Jack Tar

A 26 ft 1 in plywood lobsterboat by Arch Davis, which began as a National Fisherman commission for a series on building a small, economical plywood workboat. The hard-chine hull keeps the character of the Maine lobsterboat, with a 9 ft 3 in beam, 3 ft draft and 6,000 lb displacement.

The hull is built upside down on frames that incorporate the bulkheads, with fore-and-aft girders stiffening the bottom, plywood planking and fiberglass sheathing. No lofting is needed, since corrected offsets let the frames be drawn straight onto plywood, and full-size Mylar patterns are an extra. The designer intended it for anyone with basic woodworking skills, but it is a large project. Expect 2,000 to 3,500 hours over several years. Real hours from logged builds are below.