Shelter Island Boat Works

The side decks are specified to be 1/2″ thick, either plywood or solid butternut. Since it would be almost impossible for me to find the appropriate size for butternut I chose plywood. They are supported inboard by curved laminated knees. The after deck is 1/4″ plywood. This difference between the side deck and aft deck thickness is curious to me as it will cause a “step-down” where they meet. I have to assume Herreshoff or his guys thought a thinner aft deck would reduce weight where it causes the most concern – the ends. Be that as it may I chose to follow the specifications. As it turns out that “step-down” is disguised with a very small trim piece to hide this discrepancy.

The first order of business was to make the laminated knees. They are all slightly different in their curvature. This necessitated making 5 different pattern molds. I made templates from the gunnel, hull side and deck curvature at each location. I then transferred the curve to a large block of wood and cut it with the band saw. Then it was a simple matter of ripping a lot of thin strips and laminating them pressed between the two mold blocks.

After placement against the hull the knee tops were planed to conform to the curvature of the deck.

Laminated curved knees installed

Now onto the decks themselves. After scarfing two lengths together and placing them onto the boat I traced the hull edge directly onto each side deck. Then using the plans I lofted the inner edge and cut them out with a jig saw.

As I was using plywood and the edges of decks would be exposed the plywood would need solid edges to protect the edge grain from deterioration and for appearance. A solid mahogany 1/2″ x 1/2″ pieced needed to be glued to all edges. The aft deck would get 1/4″ x 1/2″ piece. I recut the plywood deck profiles to accept this new reduced outline. Then I glued the solid mahogany strips to the decks.

Then two coats of epoxy were applied.

The aft deck went first – glued and screwed. Then the side decks. The outer edge had been planed down to lie just inside the signature curved rub rail.

Aft deck

Side decks

After the decks were sanded and the outer edges rounded the deck trim was glued and screwed on. There is only an inner mahogany cap trim on the side decks. The aft deck has a very small 1/4″ mahogany trim edging. The “step-down” where the side deck meets the aft deck is “disguised” by a small trim edge. Again, these were all screwed and glued.