How we fit a clinker Plank

There are lots of different ways to go about this. The following is the procedure we follow and teach to participants of our workshops. It is the way learned it from our inspiring teachers at IBTC.

A spile board is prepared - ideally this is a straight grained plank thicknessed to 5 or 6mm. Pieces can be joined ( with temporary screws) to make up the whole length of the boat - but best results are obtained if the spile board is one piece and fits the desired position approximately.
It is pegged into place carefully, using clamps only at the bow and transom. Adjustements are made until removing a peg does not cause the board to bulge or slip out of position.

Care is taken that the spile board comes up to the moulds and that it lies fair on the lap of the previous plank.
From the inside of the boat, a pencil line is marked along the top edge of the previous plank.
Each mould position is marked.
The stem angle is marked using a dummy stick along the rabbet.

The spile board is then removed and placed onto the lumber. Using a dummy stick, the top edge of the previous plank is marked out. Plank widths are measured at the mould positions, stem and transom. These marks are then faired with a batten.

The plank is then cut out on the bandsaw, planed to shape and thicknessed.
The forward brow ( bottom edge) is cut, and the overlap is marked all along the inner, bottom edge of the plank. It is then offered up to the boat and adjusted until it fits.

The plank is then removed. The top edge diminishing rebates are cut fore and aft and the aft bottom edge brow is planed on. For more details click here.

The inside of the plank is sanded and the top inside edge is chamfered.
A bedding compound such as sikaflex is used at stem and transom.

For an intersting article on repairing clinker planking, follow this link.

Rigging Workshop with Professional Rigger 21st & 22nd of April

Materials sponsored by

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your running rigging?
Learn to make professional braid on braid as well as rope on wire splices using hi-tec ropes including spectra and dyneema.
Get the details, skills and ideas needed to get your rig functional, easy to maintain and longer lasting.

This intense, 2-day workshop will be presented by Francis Segretier, who is a professional sailor and rigger. he is also the coach of the Irish para-olympic sailing team


Date: 21st & 22nd of April
Time: 10am-4pm
Cost:   €200
Tools and materials provided
Light lunch included.

For booking and info contact: ruiandanke@gmail.com
tel: 0868243073

Traditional Clinker Planking 30th March - 1st April

The students of our last workshops have built a beautiful backbone and fitted those tricky gardboards. Join us in our upcoming workshop on traditional clinker planking.
Learn how to:
~ Mark out the planking widths to ensure beautiful lines.
~ spile to obtain the true shape of a plank
~ plane rebates and brows
~ "clink" copper nails to fasten the planking together.


All shaping, planing and cutting will be carried out using hand tools - some prior knowledge of basic hand skills is required.

To learn more about our method of clinker planking click here.

After careful fitting the plank is finally fastened
using the clenched copper nails and rooves

Tools and materials will be provided

Dates: Upcoming: 30th March - 1st April
                               12th - 14th April
                               26th - 28th April
           Contact us for dates that suit you!
Time: 10am - 4pm
Cost: €300

The workshop is limited to four places. Please send a deposit of €100 to secure your place.

Contact us by email: ruiandanke@gmail.com

or by phone: 0868243073 or 0861725550

Learn how to apply our localised steaming technique.

Patterns,Moulds and Backbones: 19-22 January

The Follow-on: From theory to practice!

In this intense, hands-on workshop you will learn how to start building a boat using its lofted full-sized drawings.Learn to make patterns and moulds directly from the drawings, and use them to shape and assemble all members of the backbone of the boat.
All shaping, planing and cutting will be carried out using hand tools - some prior knowledge of basic hand skills is required.

Tools and materials will be provided.

Date: 19-22 January

Time: 10am-4pm

Cost: €350

The workshop is limited to six places. Please send a deposit of €100 to secure your place.

Contact us by email:  ruiandanke@gmail.com

or by phone: 0868243073   or 0861725550

Course Schedule

Day1:

• Pattern and mould making
  

Day2:

•  Shaping Stem, Apron, keel, hog, deadwood and transom.
• Transferring and planing on bevels and chamfers
• Cutting and fitting scarf joints

Day3:

• Preparing copper bolts
• Assembling backbone

Day4

• Setting up moulds and backbone ready for planking

Lofting Workshop 17-19 November

Presented by Rui Ferreira and Anke Eckardt

Learn how to lift the lines of an old wooden boat and develop them into full size drawings.

Lofting is not only of interest to the enthusiastic boatbuilder. It is essentially the skill of drawing an irregular 3D shape in full sized detail and is therefore of interest to a wide range of disciplines such as Technical Drawing, Construction, Woodwork, Craft and Design.

We will provide you with the knowledge and skill required to create drawings suitable for pattern and mould making, which are required to start building a boat. This workshop will be followed by a series of others designed to lead participants through the whole process of building a boat.

Tools,materials and course notes will be provided.

Workshop duration: 3 days 10am-4pm

Date: 17th,18th and 19th of November
Venue: Our workshop in Dereenalomane, Ballydehob, Co.Cork

Cost: €250

The workshop is limited to 6 students, booking is essential.
Book by email: ruiandanke@gmail.com
or by phone: 00353861725550
Click here for an application form
A €100 deposit is required to secure your place.

Course Schedule

Day 1:

• Setting up lofting grids
• Taking lines off an existing boat and transferring them to drawing board

Day 2:

• Plotting the Body Plan
• Setting out waterlines
• Plotting Buttock lines
• Setting out diagonals

Day 3:

• Development of Transom
• Development of Stem and Keel sections
• Creating a table of offsets