Which material should be used to build a boat ? ? ? ?
 

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Bruno Beam wrote:
Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Its got to be stone. Ideally Lanhélin blue granite.

To maintain optimum structural strength, Bruno, you should carve it from
a single 50 tonne block using only hand tools. Tell us how she sails
when you've finished. Owing to the limited interest in stone boats,
progress reports will *NOT* be needed ;-)

Anyone else, ***XPOST TO scot.tld REMOVED***

The vessel 'Maen Vag' (and her building)
Weight: 3.8 tons
Length: 4 m
Width: 1.85 m
Height: 1.70 m
Draught: 1.06 m
Gross tonnage: 1.13 tonnes

http://www.granitbreton.org/fr/process/vaisseau.htm
OR
http://translate.google.com/translat...=fr%7Cen&hl=en



--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961

But once carved, should the interior be sealed in epoxy, spar varnish or
paint? (g)

"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
...
Bruno Beam wrote:
Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Its got to be stone. Ideally Lanhélin blue granite.

To maintain optimum structural strength, Bruno, you should carve it from a
single 50 tonne block using only hand tools. Tell us how she sails when
you've finished. Owing to the limited interest in stone boats, progress
reports will *NOT* be needed ;-)

This would be a good place to use the spray on truck bed liner material!
Would make the smooth shiny granite non-skid.
You *were* going to polish the stone, right?



"Auerbach" wrote in message
. com...
But once carved, should the interior be sealed in epoxy, spar varnish or
paint? (g)

"Ian Malcolm" wrote in
message ...
Bruno Beam wrote:
Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Its got to be stone. Ideally Lanhélin blue granite.

To maintain optimum structural strength, Bruno, you should carve it from
a single 50 tonne block using only hand tools. Tell us how she sails
when you've finished. Owing to the limited interest in stone boats,
progress reports will *NOT* be needed ;-)

I'm not sure how to mount gronicles to a granite hull.

Auerbach wrote:

But once carved, should the interior be sealed in epoxy, spar varnish or
paint? (g)

"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
...
Bruno Beam wrote:
Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Its got to be stone. Ideally Lanhélin blue granite.

To maintain optimum structural strength, Bruno, you should carve it from a
single 50 tonne block using only hand tools. Tell us how she sails when
you've finished. Owing to the limited interest in stone boats, progress
reports will *NOT* be needed ;-)

Jim C says:

I'm not sure how to mount gronicles to a granite hull.

If you build it correctly, you shouldn't NEED gronicles ;-)

Jim Conlin wrote:
I'm not sure how to mount gronicles to a granite hull.

ahuh-huh-huh-huh... he said "gronicles"

DSK

Bubble gum!

Auerbach wrote:
But once carved, should the interior be sealed in epoxy, spar varnish or
paint? (g)

Stephen Baker wrote:
Jim C says:


I'm not sure how to mount gronicles to a granite hull.


If you build it correctly, you shouldn't NEED gronicles ;-)

Exactly, after all, the Celtic monks didn't think they were required
either. Mind you, they had God on their side. For those of us of lesser
faith, they should be socketed into the granite on a well tarred gasket
of unwashed lambs wool felt (ideally from the first borne lamb of your
flock), retained by bronze or preferably monel cramps locked into their
holes with either a pour of molten lead or sulphur depending on whether
a deosil or widdershins correction is required. I leave research on
esoteric questions like whether one should mount three or seven
gronicles each side, or the correct wiring or the oiling and general
maintenance schedule to the reader.

I like the idea of using Rhinoliner, Much lower maintenance than the
traditional tarred leather :-)

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961

"Ian Malcolm" wrote:
Bruno Beam wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Its got to be stone. Ideally Lanhélin blue granite.

To maintain optimum structural strength, Bruno, you should carve it from a
single 50 tonne block using only hand tools. Tell us how she sails when
you've finished. Owing to the limited interest in stone boats, progress
reports will *NOT* be needed ;-)

Auerbach wrote:
But once carved, should the interior be sealed in epoxy, spar varnish or
paint? (g)

Well I am somewhat of a traditionalist, so its got to be paint. Ideally
finley ground red ochre in a base of boiled flax seed oil, lanolin and
fish oil, but I guess one could stretch a point slightly and use red
Damboline.

Oh dear, I forgot to remind Bruno to fit and USE jackstays. I would
suggest that webbing is too vunerable to chafe against a granite hull so
he needs wire jackstays and a well fitted chain harness and safety
line. None of these nasty karabiners though, too unreliable. A good
galvanized shackle with the thread of the pin dipped in a mixture of sal
ammoniac, treacle and fresh iron filings so it doesn't work loose would
be a *much* better idea on each end. After all we would'nt want
anything to happen to him. ;-)
Oh Dear, I forgot to tell Bruno to fit and use

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800, Bruno Beam wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

I think I can rule out rubber and stone immediately.

