wood-to-wood joint. The
small hole is an optional
spot to tie a bowline to,
handy in this case for a
bar clamp.
30
The quarter knees work the
same way. Use epoxy thickened with silica to a paste
consistency, and a few spring
clamps.
We find that they fit extremely
well right out of the box.
31
'Glassing the Hull Bottom
With the epoxy cured, you can
smooth up the bow and stem. We
use a disk grinder to smooth up the
bow in a big hurry. Anything with
80-grit on it will work, as will a
coarse wood rasp.
Be careful when sanding
the transom. It's easy to
dig into the face veneer of
the transom, which most
builders will be varnishing.
When you've got the planks
close to flush, switch to
finer sandpaper and a lighter
duty machine.
32
To prepare the bottom for fiberglass,
smooth off the keel and round the
stem into a "bullet" shape. Fiberglass
won't tolerate a sharp comer; the stem
in particular needs to be a smooth
radius.
Only the #1 strakes are fiberglassed on the exterior. Use masking tape to protect the edges of
strake #2, then roll out a long, narrow rectangle of
fabric as shown.
Here's the treatment at the bow. Your
masking tape should stop about 2 inches
short of the bow. The fiberglass continues all of the way up the bow, covering an inch-and-a-half on either side as
shown. Trim off the excess along the
length of the boat.
33
Mix up about eight ounces of epoxy and wet out the
fabric using a plastic spreader. As before, you want
the fabric clear for the first coat, with the weave still
prominent, but no white or cloudy sections.
Saturate the fiberglass right out to the seam
between #1 and #2 strakes. Switch to a
brush for the vertical stem.
34
When the epoxy has cured, trim off the
extra fabric with a razor knife, and peel up
the tape. If the tape has gotten glued in
place, you can knock off the gooey inside
corner with a sanding block, and the tape
will come up easily.
35
Installing the Outwales
Begin the installation of rails by sanding the scarf joints smooth.
If you have a helper, it's possible to laminate both layers of the outwales onto the side of the hull at once. This requires careful choreography and efficiency of motion, for example, applying epoxy to
both layers at once.
For a less hectic installation, you may glue on one layer at a time.
Use epoxy thickened with silica to a paste consistency.
You will need a temporary screw at the
bow and stern, where you can't get a
clamp around the rail, as seen here. We
use an ordinary drywall screw, carefully
predrilled to avoid splitting.
You'll need clamps---lots of them. Buy
them, borrow them, make them, but fasten them at about 6 to 8-inch intervals.
You can trim the excess length at the
stern later.
Note, in this photo, we were being cowboys and applied bottom fiberglass and
the rails on the same day. It's easier to
put the rails on with the boat upright.
36
- 1
....
Installing the Skeg
A helper is required to install the skeg.
Begin by locating the skeg on the exterior
of the hull. Make a mark for four screws,
evenly spaced over the length of the skeg.
Drill a 118" pilot hole through the keel from
the outside of the hull.
37
With your helper(s) holding the skeg rigidly on center and plumb, crawl under the
hull and pre-drill for the four screws with
a countersinking bit. We use three longer
and one shorter #8 screws. We recommend
a dry run of this procedure before mixing
epoxy, including driving the screws to make
sure you have them on center in the thin
plywood skeg.
The skeg is glued in place with epoxy thickened
to a "peanut butter" consistency with wood flour.
Dab some on the skeg before screwing it down.
Next, make up a "popsicle stick" filleting tool and
create a large epoxy fillet between skeg and hull
bottom. This will provide 90% of the strength of
the skeg installation.
Is your skeg curved, or leaning to one side? Splint the
skeg with a stick of wood to
straighten out any curve, and
use a bit of duct tape as shown
to make sure it's plumb. Once
the epoxy cures it'll never
move again.
38
Installing the Seats and Flotation Tanks
Count on working the edges of the
bow and stern seats to fit well in the
hull. It's impossible to avoid some
variation in hull shape that makes
these odd fits. A sharp block plane
will dress the edges in a hurry.
When you've got good fits , trace the
top edge of the seats on the hull.
Set the seats in place, and mark
for the seat cleats. These cleats
will support the seats when you
glue them in.
The cleats are glued in place
with thickened epoxy (use silica
to make a pasty mixture). Drive
some drywall screws through the
cleats from the inside.
When the glue has cured, remove
the screws and patch the holes!
While the epoxy is curing on the
seat cleats, fit the thwarts. Like
the bow and stern seats, they'll
need a little rasping to fit perfectly.
39
When the seats are ready, mix
up epoxy with wood flour to a
smooth "peanut butter" consistency. Transfer the epoxy to a
freezer bag, snip one comer, and
dispense a smooth bead into all
of the comers. Use a filleting
tool to shape epoxy fillets.
