Canoa de Rancho by JacquesCousteau - FINISHED - Scale 1:32 - Lake Chapala Fishing and Cabotage Vessel

[JacquesCousteau]

Actually, fairing was very quick and I've started planking.

 

The building board looked better once the rubber bands and clips were removed, but they were to be back on it soon enough.

 

Between the pre-fairing sanding and having more or less completed the middle four molds, finishing fairing was a snap. After a bit of sanding, running a scrap 1/4 by 1/16 inch balsa strip along the molds revealed very little that still needed to be smoothed. Once I did that, I cut the garboard strakes from a sheet of 1/16 inch basswood.

 

While I had bent the planks by boiling them on the dory, that wasn't going to be an option for this build as the planks are too long (and, in any case, all our big pots and pans were in use as we just made meatballs). Somewhere on the forum I had read about someone wrapping planks in a wet paper towel snd microwaving them, so I decent to give that a try. We'll see if it holds its shape when I take it off the mold tomorrow, but it took the curve easily enough.

 

I'm also happy to see that my plan to use straight planks looks like it's going to work. I was worried that the rocker wasn't going to be quite right for the angle of the sides, or vice versa, and that I would have to figure out how to cut the planks to a more complex shape. That would be a good skill to learn... but it's not happening on this build. The straight plank runs well along the bottom at all points except at the very stern, where it's off by about 1/32 inch. I think I can just sand that flush with the bottom and get on with things, leaving the top as it is for continuing use of straight planks. It means that, when viewed from the side, the boat's sides will be 1/32 inch narrower than they would be if it was a perfect fit, but I can live with that.

 

Changing gears a bit:

 

Thinking about the cargo canoa's twist, would it be possible to correct it by adding a new mold or two, cut very precisely, to hold it into shape, and then to add the frames? My main concern with trying to use the frames to correct it is that they'll be relatively few in number and I was planning on using 1/16th inch basswood to make them, so I'm not sure if they'll be too flimsy to hold it in shape.

[JacquesCousteau]

Garboards are on!

 

The microwave method worked ok for bending the planks to the gentle curves here, but I don't think it would work very well for a tighter curve. Maybe unless the planks were thinner than these 1/16 inch strips. The microwave didn't seem to heat them very evenly, and the middle seemed to dry out a bit, making me worry about it possibly scorching if left in for too long (even though it was wrapped in a wet paper towel). But, the planks did get bent enough for this boat.

 

Not much to say about attaching the garboard strakes. They took some creative clamping. One issue with this narrow-based build board is that, with all the protruding molds, it's a bit annoying to place rubber bands in the middle as they catch on everything.

 

 

I'll be trimming the bow as I go, but leaving the stern untrimmed until the end so I have more areas to clamp.

 

Oh, and also: I didn't add tape to most of the molds so the glue won't stick until after I had the starboard garboard on. I forgot about it until I had it glued at the stem, added tape to one mold, and realized that the glue would mostly dry if I tried to tape the rest first. I added tape afterward, but it doesn't stick well to the wood, and I'm not sure how much help it will be. Suggestions welcome.

[JacquesCousteau]

Planking continues on the canoa de rancho. I'll post about that once I have a few more strakes on. But in the meantime, a quick update on the cargo canoa.

 

Originally I was planning on making its frames--which, if you remember from a lot of posts ago, are actually staggered half-frames--out of two strips on wood each, one on the bottom and one on the side. Extremely simple, the most complicated thing would be cutting the joint at the right angle (which is to say, not complicated at all).

 

But, seeing as how I would like to fix the hull twist, I thought that maybe it would work better if I made each frame was a single piece. That way, the frames could hold the hull in a better shape.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think that idea is going to work. As can be seen, the frame split in two parts when I was cutting it. The 1/16th-inch basswood is just too thin to work for cuttingout single-piece frames. Especially if the frames would have any pressure on them from trying to correct the hull twist--even if they survive being cut out, the pressure could split them very easily.

 

So, I suppose my other option would be to try to bend a basswood strip to the correct angle, but I don't think that's going to work very well for making a frame that can pressure the twist out of the hull.

 

At the moment, it looks like I might have to live with the twisted hull on the cargo canoa. Hopefully all the molds and time spent getting the canoa de rancho right will keep it from twisting too.

[JacquesCousteau]

Planking the Canoa de Rancho is temporarily on hold as I focus more on fixing the twist in the Cargo Canoa. I think I've figured it out!

I wasn't ready to throw in the towel let after the frame failure discussed above. But nothing seemed practical or accurate. I considered running a stringer as a gunwale and simply holding it so there was no twist while it dried, but the actual vessels don't have a gunwale, per se: the wide cap rail is just set on top of the uppermost strake and supported by the crossbeams forward and outboard supports aft. I also considered trying to use the interior deck planking to force out the twist, but it wouldn't be practical. It would take too long to dry and I can hardly hold it in shape for all that time. Not to mention that each deck plank alone isn't going to be strong enough to fix the twist, especially as they're only glued at a few points, so I would have to somehow hold it in place for the entire decking process, which is hardly feasible.

Then, a breakthrough! I realized that I could fix the twist at least temporarily by placing a spacer running from the starboard corner of the crossbeam to the port stern corner. This pushes out the hull twist quite well. It also leaves space below to work on the decking.

With a way to hold the twisted hull in the proper position, I also realized that I could probably use the rear seat or helmsman's platform to also hold the stern in shape and help work out the twist. With that in mind, I've started by placing the side supports for the platform, using a bit of marked scrap to make sure they're consistently spaced below the top.

Later I'll be able to add a support across the transom, a support running across the hull at the fore end, and then the platform itself. All of this can be added underneath the diagonal support that keeps the hull untwisted. Once it dries, the box it forms should help hold the hull in its proper shape, which will only be helped by the frames and interior decking.

On the frames: I haven't totally given up on making one-piece frames, but as mentioned earlier, it's clear that 1/16th inch basswood is too flimsy. Instead, I experimented with a toothpick, sanding down each side to flatten it a bit, soaking and heating it in the microwave (wrapped in a wet paper towel) and molding it along the edge of the bulwark piece that was used for planking. There was some fraying as it's a very sharp turn, but it held up overall and adding glue to the turn firmed it up and kept it at the correct angle.

Unfortunately, not all toothpicks survive the sharp bend. I might sand down the edge of the mold a bit to make a slightly gentler curve.

I also started work on the tiller. For this, I wanted to use a bit of the mango wood I got from my in-laws' yard. It was easy to work with and doesn't get fuzzy like basswood. I can really see why people like using fruit woods! After carving it roughly to size, I moistened it and clamped along a hot coffee mug to put a light curve in it.

