hexnut

Planking is FUN!!
 

The pics:
 

A bit more progress framing the hurricane deck:
 


I also added the railings protecting the main staircase.
 
If you look closely you can see another goof. I ran two of the longitudinal beams too close to where the chimneys had to be (they aren't installed permanently yet) and had to file a slot on the outboard sides of the chimneys to let them sit where they needed to be. It's going to be essentially invisible when the decking is in place, but it caused some temporary gnashing of teeth.

So that was strange. I wrote a whole update post, which was then eaten when I tried to post it by some Firewall Error. But when I went back and did a test post it went through. So here's a shorter version because I don't feel like rewriting it all.
 
Bending beams for the forward part of the hurricane deck:

Connected together and installed on the model, using pins at the back:

Adding vertical supports and testing the heat shields that keep the chimneys from burning passengers or setting the boat on fire; these are made from scrap PVC:

Heat shields painted and vertical posts all complete:

View from the bow:

If you look closely, you may be able to tell that this structure is a bit out of alignment; the forward curve is closer to the port side than the starboard. It's fairly obvious from some angles and not at all from others. Redoing would mean starting over on this entire structure and I'm not up for that, so I'm going to do my best to hide it. The finished model will have enough detail and complexity that I think it'll be pretty easy to overlook. This is why I'm not a professional (among other reasons).
 
Happy (soon) New Year to all of you.

Got the stern half of the hurricane deck glued down:
 

Edges need some trimming but I'll do that all at once when the whole deck is installed.
 
The larger news is the arrival of a new tool in the Cathead workshop:

That's a Byrnes table saw on the workbench. Technically a Christmas present, but I wanted to make sure all was in order. I did one quick milling of some Eastern Red Cedar scrap I had lying around, making thin planking-scale pieces and veneer strips. It's really pretty in person:
 

I hope I never have to buy model wood again. Living on 40 acres of mostly woodland with an orchard mixed in, I have lots of fun self-harvested stuff to play with, and this will let me mill up quite a bit of stock from my scrapbox. Reusing things and avoiding waste is a big deal for me, so I'm very excited for this development. A Missouri River craft of some sort built with all Missouri wood sounds like a really fun and unique project once Arabia is done.
 
Happy Holidays to all of you. Our big celebration is a solstice party this weekend for a variety of rural friends and neighbors, featuring homemade mead and some good traditional fiddle-tune jamming.

Still plugging away. I filled in the tops of the wheel housings and painted both assemblies:


I started building the frames that will support the hurricane deck out over the stern (the roof of the boiler deck). You can see the beginnings of these in the above photos. These will be really delicate, so I gave some thought to how to make them stronger and easier to assemble. The plan I came up with was to insert small pins into many of the joints, using a small drill bit and leftover brass nails from a kit.
 


Above you can see one such joint, with the pin sticking out at upper right and another pin ready for another joint at upper left. I bent a beam in a full 180° curve to form the deck's stern contour, and attached a central supporting beam:

Here's that beam installed on the model. Each end fits into a pin in the already-installed framing (see next photo down), with a pin into the deck beneath the stern-most support:


More framing. This is now ready for the hurricane deck to go on. I also built the rear staircases between the two decks, using basically the same method I did for the pilot house stairs. These aren't glued in yet, just set in place for appearances.

Another view of the hurricane deck framing and stairs:

You may notice that I included a bit of an upward curve here toward the stern. I think this adds some style and is similar to other boats of the era. Finally, I started cutting thin sheets of wood to form the base of the hurricane deck. As this will be fully covered in simulated tarpaper (like the pilot house and Texas structures), there was no need to plank it.

These aren't attached, just set in place to test the fit. I think I'll use pastels to lightly color the open bottoms of these rather than waste paint (and risk curling the thin sheets).
 
That's where the model stands. Current plan is to work my way forward from here. I started at the stern as I expected it to be simpler, the forward framing will be more complex, so now I have a better idea of the mechanics I want to use.
 
At times this project feels like it'll never end, then I get moments where it seems like it's racing along. Thanks for reading!
 

Happy Thanksgiving to all the American readers (and the rest of you)! I'm grateful to have a community like this that makes this hobby so much richer than toiling away in isolation.
 
I've been quietly working away at planking the port wheel housing.
 

I decided to add the two windows shown in the painting; I don't know whether or not they were really there, but you can see similar features on other vessels. I built frames for these and added backing so they'd fit right into the planking (like a window in a model kit). Since you can't really see behind these, this was an easy way to get them installed.
 

