North Carolina Oyster Sharpie by Paul Le Wol - 1/24 - from plans drawn by Thomas Pratt

[Paul Le Wol]

Dave, thanks for your comment. I appreciate it very much.

[FriedClams]

Great progress on the sharpie, Paul.  Nice deck crowning process!  You never know when a stirring stick will come in handy.

 

Gary 

[Paul Le Wol]

Gary,thank you very much. I was at the hobby store the other day to pick up some basswood sheets and it has been on backorder for quite some time. Don’t know if that is the case in other areas but I’ve started looking at stir sticks in a different light. Some of them I’ve gotten lately have been very nice quality. They could be good framing material in the future.😀

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Everyone, thank you for the Comments, Likes, and for dropping by. The deck beams have been completed and then the king plank was removed where it crosses the cockpit.

 

 

The cockpit was framed using material from a carrier sheet that had the correct radius for the aft two corners.
 

 

For a change of pace I made the cockpit floor and then gave it a dry fit. 
 

 

 

Support was added for the deck furnishings and the holes for the masts were opened up

 

 

The inner stem was cut flush with the deck beams.

 

 

 

This week the hull planking will be worked on. Hope to see you next time.

[FriedClams]

Looking good, Paul - excellent work!  Are you sure this is your first scratch build?  I like the scale of the grain on the cockpit floor.

 

Gary

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Gary, thank you for your comment, I appreciate them very much. I have been looking at pictures of decking and came across this one of the oyster sloop Nellie.

 

 

There is a picture of a North Carolina sharpie in the book “Migrations of an American Boat Type “ that has a deck that is planked in the same manner. So I think there may be some changes in the color and width of the decking on the way. 😀

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Everyone, thank you very much for your Likes and Comments. The hull planking is finished. While the glue was drying I laid out the main hatch. Actually had a chance to use the repeater attachment on the sander. It worked very nicely. The perimeter pieces are made from 5/16” x 5/16” basswood that was left over from a Model Shipways kit. The sides of the center board slot are made from 2 pieces of 1/16” x 1/4” AYC glued together and mounted so that they will sit 1/16” off the deck to allow for the crown.

 

 

 

All of those pieces were assembled. Going to wait for the sub deck to be laid before tweaking it. Lots of angles and curves going on.

 

 

 

 I gave the hull planking a good scrub with 150 grit sandpaper. Probably go over it again with 220 grit paper.

 

 

 

This is her waiting for the sub deck which will be cut from 1/32” basswood sheets, and the main hatch getting a test fit.

 

 

 

 

Hope to see you next time.

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Everyone, thank you very much for dropping by and Liking. Quite a while ago I cut and shaped the part of the false wale that wraps around the stern. I posted this picture previously but figured I’d post it again as a reminder. Attached it about an inch at a time using pins, PVA and CA. It Is made out of 1/16” basswood sheet but will be sanded down to 1/32” to match the false wales that continue up the hull to the stem. 
 

 

 

A template for the sub deck was made using a file folder and used to mark a sheet of 1/32” basswood sheet. Once the sub deck was attached the sheer was sanded down to it.

 

 

 

A 7/32 x 1/32” strip of AYC was used for the rest of the false wale and sanded back down to the sub deck leaving it about 3/16” wide.

 

 

During the times the glue was drying I made a mould to shape the curved cockpit walls. Shaped one piece of 1/32” basswood sheet that was soaked in water for a few minutes. The grain is running vertically so it wasn’t difficult to shape. Let that dry for a couple of days and then glued another piece on top of the first piece.

 

 

 

 

Gave it a test fit to see how high it needed to be. Made some more parts for the main hatch. The center board crane was built up out of 5/16” x 1/16” AYC. Then more test fitting.

 

 

 

 

That’s about it for now. Hope to see you soon.

 

[Jim Lad]

Somehow missed your log, Paul. That looks a very interesting craft you're building.

 

John

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi John, thanks very much for your comment. There’s not a lot to these boats but I think that’s what’s so special about work boats.😀

[Seventynet]

Hi Paul, I don’t know how I missed this build. What organized, precise work you are doing! I need to take lessons from you on how to do a great build log. Keep it up!

 

Ian

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Ian, good to hear from you. Thank you for the encouragement.

[Rick310]

Very well done!!

Rick

[Paul Le Wol]

37 minutes ago, Rick310 said:

Very well done!!

Rick

Thanks very much Rick. I really appreciate your comment!

[FriedClams]

Such nice work, Paul.  I'm really enjoying this log!