Yes, you'll need to fillet the
undersides of the thwarts---wait
until the top sections have cured,
turn the boat over on the horses,
kneel on the floor, and apply the
underside fillets.
Don't forget to seal the undersides of the
bow and stem seats with unthickened epoxy before you glue them down!
You can use weights to
hold these seats in place
while you apply large,
clean epoxy fillets between
seat and hull.
40
Sanding the Interior
Varnish won't stick to unsanded
epoxy, and there's a lot ofunsanded
epoxy in the interior of the
Annapolis Wherry. Now you'll
discover the origin of the cliche:
"Boatbuilding is 9 5% sanding. "
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Start out with 120-grit to get the really ugly blobs flattened out. Be careful about cutting
through the plywood---that surface veneer is pretty thin.
Any exposed wood should be resealed with unthickened epoxy.
Simple sanding blocks are ideal for getting into the tricky corners, and for cleaning up
fillets. Varnish won't hide anything!
41
This pretty much sums up the sanding experience: lots of little nooks and crannies to patiently
address.
Here's a shot of the breasthook, sanded
smooth. You can also see the smooth
"bullnose" or bullet shape rasped and
sanded into the ends of the rails.
When you have sanded the interior to your
satisfaction, you must apply two thick
coats of unthickened epoxy over the entire
interior and exterior of the Annapolis
Wherry. This will seal bare wood and fill
the weave of the fiberglass. This coating
of epoxy, which saturates the okoume
plywood, is essential for the longevity of
your Wherry and will provide a hard base
for the varnish.
The top edges of the planks in the interior
of the boat, in particular, are sources for
water staining. Make sure the endgrain
of the plywood is completely sealed with
clear epoxy.
42
Sanding, Priming, and Painting
While we've seen every color ofthe rainbow and a wild array of finishing schemes on Annapolis
Wherries, most builders elect to paint the hull a light color and varnish the interior. We find that
a white hull shows the Wherry's beautiful shape to best advantage, the laps casting shadows that
accentuate the shape ofthe hull. This effect is lost on a dark or varnished hull.
To paint the hull, you must sand
all of the epoxy until you achieve
a uniform gray-white effect. 120grit paper is the last stage if you
plan to apply a paint primer, which
is highly recommended for the
marine polyurethane paints we
use at Chesapeake Light Craft.
220-grit is the last stage for any
surface to be varnished. Before
you paint or varnish, wipe the hull
thoroughly with clean rags and
denatured alcohol to remove any
contaminants.
Be careful not to expose any bare
wood during final sanding. Bare
patches must be recoated with
epoxy, then sanded again.
We recommend a coat of primer
on painted hulls. When sanded
smooth with 220-grit sandpaper,
primer will yield a somewhat
splotchy--but very smooth--surface like this (right). We chose
to finish the top strake of this
Passagemaker Dinghy with varnish,
so we had to apply masking tape to
that seam.
43
You should apply a minimum of two coats of finish paint on the hull. Short of a spray booth,
the best way to get a perfectly smooth surface is to roll on the paint with a thin-nap foam roller,
followed seconds later by a foam brush or fine brush to "tip out" the bubbles left by the roller. The
roller applies the paint in a uniform, even film; the brush pops the bubbles. (These photos are of a
Passagemaker Dinghy.)
It works best if one person rolls while the other "tips," as seen below, so that you maintain a "wet
edge" and don't leave brush marks in the fast-drying polyurethane.
Between coats, sand the paint with
220-grit sandpaper. The truly
obsessive can obtain a deeper gloss
by wetsanding.
See www.clcboats.com for lots
more about painting.
44
Varnishing the Interior
Varnishing works a lot like painting. First, all epoxy surfaces must be sanded to a gray-white
texture. (It will turn clear again as soon as you apply varnish.) Varnish won't stick to glossy epoxy,
nor will it hide bumps or inconsistencies in the surface.
Anything you're varnishing wil1 need to be finish-sanded with 220-grit sandpaper. Varnish won't
cover the cuts and swirls left behind by coarser paper.
When you're done with sanding, thoroughly clean every surface with denatured alcohol and clean
rags. It takes at least three coats of varnish to look glossy and protect the epoxy from UV rays.
(Don't be tempted to take epoxied surfaces
outdoors for more than a day or two without UV
protection.)
We recommend Interlux Schooner Varnish for
its ease of application, high gloss, and mellow
amber color.
The key to applying the high quality marine
varnishes like Interlux Schooner Varnish is
getting it on in very thin, uniform coats. If
you put too much on, the varnish will run and
sag. We find that quality foam brushes are the
best way to put on very thin coats of varnish--without a lot of practice, bristle brushes hold too
much varnish.