I then hung them from the planking and started planking around them.
 

And here's the fully planked port side.

There's a fair bit of detail to add here, various vertical ribbing and so on, but it'll come later when the model is closer to being complete. Next I'll start planking in the upper surfaces of both wheel housings.
 
Thanks again for being part of this journey, I wouldn't (and likely couldn't) be doing it without you.
 

It's been a month, suppose I should update this log. Following a two-week trip to Western New York to visit family in my land of origin, I slowly got back to the model desk. I've pretty much completed the heads and related structures along with the framing of the wheel housings.
 
First, here's the "open" side of the model, the side of which won't be planked over (the top will). I designed the inner framing supporting the arch based on drawings by Alan Bates.


And here's the "closed" side. The entire housing and the area in front of the stacked crates will be planked over.
 


Here's a top view. The upper roof surfaces will be covered by the hurricane deck so aren't painted or otherwise finished; I used scrap sheet wood for these, which is why their appearance varies.
 

Fun note, these were taken with my new cell phone, the first one I've ever owned. I have decidedly mixed feelings about this, but the world moves on and it's becoming ever more difficult to operate without one, even for a rural recluse like me.
 
Finally, two photos of maritime interest from our trip. First, me at the Sodus Point lighthouse along Lake Ontario. Growing up, I learned to sail in the bay this lighthouse guards, my mother's second marriage took place here, and I took my high school senior photos here.

 
Second, a work boat and barge entering a lock on the Erie Canal, taken by Mrs. Cathead. She had fun watching a full lock cycle as this little fella went through. Looks like a fun someday model subject, and the canal lock would make a neat diorama. The Erie Canal played a large role in my upbringing as well, and I love returning to it.
 

We also had a good time visiting the Erie Maritime Museum in Pennsylvania (home of the Niagara), Niagara Falls, and lots of very hikeable waterfalls and gorges in the Finger Lakes region. Fun fact, we missed an historic event at Niagara Falls by one day. There's a wrecked scow that's been stranded just above the falls for over 100 years without moving. It moved downriver during a strong storm the day after we were there; would have loved to see that change!
 
Thanks for reading, we'll see if I get back to more regular updates from now on.
 

Only a little progress. I spent a bunch of time playing around with different mockups of the heads and their associated strucures, working out what seemed right to me in the physical model. Here's what I ended up building in wood:
 


These need some finishing work, but I think I'm happy with how they capture the essence of the structures seen on contemporary images.
 
There won't be any more updates for a while, as we're about to leave on vacation, taking a road trip to the lower Great Lakes to visit family and do lots of hiking and exploration. Among other things, we plan to visit the Erie Maritime Museum (home of the Niagara) and a variety of early star forts along Lake Ontario. Once we get back, work and life will be super-busy. Hopefully I can get back to this model by mid-November.
 
Take care and thanks for reading.
 
 

I made a bit more progress by permanently combining the texas and the pilothouse, then building stairs down from the latter. I also added the clerestory windows that support the middle (raised) part of the hurricane deck; these provide natural light to the central cabin that runs down the middle of the boiler deck. In these photos, the texas/pilothouse assembly isn't permanently attached to the rest of the model.
 


As I started to think through the paddleboxes, I came across a conundrum. Many photos of similar vessels show very wide paddleboxes. For example, see the Mary McDonald:
 

Or the Alice:

Both images are from the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse steamboat collection. These really wide boxes suggest either very wide guards and wheels, or that the boxes extend well past the width of the wheels/guards into the main hull. I can't determine from any images which is correct. Even the museum's Arabia painting (which I don't take as super-accurate) shows really wide paddleboxes:
 

The problem is, this doesn't fit the Arabia's design. She had really narrow wheels and guards, as can clearly be seen from the wreck photos:
 


So is it correct to give her narrow paddleboxes only as wide as the wheels (which makes logical sense to me even if it doesn't look like other boats) or should the boxes somehow extend inboard, over the boiler deck and onto the main superstructure?
 
Here's what I mean on the actual model:
 

Logically, it seems like the paddleboxes should only cover the wheel itself (dotted line on left). But the super-wide boxes on other vessels imply that these should extend further inboard (such as dotted line on right), covering the passageway. I can't figure out why any builder would do that. The model follows the wreck dimensions pretty closely based on extrapolations from the known wheel dimensions and other information, so I know my wheels and guards are right. Any thoughts on which approach to use and why? Note that I framed this photo to show the painting in the background for comparison. I don't know what to do.
 

