If the deck is to be finished bright, an oak board 9" wide, and 3/4 "thick is first laid down the middle of the deck forward, joined to the stem and fastened to the triangular pieces of plank forward and to each beam. All the deck fastenings in this case must be counter-bored for and afterwards plugged with wooden bungs. The plankshears, or covering boards, are 3" wide, and 3/4" thick, and are bent around the outside of the deck and fastened to each beam and to the edge of the top strake. At the bow a miter joint is made with the middle plank, as shown in Fig. 14. These boards will require steaming. A piece 3 1/2" wide is also fitted across the stern making a miter joint with the covering board. To support the latter piece and also the ends of the plank at the stern, a ledge must be formed of pieces fastened on to the sternboard.

The planks in this case are of white pine 3/4" thick, and are very narrow, about 2". They are bent around inside the covering board, and fastened to deck beams and the ledges at the ends. Pieces are nailed to the underside of the middle plank between beams to take the ends of the plank. The edges are beveled just slightly near the top surface to allow the insertion of calking, but below, they should be close together. After the deck is laid, the opening for the cabin and standing room should be trimmed out. The clear space of deck around them is 12" and it is parallel with the outside of the deck. The ends of the short deck beams may be cut off evenly, and the short pieces a a, Fig. 14, may be fitted and nailed to beams and deck; these pieces are to strengthen the house at the corners and allow a good fastening. The deck is to be canvassed later, after the coamings are in place.

The cabin trunk is of oak 3/4 " thick and 13" wide. It will probably be necessary to make a joint on the forward end which should be done by halving the two pieces. The fitting and bending of this trunk is a rather fussy piece of work. A form should be made to bend it over, and it should be thoroughly steamed before bending is attempted. It will be well to bend the two pieces for the trunk some time before they are wanted so that they may have time to become thoroughly set into shape, and bring no strain upon the boat by any tendency to open out. They may then be used as a pattern by which to cut out the deck and thus make the fitting easier.

The lower edge of the trunk is to be even with the lower edge of the deck beams. At the after end it extends even with the after face of the heavy beam, being notched to fit around it. It is fastened to the end of each beam with a long screw, and also to the edge of the deck plank near each beam and once between beams. The sides of the trunk should not be perfectly vertical, but should slope inward slightly. The joint on the forward end is a halved joint fastened with copper rivets.

The port lights in the trunk are not to be cut until later, after everything has set into place. The stock for trunk must not be too well seasoned, as it is then somewhat brittle and apt to break when bent to a sharp curve. As soon as the water from steaming has evaporated, it should be given a heavy coat of oil, and when this has soaked in a coat of shellac both inside and out to keep the air out and prevent checking. The wash rail or coaming should next be bent into place. This will be much easier to fit than the trunk sides. It is of oak 5/8" thick and 9" wide. Where it meets the trunk, the end should be cut down to about 9-16" thick and allowed to lap on to the outside of the trunk, the latter being cut out for this purpose. It is fastened with brass screws. The joint between the pieces forming this coaming may be either at the after end, using two pieces, or on the sides, using two short pieces and one long one. This latter is to be preferred, as the joints can be covered on the outside with a block which is convenient to take a rowlock socket later. The upper edge is rounded and it is treated with oil and shellac as with the trunk.

All the fastenings in the coaming and trunk should be counterbored and afterwards plugged with bungs so that they may be finished bright if desired. In order to give the forward end of the coaming the curve up to the height of the house side, as shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 1, a curved piece is cut and fitted on the top of it, and fastened to the house side in the same manner as the coaming. The beams for the top of the cabin house are 1 1/2" x 3/4" oak, and are cut with a roundup of 5" in the width of the house. The after face of the aftermost beam should be directly over the after face of the strong beam below. The beams should be spaced about 8" on centres. If a beading tool is at hand, a bead can be cut on the lower edges of each beam, giving a little finish. The ends of the beams are dove-tailed and fitted into a corresponding dove-tail in the trunk side. The dove-tail should not come through so as to show from the outside. A nail may also be driven in the end of each beam.

The top is of 1/2" tongued and grooved sheathing, laid smooth side up and nailed to the beams and the trunk side. Its edge is smoothed off even with the side of the trunk. Before undertaking to cover the deck and housetop with canvas, all ridges and sharp points should be trimmed. The top of the house and the deck may now be covered with canvas, heavy drill or light duck being suitable for this purpose. It can usually be obtained in almost any width, thus avoiding seams, which soon wear out. The piece for the house top is in a single width, while that for the deck is in two pieces, each covering a side and lapping on to the centre plank, which is not covered. The edge of the centre plank is beveled off to the level of the adjacent plank, or still better, cut out square for a distance of about \" or 3/4" back to take the edge of the canvas. The opening for the house and cockpit is first cut approximately to shape.

The forward end of the deck is smeared with thick lead paint, and the selvage edge of the canvas is tacked along in the depression or rabbet which was out in the middle plank. The tacks used should be of copper driven about \" apart, and the canvas should be drawn tight. After tacking the middle seam the canvas is drawn tightly over the edge of the deck, and a row of tacks driven around the edge. When the trunk is reached the canvas should be trimmed out and fitted carefully around it, a row of tacks driven as close to it as possible, and a flap an inch or so wide allowed to remain. This is continued all the way aft taking care to draw the cloth tightly and keep out all wrinkles. The deck is of course heavily coated with the paint before laying the canvas. On the after deck it is treated the same as on the forward deck. A strip of oak 1 1/4" x |" is now fastened over the outer edge of the canvas about 1/4" back from the edge of the deck, and the canvas is trimmed off even with its outside edge. This gives a finish and also keeps the edge of the canvas tight.

A quarter round moulding is also fitted against the cabin trunk and coaming. The corner under the canvas should be well filled with paint and the moulding fastened tightly against the house to keep out rain and spray. The top of the cabin is covered in the same manner, the canvas being turned down over the edge and tacked. A £" oak half round moulding is bent around the house and across the after end, and the canvas trimmed off to it. The centreboard box can now be completed. It is of 7/8 " well seasoned stock, and is fastened with light rivets. The uprights, and the inside of the boards are given a thick coat of paint, and a thread of cotton is laid against the sides of the uprights before putting the boards in place. The boards should be rather narrow and each one should have several J" rods extending down through it into the one below to strengthen the whole. The top should be about 12" above the waterline. The uprights should now be cut off even with the sides, except where no cabin is fitted and the forward one extends to the deck.