Making plank templates

Overview of the skill: A template is a gauge or pattern, cut out in wood, metal or other suitable material, used to help shape something accurately. Looking at a well planked wooden vessel, it does not matter whether it is a clinker or carvel construction, but all the planks will look 'right'. However, if you could peel off a single plank from the boat, the resulting shape of the plank may be a total surprise. In the process of planking, the boat builder is taking a flat object (the plank) and wrapping it around a 3D structure (the hull), and in doing so an oddly shaped plank will be required. In this case, the template being taken is for the garboard plank on a Fowey river sailing dinghy. For larger vessels see the other section covering making patterns. Materials: Plywood plus scrape wood for glue sticks Equipment: Plywood template Clamps Glue gun Glue sticks Technique: The conversation with the boat builder, in this case Marcus Lewis, is unscripted, he will cover the following areas: · Introduction to the centreline timbers of this vessel (stem, deadwood, keel) and the rebate · Plywood template - how to position it · Using the glue gun to stick the glue sticks in place · Remove the template