Jaager

My first thought:  Compared to the ships that they worked for, the pilot craft seem like large boats themselves.
The pilot craft were  both fast and maneuverable.   Some were in the 70-80 ft range in size.
The 1st launch of USS Vincennes was 35 ft. Not the same size  but not all that different either.
Rather than risk the hazard of two transfers, my thought is that the pilot vessel itself was able
to get close enough for direct transfer of the pilot.  This from the description of USS Sea Gull and
USS Flying Fish in the U.S. Ex. Ex. squadron given by N. Philbrick in SEA OF GLORY.
 
Then I did some research:   The topic is addressed in Vol. 1 of Tom Cunliffe's PILOTS.
Following its lead - I looked on the NRJ CD for volumes 1-40,  in Vol. 39.3  2 articles,  one by
Eric Ronnberg Jr. and one by Jeff Megerdichian  cover subject with information and plans
to allow scratch build of a pilot canoe/yawl that is likely as close as can be had.

I read that one way of holystoning a deck was : the stone was attached to 4 ropes and
4 crewmen moved it back and forth over the deck while spreading sand around it.  This
would essentially be sanding the deck.  Now - I have sanded a lot of species of wood. 
All it did was to return the wood surface to its native color.  Apart from Holy, no species turned white. 
Actual Holy would not be a realistic choice for a deck on a ship.  The holystoning would remove a
sun bleached/oxidized grey and would help remove splinters which would be bad for the bare feet of
the crewmen, as well as any tar stains from foot trafic - but how did this change the color of Pine or Fir or Oak to white? 

I read that one way of holystoning a deck was : the stone was attached to 4 ropes and
4 crewmen moved it back and forth over the deck while spreading sand around it.  This
would essentially be sanding the deck.  Now - I have sanded a lot of species of wood. 
All it did was to return the wood surface to its native color.  Apart from Holy, no species turned white. 
Actual Holy would not be a realistic choice for a deck on a ship.  The holystoning would remove a
sun bleached/oxidized grey and would help remove splinters which would be bad for the bare feet of
the crewmen, as well as any tar stains from foot trafic - but how did this change the color of Pine or Fir or Oak to white? 

I read that one way of holystoning a deck was : the stone was attached to 4 ropes and
4 crewmen moved it back and forth over the deck while spreading sand around it.  This
would essentially be sanding the deck.  Now - I have sanded a lot of species of wood. 
All it did was to return the wood surface to its native color.  Apart from Holy, no species turned white. 
Actual Holy would not be a realistic choice for a deck on a ship.  The holystoning would remove a
sun bleached/oxidized grey and would help remove splinters which would be bad for the bare feet of
the crewmen, as well as any tar stains from foot trafic - but how did this change the color of Pine or Fir or Oak to white? 

Wood that seems to be too brittle or splinters is probably because an unsuitable species was chosen by the kit company to begin with.
Living in a World of short lived manufactured items and plastics that either oxidize or continue to polymerize to brittleness over a short time span,
it is easy to forget that when harvested, some wood was already several hundred years old on the hoof. The rapid growing species are often too soft, or coarse, 
or contrasty, or easily split to be appropriate.  An exception seems to be various ornamental Pear. But their size and branch habits do not lend them
to commercial interest. They are essentially DIY.
The goal of seasoning is to get wood into a hydrated equilibrium with its ambient atmosphere. It can't get any dryer than that. 
If the kit has been stored in a humid environment, it could have been invaded by fungus and ruined, but the box would have all but disintegrated too.
Some members here have been on builds a lot longer than the 12 years your kit has been around.

My guess is that some the 17th - 18th c English model makers used Holly for decks
and/or someone closer to our time who was influential did and it got the
status it has.

Guessing that you are asking about AliExpress
 
Under  Home Improvement
is tool
try 12V DC motors
and drill chucks
also have water stones
 
They have low cost flex shafts with 1/4" sockets and chucks that mount there.
I needed for 1" / 2" / 3" bowl sander tools (hook & loop media mount)  ( PeachTree)- but I
bit the bullet and bought a Kirjes flex shaft from Lee Valley  to finish inside frame bevels
instead of the low cost Chinese  tools.
 
The cost is generally very low at Ali  - and mostly they are reliable - shipping is surface post and
not too long.   There were a couple of mistakes- and instead of a refund - I got some sort of something
for a cell phone - a device that I am mostly a Luddite about.  

