5 10 Simms finally done

I've had this out for two sessions now in 3-4' surf.  It paddles well and is definitely fast.  I'm still working on finding the sweet spot, but that will come with time.  Too far forward, the fins release and it gets squirrley, and too far back it does not want to turn. Ray Meek aka Stingray did a nice epoxy glass job and did  cool old school leash loop.

Hollow Alaia Interim Curves

I could not resist posting a few pictures of the bottom planking for the new hollow alaia.  I love the curves that are starting to show up.

Sort of Alaia...

I've always liked the simplicity of the wood plank alaias.  The biggest problem is of course, they are hard to paddle and get into waves with.  I've always thought it would be fun to make a hollow wood alaia.  Not necessarily a kook box, but a board that has the same bottom contours and chines of an alaia.  I had forgotten about this idea for a couple of years until I saw what the wood board guru Tom Wegener was working on.  His brother Jon has been making very cool alaia-like boards with small twin fins (his Bluegills), but Tom shaped up some very cool foam alaias with enough thickness to be pretty easily ridden.  Tom calls them Seaglass.  Anyway, I got all excited when I saw pictures on the web and immediately started thinking how I'd do this in wood.  I've never shaped in foam, so I thought I'd give wood a go for this shape.  My shape is 6'6" long, 22" wide and about 2-7/8 thick, with slab sides, a chined bottom and a deep long center channel.  After making some preliminary drawings, I realized it kinda looks like Tom Morey's famous foam creation!

 The beginning of the channel.  The bottom will need to be planked in separate stages for the chines, channel and flat front entry.  

 One of the slab rails going on. 

 Obviously the deck is down, and I've kept it dead flat to simplify the build.  Besides, flat is fast.  

I replaced the conventional solid keel with a really simple stick truss beam which will be much lighter and just as stiff.  

More to come!

7-2 Mini Simmons Start

Two kids moved out, one off to college, moved into to a smaller house, it has been a busy year.  Despite that, this will be my second board of the year and probably the last for 2011 (who knows?  Therapy is Therapy).  I've been talking to John Cherry recently and that reminded me that I've wanted to build a mini Simmons twin for several years now, after seeing John's gorgeous balsa 10-0 replica and his cool smaller versions.  With a bit of guidance from John I started cutting wood today. I'm still happy with using the 1/4" Sandeply.  It looks okay, but it's light and a fast build.  I think I'll tint this one just for fun.  The milled wood next to the layout is (1) redwood 2x4 x8' milled for rails and blocking.  That's it....a sheet of ply and one stick of wood.  I'm am stoked about this one.  Here is the general layout: 

 And the nose blocking...

6-6 update

With Michele out of school for another week and me on watch, I've had some time to work on this board.  So far, I'm very pleased with how fair the bottom rail line has turned out.  This makes it so much easier to shape the rails, without having to work through whoop-de-doos.  I bailed at the last minute on doing the two-piece keel and just did the normal plywood keel.  So here is how it looks:

Tail in foreground, ready for  the top.

This clamping process is insane!  I need  either 4 hands or a helper.  I always worry about the glue tacking off before I get all the clamps dogged down.  It takes about 20 stressful minutes to get all the glue on the ribs, rails, stringers and blocking, lay the top and get it clamped and shimmed.

Committed at this point.

Clamp and shim craziness!