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By William GardenNaval Architect

A QUICK look at thecurrent cost of boats

makes most of us feel likeholing up for a year or so,hoping that prices will comedown. There's an alternativeto h iberna t ion , though—lower your sights to some-thing that you can buildtoday at a reasonable cost.Gamin is such a packet. She'sdeep, roomy, and heavilyballasted. Put her in a racewith the average light sail-boat and she'll finish last.But put a couple of fellowsaboard who want to cruise—or load her down with thewhole family, includingAunt Tillie and the dog, foran af ternoon 's sail—andshe'll be in her element.

For cruising, Gamin holdsone distinct advantage overher larger sisters. Supposeyou live in New York andwant to see what the coastof Maine looks like. Simplyput Gamin on a trailer, loadher up with gear, and takeoff. You'll be sailing alongthe Maine coast before alarger auxiliary could evenclear Cape Cod Canal.

When cruising, you'll needonly a cockpit cover that fitsover the boom, a Primusstove, sleeping bags, a grubbox, four one-gallon waterjugs, and the miscellaneousgear ordinarily connectedwith camping. A good set of

Mechanix Illustrated

FIG. 1SAIL PLAN ANDDECK PLAN

Anyone handy with tools will have little troublebuilding Gamin. Her V-bottom seam-batten type ofconstruction is strong yet comparatively simple.

Evident here is the rugged framework that insuresGamin's builder many years oi carefree pleasure.

sweeps will provide auxiliary power andmake a better man of you in the process.

The time taken in laying Gamin out fullsize will more than be repaid during con-struction. Two four-by-eight sheets of ply-wood are butted to form a floor 4 ft. wideand 16 ft. long and, to conserve space, thethree views in Fig. 2 are drawn one on topof another. Nail a 1/2 x 2-in. base battenalong the bottom edge of the plywood,checking it with a chalk line to make sureit is perfectly straight. Draw in the waterline and the station lines exactly as shown.

From the dimensions, reproduce in pencilthe fore-and-aft lines, using battens—onemeasuring 1/2 x 3/4in. and the other, to takethe stem rounding, 1/4 x 1/2 in. After thefore-and-aft lines are down, develop thebody plan from them; then deduct the 3/4-in. plank thickness from each section anddraw in the inside line of each frame.

To transfer each inner section line to theframing material, lay shingle nails on theirsides along the line about 2 in. apart andimbed the heads in the plywood. Lay apiece of the framing material on the nailsand step on it—the line will be plotted onthe stock and can then be drawn in witha pencil and sawed out.

Make the side frames extra long to reachthe floor when building upside down. Theyare joined to the bottom frames with ply-wood gussets, using glue and nails. Thestem and transom should be made next,following the same transfer method usedon the frames.

Fig. 3 shows the backbone assembly. Setthe frames, stem, and transom on the build-ing floor at the proper intervals. The cen-terboard-trunk subassembly comes next.The bed logs must be bandsawed to therocker of the keel. Fasten the keel andapron together with thick paint and screws;then bend them into place and bolt to thetransom knee, bed logs, and stem. The skegcan be bolted on aft at this time.

Your next job is to bevel the frames andnotch out for the battens, sheer clamp, andchine. Locate the battens to suit the widthof your planking material. About 5-1/2 to7-1/2-in. widths can be used for the bottomplanking and 4-1/2 to 5-1/2in. widths for sides.

Once the fore-and-afters are installedand faired, give the entire structure a coatof flat paint inside and out. Now she is readyfor the planking, which is spiled and cut inthe conventional manner. Nail it to theframes and screw it to the battens. Sincethe material widths available will varyfrom locality to locality, I have specified inthe Lumber List the area to be coveredrather than the width and length of eachpiece.

When she is planked, clean the hull offwith a smoothing plane, sand with garnetpaper, scribe in the water line, and applya coat of flat paint. The best way to turnher over is to invite the gang in for a party,saw off the frames, and pick her up. Havesome padded chocks ready to set her in.

The next day, pick up the pop bottles,sweep out, and sit down for a look at Gamin.Have a good look at the sheer for any bumpsor irregularities and meditate about thesteps to come so work will go along in theproper sequence.

110 Mechanix Illustrated

Fair the sheer plank off to the clamp.While she is clean inside is a good time topaint the interior. A dark reddish brownis attractive and wears well. For hotweather, though, a buff would be better.

Fit the deck beams and carling, springin the coamings, and paint this new struc-ture. For decking, use waterproof plywood.Apply two coats of paint to the undersidebefore fastening down. Along the sheerclamp, lay the decking over a strip of cot-ton wicking that's soaked in paint. Thiswill keep her tight.

The mast stanchions, floor boards, andseats go in next. Nailing cleats are addedto the centerboard trunk to take the bulk-head. The rake of this bulkhead makes anice lazy back. When the joiner work for-ward is all in, the cabin top can be fasteneddown. Installation of the rudder, cleats, andmiscellaneous details winds up the hullwork.

Now, roll her to one side of the shop andget to work on the spars. Spruce, fir, andAlaska cedar are all good materials. Themast is made in two halves and glued to-

October, 1949 111

gether after hollowing. Note in the drawingthat the hollow doesn't run all the way tothe ends of the spar. The best way to cutthis hollow is to take a few cuts on a tablesaw first, then work out the rest with agouge, using a template to make sure youdon't go too deep.

For gluing up the spar, make a 2 x 10-in.bench, 24 ft. long, from common structurallumber, truing it up with a chalk line. Gluethe two halves together and clamp themdown on the bench. Allow a couple of daysto dry; then unclamp, round off the mastwith a plane, sand, and apply five thin coatsof good varnish. The hole for the mastheadsheave has a strong rake to its bottom side.Carefully sandpaper and varnish here sorain will run off. A wedge should be gluedon the after side of the masthead so thebackstay will clear the mainsail. The back-stay tang, which is detailed, can be madefrom either Everdur or galvanized iron.All other fittings are stock items. The boomis solid, shaped to the dimensions given.

Sails of a sort can be made by the ama-teur, but it is a difficult job. You'll be farhappier if you go to a professional and pur-chase properly made sails.

Apply the final paint job to suit your owntaste and you're ready to slide Gamin over-board. Without ballast, she will be tootender to carry sail in much of a breeze.Sash weights make good ballast; or youcan use nice, round rocks about the size oftennis balls. Leave some small hatchwaysin the floor boards for stowing ballast. Makethem about 10 in. in diameter with 9-in.(inside diameter) rings screwed below toform rabbets to take the hatch covers. Bal-last Gamin to suit local wind and sea con-ditions—and she's ready to go!

Depending upon your skill and workshopfacilities, about 250 to 350 man-hours willbe required to complete the job.

All that remains to be done is to choosea name for your boat. We're partial toGamin, but any short and sweet name, suchas Mischief or Dormouse, will be fitting.Good luck—and happy sailing!

112 Mechanix Illustrated

FIG. 6-CONSTRUCTION PROFILE AND PLAN