Sand lightly between coats of varnish
with 220-grit sandpaper.
The reward for all this patience is an
expanse of varnished okoume that,
thanks to the rigid coating of epoxy
protecting the wood, will last a very
long time.
Make sure to use masking tape over the
paint---varnish will discolor the paint.
(Right)
45
Outfitting
The flotation tanks at bow and
stern should be ventilated with
drain plugs. Simply drill a hole
for the drain plugs and drive
in the screws, with a dab of
silicone beneath the flange to
seal the plug. Loosen the plugs
whenever you store the boat
to equalize air pressure in the
tanks and to prevent moisture
from condensing out of the
trapped air.
The Piantedosi sliding seat unit sits on top of the thwarts, and is through-bolted with a 114-20
machine screw at each thwart,_fastened with wing nuts on the underside. To reinforce the thwarts,
epoxy a rectangle of wood beneath each seat. The drawing drawing on this and the following page
will help you properly install the Piantedosi unit.
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46
47
Send us pictures!
info@clcboats.com
48
ANNAPOLIS WHERRY
WOOD PARTS ONLY KIT
FRAME 1
FWD THWART
FAJ\ME 2
FINO T.ANKTO?
AFTTANKTOP
AFT T HWART
FRAMe 3
TRANSill.l
SKEG
BREASTHOOK
WO.RMSHOE
Ol)ARTER KNEES
PL'I'WOOD CLEATS
PLA~$
49
AtJJO INSTRUCTIONS
Annapolis Wherry Accessories
These are a small selection ofour tools, supplies and accessories. Call410.267.0137
or visit www.dcboats.com for pricing and ordering information.
A Small Boat Dolly
A
B. Outfit PFD by Kokatat
C. Harken Boat Hoist
D. Trailex Lightweight Small Boat Trailer
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Boatbuilding Tools
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Low Angle Block Plane (1-3/8" x 6")
Bullnose Rabbet Plane (1 - 118" x 4")
Stanley Spokeshave
Warerstone
Japanese Saw
Bonsai Saw
Super-hard Mi lled Scraper (set of 4)
Slid ingT-Bevel (l/2" x 6-1/4" x 7")
Plastic Epoxy Spreader
Epoxy Syringe
Shinto Saw Rasp
MAS Rapid Cure Mini Kit
MAS Handy Repair Kit
Finishing
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(Yellow, Fire Red, Sea Green, Dark Blue,
Hatteras Off-White, White, Sapphire Blue,
Black. Other colors available.)
Incerlux Schooner Varnish
Inrerlux Goldspar Sarin Varnish
Chip Brush
Foam Brush
Roller Frame
Foam Roller Covers
Fine Line Tape
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Other Accessories
Be prepared, be safe. The Touring Safety
Kit will pull you through d1e common
emergencies you'll encounter. For the beginner or the expert paddler, this kit includes
a bilge pump, whistle, signal mirror, paddle ·,'
float, paddle leash and a boat sponge all conveniently packaged inside a Mesh Deck Bag.
N RS Deluxe Touring Safety Kit
NRS Signal Mirror & Whistle
€
NRS Eco Flare
CHESAPEAKE LIGH T CRAFT
The Zen of Wooden
Kayak Building
If you have a kayak or
any other light craft,
you need roof racks.
With modern cars, the
old-fashioned stamped-metal variety just won't do it, either. The safety of the beauriful boat you built, and of the
other drivers on the
road, depends on a
secure cartopping
system. Chesapeake
Light Craft now
carries the Thule
(TOO-lay) line of
p remium-quality
roof racks that can
fir any car.
TH UI.E
I lmv /{1 IJuild (J J,.ightu:~:l.ght Srtz K~
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Chesapeake Ligh t Craft has
years of experience producing stitch-and-glue sea kayak
designs that are easy to build
and a joy to paddle. More
C hesapeake Light Craft
kayaks have been builr from
plans and kits than any other.
We've always said it's easy to
build a stitch-and-glue kayak.
Now watch how easy it is!
W ith clear visuals and engaging wit, boatbuilder John
Harris takes you step-by-step
from a p ile of parts to an elegantly varnished Chesapeake
~===~fMii!!!.IIJII"' 16 kayal<. And your new skills
I
apply to any wood-epoxy
small boat.
GPS/Cell Phone Case
Wildly popular waterproof padded case with
roll-down top for GPS units, cell phones, or
other similar size electronic devices. Phones
may be dialed and used and GPS units operated while sealed inside the case. Foam flotation; includes clips for securing to boats.
99% of boat trailer stores specialize in just one iliing: trailers for powerboats. Ask them for a kayak or canoe trailer
and you'll get a funn y look. After endless requests, we
found a source for light trailer kits made just for those of
us with kayaks or small boats. These trailers fit smallcraft
like the Jimmy Skiff or Skerry, and up to four kayaks.
