Zip by Rick “Skip” Canton
I have attached two pictures of the progress of my 14’ Zip Runabout.
Skip’s Zip 9/05-picture # 1: I became boat struck June of 2005 after talking to my brother Dan about building boats. He has build 4 Norwegian row boats and he suggested I build a plywood boat. My web search led me to Glen-L Marine and before you know it I was ordering a Zip frame kit. My carpentry skills are very basic but the challenge intrigued me and what better way to own a boat, when you built it myself. I started my boat project by anchoring my building form to the garage floor, leveling the form and setting the frames. I took take time out to coach my girls’ basketball team so the project was on hold to the spring of 2006.
5/06-picture # 2: After a successful basketball season I ordered white oak
for the keel, chine logs, sheers and battens. In the background you can see my
meranti marine plywood and ribbon stripe mahogany plywood for the bottom and
side planking. The chines were quite a challenge, trying to bend 1" oak is
quite a task, next time I think I would laminate two ½" pieces of
white oak or make/purchase a steam box to help bend the oak. Once in place the
white oak gives the boat excellent strength. Brother Dan spent a weekend
helping with the chines and sheers, we had a great time and he is already
planning his next trip to help with the boat. I started fairing the chines and
sheers my next picture will show the progress.
Remember: When you are building your boat it is not a sprint but a jog to the
finish.
Rick “Skip” Canton
6/28/06 I faired the chines, battens and sheers with a bosch power planer I purchased on ebay, I highly recommend a power planer, especially when fairing white oak. Next was the application of the plywood, I used ribbon striped mahogany on the side planking and meranti marine plywood for the bottom. I had some trouble bending the plywood at the transom but it worked out fine, just make sure you trim off enough plywood in your rough cutting and clamp it good to keep it in place. Several trial and errors when applying the plywood at the stem, but managed to get that applied as well. The Canton Boatworks boat shop as I have named my garage brings a new challenge everyday that is what makes the project so fun. I am planning the interior design and the bottom paint color and varnished to be used.
8-17-06 I just finished painting the bottom and the transom of my Zip with green Nautical bottom paint. A great deal of sanding, cleaning and re-sanding but it looks great. I am planning to add a white stripe just above the green at the waterline. I am looking forward to turning the boat over in the next few days and put it on a trailer I picked up with my purchase, a 14’ 1960 Crestliner boat with a 1960 Evinrude Lark II motor. I plan to take the hardware off the boat along with the motor to convert it all to my Zip. Things are progressing nicely!