JacquesCousteau

Congratulations, looks great!

Just a brief update. As other logs have noted, the frames require quite a bit of fairing, and I've been working on it a bit at a time. It's neither the most exciting work, nor the most interesting to photograph, but I definitely want to get it right. I've been using 150-grit sanding sticks, and for a time just a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper in order to sand some areas that need a lot removed. I still have a lot to go. As can be seen by the char, some of the frames have barely been sanded, and I will probably have to build them up a bit. Other frames, especially B, were very prominent and have been reduced by quite a bit. The bow takes a lot of work to fair because a ton of material has to be removed, but (so far, at least) it hasn't been complicated. The stern is a different story. The idea behind having so many frames there is to provide a lot of surface area for a complex shape, but it requires a lot of sanding. It's also tricky to get without accidentally sanding the aft edge of Frame H, which the instructions warn against doing because the counter will be placed there (and presumably faired afterward? The instructions are not clear on this). In any case, I still have a lot of sanding ahead of me. I can see why people like using dremels for this!

Congratulations, that looks great!

Brief update: I've remade the rancho framework. This time, it extends all the way to the edges of the rail. I also simplified the interior vertical supports--they're just a 1/16-inch square strip of basswood, instead of a larger part with notches as on the first one--and added more supports than on the first one. Next, to re-do the thatching, this time making sure to wrap the string around it to better keep it together. Unlike the previous attempt, I won't be assembling it on double-side tape backing this time, as the thatching material didn't really stick at all to the tape so it wasn't all that helpful in aligning things.

Thanks, @wefalck @Paul Le Wol @AJohnson @GrandpaPhil @yvesvidal @mtaylor and everyone else for the kind words and likes! It was a very fun build, and it almost makes me wonder why there aren't more cross-sections of fishing vessels out there--a fishing schooner could be a very interesting cross-section to make. I'll undoubtedly be making another cross-section at some point in the future, and maybe a full build of the Juana y José as well, although at the moment I seem to have collected a lot of plans and kits and need to work on finishing what I've already started before beginning new builds.

Shaping the topline was easier than I expected. First, I used a square to mark it. I started with a pencil, but changed to just marking it with an exacto blade, as it was more precise. Every frame needed to have something trimmed, some of them quite a bit, and none of them needed to be built up. As I mentioned, I found the plywood to crumble easily when cutting with an exacto blade, so originally I was going to just sand. This would have been quite a bit of sanding, though! Instead, I decided to try my razor saw. It worked perfectly and cut very cleanly, and the blade readily followed where I had earlier scored the frames. There were a few areas near the bow and stern where I needed to use a smaller blade. I was able to use the tiny exacto saw blade to cut there. In general, the plywood handled the sawing very well without any problems, and I soon had all the frames cut to the topline. Then I sanded, using a long, flexible sanding stick. It worked really well, except that the transom required quite a lot of sanding, so I ended up simply sawing along the mark there before cleaning it up with sandpaper. With that, the hull is ready for fairing.

I finished the framing. The bow was a little tricky, requiring extensive shaping in order to get the frames to follow the rabbet. I found that the plywood sands pretty well, but it tends to crumble when cut, which was a bit tricky to deal with. First I cut a notch for the 5a frame, then added it. Then a further frame that just sits on the stemson. The instructions said to add another piece ahead of it to run directly up to the rabbet, but I didn't have the space. As can be seen, I also ended up angling the spacer due to the serious curves in the hull form at the bow. The stern also required some shaping to match the rabbet. There was no space for a spacer between G and Ga. Instead, the spacer went between Ga and Gb. Finally I added H. I nearly had a heart attack (well, that's an exaggeration) when I noticed that the aft part of H is not supposed to be sanded, after I had already shaped it to match the rabbet. After looking at Toni Levine's log, I realized that the H frame should indeed be shaped to match the rabbet, it just shouldn't be sanded when you're fairing. In general I recommend reading other build logs alongside the instructions for complex areas like the stern. I was then able to glue the transom to the L-shaped piece and glue them in place with an angled spacer. The instructions and most build logs aren't very clear about how the transom is oriented, so here's another view of how I did mine. The key is that the curved end should be facing out, with the narrow part at the top. With framing complete, it's becoming clearer how the hull will look: Next up, to figure out the topline and then fair the frames.