Best of all, these trailers are shipped via UPS right to yo ur
door and are quick to
assemble. Trailex trailers
a re solid aluminttm, making them easy to move
around your yard. And
they won't rust!
NRS Ricksack Dry Bags
The RicksacPM series provides me advantage of a see-through bag with the added
durability of a thread-reinforced PVC body.
In fact, we consider this the most durable
transparent bag on the market. StormSrripTM vinyl closure system combined with
stiff PVC band folds down to create an
incredibly dry seal.
Chart Case
Keeps maps, charts, and travel documents
dry, protected and accessible. Non-glare
vinyl with rolled closure. 12" x 18".
51
Paddles, Oars and Rudders
Feathercraft Single Rudder Kit (Kl)
If you paddle in stro ng winds, big seas,
or with heavy loads, a rudder is inval uable. This well made surf rudder kit includes everything you'll need to instaU
a foot steering system in any of our
boats. Kit includes blade, adjustable
footbraces, cables, lift line, hardware,
and V-block for securing stowed blade.
Feathercraft Double Rudder Kit (K2)
As above, but larger blade, for
doubles or sailing singles.
Piantedosi Row Wing
Arguably the best sliding seat
unit in the sport, the Piantedosi's
monorail design is simple, elegant, and sriff, with an exceptionally smooth feel. D esigned
and built by a former Olympic
rower. Supplied with Concept 2
oarlocks.
Kalliste Foam Core by Werner
Quite simply, the Kalliste is the
ultimate low angle touring paddle.
By combining an advanced foam core
design with a mid-size blade, Werner
developed an amazing paddle with the
perfect combination of gentle power
and a smooth easy stroke. The bent
shaft aligns your wrists for reduced
fatigue.
This paddle is strong but bizarrely,
eerily light in your hands - 26 ounces.
If you're currently using a 36-ounce
paddle, you're lifting an extra 10
ounces per stroke. At a medium stroke
rate, that's an extra I ,685 pounds per
hour! No wonder you're tired after you
paddle. Make the leap to a paddle this
light, and you'll never paddle anything
heavy again.
Camano by Werner
This classic Low
Angle touring paddle
has stood the rest of
rime by combining
the best balance of
light weight, durability, and smooth
forward strokes. Light
swing weight reduces
fatigue and signatu re
dihedral/asymmetry
creates smootl1 forward strokes for aliday comfort. Bright
translucent colors
increase visibility.
Available in Yel1ow
and Orange.
52
Toe Pilot Foot Control (Smart Track
System)
This footbrace and rudder control assembly includes ergonomically designed,
two-part foo t pedals that offer significant advantages over anything else on
the market. Unlike other systems, your
feet don't slide back and forth to steer.
The lower half of the pedals is locked in
position so you remain in a solid brace
at all the times. Steering is accomplished
by minme pressure from your toes to the
top half of the pedals. Even while seated,
pedal position is easily adjusted for differ-
0
enr users. Pedals cannot be accidentally
dislodged and the track design prevents
sand build-up.
Super Comp Lites by Chesapeake Rowing
Supplied to our specifications by Chesapeake Rowing. These graphite and
unidirectional fiberglass sculls feature a
double-tapered square section design that
is both very light and very stiff. Traditional Macon blades. For sliding seat rowing
boats.
Spoon Blade Oars
Beautiful, nicely balanced spoon blade
oars carved from Sitka Spruce and dipvarnished. We bring these in from Barkley
Sound, in British Columbia. For fixedseat rowing boats. Available sizes: 8' oars
(Skerry), at 7-1/2' (Jirruny Skiff) and
6-l/2' (Eastport Pram).
The Last Page
CLC T-shirts
Visit clcboats.com for a full
selection of our t-shirts.
CLCCap
The curring edge of fashion
and comfort. With the CLC
paddler.
Even More Products at
www.clcboats.com!
!.'•
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Visit our Huge Website at
www.clchoats.com!
Not only will you find more photographs and details
about our products, but you can:
Order online
Read back issues of"Notes From Our Shop"
'
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Study page after page of building tips
r..;;;:: •
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··...
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Email photos to info@clcboats.com
or mail a CD or prints to:
Chesapeake Light Craft, LLC
1805 George Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Participate in the CLC Forum
Learn abouc shows, classes and events
Follow the shop action on the "ShopCam''
Find om about special offers and sales
53
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT
THE BEST BOATS YOU CAN BU I LD.-
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT
1805 George Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
TEL. 410.267.0137
FAX. 410.267.5689
For shipping quotes and ordering assistance,
e-mail us at info@clcboats.com
For answers to technical questions, e-mail us at info@clcboats.com