One frame ready, one frame being made, and one tiller awaiting some extra carving at the handle.

Finally, I also added the bow cleats. (The frame is not glued in this photo.)

 

I'm excited to see if I can actually correct the twist!

[JacquesCousteau]

Brief bit on planking the hull of the Canoa de Rancho:

With the garboard strake on, I sanded down where it connects with the bottom. I'm leaving the planks long at the stern for easier clamping.

Then the second strake. I realized that, despite my best efforts, there was going to be a bit of a gap on one side due to some unevenness is the top of the garboard.

I decided to fill it with a mix of sawdust and glue. I have seen a lot of people mention its use, but rarely with pictures documenting how to do so, so my apologies if the following is very basic knowledge.

 

I read somewhere on this site that you should also add a bit of water to the mix. Given that my previous attempts at mixing sawdust and glue had been very inconsistent in texture, I decided to see if water would help. I placed the mixture along the gap before gluing the second strake in.

It wasn't drying right, though--too much water--so I added some glue over the top.

I then alternated a few times between using a toothpick to press it into the gap and a moist brush to clean glue residue. I also made sure the interior was clean, as well.

After letting it partially dry, I sanded. No more gap!

Edited August 18, 2023 by JacquesCousteau
Fixed typo

[JacquesCousteau]

More on the Cargo Canoa:

The frames keep breaking when I try to bend then, so some are just made of two pieces glued together. Oh well, they still look right. As can be seen in photos below, I'm still experimenting with placement. What do people think looks better: four half-frames ahead of the central crossbeam and four behind it? (Ignore the diagonal brace)

 

Three ahead and five behind?

 

Or two ahead (with extra cleats added later) and six behind?

As can be seen, I've also made significant progress on the helmsman's platform/seat. A note about my design for it. In Rubín's La canoa perdida, the protagonist hides valuables in a "box" under the stern seat of a small fishing canoa. This doesn't make much sense on many of the fishing canoas I've seen, as their seat is just the stern cap rail. But, on the larger cargo canoas and canoas de rancho, it would make more sense to have a box under the helmsman's platform, which is rather large. Unfortunately, I have found only one photo that shows this platform/seat (in a rather small canoa that seems similar in size and proportion to my Cargo Canoa) and it's from a distance so not very clear. It's the smallish black-hulled boat just right of center in the photo.

Source: Undated image from minute 1:40 of Martín Sánchez, “Lago de Chapala Grandes Constructores de Vapores y Canoas” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBjWIcdy6KY
It doesn't show whether or not there's anything underneath the seat. It could be a totally empty space, which it looks like it might be, or there could be a bulkhead (perhaps a bit farther back in the shadows) that could be part of a box. Of course, the box Rubín mentions could have just been a crate loosely tucked under the seat. But the protagonist hides valuables there for the long term, which would make more sense to me if the box was fixed in the hull and not going anywhere.

 

So, originally I was going to just make the seat/platform as a sort of bench, but Rubín's description of there being a box intrigued me, and I need to add a fair bit of internal bracing at the stern anyway to help deal with the hull twist. So, shaky evidence or no, I decided to make the seat as a sort of trunk with a hinged lid (although I'm not building it to actually open as I need it to be sturdy enough to brace the stern). This box would be useful on a passenger/cargo canoa to store anything that can't get wet, so it sounds reasonable to me. One issue is that the box couldn't be opened while the helmsman is steering, but I realized that this could be fixed if the box lid wasn't the entire seat/platform--that is, if the hinges were somewhere in the middle of the seat. So I decided to make the box with a fixed top plank running across the stern end, and a lid across the fore end. As can be seen, I made the lid pretty large so that large items could be stowed, and the fixed top plank fairly small. The "hinges," which will be made of card and will not actually open, will be added later after completing and painting the platform.

The interior of the box will be sealed off and never see the light of 

day, so I took the opportunity to add a diagonal brace. Probably doesn't do much, but anything to hold the stern in place helps!

Finally I added the "lid", carefully cutting and sanding it to size. I also lightly chamfered the edges so that there's some definition between the lid and the sides of the boat, hopefully adding to the illusion that it's an openable lid.

I also cut out the slots for the crossbeams. These won't be added until I deck the interior, but it was necessary to cut the slots now so that I know how high the frames should be.

Meanwhile the Canoa de Rancho is getting the third strake set up.

Let me know what you think about the frame placement of the Cargo Canoa, any suggestions would be appreciated!

Edited August 19, 2023 by JacquesCousteau
Added photo

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Jacques, everything is looking great. Can’t say why, but I like the five and three placement of the frames. 

[JacquesCousteau]

6 hours ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Hi Jacques, everything is looking great. Can’t say why, but I like the five and three placement of the frames. 

Thanks! I think I like that arrangement best too. I was a little worried it would be weird having three frames on one side and two on the other aft of the crossbeam, but I suppose the asymmetricality is part of this type of boat's charm!

[JacquesCousteau]

Some good news on the Cargo Canoa and some bad (though correctable) news on the Canoa de Rancho.

Good news first: I took out the brace in the Cargo Canoa and, after letting the boat sit for a day, it's clear that the hull has been untwisted with the stern seat/platform! I'm very happy that I was able to untwist it, as it was going to cause all sorts of problems down the line and really screw up the look of the model.

Besides that, I glued in the frames as well as some cleats so that the interior decking has more points of connection. As discussed in an earlier post, I have clear photographic evidence that they used cleats along the bottom at least sometimes, so I think this makes sense for the boat. I also added a long, wide piece to create the base for the mast step. The step itself will be added in later, but I had to leave it off for now so I can fair the tops of the frames/cleats so the interior decking fits well.

Finally, I also scribed some lines at the triangular bow plank to simulate multiple planks there. Having it be a single piece was bothering me, so this will be more accurate.

 

Overall I'm happy with how the Cargo Canoa is turning out!

Now the bad news: I've had a bit of trouble planking the Canoa de Rancho, although I've corrected it. 

First, I noticed that one plank (in the photo, the second plank on the right side) wasn't sitting right on the transom, so I used alcohol to detach it at that point and reglue, which fixed it. It's a good reminder to make sure that I'm not pushing the planks into odd angles when I use clips to push them against previously-placed planks.

(Hard to see in the photo, but it's there.)

Second and more seriously, after placing the third plank I noticed that there was a gap between the plank and the second mold from the back. (Sorry for the poor photo quality.)

After checking, I realized it was because I didn't fair the aftmost mold on that side enough, so the more strakes I added, the larger the gap would be. I have no idea how I missed this--I thought I checked everything with a batten) but it's a good reminder to triple-check the fairing.