I've finally wrapped up this build! I've discovered that I really enjoy having multiple builds going at once. If something is frustrating in one build. you can easily set it aside for a bit to work on something completely different. With the Canoa de Rancho's thatching turning out more difficult than anticipated, I decided to set it aside for a bit and knock out the cross-section. There were just a few last steps to complete the Juana y José. First, I glued the brass rods in place in the stand--previously they had been loose and frequently came off with the hull when I detached it. For now I will not be gluing the hull to the stand. The cross section is very light and sits well on the stand without gluing it, and detaching it makes it much easier to pack this all for transport. Second, I added the thole pins. I was going to paint these to match the thole pin supports, but decided to leave them natural as the contrast looked better. Then, after more sanding and scraping I finally got the exposed edges of the cut-off clear enough that I felt they were acceptable to leave natural. There may be a slight bluish tint in a few places, but I can live with it. I was going to paint the exposed edges a dull orange or perhaps an off-white, but I ultimately decided I liked the natural look better. I covered the end grain with matte varnish. Then, the mast. I hadn't been sure whether I wanted to keep the mast or not. I decided that, for now, I would keep it, but would leave it unglued so it can be removed for packing, or in case I later decided that I preferred it without the mast. So, I added the rounded tip to the top of the mast. I made this from a toothpick. I also did a bit more sanding to better taper the mast. I was going to leave the mast as-is, but decided, based on photos of a number of Spanish fishing vessels, to paint the tip. I went with a blue color. The first coat was too dark: So I lightened it and added another coat. The tip now matches the interior blue of the boat. I also took the chance to paint the pulley wheel and other details in the mast tip. Finally, I used painted card to make the curved metal loop that holds the mast to the thwart. The loop holds the mast in position, but is loose enough that it can be removed for transport. With that, the Juana y José is complete! I might add some felt or something to the bottom of the stand to keep it from slipping, but that would be it. Overall this build was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I would highly recommend a cross section to anyone who is looking for a rewarding project but perhaps doesn't have the space, skills, and/or tools for a more complex full build. It allows you to build skills with things like deck furnishings, plank-on-frame construction, and planking a round-bilged hull, without needing to do a full build. And it takes up very little space, as can be seen by the comparison withthe mug at right in the photo below. I'm quite happy with this unique little build, and am looking forward to making more Spanish fishing boats like it in the future. Thanks to all those who followed along and offered support, too!

It's DecoArt DuraClear Polyurethane Matte Varnish. What sort of varnish would you recommend? I can't say I'm very familiar with varnishes, paints, and solvents.

It's been a while, but I was finally able to make progress! First I extended the fore keelson notches: Then I attached the frames. After getting the central frames in place, I realized that frame 2 somehow ended up out of alignment, tilted back a little. I was able to unstick it with rubbing alcohol and reglue. Then I began adding the supports. Some took more sanding than others to fit, and some were too short. While the instructions say you can add a shim, I ended up just making new ones in the correct length from scrap. As can be seen, I used rubber bands to clamp while gluing--first doing every other frame, and then running the bands across longer stretches of frames. It was a little tricky to make sure that I'd be able to mark at least one side of the wale on each frame. Then I began adding the frames at the fore and aft ends. One frame chipped a bit, so I added a filler: Following the instructions, I marked the bearding line and sanded down the deadwood appropriately. And here's how I cut the keel rabbet under the deadwood, which should be a 90-degree notch rather than a V-cut: (note the keel is on top in this photo) I've been adding fore and aft frames. I just have a couple to go at the bow, and several at the stern. I'm glad to see that it's looking a lot more like a ship now!

Thanks, all, for the kind words and suggestions! Eberhard--I'm intrigued by the idea. I had a very hard time getting the thread to stick to the thatching with the varnish, though. The thatching itself is pretty fragile, with the varnish barely holding it together, and the string just did not stick well. I'll give it a try, but I'm not sure how feasible it will be. That said, having the thatching attached to the rancho framework by thread and not just by glue would help resolve another problem that I'm having. I started making a new, wider rancho framework that would run to the edges of the rail, so that the naturally ragged edge of the thatching can protrude, but the geometry of the situation is difficult. The rail curves, but the rancho framework should be straight. This means that, even if the fore and aft A-Frames run to the edge of the rail, the rail sticks out more than the framework in the middle of the rancho. This is a problem if the thatching is glued to the rancho and hence rigid. But if the thatching is attached more securely at the top, but left to hang loose below, this would allow it to follow the curve of the rail without any problems. Honestly, it may even be possible to simply cut the thatching off of the framework I already have and re-use it. That said, this is dependent on me being able to get better adhesion between the thatching and the string with the varnish. Other options include using some sort of rough fabric to represent a woven petate mat, which was used for the rancho covering in Ocotlán and some other cities, or just using wooden slats.

Thanks! Yeah, I think it makes sense to try to redo it, this time with a more ragged edge running off the sides of the rail. Which will require a new, wider rancho framework. I'm also debating whether to keep the two layers that I had for this version, or to just go for a single layer. In either case, the top will be covered by some sort of cloth strip, as can be seen in the image of all the canoas docked in post #128.

