Construction of Anthony Rucker

In the spring of 2001 we built a new Anthony Rucker Batteau, it was the third batteaux we had constructed.Although we undoubtedly made many mistakes, we hopefully avoided making the same mistakes we did on our first attempts.The objective of this illustrated article is to attempt to help future boat builders build a quality boat which is recognizable as a close facsimile to the original batteau, and to do so without having to go through the trial and error process we did.

This article is being written following the successful completion of the 2001 James River Batteaux Festival.The Anthony Rucker was one of the 12 boats to make the entire 120 mile trip from Lynchburg to Maidens Landing.The boat generally performed well taking on very little water which is a major accomplishment.The boat also took some fairly serious impacts on rocks without any noticeable damage.Only time will tell if we were successful in addressing the problems encountered with the 2 previous boats.The one criticism we would have is that the new Rucker is clearly heavier than its predecessor and probably heavier than most of the other batteaux.

Procuring wood is one of the first steps in building a batteau.While there is some debate as to what wood to use above the waterline, it is clear that white oak should be used below the water line and for all ribs and stem pieces.On the first Rucker built in 1988, we mixed red and white oak and there was a tremendous difference in the performance of the two woods with the red oak being clearly unacceptable.The reason for using other woods above the waterline is to save both weight and money.We chose to use white oak for the entire boat, with the exception of the walkboards which are poplar.This is one factor which makes the Rucker heavier than other boats.

The dimensions of the boat you build will obviously determine exactly what wood you will need.The Anthony Rucker is 45 feet long and 82 inches wide which makes it about average in length and somewhat wider than most other boats.The basic materials list for wood is as follows.

Rib Base 10 pcs 3 x 6 x 12

Rib Arm 7 pcs 2 x 6 x 12

Cap Rail 14 pcs 2 x 6 x 12

Stem Piece 2 pcs 3 x 10 x 12

Decking600 board feet 1 inch lumber

Walkboards Poplar

The 600 feet of decking and 2 x 6 for caprails are obviously impacted as to whether or not you are substituting some other wood above the water line to save weight or money.The 600 feet of decking should be a minimum of 6 “ wide and 12 feet long.The wider and longer you get this wood, the less edge and end joints you’ll have to worry about leaking.Some batteaux have actually used boards 40 feet long which is desirable but very expensive.We paid somewhere in the neighborhood of$1,000 -$1,500 for the wood with additional miscellaneous expenses of about $500. On the Rucker we specified that all the wood be clear which drove up the price significantly and we purchased extra so any wood tending to warp could be culled.Boats have been built with wood costing only a few hundred dollars and they have performed well in the river.

The tools and skills needed to build a boat can vary widely depending on the amount of fit and finish you want to have.We built the Rucker striving for a fine finish and a boat which would be friendly to live in for the festival week.The sister boat which was built by another group at the same time and to pretty much identical specifications was build largely with a chainsaw.Both boats performed well during the festival and the other boat probably had more of an “authentic” look as opposed to our routed and sanded edges.In any case, we used the following tools.

Bandsaw - we used a 1.5 hp 18” Jet Bandsaw to cut out the ribs, gussets etc.

Hand drills- used to pre-drill holes to nail into white oak

Electric plane - used to flatten ribs where planking boards meet the ribs

Sawzall- used for a multitude of different operations

Table Saw -we ripped both edges of all planking to get smooth edges and uniform widths, many boats are built leaving the edges from the sawmill

Radial Arm Saw - used for various mitering and crosscutting operations

Skill Saw - used for a multitude of operations

The batteaux can be constructed of air dried or green lumber.The second Rucker was constructed from kiln dried lumber because that was the only wood we could easily get.Using kiln-dried lumber made the construction of the boat easier, but the wood didn’t do well when exposed to the radical swelling and drying a batteau goes through during its life.One factor, which will vary depending on the moisture in your wood, is the spacing left between the boards.Boats built with green lumber can have the boards nailed with no space between.The latest Rucker had lumber which had been air dried for about 2 months, and we left a gap of 1Ú4 inch between boards.This calculation is crucial and will be different for each boat depending on moisture content and board width.If too much space is left, the boards don’t swell tight and obviously the boat will leak.If too little space is left the boards will swell tight, continue to swell and cause the boards to buckle.A couple of weeks prior to planking the boat, I cut several test pieces, measured them carefully then soaked them under water for 2 weeks. This has been done on each of the 3 boats we’ve built and all have been fairly watertight at least early in their life.

