US 2017/0305501 A1Published application

Strake Structure and Method for Building Bonded Lapstrake Boats

OwnerJohn C. Harrisinventor

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Abstract

An improved method for building a lapstrake boat 240 includes an improved strake structure 152 having a wide rabbet 182 running the length of said strake's lower edge 164 and inside face and having a selected rabbet width which defines a joint overlap region with a bond receiving gap 210. The strake's rabbet width is preferably three times the plank's thickness 180 along most of its length but may taper. A plurality of temporary tie receiving holes 220 are bored through the thickness of the strake, and entirely within the rabbet segment of the strake for coaxial alignment with adjacent holes 224 in the adjacent strake. Adjacent strakes 150, 152 are aligned and tied together so that the wide rabbet segment 182 in the bottom edge of one adjoining strake 152 overlaps and is tied to a selected surface area on the outside face of the adjoining strake 150.

A method for building lapstrake boats from wood or plastic strakes without use of a strongback or mold comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a design for a lapstrake boat hull with a plurality of strakes forming port and starboard sides;
(b) determining two-dimensional shapes for said plurality of strakes, each said strake having a top edge, a bottom edge, and inside and outside faces separated by a plank thickness;
(c) fabricating said strakes in accordance with said two-dimensional shapes;
(d) cutting a rabbet along the bottom edge and inside face of each said strake in said hull design, with the exception of a bottom strake on each side of said hull, at the intersection of said strake's bottom edge and inside face;
said rabbet having a selected rabbet width at least twice as wide as the strake's thickness;
(e) drilling first pairs of spaced temporary tie receiving holes through the thickness of at least a first strake, said first pairs of holes being located in and defined through the rabbet of said first strake;
(f) drilling second pairs of spaced temporary tie receiving holes through the thickness of a second strake, said second pairs of holes being located below the top edge of said second strake in alignment with said first pairs of holes when said first and second strakes are assembled;
(e) positioning said first and second strakes together so that a portion of the top edge and a portion of the outside face of said second strake fits into and is in contact with the rabbet in the bottom edge of said first strake in such a manner that a portion of said first strake adjacent to said rabbet overlaps the outside face of said second strake, adjoining;
(f) binding said first and second strakes to one another with temporary ties passing through corresponding pairs of holes in said first strake rabbet and said second strake top edge;
and
(g) bonding said first and second strakes using a cementitious matter, whereby said first and second strakes are attached to each other.

8 more elements

Abstract

Claims17