The Week 5 photos, which were identified as lofting the stringers, prompted me to ask Jeff Druek, President of Outer Reef, to explain the process of hull construction. Jeff's explanations and a little bit of research provided the knowledge that enabled me to write this and the previous article on hull lay-up.
"Stringers" are longitudinal structural members of the hull that add rigidity and form the foundation to anchor components of the boat's structure (e.g., tanks, engines, bulkheads).
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| Week 5 looking aft. Longitudinal stringers glued to the hull |
"Lofting" is the term for laying out (in laser lines) the stringer grid placement in the hull as well as the athwartships bulkheads. It is a complicated process in that the surfaces are all curved requiring the lines to be curved. The process is done in the same manner as a surveyor surveying land. A laser level is set up in the center of the boat and lines are drawn on the hull to indicate stringer placement.
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| Week 5 looking forward. Longitudinal stringers are "glassed in." Some Athwartship stringers have been installed |
The longitudinal stingers are made from Divinycell cored fiberglass. Divinycell is a rigid PVC foam with a closed, inert gas filled cellular structure. It is produced in a wide range of densities and thicknesses to meet required specifications. One of these is as custom planks as shown in the photos. This is dense but lightweight material. The planks are glued to the hull.
Vacuum bagging is used to infuse resin into the stringers. Then mat and woven roving is used to glass the stringers into the hull adding to the structural integrity.
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| Week 7 looking aft. Longitudinal and athwartship stringers |
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| Week 8 looking aft. The longitudinal and athwartship stringers are glassed in |
Written by Les.
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