The Purpose-Built Confederate

Blockade Runner HOPE, 1864

Text and Plans by Vincent McCullough

Text and Model by Gilbert (Gib) McArdle

Distributed by: SeaWatch Books, LLC, 2019

8 1/2” x 11” format, hardcover with jacket, 128 pages,

8 page color section, bibliography, 10 sheets of detailed plans

CD w/printable templates

ISBN 978-1-7320162-3-1

 

 

   This latest offering from Seawatch Books, authored by Vincent McCullough and Gilbert (Gib) McArdle, starts out with a brief, yet concise, comparison of the North and South in the American Civil War.  The primary focus is on the economic and industrial capabilities of both combatants.



   The South’s reliance on cotton, and its ability to supply European markets, particularly Great Britain, was especially crucial to its chances for independence.  As the war dragged on, the increasing effectiveness of the Northern blockade seriously impacted the South’s ability to wage war.  Thus, the purpose built blockade runner was developed.  At the time, these vessels represented cutting edge maritime technology.

   When launched, the Hope was larger than average.  In spite of her remarkable speed, she would not have a long career as she fell prey to a Northern blockader during her second attempt at entering a Confederate port.

   The Purpose-built Confederate Blockade Runner, Hope, 1864, is a well researched book that comes with 10 sheets of detailed plans.  Although not true “primary” documents, photographic copies of a set of engravings of the body, half breadth, sheer plans, inboard profile view, and sail plan were obtained from the Archives at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.  (The Hope was an English-built vessel.)  The author explains how these documents were used to develop a set of CAD generated drawings to the desired scale of 1:96.

   Almost half this treatise is devoted to the aforementioned plans, and subsequent details on various deck structures.  This latter information was obtained from Shipbuilding, Theoretical and Practical, a book that was published in 1869, only 3 years after the Hope was launched.  This is an intriguing segment of The Purpose-built Confederate Blockade Runner Hope—1864 since it discusses many of the more complex structures found on the vessel.  They include the paddle wheels, paddle wheel box, and the uniquely raked funnels.  For scaling purposes, there are notations in the drawings indicating, in inches, the true dimensions on the actual ship.  The authors provide detailed information on how the feathering paddle wheels functioned.

   The segment of the book on plans concludes with a discussion of the Hope’s spars, rigging, sails, and belaying points.  Since information on these items was sketchy at best, the author admits that some of what appears on the plans is conjectural.  However, the best references available were utilized while researching this model.  This applied to the belaying plan in particular.  Being fore and aft rigged, with the two masts so widely separated, the Hope should not present much of a problem during the rigging stage of the model.

      The construction phase of this treatise begins with a discussion on the templates found on the CD that accompanies this book.  There are three types provided.  Individual station templates enable the modeler to check for the outside shape on a solid hull model, or a hull being made with lifts.  Note that stem and stern profile templates are also provided.
   Bulkhead templates are similar to the previous type, but  have one important difference.  They allow for a layer of  planking on the hull and deck.  One nice touch is the inclusion of a notch for a spine, which is also derived from a provided template.  The spine serves as the keel, stem and stern pieces, and helps maintain correct positioning and alignment of the bulkheads.

   Lift templates are the third version, which can be used to construct a “bread and butter” style hull.  Hole locations are provided in each template that allow dowels to be inserted for proper alignment of the lifts.  The model featured in this book was built utilizing this last method, which eliminates the need for hull planking.  Hope had a steel hull, and some great tips for simulating the hull plating are offered.

   The paddle boxes and paddle wheels are probably the most intriguing and challenging assemblies on the Hope, and would most likely preclude this model from being attempted by a novice.  McArdle provides ample information and a fair number of photos that outline the construction sequence for the paddle boxes, but the same cannot be said for the paddle wheels, which employ silver soldering and brass etching techniques.  The text that describes this assembly is somewhat brief, and could leave modelers relying on their own resourcefulness.

   Next to the previously mentioned assemblies, the smokestacks are probably the most striking feature on the model.  With their 76-degree rake they are surprisingly complex.  Yet, the author makes quick work of these while offering numerous hints and tips for their construction.