Small DC motors with chucks =
 
AliExpress   a commune of sorts in China
Marlin P Jones   motors, wires , and a DC 2A power supply that is 3/4.5/6/7.5/9/12 V  with banana plug and gator clamp wires - no need for batteries
and speed control from power supply  @ $17  it would not take many batteries for it to be cost effective

The General version has been on Micro Mark for a while.  There is a Jacobs chuck that fits it, so
wire gauge bits can be used with it.

My guess is that some the 17th - 18th c English model makers used Holly for decks
and/or someone closer to our time who was influential did and it got the
status it has.

My guess is that some the 17th - 18th c English model makers used Holly for decks
and/or someone closer to our time who was influential did and it got the
status it has.

Michael,
 
A quick check on the Net for your area includes:
C.R. Muterspaw Lumber   Xenia OH
" sells the finest domestic, quartersawn, figured, and exotic hardwoods   ...  Our specialty is figured wood, including such species as Tiger Maple, Curly Hard Maple, Birdseye Maple, and Curly Cherry "
Now, this is exactly the opposite of what interests me, but perhaps they have some plain straight grain boring stock too, maybe a deal can be had?
Also,  while I prefer 2" length stock, anything from 6" on up is worth having, so end cuttings and short stock may be discounted.
What they offer that would interest me +  Birch,  Cherry, Hard Maple, Poplar
 
There is Western Ohio Hardwoods  in Dayton, but I found no Web presence, so what they are and what they have = ?
 
You can also check for local saw mills - rough and green lumber often, but with a good band saw and proper storage - you can save there.
I get more wood from the rough cut - not finish planed stock.

Cliff,
 
Good start.
 
You have more bravery than I have. Being compulsive, I would have taken the sanding planer with me.
I am never sure how much thicker my stock must be to get a 220 finish on both
sides and have all of the blade scars removed.
I try to keep it as close to final as possible to get max yield.  The additional passes thru
the thickness sander is tedious, time consuming and poor wood economy.
 
In your place, I would find out the blade length for their bandsaw and if I could use my own on
their machine.  If I could I would purchase 3 or 4  1/2" Wood Slicer blades from Highland.
A 5/8" or 3/4" blade is not better at resawing than a 1/2" blade.  The steel is top quality.
the blade is thin and it only has a minimum set,  so the kerf is as low as can be had.
These blades last longer, but they are expensive and you only want to use  them for resawing.
The trick for efficient tracking when resawing, is not having a wider blade.  The trick is in
the blade position.  The cutting edge of the teeth should ride on the crown of the top wheel.
And, a wider blade will not stop it wandering when the cutting edge gets dull
I know for a fact that even a hard steel blade will snap if you push it when dull.
The blade only needs have just enough tension. A tighter blade does not resist wander,
it just more likely to break.
 
 
I would also make friends with a couple of local tree service companies and pay them for any
Pear, Hawthorn, Plum, and especially Apple butts and large limbs.  18-24" is plenty long.
Cherry is great, and Sweet Cherry is similar in hardness and grain to Black Cherry, but the color is tan.  Unless they
work old fence rows,  a tree service is only likely to cut eatable cherry trees.  Fortunately, Black
Cherry is readily available from  commercial sources.  And half the work is done over self harvest,
billeting, and drying.
 
You are a good haul from the mountains and the deals to be had on rough cut 
Hard Maple and Black Cherry, But it may be worth a trip, especially if you do not have a retail 
yard like Yukon Lumber near by who also sell rough stock.. The mill planers take off significant wood, so a  smooth planed 3/4"
board at a retail yard is 1- 1 1/4" thick at a country saw mill.  And yes, it is a PITA to get
smooth face on the top and bottom edges of slabs resawn from rough boards, But frame  timbers
do not need this anyway and you have up to a 1/2" more width - depending on how much checking there is.

Michael,
 
A quick check on the Net for your area includes:
C.R. Muterspaw Lumber   Xenia OH
" sells the finest domestic, quartersawn, figured, and exotic hardwoods   ...  Our specialty is figured wood, including such species as Tiger Maple, Curly Hard Maple, Birdseye Maple, and Curly Cherry "
Now, this is exactly the opposite of what interests me, but perhaps they have some plain straight grain boring stock too, maybe a deal can be had?
Also,  while I prefer 2" length stock, anything from 6" on up is worth having, so end cuttings and short stock may be discounted.
What they offer that would interest me +  Birch,  Cherry, Hard Maple, Poplar
 
There is Western Ohio Hardwoods  in Dayton, but I found no Web presence, so what they are and what they have = ?
 
