Panel Layout for the Chesapeake 17

Dan and I found that we could lay out our panels more efficiently than shown on the CLC plans. Rather than gluing together 11" strips for all the pieces (which takes 2 sheets of 4mm marine plywood) we fit strips that more closely fit the sizes and shapes of our finished panels. (We fit all the hull panels for 2 boats on only 3 sheets of marine ply!)

On the side panels, the bow half is 11" tall; cut 2 8'x 11" strips for these. The stern half of the side panels, however, is never more than 8 or 8 1/2" tall. Cut 2 - 8'x 8 1/2" strips for these and just align one 8" and one 11" strip along the bottom when you scarf together the panel.

For the bottom panels, I noticed that the compound and convex curves in the bow halves were almost identical to each other. By ripping a 15" strip of 4mm ply, I fit both bow halves on one piece, rather than cutting them from 2 separate 11" pieces. I used the baseline dimensions for the bow half and plotted the curve on the 15" strip. Then, I spun the strip 180 degrees and laid out the other bow half. There was only about 3/4" at the narrowest point between the two panels, and 1 1/2" at the widest point. Rather than leaving two huge, wasted triangles of plywood where I cut the panel out of the 11" panel, I had only about a 1" waste strip between the two. I just rough cut right between the two curves and then scarfed the ends. Similarly for the stern halves.

Since each panel still had one straight edge, I had no problem aligning the bow and stern halves with a string, stretched along their length.

For the side panels, I aligned the bow and stern halves along their bottom edges and there was just a 3" overlap in the scarf where the bow panel was taller than the stern panel. It got cut off anyway-just make sure the bottoms line up.

You will easily have enough material left over on the sheet you cut your decks from or your extra 1/2 sheet from which to cut the little ends for the stern panels.

Since my brother and I both built Chesapeake 17's, we had ordered 4 sheets of 4mm marine ply to cut our hulls from. We fit all the hull panels on only 3 sheets, and are now trying to decide what to do with one $45 piece of marine ply. Guess I'll have to order another half sheet and make another boat! This diagram will work for a single boat hull from 1.5 sheets: