The Gartside Workboat “Orca” is a Paul Gartside designed motor boat, constructed of cedar planking bronze fastened over oak frames. A heavy workboat of traditional construction, the Gartside is ideal as a yard launch or small towboat. Built with carvel plank-on-frame cedar over oak with a locust backbone, this functional 18’ boat, powered by a 20 HP Beta Diesel, gave students practice with complex lofting and hull shape while working with large timbers. In choosing construction materials for the Gartside build, the school selected only regional lumber. “We’re a lumber-rich region. Why spend money importing lumber from South Africa or South America when it’s all right here?”
