Chestnut Prospector freeboard

[cwhitehe]

I am going to atempt to add a waterline on my 1960s Prespector. Hence my need to know the freeboard at the mid section, but not sure that the freeboard is actually the data point to scrib the plan for waterline?
Any thoughts most welcome.

Colin Whitehead
Ontario:

 

[Larry Meyer]

Freeboard depends upon how much weight you have in it. The waterline on my 17 foot prospector is eight inches below the gunnel at the center. Heavily loaded I don’t think I’ve ever sunk her to the waterline. Prospectors are made to stay dry.

 

[cwhitehe]

Thanks Larry.
That pretty much what I thought, just need to check before paint hits canvas.

 

[cwhitehe]

I just should mention mine is a 16'prospector

 

[Larry Meyer]

Use thin white striping tape, available at auto parts places and boat supply places: much easier to do and care for

 

[Rob Stevens]

Colin, I did the line between contrasting paint (grey bottom, burgundy rest of hull) about 4" from the low point. It worked out pretty well and looks good, if you don't look too closely.

 

[cwhitehe]

Rob
Yes I remember it well and thank for letting me use it last year.
Let me just confirm. The boat is upside down and you took the 4" vertically down from the highest point and scribed a plane around base rather than having boat right way up and coming down from the outwale approx 8.5".

It seem obvious but presumption has got me into a lot trouble in the past.

Many Thanks
Colin

 

[MGC]

An option for how to do this follows:

1. Sit the boat right side up on a flat floor or on your driveway
2. Attach a pencil to a 4X4 , 5x5 or 6X6 Block (as you chose)
3. Slide the block around the boat transferring a pencil line to the canvas as you go.
4. Place the boat on saw horses/what have you and mask off the waterline that you transferred in step 3.

A floor dolly/crawler with wheels is an alternative to the block. You can adjust the height with a block of wood sitting on the top of it.

 

[Rob Stevens]

Colin, I used the "right side up" method just described by MGC.

Rob

 

[ssommers]

I would make a suggestion that may save you some difficulties: If your hull is rockered at all, when you place the boat on the floor for scribing, I would place some sort of blocks under the extreme ends of the boat that ensure the integrity of the hulls shape, as if it was sitting in water. I made the mistake in scribing a line on my twenty foot EM White, on a flat floor, not thinking think the pressure on the boat sitting on its belly would cause the ends to droop toward the floor. So my waterline bulges in the middle of the boat.

the twenty footer I scribed and painted probably compound the problem since there is considerable pressure that far from center, and the boat weighs 110 pounds.

 

[cwhitehe]

I have a self levelling laser that I think I might try I have no level area that I can use so that might help.
I hope the use of the high tec approach will not have me excommunicated from the association.

Again thanks for the input.

 

[Andy Hutyera]

The laser method works fine. I mount the canoe in cradles on a flat level surface like a shop floor. A long spirit level will tell you if the canoe is level in the cradle laterally and longitudinally. I mount the laser in a stout camera tripod and check it at the bow an stern to assure that the laser line is level. Once everything is alligned you simply swing the laser along the hull and place multiple grease pencil marks where the laser light strikes the hull. Apply your striping tape along the line a wipe the grease pencil marks.