I used alcohol to partially unglue the third strake so I could insert a thin sanding stick and better fair the mold. The gap was negligible at the second strake, so I didn't unglue that one for further sanding. After a bit of sanding, I was able to check carefully with the plank and a batten and found that everything was smooth, so I was able to re-glue the plank.

Other than that, not much more to report on the Canoa de Rancho. Planking has been slow as I've been doing a lot on the Cargo Canoa at the same time. I'll be continuing planking on the Canoa de Rancho, and adding interior decking to the Cargo Canoa.

[JacquesCousteau]

I have a question about decking  the interior that I'm not sure if I should ask here or under the Building, Planking, Framing etc part of the forum.

Several sources mention that Canoas de Rancho had an internal deck or flooring. While photos show that this was definitely not the case for small fishing canoas, written sources make it clear that the larger boats did have it. José María Angulo Sepulveda's diagram of as canoa de rancho includes decking, the deck is mentioned in Ramón Rubín's La canoa perdida, and Witter Bynner's Journey with Genius: Recollections and Reflections Concerning the D.H. Lawrences (1953), which extensively discusses writer DH Lawrence's time in Chapala, includes a chapter about a multi-day excursion on a Canoa de Rancho where the party slept in the boat--which would seem impossibly uncomfortable, given the frames, unless there was a flat deck. It also makes sense that any vessel used for cargo hauling, especially of the perishable goods these boats often carried, would have a deck. Otherwise the bottom layer of your cargo would be waterlogged in the bilge if any water got in at all. I can understand why that wouldn't matter as much in the undecked fishing canoas, but I feel like anybody interested in even occasionally hauling cargo would want at least a simple deck.

The problem is that no details exist in writing or photos that I've found as to what the deck looked like. Angulo Sepulveda's diagram is rough and mostly ignores the deck in order to show the frames, and there is no deck in the only good photo I have of a Canoa de Rancho's interior, as it seems to have been removed for the vessel's repairs and recaulking. So, I don't really know how to go about doing the decking.

Thinking about the boat, I'm struck by the apparent lack of any sort of pump. The only way to get water out of the bilge, at least without going through the trouble of bringing the whole thing up on shore and tipping it over, would be with a bailer. This would require some way of accessing the bilge. Similarly, I'm not sure if they would place any ballast (presumably readily-available stones) in the bilge or above deck; if the former, they would again need a way of accessing the bilge. The deck could be made out of removable panels, as on the amazing Hulc build by Woodrat on this site. I can't help but feel, though, that that would be a little complicated for what is ultimately a small and pretty simple vessel.

The simplest method, I feel, would be to have a rather rough deck, maybe with some uneven planks picked up from whatever was available at the dock. I think that at least some deck planks around the edge would have to be easily removable for bailing (given the flat bottom, water would pool on one side or another if the boat heeled). I'm planning on painting the planks with a black wash, the same as the lobster trap for the dory build, in order to give them a weathered appearance.

Where I'm stuck at is whether or not the deck planks should be spaced or not. I did a rough mock-up of the two options using bits of scrap wood.

So, which looks better: spaced planks or planks pressed up against each other? And, if at least some of the planks should be removable, would it make sense to have a rope handle at their ends?

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer!

Edited August 22, 2023 by JacquesCousteau
Italicized book titles

[JacquesCousteau]

Progress continues on planking the Canoa de Rancho. In order to make the planks even on each side, after cutting out two 1/4 inch strips from the 1/16 inch thick basswood--which I do by clamping a straightedge in place--I clamp the strips together and sand them even on one side. Then, keeping that side even, I switch the clamps and sand the other side. It seems to work fairly well for removing some of the small irregularities from cutting out the strips.

 

The fourth and fifth strakes went on.

 

The fifth plank is the uppermost strake that runs continuously along the boat. After that, it just has planking cut into a triangular shape at the bow. I'll have to decide whether to start this approximately amidships or further forward; both were used on real vessels. I'll also need to decide whether to add it now, or if I should take the hull off the strongback first--there isn't going to be much contact with the molds, so the triangular parts will have to be attached mostly by clamping to other planks anyway. 

As can be seen, the Canoa de Rancho has a bit of a deep, boxy hull. (I should really print out a scale figure to get a better sense of size). I still need to sand it, which should help deal with the slight irregularities (especially the odd "clinker effect" at the bow).

 

Meanwhile, I painted the interior of the Cargo Canoa. I'm not 100% happy with the color (made from ochre mixed with white), which looks best under natural light, but it will work. It's hard to tell from photos what color actual interiors were painted, or even if they were painted at all, but I definitely needed to paint it to cover some of the staining from my dumb decision to use a used paint mix stick as part of the hull. Really wish I hadn't built this thinking it would be a throwaway test platform! 

I also added a lot of black wash to the bilge. It's splotchy, but will only be visible through the gaps between deck planks (I decided to go with spaced planking) and around the edge.

Speaking of which, I finished the deck! After adding a mast step, I made the planks from scrap 1/32 basswood, the thinnest I had. 1/16 basswood would be 2 inches thick at scale, which seems too thick for such a small vessel to me. Unfortunately I don't have much 1/32 basswood. I ended up spacing them a bit widely to avoid having to add a really thin plank at the edge--I probably should have started with either wider or shorter planks. For the Canoa de Rancho, I'll be able to use the drawing of the hull I made to better plan out the deck planking.

 

 

I colored the deck planks with a couple layers of black wash.

I also added the support pieces that hold up the cap rail in the aft half of the boat. As can be seen in the photo below, these were often carved in decorative patterns.

Source: https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/islandora_74/islandora/object/fotografia%3A139636 

I decided to give something similar (well, kinda) a try. After cutting out the basic shape, I also tried to carve out a shape on the lower part. However, I only did one pair like that, as it was tricky to do and the basswood seems too soft to really take such tiny carvings well (they're 3/8 inch tall; a 1-peso coin is included for scale).

Finally, I also cut the crossbeams to size. I'll need to decide what color to paint these before I glue them in (they're not glued in the photo). Presumably the same color as the cap rails.

 

As far as exterior colors, I'm thinking of painting the Cargo Canoa white, and the Canoa de Rancho black, but I'm not totally sure. There are quite a few photos that seem to show these colors. My one concern with making the Cargo Canoa white is that I don't want it to totally disappear against our white walls. I've noticed that, from a distance, the sail on the dory blends in with the wall, and I'm worried the Cargo Canoa will too if it's white. I might go with a dark colored cap rail and some other accents to make it stand out a little more. But we'll see, I still have a ways to go until then.

 

Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how to match this color/weathering, I'm all ears!

Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/chapala/panorama-por-el-fotografo-t-enami-de-yokohama-japo-MX16224344936356/1 

 

I'm enjoying the build so far!

Edited August 25, 2023 by JacquesCousteau
Added missing photos

[wefalck]

Sorry, I am a bit late to the discussion, as I have been travelling. Of course, I don't know what they really did, but if it was me, I would have put floor-panels across the boat. If there is a finger-hole provided, they could be lifted one by one for access to the bilge and bailing.

 

My grandfather owned (but mainly used by me  ) a flat-bottomed rowing-boat on Lake Constance (Germany). The bottom had a slight rocker and at the lowest point a narrow panel in the floor could be lifted out for bailing. The bailer was a shovel-like implement with a short handle. The floors had longitudinal planks grouped into panels between the benches for easy removal to clean the bilge.

 

On the question of the 'box': many small boats had a small locker (that could be perhaps locked with a pad-lock) in the peak or the stern in which the boat's small accessories, such as the bailer, or personal items could be stored.

[JacquesCousteau]

9 hours ago, wefalck said:

Sorry, I am a bit late to the discussion, as I have been travelling. Of course, I don't know what they really did, but if it was me, I would have put floor-panels across the boat. If there is a finger-hole provided, they could be lifted one by one for access to the bilge and bailing.

 

My grandfather owned (but mainly used by me  ) a flat-bottomed rowing-boat on Lake Constance (Germany). The bottom had a slight rocker and at the lowest point a narrow panel in the floor could be lifted out for bailing. The bailer was a shovel-like implement with a short handle. The floors had longitudinal planks grouped into panels between the benches for easy removal to clean the bilge.

 

On the question of the 'box': many small boats had a small locker (that could be perhaps locked with a pad-lock) in the peak or the stern in which the boat's small accessories, such as the bailer, or personal items could be stored.

No worries, thanks for the helpful comments, and that rowboat sounds like it must have been fun! I can see how shorter floor panels running across the bottom would be a lot easier to manage for cleaning out the bilge. What little of the decking is shown in José María Angulo Sepulveda's La navegación de antaño en el Lago de Chapala shows the planks running lengthwise, so I went with that, but his drawing has a few inaccuracies and irregularities, so maybe I shouldn't have taken it as accurate in this respect. My other concern with cross-wise decking is that many planks would be unsupported by the frames, although perhaps the planks themselves had supports attached below to prop the decking up to a consistent height and to allow clearance in the bilge. Definitely something to think more about for the larger Canoa de Rancho--I seem to be using the smaller Cargo Canoa to make all the mistakes and figure out how to deal with them!

 

Very brief build update. I started sanding the hull of the Canoa de Rancho and it looks much better now, although I still have a bit of smoothing to do.

 

I also fiddled around with cardstock today for three things. First, I finally decided to make a scale ruler, as I was getting tired of constantly having to count out 3/8th-inch increments. Next, I used the card to try out one possibility for the bow hull planks, making a straight triangle that would be made of two planks.

 

I have seen photos of vessels like this, such as the one below, so it would not be inaccurate.

Source: https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/islandora_74/islandora/object/fotografia%3A139788

 

But ultimately, I think I prefer the look of a smoother, more natural curve to the bow, rather than just a straight angle. So, back to the drawing board. I'd prefer something like the photo below, which will also have to start further back along the hull:

Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/ocotlan/el-rio-lerma-MX15091260387054/1 

 

Finally, I read in another build log (sorry, I forget which) that it can be useful to use a scale human figure to get a better grasp on how you're placing things (like tiller height, cleat location, etc). So, mustering all of my meager figure-drawing skills, I sketched out a 1:32-scale male figure. He look a bit Ancient-Egyptian, actually, given the arm and foot positions, which testifies to my limited artistic abilities....

 

He stands about 5 foot 4 inches tall, which seems more or less accurate for a working-class person in the early twentieth century from this region of Mexico, based on information in Moramay López-Alonso and Roberto Vélez Grajales's "Measuring Inequality in Living Standards with Anthropometric Indicators: The Case of Mexico 1850-1986" (Journal of Human Development and Capabilities 16.3, 2015, 374-396--which is a fascinating article, it's particularly striking how much heights diverge between upper-class passport holders and lower-class military conscripts). If anything, it might be a hair too tall, although comments in Eduardo Gibbon's and Thomas Philip Terry's writings suggest the locals were considered by contemporaries to be rather robust, so I suppose it's fine. But anyway, the figure gives a sense of how small the Cargo Canoa I'm building is, but also confirms that, as in photos I've seen, passengers would be comfortably able to sit on the cap rail or on the crossbeams. It also suggests that the sides of the Canoa de Rancho aren't too tall to prevent the vessel from being useful for fishing, something I was a little concerned about as I'm trying to make a Canoa that could be used for fishing and cargo hauling.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by JacquesCousteau
Added photos

[wefalck]

I like your inquisitiveness to the set the context right, talking about the paper on Mexican anthropometrics ...

[JacquesCousteau]

4 hours ago, wefalck said:

I like your inquisitiveness to the set the context right, talking about the paper on Mexican anthropometrics ...

Thanks! The paper was one of the first things that came up when I googled "Average Male Height Mexico 1940" or some other year, so it didn't end up being too hard to find. Unfortunately, this does mean that, when I was judging sizes from photos, my measurements are a bit off as I guessed at a height of 5 feet 6 inches... but I left room for error and I'm not modeling any specific ship, so it's not a big deal.

[JacquesCousteau]

The hull (or at least its unframed shell) of the Canoa de Rancho is complete!

After trying a few different patterns from cards, I found a shape that seemed to work for the upper bow planks, using a batten to mark the curve. Rather than make them from separate planks, I made each side from a single piece of wood, marked out the plank thickness, and later cut along the plank lines and glued them back together on the hull. This ensured that the line of the curve was consistent.

I bent the pieces to shape and glued them in place.

Then it was time to take the hull off the strongback. I dabbed alcohol on the two points where I had glued it in place, scraped off the glue residue, and applied light bit consistent pressure at the bow end. Finally there was a sharp--and worrying!--crack and the bow end popped off the strongback. The stern end came off much easier. Despite the noise there was no damage.

While the Cargo Canoa's sides wanted to squeeze in on themselves because the planks weren't bent before gluing, the Canoa de Rancho's planks were bent prior and it seems very stable. There's a little glue residue inside where the molds were, but overall I did a better job at cleaning off excess glue as I went than on the dory. A few dark spots left by the hair pins I used to hold the planks while bending and gluing will have to be dealt with if I want to leave the interior in natural wood, which I'm considering. There's still sanding to do, as well. I also realized that there's a very slight asymmetry just ahead of amidships. In fairing I had added a very small shim to a mold that seemed too short, but in hindsight I maybe should have sanded the surrounding molds a bit more instead. Although that may have just led to an asymmetry in the other direction, maybe I should have added a smaller shim and sanded more. In any case, it's hard to notice unless you're looking directly down on it from above.