   By now it should be evident that constructing the Hope will require some techniques that may be foreign to many of us.  Another such challenge is vacuum forming the “Turtle Back” deck located at the bow.  McArdle realized this, and tries to be as concise as possible when outlining how he created this piece.  He was especially proud of this part since it was also his first attempt at this procedure!

   The Hope had decorative carvings at the stern and on the paddle boxes.  Sketches of this artwork are provided in one of the files on the CD.  McArdle opted to use the photo etch process to duplicate these decorations.

   This book concludes with the installation of the masts, rigging, flags, and ship’s boats.  An Appendix is also provided that gives a partial transcription of the original purchase agreement for the Hope.  This document includes all specifications that were relevant to the construction of the ship itself.

   The CD Rom that accompanies The Purpose-built Confederate Blockade Runner, Hope, 1864, contains material not found in the book.  There are two directories on the disk.  Measured Drawings contains information on virtually every structure found on the deck of the Hope, as well as the paddle decks, paddle boxes and paddle wheels.  The Templates directory contains 8.5”x11” drawings intended to assist in the construction of the 36.5” hull.

   If you are looking for a well researched, unique project that will challenge your abilities, and help you develop new skills, The Purpose-built Confederate Blockade Runner, Hope, 1864, would certainly be worth considering.
      Reviewed by BobF



 



 

Speaking of deck houses - here is the forward deck house "going up" in the furniture building jig.

I used the disk sander to take the 1/32" sheet with the deck house outline rubber glued to it down to the lines.
 
I did the forward one first because it is square and therefore requires less thought. I will cut out the windows and add the additional "siding then the structure is more secure (like has a roof) and maybe a floor (painted black)

Deck planking is complete - four coats of Wipe-on-Poly with 320 grit sanding between coats.
 
Waterways will be installed next then paint the bulwarks (waterways act as "splatter shield" while bulwarks are painted - hopefully).
 

The quarterdeck was even easier- cut strips to five inches and glue them on.
 
Once dry trim to match transom and forward edge.
 
No issues (at least that I have noticed so far).
 
Here is the completed cherry decking after 220 grit sanding and wiped with paint thinner.

Using 1/32 X 3/32 cherry strips from Northeastern Scale Lumber I planked the fore deck. When I got to the outboard area I had to use a 17 Xacto blade (heavy chisel) to square off the junction between the bulwark and deck. Apparently I did not do too good a job the first time around. I used graphite from a carpenters marker (you know the orange ones they sell at Home Depot) to darken one edge of each plank before installation. I tried to pay attention to the junction with the quarterdeck as there is only a 1/32" sheathing on the face to hid any gaps between the deck and the bulkhead. At the bow there is at least the 3/16" waterway to cover up any errors and the bowsprit will cover the center part too.
 
Anyway, there were no surprises in getting the deck planked. I used full length strips every where (no plank butt junctions) as there is quite a bit of the deck hidden under deck furniture and such so that it did  not seem worth the effort.
 
I also cut and fitted the waterway for the fore deck. It is just laying in place in the picture. It will be painted white and installed after the deck is sanded and finished (Wipe-on-Poly satin). I put one coat of Wipe-on-Poly on the waterways - hopefully this will keep the wood grain from standing up when it is painted. I am trying to avoid it looking like my cross trees on the Fore Mast. What ever became of the sanding sealer they sold for use on balsa wood airplanes?
 
So here is the sanded foredeck with and without the water ways.

I read somewhere that there is a U-Tube video on making sails from silk span. I watched it last night. My previous experience (based on an Admiralty Models class given in 2014) prepared the silk span by repeatedly applying a very dilute mixture of artists acrylic paint (out of the tube) and water, letting the silk span dry between applications. This takes a considerable period of time (at least for me) as it took 5 - 7 applications to get the silk span almost opaque and an acceptable color. The U-Tube applies the paint full strength using a foam paint roller. It dries in about 4 hours and you have a piece of silk span read to lay out the sail. Much faster and since I plan to have the sails furled the quality of the paint job (although this looks to provide a more even color than my previous method) is not of primary importance. Below is a picture of the first piece of silk span I made using the U-Tube process.
 
Based on my experience with the Latham's sails I decided to reduce the height of the sails to 4" (from 5.25 approx) to reduce the amount of material that has to be furled. I modified the sail plans that I had cut from copies of the drawing to shorten the leech but maintain the length at the head so it will still fit the gaff.    I then cut out the new sail outline and laid it out with the appropriate boom and gaff to make sure there would be no issues once it came time to actually mount the sails on the spars. I was somewhat apprehensive about this issue because the sail plan does not explicitly show where the forward edge of the sails are located. The shrouds and mast lines all run together and the offset you would expect between the mast and the sail is not obvious.
 
From the pictures below the mizzen appears to be "okay" (I have to boom to far forward so there should be enough room at the aft end of the boom).
 
The main appears to have a small issue - I need to make the sail a little shorter at them foot.
 
Similarly on the fore. I need to check the dimension on the fore gaff (or the Foresail) - the gaff looks to be too long.

I finished thinning the bulwarks and putting some (but not all) the camber on the deck. The plans only give you the cross section at the forward end of the quarterdeck where you can see how much camber is at that point. I doubt it is that way all the way forward. Anyway I sanded in as much as seemed reasonable and called it a day. I put a coat of Wipe-on-Poly on the hull and got out my laser level.
 
I used the level to get a straight line from the stem to the measured center at the stern and then laid a thin line of wood glue down that line. I am using 1/32" X 3/32" cherry to plank the deck so I used the laser line to get a piece down the center of both decks. Planks that thin will wander all over the place if you do not have some reference. Once these dry I will continue planking the deck. I am still on the fence about whether or not to simulate the caulk between planks. All the previous decks I have done the decking was lighter than this cherry and the caulk showed up pretty well. I am not sure it would be worth the effort here. My previous experience was with using  pencil lead on the plank edge to simulate the caulk but that was all on planks at least 1/16" thick. At 1/32 getting enough graphite on the edge to show up may be an issue.
 
So here is the hull with the poly applied and with the centerline deck planks installed.

Since I have started getting serious about adding furled sails (and thinning the bulwarks is going soooo slowly) I decided to see about mast hoops. I got an order from BlueJackets of their hoops in 1/4" and 5/32" both of which are 1/32" thick. They may not work out - I broke three of the first four 5/32" ones getting them out of the carrier sheet. They are VERY fragile. I broke the one I successfully got out of the carrier trying to sand off the the area where it connected to the carrier. Assuming I can get 30+ successfully off the carrier and the nubs sanded off I still think they are too fragile to survive being attached to the sail. Here is a picture of the one (second picture actually) I successfully removed before I tried to sand off the "nub".
 
So I looked through my "boxes of parts" and came across plastic mast hoops that are 7mm (inside) diameter which is pretty close to 1/4" (.275 to three decimal places). And it has a ring where the sail would attach. Probably not what the Fannie used but much of the detail  of the attachment is covered up by the furled sail. That is the good news - the bad news is the plastic hoops come is a color that is somewhere between blue and gray, close to a Navy blue color and are 3/32" thick. (first picture)
 
So I took one and ran it across a sanding stick a dozen times on each side and painted it a buff color and I think this will work. I order 40 more (just to be on the safe side) from Billings Boats. They have them in brass also but I do not think thinning the brass ones will be as easy as the plastic ones - and the brass ones are not completely closed. (you can probably figure out which picture this is)


 

My original plan for the Futtock shrouds was to have eyebolts on the mast with wire leading up through holes in the cross trees with an eye formed in the end of the wire to be the belay point for the top mast shrouds.
 
No plan survives first contact with the enemy as they say. The first problem was getting the correct size wire. I started with 30 gauge (.013") black wire from a craft shop. I was never able to get a really satisfactory eye in the end that went above the cross trees - it was always too long, with the wrapping extending well below the cross trees or the wrappings were too uneven and too long. That and I was unable to figure out a way to attach the wire to the eyebolt in the mast while tensioning the wire straight. Soooo.
 
I pulled the eyebolts out of the mast and used the black striping tape I used on the spars to make a simulated metal band where the eyebolts had been. I switched to 24 gauge (.020") wire and form a simple eye in the upper end. That and instead of a hole in the cross tree, I cut a slot from the outer end to the hole i had already drilled so the wire can slide in. I drilled holes through the striping tape (puncture a hole through the tape with something sharp first - do not try and drill through the tape directly unless you are using a really small (#76 or 78) drill bit; don't ask me how I know.
 
Here is what it looks like now. Wire could be straighter and the eyes look a little on the large side but I think these will do. Now for the other two masts.
 