You can also check for local saw mills - rough and green lumber often, but with a good band saw and proper storage - you can save there.
I get more wood from the rough cut - not finish planed stock.

Michael,
 
A quick check on the Net for your area includes:
C.R. Muterspaw Lumber   Xenia OH
" sells the finest domestic, quartersawn, figured, and exotic hardwoods   ...  Our specialty is figured wood, including such species as Tiger Maple, Curly Hard Maple, Birdseye Maple, and Curly Cherry "
Now, this is exactly the opposite of what interests me, but perhaps they have some plain straight grain boring stock too, maybe a deal can be had?
Also,  while I prefer 2" length stock, anything from 6" on up is worth having, so end cuttings and short stock may be discounted.
What they offer that would interest me +  Birch,  Cherry, Hard Maple, Poplar
 
There is Western Ohio Hardwoods  in Dayton, but I found no Web presence, so what they are and what they have = ?
 
You can also check for local saw mills - rough and green lumber often, but with a good band saw and proper storage - you can save there.
I get more wood from the rough cut - not finish planed stock.

The "one plank at a time" = 
one method of planking is to
fit the wales
fit the garboard strake.
If the remaining space is large, site a batten or two to get
a smooth run and divide the area into manageable zones.
Determine the width of the first plank and fit it.  Then measure
the remaining space and determine the width of the next plank
from that, not all planks measured at once. 
Since this is wood and a complex curved surface, each addition will change
the open space in an unpredictable way. 
It kind of precludes mass application, when doing this properly.
 
It is more like two planks at a time - since P&S are measured together.
Using PVA, an hour or two should be enough clamping time and since
the process does not stress the plank, the next plank can be worked on,
rather than over night.
 
If you do not mind the holes and the support is sufficient, hitch chucks and lils will
clamp a plank with some force.  Water may close the holes, they can be filled with bamboo
"trunnels", if the lils are brass, nipped and filled - if you like the brass peg look-  I am thinking
of trying drawn copper wire as trunnels. 
Did anyone else see the photos of the old model where iron trunnels were used?  The chemical reaction
with large black stains in the planks and erosion of the iron? 

The "one plank at a time" = 
one method of planking is to
fit the wales
fit the garboard strake.
If the remaining space is large, site a batten or two to get
a smooth run and divide the area into manageable zones.
Determine the width of the first plank and fit it.  Then measure
the remaining space and determine the width of the next plank
from that, not all planks measured at once. 
Since this is wood and a complex curved surface, each addition will change
the open space in an unpredictable way. 
It kind of precludes mass application, when doing this properly.
 
It is more like two planks at a time - since P&S are measured together.
Using PVA, an hour or two should be enough clamping time and since
the process does not stress the plank, the next plank can be worked on,
rather than over night.
 
If you do not mind the holes and the support is sufficient, hitch chucks and lils will
clamp a plank with some force.  Water may close the holes, they can be filled with bamboo
"trunnels", if the lils are brass, nipped and filled - if you like the brass peg look-  I am thinking
of trying drawn copper wire as trunnels. 
Did anyone else see the photos of the old model where iron trunnels were used?  The chemical reaction
with large black stains in the planks and erosion of the iron? 

To supplement Mark's post, in addition to the run of the grain, the species used can also produce problems.
The solution is to use species suited to our needs.  They tend to be more expensive and harder.  The hardness
means longer milling time and increased wear on cutting tools. 
The catalyst for the CA glue bonding reaction is water, so the bond should occur faster if anything with a damp
surface.
Wood in a humidor?  My guess is that fungus would find that favorable.  The wood should be in equilibrium with it
finished environment.

Cliff,
 
Good start.
 
You have more bravery than I have. Being compulsive, I would have taken the sanding planer with me.
I am never sure how much thicker my stock must be to get a 220 finish on both
sides and have all of the blade scars removed.
I try to keep it as close to final as possible to get max yield.  The additional passes thru
the thickness sander is tedious, time consuming and poor wood economy.
 
