Lapstrake Vessels – A History
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and thank you for joining us for this National Boating History Conference.
I love old varnished mahogany speedboats, but I have also had many rewarding experiences with lastrake boats.
In the year 735 the Vikings began making a name for themselves by trading and plundering along the northern coasts of Europe. Their light, seaworthy vessels made it possible for them to reach coasts as far away as Newfoundland, and establish a community there. In 1904, a ninth century Viking ship was uncovered and later restored. Their activities gradually spread the lapstrake hull design around the world. Each geographical area adapted it to their particular use, which was fishing, cargo, or war. Every available wood was used, rift sawn so that grain was parallel to the surface, reducing splitting. Wooden pegs and iron clinch nails were used to join the laps. Thus, came the term clinker. Boats were built upright, and the ribs, both sawn and steam bent, were installed later.
The Europeans brought lapstrake construction to the New World. Masters taught their skills to their apprentices, nothing was written down. Every craftsman and every area developed varied designs. 2,000 lapstrake Bateaux were used to fight the French and Indian Wars. Adirondack Guide boats were built light so that men and cargo could go west. When rivers ran low boats were carried to the next one.
Lapstrake hulls simplify the joining of the outer planks, the joints are easily made watertight and boats are lighter because fewer parts are needed. Battens are used to cover seams in carvel vessels. The thick lap area of the lapstrake boat stiffens the hull and requires fewer fastenings. The ridges of the laps grip the water on the outside and stabilize the hull, in a seaway. In the bow, these laps provide lift on approaching waves and deflect the spray. Terms like sea kindly and surf kindly were given to these advantages.
Throughout the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, fishermen used skiffs of 15 to 25 ft, to confront the sea and bring home their catch. Names like, Jersey Sea Skiff, Staten Island Skiff, New England Wherry, Pea Pod, Cog, Cutter, Pink and many more became known. In the 1800’s 5 million pounds of fish were brought ashore in these boats, each year.
If a boat was to carry weight, planks went all the way to the keel. Rocks were used as ballast and thrown overboard as the catch came in. If the boat was used on the beach and in the shallows, the bottoms would be flat planks. If it was to be a surf boat more rocker, from front to back was built into the bottom and greater shear for a higher bow. Pea Pods were double ended, others had sterns that raked sharply aft to prevent pooping. Daggerboards and centerboards were used for stability and to provide resistance for a sail rig, which most used.
In the nineteenth and 20th centuries, White cedar was prized for planking and oak for scantlings. When cedar began to run out juniper was used, along with other varieties. To imagine the number and variety of designs, think of the east coast of the United States, at any one time, every village and town had one or more family boat builder producing his own popular variety of skiff. As the population moved west, they took the designs with them, adapting them to the new surroundings and eventually reaching the west coast.
Christian Thompson and his wife immigrated to Peshtego, Wisconsin in 1887 and raised 5 sons, on a farm. They built a flat bottom boat and a canoe for their own use. By 1904, requests for boats from neighbors and friends caused them to start building full time. They offered rowboats, barges, skiffs, canoes, and kayaks. When their town was hit by a devastating fire they built a new factory to help in the recovery. By 1911, they were offering small boats of many shapes and sizes and a 20 page catalog. 1911 was the year that planning hulls began to be built. Up until that time, when a motor was available, it was used on an existing rocker bottomed boat. When pushed hard, this hull shape would squat or ride deeper and resist going fast.
Pioneers like Albert Hickman of sea Sled fame, and John Hacker, discovered that flat bottoms could skim across the water. As word of these fast boats spread, builders provided straight runs aft, on bottoms, so boats could plane. Suddenly, boats could go 20 miles an hour! Today’s popular, Jersey speed skiff, racing boats, were first raced in 1922. The planning hulls brought about a revolution in boatbuilding. People wanted smooth hulled boats. There was a reduction in lapstrake popularity after the 20’s; they were old fashioned, slow, too much wetted surface. Strip plank and carvel hulls became more popular.
The Second World War brought about another boat construction revolution, High quality plywood. The strength, resistance to expansion and uniformity, brought about a resurgence in lapstrake construction. In `51 Chris Craft began offering 18 and 22′ models that were valued for their big water, seaworthy performance. The round chine hull shape would hold the water in turns and in rough weather. Custom builders like the Johnson Brothers of Bay Head, New Jersey, made tough, beautiful, well finished models that are revered today. By `55 Chris Craft offered models up to 40 ft in length for fishing and cruising. In `52 Century offered the Viking and later the Raven, lapstrake models. Hundreds of manufacturers like Pen Yan, Cruisers Inc., Barbour, Dunphy, Hacker, Old Town, Owens, and Wagemaker all offered outboard models with seakindly performance.
Many of the early fiberglass models copied the lapstrake look. Modern fiberglass hulls still include longitudinal steps for stability and smooth ride.
All over America, wherever there was water, small family firms like the Thompson Brothers, offered affordable, practical, seaworthy boats.
I have built and restored lapstrake vessels. Their unique construction method brings about repair challenges, in older hulls. My friend, Don Dannenburg has coined the term “Mop and Glow, Restorer” I fear that I, along with some of you, fall into this category. I look for things to apply to the thoroughly cleaned hull that will solve the problems, rather than replacing the wood. Loose lap joints must be blown out with compressed air and have their fastenings tightened, replaced or more added. The joints can then be penetrated with Elmers, Pro-Bond Urethane glue. This product has an affinity for cracks and will often come out on the other side. I buy it by the case. Once all the laps are penetrated and cleaned up, I use a garden sprayer to soak the entire hull with Smith’s Clear Penetrating Sealer. It hardens and waterproofs the wood and glues everything together; three coats are required. If your hull is prepared for paint, you can apply it as soon as the last coat of epoxy has tacked up and the paint will be glued on. This product was made for us mop and glow restorers.
Most lapstrake boats have steam bent ribs. Many need repair. A simple steamer can be built with a new metal fuel can piped to the center of a length of 6 or 8″ plastic pipe. Spacer dowels are inserted in the pipe to keep the material off the bottom. After the broken ribs are removed new ones can be bent in place and secured. Only the finest straight grain oak can be used. The prepared stock is steamed for about an hour and forced into place with welding gloves. Replacements must be staggered so that hull shape is maintained. All structural repairs must be done before the Epoxy Penetration.
Another easy restoration trick I have discovered is reinforcing creaky, loose decks with construction adhesive. After cleaning and repairs are made, a bead of adhesive is run next to both sides of stringers, with a caulking gun and smoothed out with a gloved finger. The result is suprisingly stronger, solid decks.
You may have noticed that I never mentioned Lyman Lapstrake boats, one of my favorites. That is because we have Tom Koroknay a renowned restorer and Lyman Historian here to tell this fascinating story. We will take questions after his presentation. Welcome aboard, Tom.
