The team at the Independence Seaport Museum has been working diligently on the Durham Boat Project. The effort began with an in-depth review of the lines plans and construction drawings, each crucial to the reconstruction of this historic vessel. The lines plan is
used to study, understand, and recreate the boat’s shape. This orthographic drawing provides the foundation for understanding the three-dimensional form of the Durham boat. Using this drawing, along with a table of offsets (a set of measurements), the team recreated the boat at full scale—a process known as lofting.
Once the lines plan had been lofted, attention turned to the construction drawings. These detailed plans offer insight into how the boat is assembled, providing the necessary dimensions and species of lumber. Historically, Durham boats were built with 1 ¼” cedar planking attached to 3″ thick white oak frames, which the shipwrights will steam-bend around molds created from the full-size lofting.
With the lofting complete, the museum’s shipwrights began processing locally sourced, freshly cut white oak lumber in preparation for steam bending. At the same time, they constructed the full-size molds onto which the oak would be bent. The molds, made from plywood and 2” x 4” lumber, feature strategically placed holes to optimize clamping during steam bending. A Durham boat requires 28 full frames, with two molds for each frame (one port and one starboard), for a total of 56 individual molds.
Each mold is fastened to the steam-bending table along with its corresponding timber. The white oak framing is placed into a steam bag connected to a large kettle of water set over a propane burner. Once steam begins to generate, the team times the process. Each frame remains in the steam bag for 1 hour and 20 minutes, after which the lignin and wood fibers are pliable enough to bend. The heated wood is then transferred promptly to the bending mold, where clamps and come-alongs shape it into place. The timbers are left to cool overnight before being moved the next morning to a humidity-controlled tent, where they remain until ready for planking.
After all of the frames have been bent onto their molds, the team will build a strongback—a carefully leveled and squared structure that serves as the foundation for construction. The molds and frames will be arranged along the length of the boat, then tied together with other structural components including stringers, stems, and a keel. Planking and interior fit-out will follow.
The Independence Seaport Museum invites the public to follow the progress of this project on social media or to visit the shop on the second Sunday of each month for one of the Table Saw Talks, where updates on the Durham Boat reconstruction are shared with visitors and locals alike.