Overall I think the hull turned out fairly well, considering that I had to base it on photos of a wide variety of different boats with different hull forms. If I were to redo it, I might make the bow a bit higher, move the widest point back a tiny bit, and increase the width a bit on all or most molds. (Or I should really just build something with actual plans! Now there's an idea...) But, I think that the proportions aren't too bad and will look better if I paint the hull a different color below the waterline (which some photos suggest at least some canoas had, although it's a bit hard to tell). After all, most photos that I'm used to are of these vessels in the water, and they always look a bit boxy when they're hauled up on shore. I do think it captures Ramón Rubín's description of these vessels as having both "an elevated and elegant prow laid out with grace" along with "an oblong and unattractive stern" (La canoa perdida, p.123). It's maybe a bit of an oddly shaped hull, all things considered, but that's just part of the charm.

 

Rubín's graceful, elegant prow:

 

And his oblong and unattractive (I would have just said "boxy," but I guess that's why I'm not a novelist) stern:

Besides that, I've also started painting the exterior of the Cargo Canoa white. I think the color combo works, although it's maybe a bit "Great White Fleet," but I do need something different for the cap rail. Natural wood, maybe?

 

 

 

Next up: a bit of sanding and more white paint on the Cargo Canoa, and time to figure out the Canoa de Rancho's frames while I smooth its hull.

[JacquesCousteau]

Work has slowed a bit, but I've made some progress.

First, the Canoa de Rancho. I'm taking my time with sanding and smoothing the hull, as it's pretty tedious work. Thankfully the 1/16th-inch-thick planking can take a good bit of sanding. I've also started figuring out the frames. Unlike with the Cargo Canoa, I won't be trying to make each frame from a single bent piece of wood. Instead they'll be made of two pieces, one along the bottom and one along the side. As long as I get the angle of the cut right, the joint shouldn't be too noticeable, especially once the floor planking is in. The main issue has been trying to figure out the right thickness for the frames. Originally I was going to go with 1/8th-inch square wood, as I have some left over from the dory build. This corresponds to 4-inch thick frames on a real vessel, which seemed reasonable from photos, but it looked much too thick when I test-fit some pieces (which still needed final shaping).

I toyed with the idea of reducing the number of frames, but it still wasn't looking right.

Instead, I'll be reducing the pieces down to 3/32-inch thickness (corresponding to 3 inches). This seems like it will look about right. Now I just have to make and shape all the frames, and finish sanding the hull.

On the Cargo Canoa: I decided I liked the look of natural wood for the crossbeams, so I attached those without painting.

I also added a waterline, painting below it in a dark brown. This was a bit of a guess, color-wise, as most of my photos are in black and white, but a number of them do show hulls that are darkened below the waterline, and I don't think it's just the water itself darkening the hull.

Next up, the cap rails, which have given me trouble. I outlined them on a piece of paper, then transferred the shape to a 1/16-inch thick board with a pin, then cut it out. I purposely cut it wide so it could be better shaped later (which is why it looks so terrible in the photo). 

 

I had decided to use the 1/16th-inch wood based on trials with some scraps, but the full cap rail looked much too thick. After briefly experimenting with sanding it down a bit, I decided I'd have to redo it in thinner wood. The problem is that I don't have much 1/32‐inch-thick wood left from the dory, so I had to make the rail of multiple pieces with a small splice joint. (This is actually accurate to the actual vessels).

Anotger issue is that I originally planned on having the cap rails overhang the interior of the boat a little such that they rest on the frames. This seemed accurate from a few photos, but a more detailed look suggests that I was wrong and the rails should just be attached to the side planks and extend outward (where they're propped up by the crossbeams and supports). This means that 1) I needed to be pretty precise with shaping the inside edge of the cap rails, and 2) I needed to lightly sand down/round off the top of the frames and repaint them, which requires color matching the interior (which is not straight ochre).

I was able to make the rails, but they brought with them another problem. The 1/32‐inch basswood is substantially lighter than the 1/16-inch wood used for the crossbeams, so the natural wood color looked much too light. So I painted them, slightly lightening the brown I used for the bottom. (I will be lightly sanding the outside edge once they are attached to the hull, which will make the rails more even and smooth).

However, I ultimately don't like the color they turned out. The brown works for the bottom, and seemed fine in tests with painted scrap, but it looks oppressively dark on the entire cap rails. I had no luck with multiple attempts to mix something lighter, which is an area I need to work on for the future. 

(Just a test fitting, the rails haven't been glued yet.)

So, I bought some lighter brown paint. Now I will be sanding the darker paint off the rails, repainting them, and then finally attaching them. Oh and also making the aft rail, too.

Hopefully the paint troubles will be over soon! Painting is definitely one of my least favorite parts of the build process, and I'm hoping to find a color scheme I like better for the Canoa de Rancho. Hopefully I can leave more wood natural.

[Harvey Golden]

On 8/24/2023 at 9:54 PM, JacquesCousteau said:

Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how to match this color/weathering, I'm all ears!

 

I was wondering about the colors-- seems all the images have been B & W.  The image from 1934 is likely hand-colored, but it sure captures the mottled look, whatever colors they may be.  Seems like a light base color, and sponging on a brown and/or blackish wash might do the trick.   I'm very much enjoying this project!  (I liked your last one too, and immediately regretted not going to Xochimilco when I was down there in April). 

Best, 

Harvey

[wefalck]

OK, photographic evidence has precedence, but this construction appears to be rather unconventional. A capping rail is called a capping rail, because it caps the heads of the frames. In addition to adding longitudinal strength it also protects the end-grain of the frame-heads from deterioration.

 

Handcoloured photographs typically reflect the expectations or conventions of the colourists. It would be interesting to know, whether these boats were painted outside or tarred. In many regions of the world, boats are just repeatedly given light coats of tar. With the weathering, this would take on a mottled, greyish-brown look as in the coloured photograph above. However, whoever coloured the photographs may have been guided by the visual image of boats e.g. in the USA or Europe. 

[JacquesCousteau]

13 hours ago, Harvey Golden said:

I was wondering about the colors-- seems all the images have been B & W.  The image from 1934 is likely hand-colored, but it sure captures the mottled look, whatever colors they may be.  Seems like a light base color, and sponging on a brown and/or blackish wash might do the trick.   I'm very much enjoying this project!  (I liked your last one too, and immediately regretted not going to Xochimilco when I was down there in April). 

