We are concerned here with the family or group that uses its boat as a picnic spot, cruises with its fellow outboard club members on the lakes and rivers on a Sun­day afternoon and tows the youngsters astern on water skis. So let's look at Apache. She is big and beamy, with a good wide bottom to carry a fair passenger load without bogging down excessively. The bottom is easily veed for­ward to take the chop of confused waves on crowded lakes and restricted water­ways. Amidship the sections have enough deadrise, carried well to the transom, to provide a comfortable heel when turning and to prevent any tendency to leap regardless of location of the load. The sides are flared all the way aft to keep random spray from coming aboard and to provide a substantial rub strake at the widest part of the boat. Aft the transom is cut for long lower unit outboard motors, and the high cut-out minimizes the danger of water coming aboard. The bottom aft is 60 inches over the spray rail, insuring proper buoy­ancy to support the newer and bigger mo­tors, to absorb their starting thrust moment, and to give just the right amount of plan­ing surface for safe and comfortable run­ning.

Here's a 16-foot plywood outboard runabout that's perfect for skiing, fishing and  all-around family fun.

Six adults can be seated on two seats, each  nearly  five  feet  long.     Apache  is steered automobile-style from the front seat. The long front deck has ample stowage space for lines and life jackets and keeps the variable passenger load from getting too far forward. The walk­through center deck has two stowage compartments, one of which is fitted as a shallow ice cooler. An overboard drain eliminates the chore of emptying melted ice. The space beneath the rear seat is separated from the gas tank and battery space by a low bulkhead so that items stored there will not end up in the bilge or become stained by gas and oil. Note the similar storage arrangement forward.

CONVERTIBLE CANOPY

The outboard profile view shows a novel canopy top. It may be converted from a full top, fastened to the top of the wind­shield, to a brougham type open to the sky over the forward seat. In a snap-on, zip-pered, or roll under and strap version, the advantages are obvious. A chrome or pol­ished aluminum slide bar is fitted out­board of the rear cockpit on either side whereby the canopy top may be folded down behind the passengers. One com­ment on the choice of hardware for this slide: aluminum fittings do not slide easily on aluminum tubing so chromed brass is best for the tubing if aluminum fittings are used on the ends of the canopy bows. On the outboard profile is shown a trim motif subject to many variations, more or less elaborate. The new salt-water resistant aluminums are easily bent, cut and other­wise prepared for attachment to the hull sides. Purposely omitted from the profile, but shown on the plan view, are modern fins which can be fitted to suit, along the motor cut-out or outboard, of a height and length to please the whims of the builder, but if you want a Coast Guard courtesy in­spection decal, do not fit taillights or dual stern lights which can be lit under way. The searchlight, a much needed item, is shown mounted on the center line clear of leads to the cleats and chocks. A search­light is not a running light and is only used to locate and identify objects.

The steering wheel is shown on the right-hand side. The wheel specified is one of the most attractive available and comes with a mechanical steering device that works well with all types of motors. While these mechanical steerers are considerably easier to install, they have a little more friction than a pulley and cable installa­tion and as a result require more steering effort. Either the drum actuator or the geared-rack-and-pinion type is fine.

As to the structure of the boat, the con­struction is well illustrated on the draw­ings. All the structural items are shown, but the plans assume a bit of knowledge of boat construction. Answers to many of the questions which may arise in the fabrica­tion of the boat may be found in the better books on building small boats.

The lines should be lofted full size and any minor variations from the offsets given should be faired out. There may be some, but they will not be over ⅛inch and will not be any problem. It pays, almost with­out exception, to cut all templates a bit full and to fair the frames out on the boat.

The frames are shown with double ply­wood gussets. They can be assembled on the full-size double-body plan, using screws or corrugated shank nails and good resorcinal grade marine glue. These frames and the transom can be erected on a suitable fram­ing jig. The transom cut-out should be carefully checked against the motor or mo­tors to be used. The dimensions shown on the section forward of the transom are cor­rect for 1957 model engines, but should be checked if later models are to be used. Do not attempt to fit engines of more than 80 total horsepower on this craft. There will be no appreciable increase in speed even with special propellers.

The laminated stem, easily bent and glued up over a sawed form, gives more strength than an old-fashioned stem with forefoot and knee bolted together. When the keel is notched for and bolted into the frames the stem can be fitted to the keel, as shown on the construction profile.

