MAINE BOATBUILDERS SHOW Page 21. Boat School Builds Dinghy Designed by Student
EASTPORT – Too many young people think they have found their calling only to discover they hate what they have chosen to do for work. It can be very frustrating trying to fi nd something enjoyable to do. Fortunately there are still students that have found a passion for their chosen profession. This fall one such student at the Boat School in Eastport, Patrick Fogg of North Yarmouth, designed a dinghy and since the school was looking for another project to build during the spring semester they chose his. Patrick said, “It started in drafting class.
We had to design our own 12 foot dinghy, rowing or sail. This is what I came up with and the instructors thought it was good enough to build. I got all the lofting done as well as the station moulds made before Christmas. I got the backbone and transom made after Christmas and I started planking it the end of January.”
The School wanted another cold mould hull to do for the students this spring semester. The transom was vacuum bagged using three layers of wood. They used mahogany inside and out and then a strip of cedar in the middle. The hull was to be three layers, but this has been changed to two. The fi rst layer is strip planked fore and aft and the second layer is 45s for an overall thickness of about 3/8 of an inch.
Patrick added, “The strips I put down are quarter of an inch to start off and I just thought that doing two layers of 16th
inch
diagonals would be frustrating trying to fair it. They are doing a dinghy on the other side that way and they have often sanded through. I asked if I could do two and at fi rst they didn’t want me to, but they came to the conclusion that it would be all right. In the aft section I did three layers just because it took a hard bend because there is quite a bit of tumblehome back there. It is tough to get those fatter diagonals to lay down.” With just a month and a half of classes left, Patrick has to put on a layer of cloth and epoxy inside and out. He also has an outer keel to build, which is going on top of the center plank, creating an inner and outer keel. Then he needs to build a skeg on top of that. The interior layout is a pretty basic with just three thwarts.
The design is based on a number of boats that Patrick has used over the years. He explained, “I wanted the classic look. I like a good sweeping sheer. In riding in those boats I made a few adjustments, like the bow is a little higher. She should go nice through the water.”
Patrick did have a background in boatbuilding and repair. His father Dennis owns Fogg’s Boatworks in North Yarmouth. His father, who attended The Boat School, specializes in wooden boat storage and repair, but several years ago he built several aluminum boats to his own design. Patrick added, “My brothers and I have always had our own boats and we always
R. E. Thomas Marine Hardware of Hancock
worked on them. So, I’ve been around this my whole life, but as far as professionally working for him, about four years. Before that, if I got in trouble he would have me fairing boats or grinding something.” When Patrick went to work for his
Instructor Brian Moore watches as Patrick Fogg staples down the last layeron the hull. designed a 39 foot sailboat.”
Presently the students are working with CAD and Patrick said that this can get a little frustrating, but in the end it can save a lot of time. They have worked with a barge and a 40-foot hard chine sailboat.
father, his father said, “If you really like it you should go to school for it.” He added that they could teach him more than he could in a shorter period of time.
Patrick did a lot of woodworking for his
father, along with painting and varnishing. He said, “As far as how to build a boat from start to fi nish, I had a decent understanding. But designing something like this, no way.” Patrick said he made the right decision and that he has learned a lot. He knew he did not know everything, but he has been pleasantly surprised what he has learned. What has surprised him the most, the whole drafting and design aspect. He said, “I have spent a lot of time doing it. Right now I have
After graduation Patrick said, “I think I would like to work for someone else for a year or two at least. Get out there and get some experience elsewhere. I would really like to get in somewhere I could do some design work. I obviously like to build, but I would like to get some more experience designing and drafting so when the time comes to move on I could do both.” It is not unusual to fi nd sons that have followed their father into the boatbuilding profession. What is interesting is that most of them like the wooden boats. Fortunately there are still those interested in them, either building, repair or storage, for there are still a lot of wooden boats out there needing care.
The crew of R. E. Thomas Marine Hardware.
HANCOCK – There are several places I stop that really intrigue me by what they do. One place that captured my attention is R. E. Thomas Marine Hardware in Hancock. Every time I do boat yard news at Mike Light’s shop in Corea he is always saying how impressed he and the fi shermen have been with a self-aligning shaft bearing that he gets from R. E. Thomas. I will be the fi rst to admit that this was getting over my pay grade, but I really wanted to know why this was better than sliced bread.
One day I was running through Hancock and had a little extra time so I stopped in and was given a brief tour by Mike Newbert, Ron’s right hand person. It was fascinating, watching the CNC machines manufacturing several different parts for an outside customer. For those of you who follow NASCAR, driver Tony Stewart is part owner with Gene Haas, well Haas’ business is making automation machines, which were some of the CNC machines being used. The next time I stopped by I talked at length with owner Ron Thomas who explained what they do at R. E. Thomas
Marine Hardware. The fi rst question I had was the self-aligning shaft bearing used in lobster boats. Ron explained, “Basically we’ll start with what used to be done. The horsepower is everything that has made the difference. Years ago a six cylinder Ford engine out of some truck or car with a one inch shaft was typical. They were very fl exible. With the introduction of larger and larger horsepower engines it necessitated tougher and more stable shafts. It has resulted in going to the best applicable steel, which is the Aqualoy 22. It is certainly the only thing I would put in a boat. With the strain and the stresses on the boat of today you have got to have something like the Aqualoy 22. The way they hooked up the old shafts would be a coupling to your reduction gear, and then you would go back a ways and you would fi nd a bulkhead or a place where you could tie a stuffi ng box. Then you keep going aft and you’ll fi nd another typical stuffi ng box bolted onto the outside of the boat. Years ago, if things got out of line that shaft didn’t
Continued on Page 22.
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