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Pro Vee Race Boat Plans
Page Seven
Deck, Rub Rail

Deck

The side decks are made from full lengths of 1/4" (6mm) plywood. They extend from the transom to just shy of the forward end of the cowling.

During assembly, apply epoxy to the underside of the decking to seal it. A foam roller works very well -- pour it on and roll it out.

Due to its compound curvature, the fore-deck is laminated with two layers of 1/8" (3mm) plywood. For the fist layer, I used leftovers from the bottom planking.

The first piece is notched to fit around the coaming. It is joined to the side decks with 1/4" plywood butt blocks.

DO NOT glue this layer on yet. You will want to dry assemble the entire fore-deck first, then glue it all on in one final assembly.

The three pieces I used were simply laid edge-to-edge.

Counter-bore all screws used to fasten the first layer so they do not interfere with the second layer.

The second layer is a single piece with the grain running across the boat (athwartships) and notched at the coamings like the first layer. A small "patch" is needed to fill in over the breasthook.

This final layer is being asked (forced!) to bend in two directions, and it is going to resist every inch of the way. Battens and screws will be needed to get the edges to lie flat on the sheer clamps, and along the butt blocks, and between the coamings. (Screws along won't work; I tried it.)

I started by fastening the deck along the boat's centerline first, then used lead weights to start bending it down to the sheer, and to help bring the two layers together in areas where they did not want to comply. Finally, add the battens. Ideally you will fasten both sides of the deck at the same time -- two builders working simultaneously on either side of the boat would be ideal. Or, put one batten on one side of the boat, then put a corresponding batten on the other side. Start with the middle batten and work out toward the ends, finishing with the battens over the butt blocks.

When you dissassemble your dry assembly, keep track of where all the battens go and their proper orientation so that it can be reassembled exactly. Cover the underside of all your battens with plastic carton tape (or similar) to make sure they do not become glued to the deck.

Final Assembly

Don't forget to seal the underside of the first layer. Use plenty of thickened epoxy between layers. Do your final assembly in the same order of steps taken for the dry assembly.

There are a number of ways to finish the deck/coaming joint. You can fill all gaps and sand out to a crisp corner. Or form a nicely rounded fillet with thickened epoxy to create that molded look.

My favorite is the quarter-round molding. Start by ripping some 3/8" x 3/8" stock, then round over one of the corners. You will also need to relieve the back corner, since the deck/coaming joint is not 90°.

Rub Rail

The rub rail (1/2" thick x 1" wide) is a finishing touch to your boat, and a bit of protection. For appearances, any wood will work, but harder woods provide greater protection. I used white oak for my Pro Vee for maximum protection.

The edge of your boat (before adding the rub rail) should be one inch wide -- the sheer clamp, plus the bottom plywood, plus the deck plywood.

My boat came out a little narrow in some areas, a little too wide in others. Still, I cut my rub rail one inch wide. When fitting it to the boat, I lined up the upper edge of the rail so that it was even with the deck. Where the boat's edge was a little narrow, it hangs over a bit; where the edge was over-wide the rail doen't quite cover. Due to their location below the rub rail, these defects go unnoticed 99% of the time.

I installed the rub rails the same way I did the sheer clamps: fasten one side, trim it at the bow, then add the other side.

Trim the second side.

Round it all over.

Alternatively, you could use a miter joint at the bow.

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