To build an Historic Ship

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Some Examples of The Fluyt Design,

in various forms

To B v i l d A D u t c h F l u y t

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Constrvction Log of a Historic 17th. Centvry Ship

In Coastal Florida

How it Began ~

My interests in building an authentically styled early ship was a coalescence of my various interests which include maritime history, carpentry & sailing. The project was begun in 2003 & has already traversed three states. I ultimately made the committment to move to Florida, after researching the optimal conditions for building this project. This will be a formidable untertaking and has already consumed considerable time, sweat and dollars, but remain determined. Wish me luck and you will see my ship take form, via the minor miracle of the World Wide Web.

Cheers.... Mike L

"Batavia", a beautiful full-sized Fluyt Recreation

Drawing titled ~

Klink Vs. Kravel

Showing the primary

hull planking forms

of the 18th. century.

Stitch & Glue

construction should

yield a Kravel-styled

hull surface.

A Scale Model Depicting a Fluyt as a Whaling Ship

My Boat-building Journal

Summary of the Events of 2003 ~

Bronx, New York ~ The idea to build a historic replica boat became more solidified with my

frequent excursions to NYC's South Street Seaport, Melville Library. Chapman's 1790 treatise on ship design was my constant companion. Other rare books showed details of hull, mast and spar construction, and infinite small details about how technical challenges to 18th. century boatbuilding were approached. The Fluyt design in 40 feet overall length was ultimately decided upon, as it can be handled with a minimal crew, is perhaps the cheapest to build in both the 17th. and the 21st. centuries, and provides, for the labor expended, the largest boat possible. Additionally, her shallow hull design, allows for the boat to be rested safetly on a riverbank at low tide or upon a beach head if necessary. All these features, along with her elegant profile, made this design the ideal choice for my project.

The thought of building such a leviathan was daunting. Where to start? I consulted an interior design firm on Manhattan's West Side that specialized in wooden domes and wood interiors. I spoke with their executive who listened to my goals and suggested that I practice examples of construction methods and develop my skill base without thinking of the project as a whole.

Originally I wanted to build a traditional boat of steamed, bent oak. I built a small propane steamer with some iron pipe and began to steam some thin sections of oak. The neighbors were visibly concerned as the contraption looked like some gigantic, smouldering rocket, waiting to take off. While I bent some small pieces, it seemed perplexing how to bend anything more than a half inch piece of wood. The energy costs were daunting as well. Ultimately, steaming wood as a primary construction technique was deemed too expensive, even if it was traditional.

Unable to attend a wooden/traditional boat-building course due to work obligations, I began with a more modernistic approach. Using WesSystem Epoxy and stock Red Oak boards from Lowe's, I began to familiarize myself with the process of creating a strong lamination of Oak (Yes I know Red Oak is unsuitable for boats however this was just an exercise in skill development.)

I developed a full sized template of the keel and began to laminate the oak into an oversized blank, where I would practice planing it to shape. The form rapidly became far too large for my small Bronx apartment, however I was satsfied with results. The pseudo-keel shape was fantastically strong and supported my entire 250 lb. frame jumping up and down on it vigorously. Though not a conclusive nor scientific test considering the weight of a completed ship, it was not a bad experience and I felt that I began to understand something of the nature of wooden ship building. To quote Gulliver's King of Lilliputt , the thing is going to be "a whopper!!" I knew that in order to continue this project, I would have to take it to a more suitable environment.

Summary of Events, 2004 ~

Around Thanksgiving of 2004 I moved to Buck's County, Pennsylvania where I hoped, close to sources of White Oak, I might continue to expand my practical knowledge of ship framing. Purchasing odd shaped oak 4x4s, I practiced drilling and wooden pegging them together to create gigantic U-shaped hull frames. I used the last of my WesSystem Epoxy with these creations. A more useful lesson was learned this time: A traditionally built frame for a 40 foot boat 10' x 5" constructed of White Oak was far heavier than two strong men could easily manhandle, and I had no army of shipwrights at my back. At this point I began to ask myself if there was a boat-building method that might yield a hull that looked right , but that was constructed in a more modern way. The internet yielded an answer and Devlin's Stitch and Glue Method, seemed to be a good place to continue these boat building experiments.

Winter in Eastern Pennslyvania was cruel, snowy & wet with numerous sub-zero days and many others that made otherwise firm ground turn into soft, slippery mud. I determined thatthe project was getting serious, that it was becoming more of a priority in my life and that it was time to make a strategic move. I called a friend, a young but learned fellow who reenacts 18th. century sailoring down in Northern Florida. He suggested that Northern Florida, near the Georgia Border, was an ideal place for my project. In July, I relocated yet again.

Summary of Events, 2005

Nassau County, Florida ~ I relocated just at the start of hurricane season, however by October 2004, things seemed to calm down, weather-wise. 2005 came. At present, a short and mild Winter is just passing. I purchased Devlin's Stitch and Glue book in early March and determined that I would use this technique to build a boat project, which would be the primary learning experience for the Dutch Boat. I acquired some of Chapman's schematics for a 30 foot ship's longboat. By the first week of March, which brings us nearly up to date, I began construction of a half-hull model to work out some plank shapes. My task now is to develop a miniature ship's longboat, and work out the plank shapes and hull framing. Upon its completion (hopefully by May 2005) I will obtain some Marine-grade plywood, and begin experimenting with Stitch and Glue. Please check back regularly for more installments of

"To Build a Dutch Fluyt".