19th century deck planking - what shift to use?

[hamilton]

Hello there:

 

I read Ulises Victoria's article on deck planking - very clearly written and informative - and I've planked a few decks in the past. But one thing I've wondered is whether any particular conventions governed whether a 2, 3, 4 or 5 butt shift was used....Was it:

 

1. Builder's/designer's preference

2. A matter of time-period? 

3. A matter of vessel type/size/rate?

4. A matter of national convention?

 

I've almost exclusively used a 4-butt shift in all the models I've built - with the exception of a couple where none was used or where a 2-butt shift was used...

 

I'm currently building the Fair Rosamund from the OcCre Dos Amigos - a Baltimore clipper of the early 19th century - any hints on the deck planking arrangement?

hamilton

[Ed Mostowicz]

I used to use at least 3 butt shift patterns, sometimes more. Then one of the older guys in the club, who used to work in a shipyard building fairly large schooners, said that they didn't use any pattern in planking a deck. They just took the longest length boards they had and installed them, just making sure that the butt joints weren't adjacent on the same deck beam.

 

Since then, I use a scale plank length of about 24 feet - I read somewhere years ago that this was about the longest that a planking team could work with easily and safely. After the first plank is in, I shorten the next one by 4 or 5 feet and the next one 4 or 5 feet again. Then plank #4 is full length and so on from there. BTW, I work from the center out to the waterways.

 

Ed.

[hamilton]

Thanks Ed - I suppose this means that there is ample room for interpretation! 

hamilton

[Ed Mostowicz]

I think that's safe to say. Unless you have specific information to the contrary, that is.

 

Ed.