Building an Aquaplane

A hollow or balsa-wood board will have a buoyancy of about 60 pounds. The construction of a hollow aquaplane is somewhat similar to that of the surf paddle board described on Page 134. It consists of a frame made of 1- by 2-inch strips of cedar, spruce, or white pine shaped around cross ribs to a conventional boat shape. The frame strips should be rabbeted on upper and lower inner edges to take a one-half-inch marine plywood covering top and bottom. The edge strips and rear rib are of uniform depth, 2 inches. The 3 intermediate ribs are flat on top and flush with the lower surface of the rabbet in the frame. The lower surface of the intermediate ribs, however, is dropped to make the board deeper in the center, and deepest at a point about 8 inches back from the nose. The aquaplane should be 2 inches thick around the edges, but 2 inches thick at the center of the forward rib, 18 inches from the nose.

The other 2 intermediate ribs are 2 and 2 inches deep. Since the board will probably leak slightly, each of the ribs should be notched or provided with limber holes so that the water may be drained from a corked hole in the rear rib.

After the frame has been assembled, the deck is fitted to the rabbet and set up in marine glue or white lead with 1-inch brass screws (No. 6) spaced 2 inches apart. The board should then be clamped, top down, to a flat surface to prevent warping while the bottom is affixed to the curved ribs. The inner surface of the aquaplane should be primed with white lead before assembly, to limit the absorption of water.

After construction, the entire board may be given a coat of marine paint or varnish, and the edges may be painted a contrasting color.

For hardware, 2 cast-brass screen-door handles are fastened to the upper edge at the ends of the forward rib, for a one-half or three-quarter inch rope pull-off bridle to which the tow rope is attached. A three-quarter inch rope, for hand hold, should be spliced to the handles.

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