Best, 

Harvey

Thanks! You'll definitely have to check out Xochimilco next time. Unfortunately the only images in color that I have of Canoas de Rancho (which are very few) seem to be hand-colored. The image you're referring to is the one that looks to me like it was done with the most care, but of course I have no real way of knowing. It looks better, though, than something like this:

(Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/MX13229838190754  )

 

The original black and white image is actually also available, in very high resolution, at: https://digitalcollections.smu.edu/digital/collection/mex/id/2308/rec/26. There's nothing in the original to suggest that one canoa a different color than the others, all are the same tint. Most importantly, the flag shown above is a complete fabrication by the artist.

 

The only trustworthy color images that I have are later and only for smaller fishing canoas, but some may still be helpful. The following photo depicts what was likely a pretty typical sort of splotchy coloration that may well represent some of the canoas de rancho I've seen that have dark upper sides fading to a lighter shade. (It also shows the water lilies, introduced in the late nineteenth century, that quickly spread and began taking over the lake, leading to recurrent anti-lily campaigns. In Ramón Rubín's La canoa perdida, most of the protagonist's funds to buy the titular fishing canoa come from a stint pulling out and burning water lilies for the hydroelectric company.)

Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/antiguas/jalisco/chapala/pescadores-en-el-lago-de-chapala-1958-MX15186632784160/3 

 

But other fishermen went a different route. This image, for instance, does seem to show painted hulls.

Source: https://www.museocjv.com/chapalapostaless.html 

 

On the issue of hull painting, while the black and white photos aren't very clear, there are a number that show an evenly-tinted light-colored hull, often with a name painted on in dark lettering, as in La Gaviota below. (The name is a bit blurry in the photo, but the caption does include it). That's why I went with a white hull for the Cargo Canoa, although I'm going to do something different for the Canoa de Rancho.

Source: https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/repositorio/islandora/object/fotografia%3A433841 

 

Incidentally, La Gaviota also shows off some common accoutrements like the anchor that I'll have to make later.

 

8 hours ago, wefalck said:

OK, photographic evidence has precedence, but this construction appears to be rather unconventional. A capping rail is called a capping rail, because it caps the heads of the frames. In addition to adding longitudinal strength it also protects the end-grain of the frame-heads from deterioration.

 

Handcoloured photographs typically reflect the expectations or conventions of the colourists. It would be interesting to know, whether these boats were painted outside or tarred. In many regions of the world, boats are just repeatedly given light coats of tar. With the weathering, this would take on a mottled, greyish-brown look as in the coloured photograph above. However, whoever coloured the photographs may have been guided by the visual image of boats e.g. in the USA or Europe. 

Thanks! One more quick thing about the coloration before getting to the rails: according to José María Angulo Sepulveda, these boats were caulked with a mix of tar, beef tallow, and cotton tow, which undoubtedly contributed to the coloration on at least the unpainted vessels.

 

As for the rails. First, thanks for explaining the name! I hadn't realized that the "cap" actually was because they capped the frames, but that makes perfect sense.

 

My photo evidence is blurry and a bit unclear, but I think photos generally show that the frames were not capped by the rail. In the photo below, I've circled three such frames. The bottom left frame passes behind a crossbeam before seeming to end well inboard of the rail, and the middle top frame also seems to end in a squared off cut that's not covered by the rail. The top right frame looks almost like it extends up past the cap rail, although I haven't seen that on any other vessels, so I wonder if they will be cutting off the top before finishing the vessel. The other frames look like they taper at their top ends.

Source: Minute 5:52 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHbBKiYs3QU

 

Also, it's much less clear in this photo, but I think you can see the tops of frames on the port side of the hull (right side in the photo) that are not covered by the rail. Very hard to tell, though.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHbBKiYs3QU

 

But, some other photos are less clear. These frames may be covered by the rail?

Source: https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/islandora_74/islandora/object/fotografia%3A140967 

 

Finally, it is clear that the frames in the smaller fishing canoas were usually not covered by the rail.

Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/MX14140215743756 

 

Source: https://mapio.net/pic/p-33141234/ 

 

But, sometimes, maybe they were.

Source: https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/MX15570248148348 

 

As for why they wouldn't cover the frame ends, I really don't know, it would make more sense to cover them. But, if the photo above with a frame possibly extending above the rail is any indication, I almost wonder if they added the frames after attaching the rails, or if they only cut the frames to size after the rails were on.

 

In any case, it's tricky to tell what's going on with those frames, so any suggestions are much appreciated!

[wefalck]

It is not unusual for small craft to have no capping rail at all, particularly, when they were clinker built, where the longitudinal strengthening provided by it would not be needed. The strange thing however, is to have a capping rail that actually does not cover the frame-heads.

It may well be that they added this plank to provide better seating, when sailing, as you would like to balance the boat with your body. Who knows?

The builders may not have been aware of the various boat-building techniques and just build something simple that did the job.

As many of us are sort of rooted in the naval or yachting tradition, where everything had to be 'ship-shape - Bristol fashion', we tend to forget that such craft were built for plain functionality and not following any established traditions in craftsmanship.

[JacquesCousteau]

11 minutes ago, wefalck said:

It is not unusual for small craft to have no capping rail at all, particularly, when they were clinker built, where the longitudinal strengthening provided by it would not be needed. The strange thing however, is to have a capping rail that actually does not cover the frame-heads.

It may well be that they added this plank to provide better seating, when sailing, as you would like to balance the boat with your body. Who knows?

The builders may not have been aware of the various boat-building techniques and just build something simple that did the job.

As many of us are sort of rooted in the naval or yachting tradition, where everything had to be 'ship-shape - Bristol fashion', we tend to forget that such craft were built for plain functionality and not following any established traditions in craftsmanship.

Thanks! From what I can tell the rail was used for seating (especially on smaller vessels like my Cargo Canoa), and on larger vessels people often stood there and on the crossbeams for poling and moving around the boat. There were also a number of points on the rail for belaying ropes.

[JacquesCousteau]

Very brief note.

First, feeling a bit frustrated with sanding the rails, I switched gears a minute to make the hinges for the stern box lid/helmsman's platform. No photos of this, so just a guess on the shape. I cut them from card and made the hinge barrel from a bit of toothpick sanded down into a tiny cylinder. I also added tiny dots of glue to represent the screws, although in the future I would try to get them smaller.

I'm happy with how they turned out and think they add something nice to the build.

Second, both rails broke at the joint when sanding and had to be reglued. The joint is really small due to the difficulties of cutting it into 1/32-inch-thick pieces. But, the rails have been sanded, getting off most of the old color, and they're ready for the next round of painting.

