« 22ft Gaff Cutter "Surprise" Design #95 »

"Surprise" is one we built for our own use in spare time over a period of five years. She is a small cutter of traditional model, full-keeled and in her proportions, fairly narrow and deep. She can sleep three, but is essentially a two person boat, laid out for comfortable coastal cruising.

Construction is double skin red cedar laid fore and aft over bent frames and fully glued. Ballast is lead and spars hollow spruce.

Surprise's Half ModelThe journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, as a Chinese boat builder once said. Here we get a first look at the hull in three dimensions. More often than not, building a model will result in changes to the drawings. Lines plan and specifications for "Suprise II" #131 are available in the catalog of stock plans.

On the loft floor.Construction begins with the expansion of the hull lines to full size on the loft floor. Here the lines have been faired, the construction detail plotted in, and we are moving on to pattern making. This the pattern for the stem rabbet being assembled.

Making the molds.

The body plan is drawn separately from the other hull lines. Here the deduction for plank, frame and ribband thickness has been made from the body sections and the temporary building molds are being assembled. Nail heads are used to transfer the shape to the mold stock.

Assembling the backbone.Components of the backbone are shaped to patterns taken from the loft floor. Here the sternpost and deadwood assembly (oak) is being connected to the keel (fir). Clamps are used to pull up the mortise and tenon joints.

Shaping up the stem.At the forward end of the backbone, the stem, forward deadwood and keel have been bolted together, the plank rabbet has been chopped, and the cutwater is receiving final shaping.

Fitting the planking."Surprise" was built upside down using our standard set up procedure. The molds are set up first, then the backbone is lowered into place and temporary ribbands bent around. Frames are steam bent oak boxed into the backbone and notched through the deckshelf. Here the planking is well along, and the spiling batten is being used to take off the plank shapes. The inner planking is ¼ inch thick; the outer layer ½ inch with the joints staggered. Planking is laid in epoxy glue and fastened with bronze screws.

Turning the hull.

In the confined space of our building shop, turning a hull of any weight is an awkward business. "Surprise" was turned right side up using a pair of wooden hoops fitted to the hull. These sit on double planks and rollers so that she can be rolled more or less on the spot.

Here are a few sailing pictures in a nice breeze with a single reef in the main. Thanks to Bruce Obee, photographer, and John Harper, pursuit boat.

 Hull speed to windward.

Ghosting in Lysianski Strait AK.