What are some good ways to lash a crossbeam to a hull on a relatively small plywood boat?

Is there a fitting that can be added on top of the deck, perhaps above some internal framing, that will hold the crossbeam and allow for lashing it in place?

Are chocks to hold the crossbeam in place a good idea?  Or is lashing generally enough?

Aloha

You might be interested to visit Wharram ‘s website, Hanneke made an art of that kind of lashing.

Cheers Sven

skyl4rk,

I used Wharram-style beam lashings on my first proa; they worked great and lasted for years. I only had to tighten them once after assembling the boat each time, a few days after the assembly. Then they stayed tight the rest of the season. Google “Wharram Tiki” to find a large number of blogs with photos of his methods under construction and in use.

You definitely want chocks, but they don’t have to be massive as the lashings carry the primary loads. They are mainly there to keep the beams from sliding around.

Also take a look at some of Gary Dierking’s beam lashings, in the photos on his blog: http://outriggersailingcanoes.blogspot.com/  Gary spent years in the South Pacific and knows first-hand how it’s done.

Thanks

I also found this page:

http://pages.destination.ca/mikee/bororo/

Still looking for more…

skyl4rk - 02 November 2011 08:22 AM

What are some good ways to lash a crossbeam to a hull on a relatively small plywood boat?

Is there a fitting that can be added on top of the deck, perhaps above some internal framing, that will hold the crossbeam and allow for lashing it in place?

Are chocks to hold the crossbeam in place a good idea?  Or is lashing generally enough?

Here’s one way to do it that will work on either a decked hull or an open one.
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/garyd/TamanuLashingBlocks.jpg

Thank you, I am learning a lot from these comments.

Here is another useful link:

http://grillabongquixotic.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/a-report-on-my-version-of-gary-dierking´s-t2-pacific-flying-proa/