Rib Construction

The first step in constructing the boat was to cut the rib arms, gussets, and rib bases.I created a new set of patterns trying to correct problems we experienced with the first two boats.I will gladly make these patterns available to anyone who is building a boat and would like to use them.They can be modified as desired but it is important to maintain the 5-piece rib design which really defines the batteau construction.

The previous 2 batteaux we built were tapered at the ends.This was accomplished by making the last 3 or 4 ribs each 2 inches narrower than the previous one.This was simple to accomplish by simply making the rib base narrower, no changes were made to the rib arms.The problems this taper created were in the planking stages.At the ends of the boats some of the planking boards which started on the bottom of the boat towards the middle, ran up on the sides as they approached the ends.This was a very difficult bend to make and in reality the boards should have been steamed.The new Rucker and several of the other boats which have been built recently have no taper at all.This means that all the ribs from nosecone to nosecone are identical and planking is much easier

The joints where the rib arms meet the rib base pieces can best be understood by looking at the pictures accompanying this article.The joint is basically a half lap with 1Ú2 the thickness removed from the rib arm and rib base. This half lap joint was done at an angle on the Ruckers, however since then I’ve helped on a boat where this joint is at 90 degrees and it was much easier to make.Fastening of the gussets, rib arms, and base ribs is done with boat nails.Care should be taken when nailing to anticipate where other nails will end up and also to avoid potentially splitting particularly the rib arms where the grain inevitably goes across the rib to some degree.Because of the shape of the boatnail, there is a correct orientation when nailing.The nail in one direction has much more of a wedge like configuration which will be more likely to split the wood.A close examination of the nail will make this concern clear.

The rib bases on the new Rucker are made from a 3 x 6 and the rib arms from 2 x 6.The decision to increase the base ribs to 3” was based on the fact that because of the way the lap joint is formed between the rib arm and base rib, if you use 2” rib bases you end up with about 1 1Ú4 ” rib arms.On past boats we have had a lot of trouble with rib arms breaking, a situation we hope to avoid with the 3” base ribs.The down side obviously is the extra expense and weight of the 3” material, only time will tell if the decision was correct.

Stem Pieces

After the ribs have all been assembled, they are laid out upside down on some type of frame.In the past we have constructed sawhorses, for this boat we laid out cinder block columns and placed doubled 2 x 4 rails the entire length of the boat.The spacing between ribs was determined by the length of our planking boards.These began at 12 feet but with checking we determined that we would be lucky to get 11’6” out of the boards.This left us with rib spacing center to center of26.5”.The ribs should be spaced and squared as closely as possible, we used strings on the ends of the rib arms.We also placed some rocker into the boat by shimming the center piers 2 ”.We also did this on the previous boats but after a couple of years in the water, the boat straightened out on it’s own.

The stem pieces should travel back through the first two ribs.There is some debate over how the stem piece travels past the first two ribs.One way will keep the nosecone from dropping down but doesn’t protect against it being lifted when a rock is hit hard, the other way visa versa.My major concern was the problem many boats have with the nosecones dropping down and drawing more water than the remainder of the boat.Therefore I notched the nosecone over the first rib and under the second rib.The way this rib was notched is shown in several pictures. We also notched the rib in such a way as to have the nosecone lifted slightly.Time will tell whether or not this will help keep the nosecone from dropping.

Planking

One mistake we made on the two earlier batteaux and then repeated on the new Rucker is in putting the planking on the body of the boat first, and doing the nosecones last.The cuts where the nosecones meet the body of the boat and at the end of the boat are compound angles.It would be much easier to cut the angle at the end of the nosecone and let where the nosecone meets the body run long.This could then be trimmed and the end of the decking cut to match this angle before it is cut to length giving opportunity for multiple tries.Also the end rib needs to be beveled to accept the boards from the nosecone which are obviously coming back at an angle.Again it seems clear that this would be much easier to do if the planking for the body wasn’t yet done.Essentially, if we build another boat in the future, we will definitely plank the nosecone first and let the ends run long where they meet the body of the boat.We will then cut the long ends before planking the body of the batteau.

Boat nails are used to fasten all planking to the ribs.These nails are available from a number of sources, Pleasants Hardware in Richmond and Hamilton Marine are both used by many previous batteaux builders.We drilled two separate holes for each nail, a pilot hole is drilled through the planking into the rib which will be at least the depth of the nail. The diameter of this bit will vary depending on the nails used but it should basically be the same as the width of the nail at the pointed end, measuring the smaller way.The second hole is just smaller than the diameter of the nail by the head and is only drilled the depth of the planking and shouldn’t go into the rib.This drilling concept puts the holding power of the nail in the rib not the plank and this is what is desired. Drilling the larger hole into the planking also reduces the chances of splitting the planking which is a significant problem, particularly on the ends.We used 3 nails per board on all boards which were 6” or wider, 2 nails on several boards which ended up being less than 6”.

