Classic Yacht TVvideo
EP11 shaping planks: : Building the schooner Malabar IV
27 January 2026 · 13 min · 12K views
What this video covers
A boatbuilder demonstrates the full process of laying out and shaping a hull plank for the schooner Malabar IV, a traditional wooden vessel under construction. Using a spiling batten marked at every station frame — spaced three feet apart — the builder transfers frame positions and plank widths from a table of offsets onto raw planking stock.3:31 At each station, a bevel gauge records the changing angle between frame and plank; a bevel stick cut to the same thickness as the plank stock translates that angle into a precise wood addition, the extra material that will be removed when the bevel is cut so the finished plank lands at the correct width.7:06 The builder marks each station, adds the bevel offset, then springs a batten through all points to generate a fair curve for the saw cut.4:17 A brief exchange addresses a discrepancy at station 10 where a neighboring plank had been hogged out; the solution is to tick-stick off the tuck rather than thin the new plank further, keeping the seam even.10:25 Accurate bevel offsets added before cutting are essential to avoid ending up underwidth after fairing.7:45
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