DABCHICK ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA

PART 8DABCHICK BUILDING NOTES

These building notes are designed for the person who has never built a Dabchick before, but mayhave useful tips for the experienced builder. It is recommended that the first time builders have acareful look at competitive Dabchicks and talk to the owners of these boats with reference to anygood or bad pointers, and to do this frequently while building their boat.

1.MEASUREMENTS AND MATERIALS

1.1All measurements on the plan have a 15mm tolerance on either side, except where amaximum or minimum is stated. The wood sizes are only recommendations.1.24mm Plywood is recommended to keep the weight down, but 6mm plywood may also beused with fewer stringers.1.3ABE Epidermix 372 and 365 are recommended for the glueing work. 372 on stringers and365 on the ply edges and surfaces.1.4ABE Epidermix 389 is recommended for painting of inside of hull and underside of deck.In case of difficulties obtaining ABE Epidermix epoxies a good alternative, which is alsocheaper, is the Ivory series available from Ivory Industries “Epoxies for Yachties”. Theequivalent products are:

EpidermixIvoryType365320Slightly thicker than 365, good gap filling and can be used for all purposes.372319Similar consistency to 372.389340/5/LFLow Viscosity penetrating sealer. Apply 2 coats wet on wet to all surfaces.

Ivory also provides an excellent polyurethane (Ivory 400) that is much easier to use thanGlatex 8 and is more flexible. Libra also has a similar product viz PU. Type “A”1.5Material Requirements:a)Sheets of Marine Ply2440 x 12004½ sheetsb)Meranti centre board framing15 x 12 x 9004 off reqd.c)Meranti forward spine framing12 x 12 x 15004 off reqd.d)Meranti forward spine framing12 x 12 x 17504 off reqd.e)Meranti edge stringers12 x 12 x 35004 off reqd.f)Juluton bottom stringers18 x 12 x 38004 off reqd.g)Juluton bottom stringers 18 x 12 x 27504 off reqd.h)Juluton top stringers12 x 12 x 36504 off reqd.I)Juluton top stringers12 x 12 x 26502 off reqd. j)Juluton seating stringers12 x 12 x 11008 off reqd.k)Formica (suggested lining to centre board case)600 x 6001 off reqd.l)Jig3700 x 1100 wide1 off reqd.with positions of bulkheads, A,A1,B,C,D,E and bow located in relationto transom. A number of clamping devices are required to keep spinestraight and flat on jig as well as maintaining cross frames in position.N.B.Ensure that jig has adequate strength to take heavy loading from bricks/sand bagswhen fixing underside and deck to frames.It is recommended that the sheets of ply are weighed before purchase, as their mass canvary considerably. A mass of less than 5kg per 3mm sheet is desirable.

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2.PREPARATION

2.1Cutting wood for framing and stringers :If you have access to a radial-arm or circular saw and wish to cut the wood yourself, it isrecommended that you save by buying rough wood in the size 30 x 150 x 3850 mm whichcan be cut down easily.2.2Plywood and cutting lines for the bulkheads :4mm plywood is used for the bulkheads because it is lighter and easier to use accurately.Draw all the bulkheads on a sheet of plywood as shown on the plans. 4mm should besubtracted from the bulkhead measurements for bulkheads A,B,C,D,E and Transom toallow for the sides, deck and bottom skins. 8mm should be subtracted from the bulkheadmeasurement for bulkhead A1, to allow for butt joint backing plus sides, deck and bottomskins.2.3Centreboard case :Varnish the inside of the centreboard case before you glue the two halves together.Formica glued to the centreboard ply can be used as an alternative to varnishing as it ismaintenance free and provides added strength to centre board case.Glue top and bottom stringers to both sides of centreboard case allowing end projections toform joint with forward and aft spine. The stop-ends to centreboard case should be groovedto allow the ply forward and aft spines to be securely glued to them.The two halves of the centreboard case plus the stop-ends are glued together. Ensure thatthe inside of the centreboard case is not twisted when you glue the two halves together.2.4Forward and Aft Spines :Use 4mm ply for the spines and frame the top and bottom with Meranti stringers. Providesemi-circular cut-outs for bulkheads. (These are positioned at the measurement stations).Provide lightening holes taking into account the positions of the mast step strengtheningand jib attachment fixing blocks.2.5Bulkheads :12 x 12 Framing strips should be glued to bottom of bulkheads to increase the glueingsurface with the bottom.a)Cut the slots for the top and bottom stringers, side stringers, and spine.b)Cut holes in each bulkhead for about 40% of its area to reduce its mass.c)A 12 x 12 Jelutong framing strip should be glued round the edge of the transom toincrease the glueing area. The strip should overhang the ply and be sanded to correctangle to suit incoming angles of sides and bottom. When putting in the stringers youshould only cut grooves in the Jelutong and not the ply.d)Fit a central hardwood block on the transom for the rudder pintles or gudions. Thisshould be slotted to provide for the fitting and glueing of the aft spine to the transom.NB.Extreme care should be exercised when forming this connection as the forces onpintles and gudions are very high!!It is suggested that only the best pintles and gudions are used for the rudder as cheapvarieties are prone to failure.

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3.FITTING THE FIRST PARTS OF THE BOAT ON THE JIG

Contact your Association to try to borrow a jig, otherwise make one.3.1Ensure that the jig is level.3.2Glue the forward and aft spines to the centre board case and fix this assembly to the jig,ensuring that the top of the spine is straight.3.3Glue the bulkheads into the spine, then attach the bulkheads to the jig. Check thatbulkheads are upside down and that the larger side of centre board case is in front.3.4Glue the transom hardwood block to the aft spine and fix the transom into position on the jig.NB.Ensure that bulkheads are at correct measurement stations and that the edge heightof frames above jig are identical on either side.

4.FITTING THE BOW TO THE JIG

4.1The Bow is made by laminating strips of 4 x 4mm ply = (16mm) together. The grain of thebow strips must be vertical to enable one to bend them sufficiently. Adequate retaining stopblocks should be fixed to jig so as to ensure correct curvature of bow.4.2Laminate the bow strips into position allowing outside ply to pass aft of the bulkhead E andthe 3 inside plys to stop at bulkhead E. Half the perimeter of the bow is 637mm (maximumlength allowed), measured around the outside edge, from 3300mm from transom (bulkheadE) to the front centre of the bow. Screw front centre to spine. Screw through bulkhead Einto the 3 ply layer that has stopped short.

5.ATTACHING THE STRINGERS

5.1Stringers should be flush with bulkheads except that stringers at the A1 bulkhead stick outby 4mm.5.2Work from the inside out so as to prevent buckling of bulkheads.5.3Use wire as a clamp to hold the stringers in place when glueing them.5.4Stringers aft of bulkhead A1 and forward of bulkhead D are tapered to approximately half thickness so as to reduce weight.5.5Hold the stringers at the bow in place with a strip of wood over the stringers, at about 90degrees to the stringers, held in place by a clamp.5.6Recess stringers by 4mm at frame A1 and use 4mm ply backing for supports for the bottomand side.5.7Check the measurements of the bulkhead widths.