Terminology in Wood Boat Building for Amateur Builders
Most people build wood boats because they are cheap to make. Wood is an easily available material that can be used to make cheap boats that would be very buoyant and durable. As a matter of fact, wooden boats are normally used for sailing across rivers as well as for going to the sea.
When building a wooden boat, the most important structure is the hull. The hull is in fact the most important part of a boat, whether it be a wooden, or a steel boat. The hull can be shaped to form a smooth curve that will have no corners or alternatively the hull can be chinned to have corners.
A smooth curve hull is rounded and does not have corners. On the other hand, a chinned hull is a flat bottomed hull made with two distinct planks that meet at a sharp angle. This sharp angle in boat terminology is called a chine. Plywood is commonly used to make the chinned hulls.
Plywood boat building is a popular method nowadays for building boats. Ply on frame method of boat construction is the method where hulls are made to have one or more chines. Most amateur boat builders construct boats using the ply on frame method. Continue reading…