The length of the nails changed depending on whether we were nailing the bottom of the boat or up on the rib arms.The nails we used on the bottomof the boat were 4” and the nails on the rib arms were 3”.Common sense dictates exactly where to change nail sizes, we changed when we got to the lap joint of the base rib and rib arm.The 4” nails were new to this batteau as we used 3 inch nails on everything on earlier boats.When the boats were constructed the nails had incredible holding power and when a mistake was made and nails needed to be pulled, it was essentially impossible.We would often end up grinding off the head or cutting the nail off with a sawzall.However, after several years of swelling and contracting, we noticed many nails which were loose and could be pulled out with your fingers.This caused us to have to re-nail boards eachyear, a situation I hope we have avoided on this boat by using the larger nails.

When nailing, there is potential to do damage to the ribs, particularly the rib arms.A number of boats including previous Ruckers have ended up with broken rib arms as a result of pounding with 2 pound hammers etc.Although the boat is very strong, the rib arms have some potential for being broken as they are cut on a curve and therefore the grain runs across the arm to some degree.Care should be taken and ribs constantly inspected during nailing.When nailing at the top of the ribs we would have someone inside the boat holding a 2 pound hammer against the rib in an effort to protect it.

Cap Rails

The cap rails are an extremely important part of construction as they provide much of the strength required in the event of a side impact.These are the only part of the boat which can be constructed by using some form of lamination.Previous ruckers have had caprails which had a joint which was not spanned by another piece as in the concept of lamination.At the joints there was a very weak area and looking down the side of the boat you could clearly see where the side of the boat would change dramatically at this joint.Some people have gotten strength from the caprail by placing a board inside the top of the rib at the top and having the joint staggered from the top planking board on the outside.They have then placed a board on the top of the rib and fastened it to the top planking board and this piece on the inside.This makes a strong caprail and also makes for a nice seat but isn’t considered as authentic as what we have done on this Rucker.

There is evidence to suggest that on the original batteaux, the caprail was a thick piece with a mortice cut in it which would accept the ends of the rib arms.We accomplished the same appearance with increased strength by beginning with a 2 x 6 and making the cuts as shown in the pictures.We then ran a piece of this material on the inside and outside of the rib, creating a laminated effect for strength.This makes the caprail essentially an oak 4 x 6 which likely makes it heavier than the caprail system used on any other boat.Time will tell whether the strength we achieved is worth the extra weight we carry down the river.

Walkboards

Although not an integral part of the boat from a strength standpoint, the walkboards are crucial from a livability and safety standpoint.The walkboards on the Rucker sit on the elevated part of the rib base so walkboard planning can actually affect the exact shape of the rib base.A lot of time is spent walking back and forth on these boards so don’t underestimate their importance.Some boats have elevated walkboards inside the caprail, some elevated walkboards outside the caprail, however we have always had walkboards which are inside the boat on the rib base.In my opinion this makes for a cleaner appearing design and if you don’t have plans for a canopy work fine.If you have plans for a canopy, then you will have to consider whether there is room for inside walkboards or if they will need to go outside the boat.Whatever you do, plan your walkboards as an integral part ofyour design, not an after thought.Also consider safety, there are inside walkboards which have space between the walkboard and the planking, a perfect place to have your ankle broken as you fall overboard.Also, there are outside walkboards on some boats which I believe have serious limitations from a strength standpoint.Other factors to be considered are that inside walkboards will block your access to the planking when looking for leaks and should be able to be removed on the river easily.Outside walkboards will also widen your boat which if you plan on venturing into some of the smaller areas behind islands may be a consideration.Walkboards are also your best source of emergency lumber in the event you have serious damage done to the boat while on the river. When planning walkboard design, be aware that you want to make your boat easy to live aboard without walking directly on the inside of the planking.Walking on the planking the first years of a batteau is probably something you can get away with, but as a boat ages it is asking for disaster.Boards have been pushed away from the ribs in on several boats in the past by individuals stepping on the planking. It has created situations which have required repairs while in the middle of the river, something which can affect your enjoyment of that day.

