26 One-Design Class Sailboat Handbook 



the weight which gives them stability makes it very difficult to raise them 

 onto their own bow wave. But most centerboards of more than twelve 

 feet are ballasted in a most economical way by human weight which can 

 be lifted from one side of the boat to the other and can even drape itself 

 over the side in order to exert extra leverage to keep the boat level— 

 the best position for planing. Therefore, once the necessary speed is 

 reached, there is a good chance that the boat will climb out of the water, 

 and plane. Of course some classes, such as Flying Dutchmen, 505's, Inter- 

 national 14's, Finns, scows, catamarans, etc., plane more easily than others. 



HULL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS 



Construction of a class sailboat is an all-important consideration that 

 should make the uninformed buyer proceed with extra caution. Despite 

 the advent of new materials in the boatbuilding business, the majority 

 of boats are still built of wood. Yet, in recent years, there are an increas- 

 ing number of sailboats made of fiberglass plastics. As you will find in 

 Chapters 6 and 7, some classes specify the construction materials allowed. 



Wooden Sailboats. In carvel or wooden-planking construction, the 

 long, wooden planks are screwed, nailed or riveted flush to the hull's 

 frame, with the planks running fore and aft on the sides, and the bottom 

 planking either from side to side across the cruiser or lengthwise, de- 

 pending on the design. The planks are fitted edge to edge, with the outer 

 edges outgauged (beveled) so that the seams can be calked. (The reason 

 for this outgauge space is to give planking room to expand when the 

 wood swells in the water. Without the spacing, the air-dried but porous 

 wood would warp, buckle and check.) Oakum or cotton is used to calk 

 this seam, with a synthetic-rubber sealer filling the crack to make it 

 watertight. 



The advantages of carvel construction are the ready availability and 

 relative cheapness of materials. Commonly used woods are pine, fir and 

 cedar, although some hulls of this type are made of more expensive woods 

 such as teak and mahogany. It is also a fairly inexpensive method of con- 

 struction. The disadvantage of carvel construction is in its excessive 

 weight, since the wood must be of sufficient thickness to hold the calking 

 materials. In other words, you are paying for thicker wood, not required 



