Le Martegaou by Bryan Woods - Billing Boats - 1:80

[Bryan Woods]

This is a flat bottom boat used to move goods on the river and coastline of France in the 1800’s. I was thinking it would be easier planking experience with only half the hull:-) I read all the instructions about 20 sentences and 6 black and white figures. This build looks like it could be a challenge for me. 
 The spine, bottom and frames are 3mm plywood. I spent about a hour freeing them from the sheet.
 

 

After cleaning some of the charr,  I dry fitted all of them and placed the deck on hoping to see the plan in my head.

 

 

It didn’t come to me instantly. Looks like I may try finding it in a dream tonight:-)

 

Some of the questions I have right off the bat are. It doesn’t look like the notches in the deck line up perfectly with the frames. The middle one looks out of plum to me. I’m thinking I may glue the spine to the bottom and the 3 center frames all at one time and dry fit the deck to hold them in place. Then maybe do the 2 at a he stern and then the other 2 at the bow?

 

The stern dips down a little, leaving a gap between the spine and frame 7 and also a small one (you can’t see) at frame 9. 8 is that little piece holding the deck up.

 

 

There is one other build log here, He did one at a time. I’m not sure I will have the success he had, doing it like that. Any suggestions are welcome. 
 

I guess these things wouldn’t be as entertaining if they went together easy without a lot of thought:-)

[ccoyle]

Ah -- the sort of vessel "Lucky" Jack Aubrey would have been snapping up during his time in command of Sophie.

[JacquesCousteau]

Looks like a very interesting build!

[Bryan Woods]

Well if my plan came in a dream, I can’t remember it:-) I sat down and carefully removed the bottom. Tried to imagine the order things should be done and decided to glue the spine to the bottom first. I skipped over the areas where the frames connect.

 

 

Then I reassembled the deck supports and deck and held it down with rubber bands. I added extra bands on the frames that needed more tension. After the spine sets up, I’ll remove the deck and glue the 3 center frames next, then replace everything till it sets. Like I planned earlier, repeat for the frames at the stern and bow.

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on this one, popcorn in hand as they say.

Bob  M.

[Glen McGuire]

I'm on board too, if Bob will share his popcorn with me.  

[Bryan Woods]

Frames all glued, mast step installed. I did a bit of painting in areas that I would probably make a mess of, later in the build. 
 

 

 

Edited October 25 by Bryan Woods

[Bryan Woods]

Reading through the other build log on this sight, they laid black thread between the planks. It really defines the planks. I was excited to get it going. In fact, I don’t think I did all the other non- boat related things yesterday I was supposed to:-) I think it was well worth it. 
 

 

That said, I find if it takes me days to get done, what could have been done in hours. I don’t spend as much time finding my mistakes.

[Bryan Woods]

The deck slipped right on with no problems. After fairing the hull I softened the bulwarks and clamped them to the hull to let them dry.

 

 

on the stern I cut a groove so I had a stop for the plank.

 

 

At the bow, I may cut the excess off when I glue it.

 

 

While I was setting thinking about which end  to start gluing. I started looking at the rigging. The drawing is all there is, and it looks like spaghetti hanging on a fork to me 🙂

 

 

If anyone has any helpful tips on that subject, please speak up 🙂 Just in case here’s the rest of it:-)

 

 

After all that filled my brain, I wasn’t feeling like a gluing session, so I carved  a scale figure. First was a pekingese. She’s a little bigger than scale. That was as small as I could go 🙂
 

Then Captain Kirt.

 

 
I plan on getting started back in the morning. Here’s Captain Kurt and Macy.

 

 

You can see them better in this one.

 

 

 

 

 

[Glen McGuire]

2 hours ago, Bryan Woods said:

If anyone has any helpful tips on that subject, please speak up 🙂 Just in case here’s the rest of it:-)

Here's how I read the drawings.  In the first drawing, F71 and F72 probably indicate different thicknesses for the lines.  F700 (and other F+3 digits) indicate different size blocks.  Each circled number points to a specific rigging line.  You will have to figure out where each numbered line is tied off, then trace its path though the blocks till it disappears below the bulwark.  The 2nd drawing is the belay plan and shows where to tie off each of the numbered lines.  I can't tell from the drawing which ones are tied to belay pins and which to cleats.  Maybe the little circles, like for 1, 4, 8, 11 are pins and the little ovals are cleats?  

 

That's my guess anyway!

[Bryan Woods]

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks making the cargo, which mostly will be covered up by the lifeboat. But for the few curious ones that will peek through the crack. It will cause them to ask. What’s that? 😁 

 I’ve started the planking and it’s been going on smoothly. Hopefully nothing unexpected will crop up. The flat bottom seems to make the planking look simpler. The stern and bow are both about 3 planks wider than the middle. I’ve got an uneducated plan in place, hopefully I’ll learn. I’m planning on painting the hull so I foresee  no problems that can’t be covered:-)

 

 

 

[JacquesCousteau]

Very nice! What are you using for the cargo?

[Bryan Woods]

46 minutes ago, JacquesCousteau said:

Very nice! What are you using for the cargo?

 Thanks Jacques. 

This boat is going to be displayed in a neighboring town’s pet shop that’s owned by my friend Kirt. He only sales one brand of food so that’s what I filled the boat with. I plan on trying to carve as many pets as possible for Captain Kirt’s crew 🙂  I really enjoy a build more when I get to personalize it for a specific home. 
Thanks for asking about it:-) The entire time I was making the 100 feed bags I was thinking I maybe the last to see them:-)  Here’s a few more shots.

 

 

 

Edited November 10 by Bryan Woods

[JacquesCousteau]

I think your friend will be very happy!

[Bryan Woods]

The planking on the port side only has a few more planks. The gap ranges from 10mm to 9mm in the center. My planks are 4mm. I think I’m going to start by trying to cut the next plank down to 3mm and see where that brings me. I’m sure I haven’t planked this the way others may have, but trying to read and understand the different tutorials of planking. I just can’t keep my mind focused long enough on it 😕 

 

[king derelict]

Coming together really well. Making a crowd of pets to ship onboard is a terrific idea 

Alan

[Bryan Woods]

I finished the planking this morning. I feel like I’ve learned a little more, even though it may not show. I did better on the port side with sizing the width of the planks. But my tapers at the bow were irregular and didn’t make the bend around the bow smooth. On the starboard side I tapered more and longer. That seemed to lay a little flatter when bent around the bow. But I didn’t keep a watch on the width of the planks which I had to add more stealers which look like wedges. 
 

Here’s the port side

 

starboard 

 

bow

 

stern

 

and the bottom 

 

Now to sander down and fill in those low spots. This part of the build is the most relaxing part,  I think. I just have to make sure I don’t sand through the planks:-)

Edited November 21 by Bryan Woods

[Bryan Woods]

I’ve filled and sanded the hull, and glued the wales on. They maybe lower than they should be. I removed them once, and just stayed with the second time. Now the painting. Which I have the lesser faith in myself to do a good job. My goal is to just do better than the last one:-) Here’s where she stands.

 

 

 

 

 

[Glen McGuire]

She's got a nice looking profile, Bryan.  Fine work so far!

[Jim M]

Looking good @Bryan Woods