In your place, I would find out the blade length for their bandsaw and if I could use my own on
their machine.  If I could I would purchase 3 or 4  1/2" Wood Slicer blades from Highland.
A 5/8" or 3/4" blade is not better at resawing than a 1/2" blade.  The steel is top quality.
the blade is thin and it only has a minimum set,  so the kerf is as low as can be had.
These blades last longer, but they are expensive and you only want to use  them for resawing.
The trick for efficient tracking when resawing, is not having a wider blade.  The trick is in
the blade position.  The cutting edge of the teeth should ride on the crown of the top wheel.
And, a wider blade will not stop it wandering when the cutting edge gets dull
I know for a fact that even a hard steel blade will snap if you push it when dull.
The blade only needs have just enough tension. A tighter blade does not resist wander,
it just more likely to break.
 
 
I would also make friends with a couple of local tree service companies and pay them for any
Pear, Hawthorn, Plum, and especially Apple butts and large limbs.  18-24" is plenty long.
Cherry is great, and Sweet Cherry is similar in hardness and grain to Black Cherry, but the color is tan.  Unless they
work old fence rows,  a tree service is only likely to cut eatable cherry trees.  Fortunately, Black
Cherry is readily available from  commercial sources.  And half the work is done over self harvest,
billeting, and drying.
 
You are a good haul from the mountains and the deals to be had on rough cut 
Hard Maple and Black Cherry, But it may be worth a trip, especially if you do not have a retail 
yard like Yukon Lumber near by who also sell rough stock.. The mill planers take off significant wood, so a  smooth planed 3/4"
board at a retail yard is 1- 1 1/4" thick at a country saw mill.  And yes, it is a PITA to get
smooth face on the top and bottom edges of slabs resawn from rough boards, But frame  timbers
do not need this anyway and you have up to a 1/2" more width - depending on how much checking there is.

To supplement Mark's post, in addition to the run of the grain, the species used can also produce problems.
The solution is to use species suited to our needs.  They tend to be more expensive and harder.  The hardness
means longer milling time and increased wear on cutting tools. 
The catalyst for the CA glue bonding reaction is water, so the bond should occur faster if anything with a damp
surface.
Wood in a humidor?  My guess is that fungus would find that favorable.  The wood should be in equilibrium with it
finished environment.

Take a look at Bare Metal Foil - one of their products is copper.
No idea about the longevity of the adhesive backing.
As a material that can be burnished - the thickness may be
closer to scale  than the usual choices.
I have no hands on experience with it.
 
As what is now ancient history, I followed the suggestion from
the original Model Shipways, with copper rectangles, flamed treated
to darken and adhered using Weldwood contact cement.  The
combination failed to stick after a few years.  The plates  popped off,
the remaining cement was a copper color, so an explanation may be
a chemical reaction that migrated copper into the adhesive and negated
its bonding capacity.

Take a look at Bare Metal Foil - one of their products is copper.
No idea about the longevity of the adhesive backing.
As a material that can be burnished - the thickness may be
closer to scale  than the usual choices.
I have no hands on experience with it.
 
As what is now ancient history, I followed the suggestion from
the original Model Shipways, with copper rectangles, flamed treated
to darken and adhered using Weldwood contact cement.  The
combination failed to stick after a few years.  The plates  popped off,
the remaining cement was a copper color, so an explanation may be
a chemical reaction that migrated copper into the adhesive and negated
its bonding capacity.

To answer your primary question- being literal = yes
If you can't get the "brindle" effect reversed to satisfaction, and if you are
near a Wood Craft outlet, check out their selection of veneer.  Something
like a thin Beech to overlay what you have.  It could be dyed before being
laid - a dye will not affect PVA bonding. 
Super blonde shellac with or without Tung oil = a bit more control over surface
sheen.

To answer your primary question- being literal = yes
If you can't get the "brindle" effect reversed to satisfaction, and if you are
near a Wood Craft outlet, check out their selection of veneer.  Something
like a thin Beech to overlay what you have.  It could be dyed before being
laid - a dye will not affect PVA bonding. 
Super blonde shellac with or without Tung oil = a bit more control over surface
sheen.

To answer your primary question- being literal = yes
If you can't get the "brindle" effect reversed to satisfaction, and if you are
near a Wood Craft outlet, check out their selection of veneer.  Something
like a thin Beech to overlay what you have.  It could be dyed before being
laid - a dye will not affect PVA bonding. 
Super blonde shellac with or without Tung oil = a bit more control over surface
sheen.