All of the other materials are reasonable choices depending on various
things which you failed to mention.

What kind of tools do you have access to?
What kind of skills do you have?
Do you want a power boat or sailboat?
Do you want the boat to be trailerable?
Where will it sail? calm lakes? bays? Across oceans?
Will it sail where there are icebergs and such?

--Mac

[Warning- possibly off topic]
What kind of cow should be used to supply the skin of a coracle? Jersey?
Galloway?

Ian Malcolm wrote:

Stephen Baker wrote:
Jim C says:


I'm not sure how to mount gronicles to a granite hull.


If you build it correctly, you shouldn't NEED gronicles ;-)

Exactly, after all, the Celtic monks didn't think they were required
either. Mind you, they had God on their side. For those of us of lesser
faith, they should be socketed into the granite on a well tarred gasket
of unwashed lambs wool felt (ideally from the first borne lamb of your
flock), retained by bronze or preferably monel cramps locked into their
holes with either a pour of molten lead or sulphur depending on whether
a deosil or widdershins correction is required. I leave research on
esoteric questions like whether one should mount three or seven
gronicles each side, or the correct wiring or the oiling and general
maintenance schedule to the reader.

I like the idea of using Rhinoliner, Much lower maintenance than the
traditional tarred leather :-)

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy circa. 1961

On 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800,
(Bruno Beam) wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Bruno,

Steel :-)

Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove
43' steel hulled cutter/ketch

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
What kind of cow should be used to supply the skin of a coracle? Jersey?
Galloway?


Deceased, certainly. For a very large coracle, skin Salem Sue:
http://www.realnd.com/salemsueindex.htm

More seriously, have you seen this coracle info site?
http://www.coracle-fishing.net/text-files/types1.htm. Many types in
different locales, covered in everything from canvas to buffalo hides.

Oxen of any breed. Check Tim Severin's book on the Brendan Voyage. He
sourced the hides in England.

"Auerbach" wrote in message
. com...
"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
What kind of cow should be used to supply the skin of a coracle? Jersey?
Galloway?


Deceased, certainly. For a very large coracle, skin Salem Sue:
http://www.realnd.com/salemsueindex.htm

More seriously, have you seen this coracle info site?
http://www.coracle-fishing.net/text-files/types1.htm. Many types in
different locales, covered in everything from canvas to buffalo hides.

You guys all have way too much time on your hands....!
"Lee Huddleston" wrote in message
.. .
On 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800,
(Bruno Beam) wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

Bruno,

Steel :-)

Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove
43' steel hulled cutter/ketch

Wouldn't a rubber boat be able to bounce off icebergs?
"Mac" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800, Bruno Beam wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

I think I can rule out rubber and stone immediately.

All of the other materials are reasonable choices depending on various
things which you failed to mention.

What kind of tools do you have access to?
What kind of skills do you have?
Do you want a power boat or sailboat?
Do you want the boat to be trailerable?
Where will it sail? calm lakes? bays? Across oceans?
Will it sail where there are icebergs and such?

--Mac

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 14:01:53 +0000, MMC wrote:

Wouldn't a rubber boat be able to bounce off icebergs?

I'm sure I wouldn't know.

But actually, after I sent my post, I realized that many people refer to
inflatables as "rubber boats." And of course, inflatables as a class are
perfectly respectable boats.

I'm not sure if I would recommend that an individual try to build a rubber
boat, however. It seems to me that the construction might be a bit tricky.

--Mac

Mac wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800, Bruno Beam wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

I think I can rule out rubber and stone immediately.

--Mac

Stone??? - concrete as in ferro concrete construction has a high
proportion of stone in it!!!

I think that at Peter's next boat launching/pig roast, we could try
covering a coracle with pigskin, assuming the beast is large
enough...;-) -paul

Jim Conlin wrote:
[Warning- possibly off topic]
What kind of cow should be used to supply the skin of a coracle? Jersey?
Galloway?

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 04:18:36 -0800, colinstone wrote:


Mac wrote:
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:16:50 -0800, Bruno Beam wrote:

Metal, wood, plastic,rubber or stone?

What do you recommend?

I think I can rule out rubber and stone immediately.

--Mac

Stone??? - concrete as in ferro concrete construction has a high
proportion of stone in it!!!

As I said, I think I can rule out stone immediately.

;-)

--Mac