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Hull
Construction
The
construction of a Sculley hull starts with
the cutting of the jigs. Once the design
work is done and the length is decided upon,
the jigs are set in place on a movable platform
large enough to support the boat. Jigs are
essentially flat forms that, when put in
place, allow the hull to be formed around
them.
The
typical set of jigs for a Sculley boat have
an allowance of two feet in either direction,
thus allowing the jig for a Sculley 60 to
build a boat from 58 to 62 feet in length.
This method allows for several jigs to cover
a wide range of hull lengths. The
boats are built 'keel up' to allow for the
entire hull to be constructed and faired
before being flipped to allow for the superstructure
to be added.
Once
the bulkheads are built and the keel is
placed, the batons, long strips of horizontal
wood, and the stringers, in the boats bottom,
are fastened in place. Every step of the
way the wood is held by screws that are
removed once the epoxy has fully set, allowing
for joints of superior strength and flexibility.
The
next stage of construction is the fastening
of the first layer of Okoume plywood to
the batons and stringers. Okoume is an African
tree of the Mahogany family. The bottom
of the hull has three layers of 9mm Okoume
ply and the sides have two layers of 12mm
Okoume ply. Between each layer of ply is
a layer of epoxy-saturated biaxle fiberglass
to ensure a good mechanical bond and maximum
strength.
The
entire bottom is covered in a layer of 1708
fiberglass cloth and the sides in 1208 to
provide extra strength and to allow for
a finishable surface. The final result of
this process is a bottom of approximately
1-1/2 thickness and sides of 1-1/4 thickness.
After
a long period of curing the hull is ready
to be faired. When asked about the curing
process Jim Sculley was quoted as saying:
"The hull takes longer to lay on a Sculley
because we take the time to allow the resins
to cure properly; this makes for a much
stronger hull. We also hand fair every Sculley
boat inside and out. Not many boat builders
go through the trouble of fairing all of
the boats interior surfaces."
When
asked why Sculley Boatbuilders uses the
"Cold Molding"
process Jim Sculley elaborated that; "Its
simple...It's lighter and stronger."......
" The Cold Molding process allows us to
deliver a more customizable boat. Everything
is laid out from the ground up and we are
not limited by the constraints of a mold."
Jim
went on to say that the process also allows
for more utilizable interior space due to
the lack of bulky framework.
Sculley
Boatbuilders takes the time to produce a
product that is based on quality and not
on the speed or cost of production. The
"Cold Molding" process allows for Sculley
to produce a superior product in a time
frame that is competitive with any other
custom builder.
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