FITTING THE CHINES

The fitting of the chines should be done from aft to forward in notched frames and should proceed simultaneously on both sides. Drill and countersink all through fastenings into the frames to permit plane beveling without striking protruding screw heads. The chines land against the stem on a breast hook bolted through the stem as shown. The sheer stringers, of the same size' as the chines, are fitted in the same manner, also landing against an oak breast hook at the stem head.

Fairing the frames for plywood plank­ing requires a certain amount of trial and error. The best method is with a wide (8 inches or so) strip of plywood of the same thickness as the planking and about three frame spaces long. This is laid across the frames to indicate the bevel required. The bevel, or slope to the bottom or outer edges of the frames, is planed in according to the indications of the plywood strip. The keel, chines, stem and sheer are shaped in this manner. By laying the strip diago­nally across the bottom from keel to chine so as to cross at least two frames, all the bevels can be cut. When the planking is properly beveled the notches for the bottom battens can be cut. These battens are to be located as shown on the bottom plan with their forward ends running out against the keel or stem at the two for­ward frames. When they are fitted they should be checked for fairness with the wide plywood strip.

PLYWOOD PLANKING

Obviously if the designer's layout of the plywood development is correct, if the lines are lofted correctly, and if the pressed down test plywood strip lies full and smoothly across the structure regardless of the angle at which it is placed, then the %-inch plywood will wrap on with little difficulty. The sides go on first and the bottoms last, the bottoms being carefully fitted so as to butt together at the center line. It is well to clamp down the plywood panels before fastening them, then crawl underneath to check the landing of the ply­wood on the frames and other structures. If your strip fairing was slightly off, a little more planing or a bit of shimming might be indicated.

The sea blocks and lifting eyebolts should be fitted before the planking is ap­plied. These bolts should not be forgotten as the fewer holes through the hull struc­ture the better.

The stem band and the small outer keel are next fitted over the centerline butt of the planking which has been planed smooth. Bed these members well in good glue before fastening. Locate the scarph joint behind frame 2 so that the steam-bent stem band will be taken from a piece about 7 feet 6 inches long.

The spray rails and the sheer guard strip must be fastened before the boat can be turned right side up. Note that the spray rail does not form a smooth extension of the bottom. Rather it is at a slight down­ward angle to deflect the spray.

The deck beams, sawed to the camber in­dicated by the lines plan, are bolted to the frames forward and aft The cockpit header, of mahogany or fir, is notched into the frame heads as shown. All the deck structure is straightforward, needing al­most no explanation. The centerline brackets are a little unorthodox in that they are inclined from the vertical as the sec­tions show.   These are bolted through the bracket blocks on the keel and also bolted to the seat cleats. Careful scheduling of the seat risers, seat structure, dash panel, seat brackets, center deck cooler and the like must be followed if no trouble in the completion of the boat is to be expected. A certain latitude in the details of the cooler and stowage box is shown, or they need not be fitted. The transom knees and the tran­som stiffener should be carefully fitted if twin motors are used. The stiffener should be 1¼inches thick for twin installations.

DECKING

The decking should be mahogany ply­wood for best appearance. The use of router scoring, or white pencil marking, or multicolor staining will be left entirely to the builder. If fir plywood is used it should not be varnished, but a good marine paint applied over undercoats of sealer and primer. The side and bottom treatment of color will depend on the planking material.

The hardware, trim, windshield, up­holstery and canopy top add the finishing touches. I consider that lifting eyes are a nice feature, especially where the boat is launched from a hoist as they eliminate the use of paint smudging slings. Be as elabo­rate as you can in the matter of upholstery and trim. The upholstered interior side panels, shown on the section at frame 5, make a big improvement inside. If the local shop makes your convertible top, look at the collection of plaid sport topping. The ready-made tops specified in the drawings are available in some colors.

ELECTRIC STARTING

The fuel-tank platform, remote engine controls and the like should be installed in accordance with the recommendation of the motor manufacturer. The battery of electric-starting motors may be located forward of the last frame on the starter-panel run through holes cut in the wide frame heads.

Finally, if you are boating on salt water or on navigable rivers this boat must be registered. Apply to the local custom house for the application form. The reg­istration number, in 3-inch figures, must be shown on both sides of the bow.

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