[JacquesCousteau]

On the Canoa de Rancho, sanding is just about complete. The hull isn't perfectly smooth, but I did want to make sure the planks would still be visible after painting. I added a bit of sawdust and glue to fill some low spots, too. Overall I'm happy with how the hull is coming out.

For the Cargo Canoa, I'm basically done with the hull now that I've added the rails.

A quick word on painting. I've been using Politec brand acrylics. These are very widely available and cost about a dollar for each small bottle. They've worked well, but Politec really has very limited options for browns. So I went with a slightly pricier (but still cheap, just under 3 bucks) brand that had a much greater variety of browns. I'm much happier with how the color turned out, and I like how the bottle has a nozzle--one annoyance with politec is that I always had to scoop out the paint I wanted, while this is much easier.

After painting the rails and adding a light black wash for character, I glued them in place. 

Gluing them was a bit trickier than I expected, especially in the aft half, as the rails really aren't attached to very much--mostly just the thin top of the wale, and a few supports--and I couldn't really clamp them. As a result, the rails ended up pulling away from the wale a little amidships. It's small and shouldn't be noticeable unless I somehow place this with a strong backlight, but it's something I'll have to watch out for on the Canoa de Rancho.

Next, the aft rail. This entailed making a joint in the 1/32‐inch-thick rail, which was tricky. I'm glad I'll be using thicker rails on the Canoa de Rancho. After painting the piece for the aft rail, I placed it and marked where to cut. I did a mixture of carving and sanding to remove material as necessary. I nearly cut through the thin wood at one point, leaving a mark on the other, visible side, but I was able to fix the visible damage with sanding and a repaint after attaching it.

 

It isn't a perfect joint, but it works. (Honestly, they're not perfect joints on the actual vessels, either. I suspect there was a lot of wear and tear on the rails and they were frequently replaced). It was especially hard cutting the joint into the side rails, as they were only attached on one side and were very flexible on the other. (The accidental near-cut-through is visible here, before sanding and painting).

I then touched up the paint, and with that the rails are complete!

Still to do for the Cargo Canoa: making the rudder (which can only be mounted after I make a stand as it's deeper than the hull), adding belaying points along the rail, adding an anchor and chain (present in a ton of photos, even on very small vessels), and then the mast, sail, and rigging.

 

[JacquesCousteau]

So, I've shaped the upright portions of the frames for the Canoa de Rancho. They've all been marked as to their locations. They just need to be cut to the right length, which will have to wait until I figure out the crossbeam locations--some frames will likely be under a crossbeam. I also will do a bit more sanding to make sure the frames are roughly even in width.

 

I have to say, I'm not worried about a little unevenness, as many of the frames on actual canoas were pretty roughly-hewn. (Ramón Rubín can't seem to help himself from calling them "mal labrado" at every turn in La canoa perdida). But, this is really highlighting for me how challenging it will be if I ever scratch build something with more complex frames. Looking around at things like the Triton Cross Section, to say nothing of a full-hull model, it's impressive that people can get so many small pieces even!

 

I still have to make the bottom pieces of the frames. In the photo, they're just the upright pieces from the other side or bits of scrap, because the boat looks really weird with only the upright pieces in. Nothing has been glued yet. There will be cleats added near the bow, too.

 

Before I glue in the frames, though, I want to decide how to color them. Canoas used pine for the side planks and mesquite for the frames. Pine is a light-colored wood and mesquite is darker, and I was wondering if I could represent that even if everything here is made of basswood.

 

So, I decided to test a few options, although I didn't do a great job on the painting here as it's just to test color combos. The top left has natural wood. Top right, natural planks and a brown-painted frame. Bottom left, light-painted planks and a brown frame. Bottom right, just to see I went with brown planks and a light frame. 

 

I also added a little black wash to see how that would look. I also wondered about natural planking combined with a light-painted frame, and tried to place the test pieces to see how that looks.

 

Overall, I'm not sure about the look of painting the interior and frames. But I've heard that basswood doesn't take stain very well, so I'm not sure if I want to try that. Any suggestions?

 

Finally, I'll be traveling for the rest of the month, so no build updates for a while, although I might post other things in that time.

[JacquesCousteau]

Due to travel, I haven't done any further work on the build and won't for another few weeks. But, I have picked up a few small things that should be useful.

 

 

As I've mentioned before, the only basswood I can find in Mexico is 1/16th inch thick, so I took advantage of being in the US to get a few sheets of thinner, 1/32 inch thick basswood (which I had to cut down in size so it fits in my carryon). It will be useful for some of the furnishings in the hull as well as the internal decking.

 

The thatched rancho poses a bit of a building challenge. I was originally planning on using coconut fibers to make the thatching (which was made of reeds in real life). But, getting enough fiber seemed like it might be a pain in the neck. I saw this "excelsior" material and thought it might be easier to work with, although I'll still have to cut it to the right size.

 

Canoas seemingly all had anchors dangling off their bows whenever they were sailing, attached to a sturdy chain. I got a couple of the thinnest jewelry chains I could find (they were cheap), one in a vaguely brass color and the other in more of a stainless steel. I'll have to experiment a bit when it comes to working with them, and I'm still trying to decide how to make the anchor.

 

I picked up a couple threads and clamping tweezers, all intended for fly tying. The tweezers, especially, should make knots and rigging much easier.

 

I got a few small dowels, perhaps useful for oars or fishing gear, and some wooden beads. I wasn't originally going to include a load of cargo, but I think it could be nice to include something with the Cargo Canoa. Gibbon mentioned watching a load of watermelons being unloaded from a canoa, so I'm going to see if I can fill in the holes in the beads and make a few.

 

Finally, I still wasn't loving my tests with the paint for the Canoa de Rancho's interior, so I picked up a stain pen. I know that basswood is infamous for not taking stain well, but if I'm only staining the frames (hence leaving the planking natural) I think it could work? The frames are small so any blotchiness shouldn't be too noticeable, I imagine. I'll test it out beforehand, though.

[wefalck]

Ripped ladies' stocking would make reasonable fishing nets. I have also used various seeds to represent, after painting, different type of fruit. Pepper-corns could make a basis for melons (not sure about the size/scale in your case).

[JacquesCousteau]

15 hours ago, wefalck said:

Ripped ladies' stocking would make reasonable fishing nets. I have also used various seeds to represent, after painting, different type of fruit. Pepper-corns could make a basis for melons (not sure about the size/scale in your case).

