Mr Schulz-Hoos, why Kiriholz of all places?
Because this type of wood hardly absorbs any water. Kiri wood swells and shrinks less than teak, and it is extremely resistant to fungi. It is very inexpensive and weighs half as much as conventional boat building timber.
And DIY store glulam is enough?
The boards are offered in D4 glues, which is enough. And cherry wood plantations grow back in ten years. I suspect that the price will still fall.
But aren't wooden boats considered mimosa-like divas with a high level of care?
Small boats that only go into the water for sailing only need to be oiled twice. This technique used to be very common in Europe and especially in the USA. That's two hours of work per year.
And "to the boat in a fortnight" is safe?
The hull can even be finished in a week. The second is for the rig, rudder and centreboard.
How do you manage with so little construction time?
Because I build with solid wood like I used to. The start is two side planks and the transom. Halfway along the length of the boat, a spreader plank is placed between them, and the planks are bent and joined at the bow. The floor is then planked crosswise.
Does the wood thickness limit the construction?
Many skiffs have a very sharp bow, which also works with paulownia. An old skiff rule of thumb says that the bottom width is no more than a quarter of the boat length, so a four metre long skiff is only one metre wide. Nevertheless, it remains stable in the water.
Is the boat your own development, or are there historical models for it?
Boats like this have been around for a very long time. They used to be built according to the rule of thumb: they had to be easy to row and sail. I have looked at hundreds of cracks of these boats and otherwise trusted the findings of designer and boat builder Howard I. Chapelle, who measured many such boats. The designs of Phil Bolger from the USA implement these findings well in dozens of cracks, but he was not yet familiar with Paulownia. Such boats, often completed within a day and five metres in length, were comparatively heavy. I recalculated his drawings for the use of Kiriholz and created new unfoldings with the boat building software Carene. With rigging and sails, I arrive at 40 kilograms, and the boat weighs 55 kilograms ready to sail.
The rig is also special ...
This is a double-sprit rig. It does not need a boom and therefore no downhaul. Patent jibes are therefore significantly minimised.
How fast does the boat sail?
I can easily reach six knots solo in three wind forces, one less with two people. The boat glides, but not spectacularly, the water shoots out of the transom very smoothly.
Is there a scene to turn to?
In the USA already, but not here yet. I want to change that, preferably with a construction class like the Moth.
