Getting Started

So, the first thing to do is do get the framing set up.  Lots of thoughts about boat shapes, curvature in the panels, amount of rocker etc etc.  I am not going to push the boat out, so to speak, on my first OK Dinghy, but will tend towards a shape I have in my mind........  What is this shape?
Well, as little rocker as possible, straighten the chines as much as possible (without going to the limits of tolerances).  I will try to lower the chine towards the bow and add curvature to the bottom panels (but not to the max!).  There is a great article on 'Completely OK' which discusses hull shapes, and I have had some great advice from folks in Australia who have recently built wooden boats.
To be honest, hull shape will never make any difference to my sailing, as  know I will not put in the time on the water to ensure that I always get a good start, out to the right side of the beat, get all the shifts right and generally sail the boat properly!  It will be much more important that I have a sound boat, that measures!!!
Putting curvature in the panels is a 'free' way of adding stiffness to the hull, as curved plywood panels are way stiffer than flat, straight panels.
Framing will all be red cedar, which is very light, and chines, stringers, deck beams etc will be obeche, again light.
Bottom panels, bulkheads and centreboard case sides will be 6mm ply, top panels will be 5mm ply and the decks will be 4mm sapele ply (which looks fantastic).
Epoxy will be used for all bonding and the boat will be coated in epoxy too.
I have not yet thought about things like side deck shape, mast material or deck layout.  Unlike other classes I have sailed, there is some flexibility in these areas.  I will be going for overdeck controls though - too messy, complicated, expensive and 'retro' to go for through deck controls.
I am sure nobody is interested in a picture of some sheets of plywood and planks, but as soon as the frames start going up, so will the pictures!!!

Plywood, cedar, obeche et al...........

Thanks to Alastair Duffin, who probably makes some of the best, most competitive and certainly the most beautiful GP 14s going, for all the help and advice about plywood, and wood in general......
Hopefully it will all pay off.

The Background..........

Once upon a time, I used to do quite a lot of sailing in Greystones SC, about 20 miles south of Dublin, on the Irish east coast.  I raced Enterprises, Lasers, Laser 2s (showing my age now!) and occassionally stood on the foredeck on J24s.

I built Enterprises (http://www.sailenterprise.org.uk/), a double chined wooden dinghy in he past, stopped sailing for over 15 years and am now back sailing in East Down YC, about 20 miles south of Belfast.

I sail a 'Wayfarer' dinghy (http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/), big and heavy, but have always wanted to build a dinghy to sail again............and decided on the OK Dinghy.

I have had great advice from a few people, especially on the far side of the world, a special thanks to Colin Lynch for all advice so far.........

Well, here goes...................back into the world of building.

I will keep this blog up to date with my thoughts, wonderings and decisions, as well as photos of the build progress.  If all goes well, I will be sailing a new OK Dinghy this summer (famous last words.......)

The plan................

Sometime before Christmas, I had a fit of the headstaggers and decided to I needed to build a dinghy again.  For some reason, I decided on an OK Dinghy (check out http://www.okdinghy.co.uk/ and http://www.okdia.org/ for more information).

This blog will follow the progress of turning a pile of plywood sheets and some planks, into a small sailing dinghy.

Follow this blog to check out the progress and please feel free to comment.

Trevor