 

Gary

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Gary, thank you very much for your comment.😀

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Everyone, thank you for your Comments, Likes, and for visiting. In a previous post I mentioned a photo in the Project Gutenberg ebook “Migrations of an American Boat Type”. The photo was described as one of a North Carolina Sharpie schooner under sail. This is the photo.

 

 

I like the way the deck is planked and I think that it will be easier to attach the bulwarks and cap rails on to a covering board rather than directly on to the deck planks. The off-cuts of the sub decks were used to make the covering boards.  ( I’m pretty sure that’s what they are called ) The cut edge was sanded to match the false wale and then cut wider so that it can be sanded flush with the wales.

 

 

 

A line was scribed onto the sub deck to mark the inboard edge of the board. Pins were pushed into the sub deck along this line to make gluing in place easier.

 

 

 

The board running around the round stern is made out of five pieces butted together. Didn’t want to attempt scarf joints because they wouldn’t really be seen.

 

 

 

 

An empty tuna can was used to shape the bulwark. The first part of the bulwark was made out of 1/16” x 1/8” AYC. A line was scribed on the covering board that will show the inboard edge of the rail and again pins were pushed in along this line to aid in gluing. CA was used here.

 

 

 

 

The process was repeated using a 1/32” x 1/8” strip of AYC. This strip used glued to the outside of the first strip with PVA and made a little longer for joining the next section of the bulwarks to this one.

 

 

The rub rail running around the stern was next. It is made from 3/64” x 1/16” AYC and was shaped on the same can. It was attached about an inch at a time  using CA.

 

 

 

 

Next will be completing the bulwarks up to the stem and then the cap rails. Hope to see you then.

[Keith Black]

 Very nice work, Paul. 

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Keith, Thanks very much. Always appreciate your comments.

[FriedClams]

Excellent, Paul.  Graceful sweep around the stern with a nice even reveal.  And how was the tuna salad sandwich?

 

Gary

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Gary, thank you for your very nice description. The sandwich was good but I think I’m going to have to give them a rest for a while. 😀

[CiscoH]

really impressive work Paul

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Cisco, thank you for your comment. I appreciate it very much.

[Rik Buter]

Hi Paul, 

 

Great build! Very peculiar hull. It is almost the opposite of the one I am building where everything is circular and bulky. Yours is slender. Very different construction also. But it is interesting to see how both methods produce sailing vessels. I'm looking forward seeing the rest of the build.

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Rik, thank you very much for your kind comment. I have been quietly admiring your beautiful work on the Hooker Ship. A year or so ago I bought Ab Hoving’s book on 17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships. I think that I was intimidated by what seemed to be very complex hulls. I will follow your build with great interest. 

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Everyone, hope you are all well. Thanks you very much for the Comments and Likes. I have just about finished the main hatch. Still needs some hooks for the oars and rings for the covers. The covers sit in a rabbet inside the top of the coaming. I’ve never seen a photo or diagram of what happens at the rounded front end so this is my take on it. Here is a section from Chapelle’s drawing. It cuts through the hoist for the center board.

 

 

The frame of the hatch was used to shape the 1/32” skin that will give the effect of the rabbet. The covers were glued together and then glued to the frame

 

 

 

Once the covers were sanded flush with the frame the 1/32” basswood was glued to the frame with lots of overhang.

 

 

The 1/32” basswood was sanded flush and then a coat of thinned clear shellac was applied.

 

 

 

The center board was made in two pieces because I didn’t want to cut the two beams that run through the slot in case something sprung. The top of the center board and the main hatch were painted with Vallejo White Grey and the bottom of the center board was painted with Hull Red. The White Grey is more Grey than I thought it would be. See how it looks once the hull is painted. The Hull Red is kind of a really dark mahogany color.

 

 

The cap rails are attached and just need to be sanded thinner. Hope to see you soon.

 

[JacquesCousteau]

Very nicely done, such clean worksmanship!

[KeithAug]

Paul. I am finding her surprisingly aesthetic given her quite angular lines. This probably owes a lot to the build quality you are achieving. All in all a very engaging build.

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Keith,thank you for your comment. You are very kind. This has been an enjoyable build probably due to its simple lines.

[Colin B]

Americans have always excelled at making beautiful boats from simple shapes.  Check out Sam Devlin's designs for full size vessels or Dynamite Payson's 'Instant Boats'.. I built a couple of full size boats from Payson's book and they were very nice to build and quite shapely when done.  This is a lovely model and I am enjoying following the build.  

Edited July 21 by Colin B