How to Plank Boat Hulls

Preparing the Planks

• 1

  Measure the length of your planks to reach the full length of your boat's hull. Mark the length your plank should be.

• 2

  Cut the planks to the appropriate length. Place each plank, one at a time, into the band saw. Saw across the width of the plank at your mark squaring each plank.

• 3

  Place the square-edged plank face up on the saw bench marking the lap line -- where the plank lies flat against the surface.

• 4

  Clamp the batten -- a small strip of wood -- to the lap line on the saw bench allowing the plank to be guided along the plane.

• 5

  Plane the plank from the top of its face at approximately 12 feet to a feather edge -- a thin edge -- at the hood end of the plank.

• 6

  Place unrabbeted wood stock at the transom -- flat surface at the boat's stern -- using the full thickness, mark the minimum rabbet depth onto the plank. The minimum depth occurs at the lap line. Plane the tapering rabbet to the depth determined at the transom.

Planking the Sides

• 7

  Apply your first plank face up at the gunwale -- the upper edge of the side.

• 8

  Shoot a single rivet into each plank at the connection point to the frame. Rivet the plank to the length of the boat.

• 9

  Repeat Step 2 riveting each plank to the frame. This will create a "layered effect" -- placing each plank upon the next -- going down the frame. The layered planks will complete one side of the hull.

• 10

  Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the opposite side of the boat.

• 11

  Halt the planking process when you are finished with both sides.

Planking the Bilge

• 12

  Position the first plank from the bilge -- the bottom curves of the hull's underside -- to run along the bottom vertical edge called the "great circle."

• 13

  Follow the same steps for laying the planks down the bilge.

• 14

  Continue planking above and below the first plank on the bilge. Upon completion of planking the hull, clean and sheath the hull in glass cloth or wood veneer.