The first question when actually beginning on a boat is what, exactly, do you do first? While everybody will have their own methods, I like to begin a folder where absolutely everything for the project will be stored.

     On the left side I kept copies of articles regarding the boat, design information from Iain Oughtred, and any correspondence that pertained to the design. On the right side I kept all the receipts, bills of sale, shopping lists etc.

     Because I expected to do a lot of brainstorming (what-if thinking), sketching, making lists, etc., I kept a notebook so all this information would be in one place and be easy to refer to later on. I also started a Filemaker database to keep track of material quantities and especially costs.

     On the first page of the notebook I started jotting down information about the building frame particulars. Yes, the information is included on the plans, along with the full sized mould drawings but it is up to you to translate that into a wooden reality.

     I decided a convenient base line (from where all subsequent measurements are taken) would be the floor but since I was working with a packed sand floor, I’d need a more reliable reference. I decided the bottom of my 2x6 ladder frame would be my base line. The ladder frame width was determined by the width needed by the narrower moulds in the ends of the boat. A bit too narrow would be better than a bit too wide. The waterline of each mould would be measured from the bottom of the building frame and supported by two 2x4 uprights at each station.

     Once some idea of width and basic arrangements of the ladder frame are set, the length of the building frame can be determined. Fortunately, the station spacings are provided, so a little adding will get you the needed length. When setting this out you need to remember which is the controlling edge of the mould. Since the Eun Mara is a double-ender the controlling face of the mould is the one closest to the end of the building frame except for the center one which may be either, but be sure to remember which one it is.

    The last detail to remember is that the building frame length is the distance between the forward perpendicular and the aft perpendicular, which is between the inner face of the inner stem and the inner face of the inner stern. If my notes are correct, this is exactly 19 feet. Add the outer stem and stern and you have the actual length of the boat.

     Now that the planning is done we can put the frame together by building a rectangle, making sure it has perfectly square corners and is exactly 19 feet long. Stretch a string along the centerline of the frame as a center reference. All we have to do now is add uprights to the sides of the ladder at the stations making sure the correct edge of the mould is at the station location and that they are perfectly vertical.

     Finally, starting from the center station and working to the ends, add the moulds to the uprights ensuring that the waterlines are all the same height from your baseline and using a plumb bob to center the moulds on the frame’s centerline. Working carefully, you’ll be amazed how accurately you can do this, if you take your time and are patient.

     The last step is to break out some battens and tack them onto the moulds at the plank overlaps, sighting along them from as many angles as you can manage, to check for fairness. Taking your time here will pay off in a fair, straight hull. If you notice that your moulds are unfair, find out why and fix the cause now. Do not even think about building a boat on a misaligned building frame, you will certainly regret it later on.

     Once we are sure the building frame is straight and fair, we can go on with building the actual boat.