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Chris Perkins’ build of Michael Storer’s RAID looking almost
supernaturally neat and tidy. I must ask him how he does it!
What happens when a prize-winning amateur builder of glued lapstrake boats like Chris Perkins builds a boat with chine logs and frames with cleats?
A flawlessly tidy looking job, that’s what! Notice how he’s managed to glass the bottom with only one tiny run…
See more photos of his build of Michael Storer’s RAID at his weblog Strathkan Chris’s Little World. He’s building it for his friend Brian Pearson, who I think is a very lucky chap indeed. I think Michael has been pretty lucky here too, by the way: every designer prays the first build to their latest new design will be built by someone like Chris!
Hi Gav,
This has been an interesting build, not least because it is such a change from my normal methods. I have found it a real challenge, everything depends accurate application of the measuring tape – with clinker, once the moulds are up pretty well everything else is fitted to the developing boat, I might use the tape to check the beam is in the right ballpark once she is off the mould but that's about all! One of the other difficulties is the size of the bits – they are huge and floppy – a real handling problem for the single-handed worker, again with clinker all the components are so much more manageable. I think there is a research project for some psychology student on the way different mental makeup’s respond too different building techniques. What has been fascinating is working with Mik Storer on the emerging design, a real privilege.
Oh yes – the bottom sheathing, lots of masking tape and polythene to catch the drips, as you spotted a not completely successful method!
Thanks for the interest
Chris
Hi Chris –
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, the question of why people respond positively to one method and not to another is an interesting one. I confess that I decided at a very young age that people who could built clinker-built boats were magicians, and nobody has yet been able to persuade me otherwise. I could, however, be much more confident about a project like RAID, despite the hassle of handling large floppy pieces of ply.
I look forward to hearing more at Barton!
Gav