Progress Report on Ralph Merriman's Pearl:
In the last few months when I've talked with Ralph, he's had health problems distracting him from his Dunderdale Pearl project. So, a note from him the other day was a welcome sign that he might be feeling better.
He says:
"The bottom is now painted, up to the top strake. This will be a different color. The brass half-oval is installed, along with the Mylar flaps for the CB slot. Next is to glue the mahogany rub strip along the lower edge of the shear strake. This, along with the gunwales, will make the shear strake look much narrower."
"After that I will start installing bulkheads and the rest of the internal structure.I'll laminate my deck beams at the same time so they match the bulkheads".
Ralph's customary fine detail
Good job, Ralph!
The round bottom lapstrake is a challenging boat to build.
Photos courtesy of Ralph Merriman, home boat builder extraordinaire.
Photos of this build-in-progress are kept in my Flickr archives.
Plans can be ordered through Tom Dunderdale.
4 comments:
I did a great deal of research into Pearl a couple of years ago, she would be my choice if I were building. Exquisite boat. I may have to share this. Tom Dunderdale is a very generous if somewhat shy designer and I think has achieved in the Apple and Pearl a magnificent alloy of British workboats for the pleasure and camp cruising sailor. Thanks.
Lovely boat and like Tom Armstrong both the Pearl and Apple are among my favourite designs.
What a fantastic workshop Ralph has, if I had a space like that I'm not sure I'd find any time for sailing!!
Tom Dunderdale has some lovely designs on his web site and is a very helpful man. I bought his Imp canoe yawl plans recently, very detailed and come with a generous building guide. The smaller 13 foot apple design has to be the best of it's size out there. Will watch this Pearl build with much interest.
Thank you, gentlemen. We don't see the deep, round bottomed boats of the UK being built here on the west coast of the US very often, unless you include John Welsford's designs.
So this is a real treat.
Max, I get the impression from Ralph that this is contemplative, just as you say. He doesn't really sail very much, he's a strong and active kayaker.
As documented here in the past, his boats end up in the hands of other sailors we know. I've had the pleasure of testing three of Ralph's boats myself.
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