Fairing the Garboard Area

[Clyde A. Phillips]

 

The drawing should give you an idea of how (and why) the apron and deadwood must be faired to be able to plank the boat properly.  The fair line needed is the plane between the lower frame members and the plank with that extending to between the apron and the plank.  The garboard, usually an adjective as in garboard strake (the first plank at the keel above the rabbet) and garboard seam (the seam between the lowest plank and the deadwood or keel).  A very carefully built hull may present to the planker a framed up structure that does not need fairing.  But even with the Newporter, that is built time and time again from pattern marked and cut pieces put together on various forms and molds, does not produce the framed up structure so well made that the fairing process can be skipped.  Fairing the hull is critical to a well made hull.  Once the planks are on and the finished boat is painted the well faired boat will look better than good and the unfair hull will prevent it from ever being a beautiful boat.  Do your fairing carefully and you will be well paid by her look for a long time.

[bob mitchell]

Good stuff Clyde - I am going to grap that picture and put it in the album on HULL FAIRING - and yes, you know I know the importance - but I tell you, it is tedious tiring work - considering all the surfaces to be coordinated fair - the outer clamp, the frames, the apron, the garboard rabbet, the transom bottom edge - it is definitely worth making a check list.