Thanks for the suggestions! I have some tulle fabric that should work for the nets, I previously used it for the funnels in the lobster trap for the dory. Seeds could be interesting. The wooden beads I have correspond to roughly 12-inch round watermelons, which seems to be within the standard size range for present-day melons. They may be slightly on the large size for watermelons from circa 1900, but I think they should work out ok. I'll be trying to sand them a little, too, as most watermelons aren't perfectly round but a bit elongated.

[JacquesCousteau]

After being away for a while, I'm back to work on the Canoas! While I was traveling, I found my mind wandering to other project ideas, so it's good to be able to focus on an actual build.

 

I left off with the side portions of the frames nearly complete, so next up is making the portions that run along the bottom. I cut some 3/32-inch strips from the 1/8-inch thick sheet I have left over from the dory build, and cut the frame bottoms roughly to size.

 

Nothing's glued in yet, and the frames still need proper trimming both to reduce their thickness to 3/32 square and to tidy up the joints with the side portions. But I'm happy with how it's coming along, it looks a lot better than just an empty shell of a hull and I'm looking forward to installing them.

 

 

I've begun reducing the height of the bottom frames from 1/8- to 3/32-inch, and have finished the starboard pieces (counterintuitively located on the center-left of the photo). The difference in height with the port pieces, on the center-right, is apparent. As can be seen, I've been taking care to label all the pieces so I don't lose track. Although much simpler than the amazing plank-on-frame models elsewhere on this site, there are still 32 frame pieces to keep in order, which is much more than I've dealt with before!

I also experimented with using the stain pen to add color to the frames, which on the actual vessels would have been made of a different, darker wood than the planks. (I'm thinking of leaving the planking it's natural color on the interior). While traveling, I did a quick test with some scraps cut--messily due to my lack of tools--from the 1/32-inch sheets I got. I liked the results: from top to bottom, two layers of stain, one layer of stain, and no stain.

But, I wanted to test things out on scraps that were closer in size to the frame pieces. I also wanted to test if the stain could be used over a sealer to provide a more even color. On the left is a piece that I stained in several layers. The color is ok, but I think it would be more even if I was more patient and let the stain cure overnight between coats. It also shows that I'll need to be careful with the ends, which really soak up a lot of stain and darken too much. In the middle is a piece I stained after first applying sealer, which didn't really work--the stain couldn't really penetrate the wood and just sat on the surface, making it very easy to accidentally scrape off. On the right is a piece with just one layer of stain. I think the color is good, but it's a reminder that staining will bring out any imperfections in the piece. In this case, there was a bit of a gouge running the length of the piece that ended up much darker than the rest.

 

[JacquesCousteau]

While continuing work on the frames, I also started on the rear locker/helmsman's platform. On the Cargo Canoa, as seen below, I built it very simply: the front is a single piece (with some decorative "molding" at the sides), and the top is two pieces (a crossbeam at the rear and a lid).

Although I'm happy with how the Cargo Canoa's locker turned out (more or less--I could have squared it better), I wanted to make something more interesting for the Canoa de Rancho. I was particularly inspired by an old, large, lidded wooden crate my family uses as a side table. The sides of the crate are made from vertical planks with framing on the exterior. It's very sturdy and can easily support heavy weights, which is ideal for something meant to serve as a platform. (Blurry photo below). Although I'm not going to copy it completely, I want to borrow elements from it for my build.

 

Maybe it's a little overbuilt for what is a pretty simply-constructed vessel, and (as mentioned when I was building it for the Cargo Canoa) it's not entirely clear that canoas even had lockers under the helmsman's platform--there are no photos and I'm extrapolating from a rather vague textual reference and knowledge that such things were included in other simple boats built elsewhere. Were this intended as a museum piece meant to faithfully represent a canoa, I would probably leave it off. But, I'm building this for fun. My goals are enjoyment and skill-building while creating a plausible representation of what a canoa might have been like. Accuracy is important, but, especially given the paucity of clear sources for so many details, I'm not going to worry about it if at times I have to step into the realm of the merely plausible.

First I used paper to get a template for the size and shape.

 

Next, I traced the template onto 1/16‐inch basswood, cut it out, and lightly stained the front. Then, I marked out individual planks on the back and cut. Although the triangles at the sides are wide enough that they should be made of two separate planks, I left them as one because the joint would be covered by the framing. After cutting them and realizing I had a lot of little pieces to keep track of, I numbered them. Can you spot my careless error?

Somehow I missed a piece! After test-fitting it everywhere I decided it most likely came from the side, between pieces 1 and 2. I numbered it 1.5 and turned over the pieces to allow the stain to fully cure. I like the color and am finding the stain pen to be pretty easy to work with.

I'm hoping to learn new techniques, so I decided to use this as a way to practice caulked planking. I lightly sanded the edges of the planks so that they would stand out better once glued back together, then used a pencil to draw along the right edge of each piece. I then began gluing the planks together on top of the template, using a straightedge to keep them lined up.

After all were attached, I sandwiched the pieces between two metal rulers and clamped it to dry, then I checked how it came out the next day.

 

Overall, I'm happy with how my first "deck planking" has turned out. Some of the pencil lines are thicker than others, which is something to try to correct in the future, and the close-up photo really exposes the fuzziness of the wood. (I think it looks better in person). There's some unevenness in plank width, due in part to my decision to cut the planks from the piece, which required marking each plank and created lots of opportunities for inexact cuts. It would be more consistent if I cut the planks from a strip of consistent width, instead of trying to cut planks of consistent width from an already shaped part. Making more of a jig to hold everything in place, and figuring out some way to better clamp the pieces together, are steps I'll consider for future builds.

Test fitting in the Canoa. It's not quite squared up here, but I'm liking the contrast between the stained and natural wood!

Next, the framing. I'm planning on using 1/16-inch wide strips from the 1/32‐thick basswood I bought for the top, sides, and crossbeam. But the bottom poses a bit of a challenge, as part will be covered up by the interior decking. After considering a few options, I decided it would make sense for the base to be a wider piece than the other frames, which would also make it visible poking out above the decking. I'm also going to be attaching a cleat to the front of the bottom frame. This is necessary for the interior decking as the frames don't extend all the way across the hull. On the Cargo Canoa, the cleat was separate from the locker, but I have very little space on the Canoa de Rancho between the locker and the first frame, so it makes sense to attach the cleat to the locker. A test fitting with unfinished pieces (not yet cut to size, and not all frames included) should make what I'm talking about more clear.

I stained the pieces and cut them oversize. This gives a rough idea of what the framing will look like (minus the cleat), although all pieces will be better-shaped and joined neatly instead of passing over each other. (Also, it will be squared up rather than roughly placed).

I'm enjoying my progress on this build and having fun learning new techniques!

Edited October 4, 2023 by JacquesCousteau