[Illustration: FIG. 117.--Cross-Section of Boat.]
This is simple work. All that is necessary is to have straight, true edges to your one-inch planks, fit them together, and nail them in place. Of course, when you come to the slant at bow and stern the bottom-boards at each end will have to have a bevelled edge, to fit snugly against the boards on the flat part of the bottom of the boat; but any boy who is accustomed to shake the gray matter in his brain can do this. Remember, scientists say that thought is the agitation of the gray matter of the brain, and if you are going to build a boat or play a good game of football you must shake up that gray stuff, or the other boys will put you down as a “stuff.” No boy can expect to be successful in building a boat, of even the crudest type, unless he keeps his wits about him, so I shall take it for granted that there are no “stuffs” among my readers.
After the boards are all snugly nailed on the bottom, and fitted together so that there are no cracks to calk up, the hull is ready to have
nailed in place, at bow and stern. See the plan, Fig. 116, and the elevation, Fig. 117. The bumpers must be made of 2-inch plank, 8 feet long by about 9 inches wide; wide enough to cover A and A´ of Fig. 115, and to leave room for a bevel at the bottom edge to meet the slant of the bow and stern, and still have room at the top to cover the edge of the deck to the hull (see Fig. 117).
with two coats of good paint, and after it is dry may be turned over and allowed to rest on a number of round sticks, called rollers.
If you will examine Fig. 116 you will see there
These are what are called two-by-fours--that is, 2 inches thick by 4 inches wide. They support the floor of the cabin and forward locker, at the same time adding strength to the hull.
The ribs are each the same length as the end-board, A and A´ of Fig. 115, and are nailed in place in the same manner. Each bottom-rib must have a notch 2 inches deep cut in the bottom edge to allow the free passage of water, so as to enable you to pump dry. Commencing at the stern, the distance between the inside of the bumper and the first rib is 1 foot 6 inches. This is a deck-rib, as may be seen by reference to Figs. 116 and 117. After measuring 1-1/2 feet from the bumper, on inside of side-board, mark the point with a carpenter’s pencil. Measure the same distance on the centre-piece, and mark the point as before; then carefully fit your rib in flush or even with the top of the side-piece, and fasten it in place by nails driven through the side-board into the end of the rib, and toe-nailed to centre-piece. Do the same with its mate on the other side of centre-piece.