SHAPE AND FORM

IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, BUT IS IT A DUCK ?

There is no official  Class measurement certificate for this boat in existence, and the registration number, usually carved on the transom fashion timbers has long gone to dust, I thought it will be prudent to at least measure the boat to see how close it is to the Class measurements.

I downloaded the Class measurement forms for the wooden Wayfarer, from the +UK Wayfarer Association web site. This was very helpful to establish what changes, if any the hull underwent during the last 50 years of use and including the past repair / rebuild. This will also ensure that the hull will remain a Wayfarer as designed, when the hull has been reduced to a skeleton of frames and stringers.

Although these measurements are of value in establishing the overall dimensions of the boat within the class rules, it does not give the necessary offsets to enable components to be made. that no longer exist in this hull. IE: The transom shape and the distance of the lower rudder pintail from the bottom of the transom/keel ?

 TRANSOM

The one component that is the most problematic in the hull is the Transom, It is becoming clear that before the last restoration. the floor area aft of the centreboard case was the most damaged, hence the absence of the Hog and repair to the aft floor area. The aft buoyancy compartment also went and the transom was re- fashioned to fit and replaced. 

Taking the measurements of the beam and stringers from the buoyancy bulkhead aft, all measured up to within the Class measurements, however the Transom was quite different and as described previously a number of components were missing.

1. The top of the transom ended more or less straight across from sheer to sheer.
2. The Rudder is placed to high.
3. There is no fashion timber framing.
4. The shape of the transom is not symmetrical.?

Measuring the length from bow to outside the transom, this distance is longer than the class measurement by 18 mm (3/4"), and I noticed that the transom is placed on the outboard end of the plank ends, thereby increasing the overall length of the hull by the thickness of the transom 18 mm.

TRANSOM SHAPE

The fist thing to do, was to adjust the rudder to the correct height, this I deduced by setting up the rudder by looking at where the rudder would be the most efficient in the water and also by guesstimating the lower distance of pintal from the keel.

Taking off the shape of the transom directly from the boat, enabled me to fashion a template.

   

Camber of Transom

This was established by vertical measurement from the keel to above the rudder for the tiller clearance.

Using a limber batten a fair curve was struck, by extending the batten on either side of the sheer points.

This is the final template of the Transom, it can be seen that the right side of the drawing is longer athawrtships than on the right, not symmetrical. So, which side is correct, if at all ?

The cut out for the tiller was done by eye and is not accurate to the Wayfarer original design.

BRACING FRAMES

At this stage, I decided  to start bracing the hull as to retain the shape that fall within the class rules.

First, the broken knees had to be repaired or replaced. 

Athwartship braces in place

TRANSVERSE SECTIONS 

Making the transverse sections may be done by connecting  all the knees, floor points and in between the stringers. These were made from 4 mm scrap ply and can be glued together with either a hot glue gun or ordinary PVA glue.

These will be used as an template for the more substantial framing sections or moulds 

SETTING UP

Before the planking can removed, the hull shape has to be secured by bracing sections at every knee and floor web frame.

When the boat was built these section frames were supplied together with the strong back for setting up the hull before planking could commence. These temporary frames had then either be destroyed or was sent back to the licence holder.

There were 3 full frames that remained in the boat, the forward bulkhead, the aft buoyancy bulkhead and the transom.

The only original full frame in the hull currently is the forward bulkhead. The Transom is incorrect and can not be relied on to give an accurate shape to the aft of the hull when set up upside down and all the planking removed.


HOW TO GO FORWARD ?

The big question is, how to progress from here, as there are no offset measurements available for the body plan, usually taken from the centreline to the outside of the planking.

I am not sure whether to continue with a complete rebuild at this stage, as it will be the same result, with the aft portion of the hull being inaccurate at best or banana shaped at worst ? 

False Bay 15 min. from my home.
View from Kalk Bay looking towards  Fish Hoek, - The migratory cruising ground of the Great White Shark