Canopy

We have always chosen not to have a canopy on the Anthony Rucker.There have been days of 100 degree temperatures, or cold driving rainstorms when I wished we’d had one.But in the overall scheme of things, we continue to think the con’s outweigh the pros although many of the boats are currently equipped with them.A canopy makes walking around the boat and seeing from front to back or side to side much more difficult.A canopy also is a problem if you plan on skirting under the trees and around islands or under a low bridge or two on the river.Also, if you have a stiff breeze blowing upriver it is difficult to keep a boat without a canopy going downstream, one with a canopy is that much more difficult as you have basically a sail.If you are planning on having a canopy, you might want to discuss pros and cons with other boats which have them.However, you will definitely want the canopy to look period and not detract from the overall appearance of the batteau.

Caulking

No silicon or synthetic caulk should be used on the batteau.Cotton or oakum is packed into the cracks and when the wood swells this fills any gaps which would have remained.It is remarkably effective and works better than any of the silicons which have been tried by individuals in the past. Since wood swells across the grain and not lengthwise, the caulking is more important on end butt joints than it is on edge joints which will hopefully swell tight on their own.Experience has shown that butt joints along with joints where the nose cone meets the body of the boat are the primary culprits to be examined when the boat is leaking.

Trailering

After building a boat there is the obvious need for a way to get it to the river and back.Most if not all batteaux trailers started their lives as mobile homes.The Rucker trailer was a mobile home which had been involved in a fire.It takes some metalworking knowledge and somebody good with a welder and in a weekend you can have a good trailer for almost no money.I would caution that different generations of mobile homes have different quality of steel frames.Lightweight frames will require significant strengthening and should be avoided.We’ve seen many vehicles used to pull trailers ranging from lightweight 1Ú2 ton 4 cylinder trucks, to tractor trailers.I personally believe that to safely pull and stop a batteau and trailer you should have at least a 3Ú4 ton truck.Of course there is a significant difference in the weight of different batteaux and trailers.

Boat Building Manual

There has been in existence for a number of years a manual which is intended to help anyone building a batteau.I strongly suggest you get this manual as it has valuable but by no means complete instructions for building a boat.

Help from the Festival Committee

The James River Batteau Festival Committee is full of individuals who have built batteaux themselves and are willing and anxious to give help and advice.We hope and actually request that you allow individuals from this committee to see the boat at various stages of construction. Whereas we don’t want to put unnecessary obstacles in the path of someone building a boat, it is important that certain aspects of the original batteaux are included in the modern day replicas.Currently there are about 15 batteaux still in service and while each is different from the other, they are all clearly identifiable as a close relative of the original James River Batteaux of the late 1700’s.

Boat Preparation and Storage

In the off season, some boats are stored underwater in ponds and some are dry on trailers.At different times, we’ve tried all approaches to the boat storage issue and found each to have pros and cons.Storing underwater seems to keep boats well but the boats become food for worms and quickly take on the appearance of driftwood.To take the new Anthony Rucker and feed it to the worms seem unthinkable so we are storing it on the trailer.The disadvantage of dry storage is that the wood dries out and shrinks so much that it is very hard on the wood, and fasteners.

Two weeks before the boat is to be used it is placed in a pond with cracks almost 1Ú2 inch between the boards.After a couple of weeks it is removed and the boards have again swollen tight.

James River Batteau Festival

After building an authentic James River Batteau, the next stage of its enjoyment begins.The week long festival is a highlight of the year for many if not most of the participants.The fellowship among batteau crews along with the enjoyment of the James River as a wonder natural resource make this week special to everyone. After 15 festivals I can honestly say no two have been the same and after well over 1500 festival miles on the James I still look forward to the festival each year.

Summary

This Anthony Rucker batteau was constructed in the spring of 2001 by previous crew and friends.We basically worked on it for 2-3 months, a couple of night a week and occasionally on weekends.Some evenings we had 10 people working, more often it was a core group of 4 or 5 family and friends.Often it was more of a social gathering than a work setting. We certainly spent more time than absolutely necessary but we were enjoying working out situations which had created problems in past boats.Much of the fit and finish we worked hard to accomplish was unnecessary and disappeared after 2 weeks at the bottom of a pond.The boat has logged 2 James River Batteau Festivals each comprised of 120 river miles in addition to half a dozen weekend trips.We have been thrilled with the way the boat has performed.The concerns about weight have not materialized and the boat was essentially dry inside for the entire festival of 2002.We’ve handled the boat in the river with as few as 3 and as many as 20 plus crew and guests.It is our expectation that this Anthony Rucker will last in the neighborhood of 10 years after which I expect we’ll build our 4th James River Batteau.