After a long while away, I was finally able to get back to the build! The thatched rancho has proven more difficult than anticipated. As mentioned earlier, I decided to use the bristles from a broom for the thatching. As some images of canoas suggest that the rancho was thatchee in rows, I decided to do two rows. I marked the dimensions for the lower row on card, placed double-sided tape, and ran a thread along the length. Then I began cutting bristles and adding them to make the row of thatch. Placing the bristles individually was extremely slow, but I found it worked much better if I cut off bunches at a time, holding them together so they all stayed the same direction and length, and placing them in batches. After each batch I brushed on matte varnish. Soon the first row was ready. I wasn't worried about any thatching being over-long, as I could trim it to size later. I should note that the double-sided tape didn't do much to hold down the thatch while building, it was mostly the matte varnish. I used the thread to help peel the thatch off the tape. Although the row broke into a few pieces, it mostly held together, and I was able to glue it to the framework. I made the upper row in the same way, but it broke into a lot more pieces when I removed it from the tape. While I had removed the first row while the varnish pooled on the bottom was still damp, allowing it to come off, I waited longer on the second and it was fully dry, making it harder to remove. You can see the numerous bits of thatching below. Gluing the thatching to the framework required some creative clamping. After finishing the upper row, I trimmed the top to size. This was no problem, except that a few bristles popped off from the cutting and had to be re-glued. More problematic was the bottom. Given how hard it was to cut the thatching to size fron the start, I had left it overly long. But cutting the bottom to size left it with a very straight line of a cut, which looked rather unnatural. Hmmmmm. From what I saw in photos, some canoas had the thatching spilling over the sides, but on others there was still a bit of a rail left. It might look better if I remake all of this--the framework and the thatching alike, redoing the framework to run to the edge of the rail so the thatching can spill over the side and won't have to be trimmed. I'll have to think about it, though--it would be quite a bit more work.

Wow, that looks great! The whole concept is very imaginative, and you really pull it off. So many amazing details!

Congratulations, looks great!

Congratulations, looks great!

Thanks! This will be very helpful to watch out for whenever I manage to get back into my build. Good luck with attempt 2!

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm looking forward to seeing the new half-hull. As someone who is building their own half-hull (very very slowly), I have to ask: would you be at all willing to share what went wrong? It could be very helpful as a warning for others.

Great start, looking forward to seeing it as you progress!

A little more progress. First, I began working on the tholes, which I cut from 1/32‐inch basswood. I then painted then a dark brown, and glued them in place. I'll add the thole pins later, once I'm sure I won't break them while doing other work. I then slightly shortened the mast base, chamfered the edges slightly, and applied sealer-varnish. I also started making a mast, based on dimension formulas in Francisco Oller and Vicente García-Delgado's Nuestra vela latina. I initially tried using a hardwood dowel, but it was very difficult to work, so I switched to basswood. At the moment, there's still additional work to do on the mast, like finishing the top and properly tapering it, but I'm not sure if I want to add it. As can be seen, with the mast in place, the model is a lot taller. Without rigging or the yard, which I'm not planning on making, or thd rest of the hull, the cross-section feels kind of overwhelmed by the long mast, which draws attention upward away from the hull to a largely featureless pole. I may just let the mast sit there for now to see if I get used to it, but I feel like I prefer leaving it off. The other option would be to do a stub mast, but that might look odd on such a small boat. Finally, as can be seen, I have not been able to successfully sand and scrape away the paint from the cut-aways. The end grain just absorbed the paint too deeply. This is an important lesson for the future. For this build, I need to decide which color to paint the exposed cut-aways.

As mentioned above, I was able to find a cheap straw broom to use for thatching material. The bristles are mostly under 1/32-inch diameter. I tested how the material works on card, alongside my prior tests. As can be seen, it looks pretty good--straighter and sturdier than the excelsior, and lacking the grip of the wheat awns. Now to get some double-sided tape and a matte adhesive/varnish spray, in order to make strips of thatching that I can attach and layer on the frame.

Thank you for sharing, that's fascinating! There's a definite resemblance, especially in how the elevated prow isn't formed from an upturn in the wales, but is made of separate, wedge-shaped planks added above the rest of the hull planking. I'd be very curious to know if some sort of similar vessel was in use in Spain in the colonial period, and the design was transferred to Chapala where it developed into the Canoa, or if it's a case of convergent evolution. I do wonder what purpose the prominent upswept prow serves, on both vessels. Also, I should note that, while a very busy period at work has kept me from making progress on the Canoa build, I did go search for new thatching material. No luck at finding plumbing hemp, but I was able to get a cheap straw broom, the fibers of which are thinner than the wheat stalks I already had and closer to scale, so I should be able to start on the thatching soon.

Congratulations, really great job! I'll definitely be revisiting this log once I get around to my own lobster smack.

Nice job on the repair!

Thanks! So I think it would make the most sense to cut the notch nearly to the rabbet, with the understanding that the bulkhead will be beveled during fairing. I'm wondering if I should try to pre-bevel the foreward bulkheads a bit, although that runs the risk of really messing up the fairing.