Also while waiting for glue to dry I started looking at the deckhouses. I was not impressed with the kit provided windows as I do not see how (short of cutting the "glass" out and just using the "frame") they could be made "presentable". Someone with a steadier hand and more patience than I could paint the frames white and the "glass" black but I think I can do better.
 
My first attempt at making a window frame is shown below. I used 1/32 X /32 boxwood for the frame and had a devil of a time gluing the joints together. There is just not much contact area for the glue to grab. Since this was the third attempt at a frame and there are eight required I thought I better search for a better solution.
 
I used some scrap brass to solder up a "form" to hold three sides of the frame together. I also decided to use the 3/32 X 1/32 planks from the hull as the sides of the window frame. I did this because I am going to build the deckhouses from 1/32" sheets rather than use the kit provided wooden blocks. I plan to use an additional 1/32" sheet for the siding on the deckhouses. If I mount the window frame flush with the inside of the deckhouse then the 3/32" thick frame will extend outside the siding by 1/32", similar to using the kit provided windows on the solid deckhouse.
 
Here are pictures of the jig assembly and the first two frames.

I have also been making preps to at least attempt to fit furled sails (for the fore, mail and mizzen sails only).
 
I used the jig I built to put furled sails on the Latham and the same silk span material.
 
Here is the colored (acrylic paint in a tube diluted with water - five coats applied so far) material with the full size sails. My plan is to cut the sails about 2/3rds of the full height to reduce the amount of material that has to be furled. Since the plans do not show any reinforcing or panel lines I am going to have to do some research (or find my Latham plans) to see how large the panels should be.
 
On the Latham I used 1/16" (or maybe it was 3/32s or 1/8 since the Latham was 1/48 scale) masking tape to simulate the sail seams. That worked okay but I am going to try using colored pencils here first. I have both 3/64 and 1/32 masking tape on hand so I can revert to that if colored pencils does not prove satisfactory. Based on my Latham experience very little of the seams actually shows.
 
There are not mast hoops included with the kit (unusual considering BlueJackets has mast hoops for sale on their site). I ordered enough to put 12 on each mast although I will probably break a few along the way. The BlueJackets hoops are 1/32" thick which would be 3" at scale which seems reasonable but will see how they look on the mast. The sails are just over 5" tall (~ 40' at scale) so a hoop every four feet (10 per mast) does  not seem unreasonable. That means a hoop every half inch or so on the model. I have not decided how to attach them yet. On the latham I used .005" line but think I might give white glue a try here. Another thing I had thought of was actually attaching every other hoop since much of that detail is covered up by the sails. Much to ponder.

While finishing up the planking I also added the eyebolts and blocks to the gaffs.
 
The instructions say that the blocks on the gaffs should be 3/16" which (IMHO) seems pretty big. Since the instructions provide no (as far as I can tell) guidance on the line size to be used I think 3/16" is pretty big (18" block at scale). I tried using 1/8" (the other size specified in the kit) but that did not look "right" so I compromised and used 5/32" blocks from Syren Ship Model. I will use the same size on the masts as I can see no reason to change sizes. As I understand things, the block size is mostly determined by the line size that will pass through it. The heavier the line the bigger the block since the bend radius of the line is a function of line size and the bend radius required is defined by the size of the block. Trying to bend a thick line around a too small block leads to all kinds of problems.
 
So here are the three gaffs ready for mounting, except for the parrels.

Hull planking is complete.
 
I left the stern planks extra long as I think the transom installation is not done until much later. I will have to give some thought to how to protect the planks sticking out. Maybe I will need to amend the order of installation.
 
Here is what the hull looks like after an initial sanding with 120 grit and a wipe down with paint thinner.

I decided that the ship's boat I built from the Model Shipways kit did not have enough "character". I had attempted to getn the "clinker" look to the yawl on the Niagara I built without success so decided to try it again.
 
I used HO scale 1" X 8" (they come in 11" lengths) from Northeastern Scale Lumber for the planks. I reality it is really thin, probably just over 1" at 1/96 scale (since HO is 1/87) but close to 1/64" in use.
 
Here is how it looks with one side painted and the other bare. I will paint the other side in due course. It needs a bit of sanding - 400 grit or less. As I said it is really thin.
 
I also need to fab the cradle, eyebolts and tie downs but that is all on the "To Do" list with a myriad of other tasks.

With 22 rows completed I turned the hull over and will start planking from the garboard strake up to meet just below the turn of the bilge (where any "extraordinary" measures will not be too easy to observe). One of the advantages of the shallow draft hull.