I have read a lot of discussion about bending wood. The critical factors are water content in the wood and the level of heat. Steam or boiling water or even a hot iron will work.
Steam is fast but it has the drawback that if you leave the wood in too long it gets too hot and the fibers start to let go of each other, so you have to determine the precise length of time for optimal floppiness without losing structural integrity.
A hot iron works nicely for localized bending, but it requires an iron and for some reason Win's not eager to have sap stuck to her clothing iron.
Boiling water seems to be ideal - you can leave the wood in for long periods without bad side effects. If the wood is dry, soaking it for a day first is recommended but my oak is nice and green, so no pre-soak needed.
The boat is all prepped. The keel-guide is tied in place and all my clamps are right where they will be needed.
I have this lovely copper tray that used to be the waterproof lining of a planter. It fits nicely on our gas grill. We are having a lovely warm day so there's no issue with having the bulkhead open. Of course, I should be raking up all those leaves before it rains again...
The grill is positioned where I can grab a hot rib and trot down the stairs and bend it in place.
Waiting for the water to heat and for a batch of ribs to heat, I finish sanding the sharp edges off the last few ribs.
They're hot! I grab each rib in turn and start bending it as I head down the stairs. When hot, the ribs will take an amazingly sharp bend without any issues.
33 ribs later - it's really starting to have the shape of a boat! I am going to leave the ribs clamped in place for a day or so to dry and set into their final shape.
Next comes a great deal of careful futzing to tweak the ribs into perfect alignment with each other before I cut them and drop them into their sockets.
As I turn out the lights the boat lurks in the gloom like some prehistoric creature with way too many legs.
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