Inside job

Today was a rainy day, just right for working inside, on the inside of a boat.

the thwarts and floors and breast hooks all
being test fitted

I tried to make use of some scrap for the floors but I think they may be a touch to thin.  They are a bit flexy.  I might try 'em anyway.  The thwarts are 36 inches apart, far enough apart, I hope, to not make it hard to get in and out of the boat.

It is really starting to look the real canoe, I think.

Nice bottom!

Woke up this morning eager to take the clamps off.  Immediately started cleaning up the edge with a plane and sureform. I rounded over the bottom edge of the plywood to make a softer turn for the fiberglass that will cover the bottom and up to the chine.  This is the way I did it on WHISP and that worked out pretty well.

Bottom on and planing down to the chine.

The plywood on the bottom has some spots where it has delaminated.  I think this is a result of stress and moisture or, it could be a quality control issue.  I am not worried as that area will have an added layer of fiber glass to protect the bottom and the epoxy should help with the plywood lamination as well.

The cedar floor frames are a bit beefy but they are light.

 This is the point when I get really happy.  It is actually a boat now and can float if I wanted to put it in the water.  How cool is that?  I built another boat, and of my own design!?  It is very gratifying to look at it.  Can't wait to see Liz in it and  to see how it floats and paddles.

Liz's boat.  I think I may leave the stems proud like they
are.  It kind of helps it look not so short.

While having my coffee this morning, I came up and idea for a kayak style boat I'd like to design and build.  It would be about 12 or 14 feet long, about 2 foot 6 inch beam and be kind of an unsinkable boat.  It is like a sit on top but a little bit more husky.  One of the things I don't like about my glass yak is that the cockpit is very small and getting in and out is not so simple as just standing up.  I also don't like that I can't relax, lie back and enjoy the surroundings easily.  That is something about kayaks in general that I am not so thrilled about.  But my idea is a light weight, roomy, double paddle boat that I might be able to carry on my HP challenged Vanagon, to nice, warm blu water and feel comfortable in.  Liz's boat could do it but it is not meant for that kind of water.
I think I will build a model.  I guess I should order a pizza so I can use the box to build the model ;)

"Rudder, we don't need no stinking rudder!"

Took the skiff to the lake today for an evening sail.  I love this boat.  This was the first sail since the mast partner mishap and repair.  The new set up is great so far.
It took a few minutes for my body to remember how to sail this boat.  It is more like surfing than sailing in some ways.  Steering with my body position and, or, weight combined with mainsheet trim takes not thinking about how it works and just doing it.
What  I am coming to believe is that the boat has lee helm because of it's slight underbody all being aft in the skeg.  This explains all the other tendencies that come with moving about to one side or the other or fore and aft.
Though it may just confuse things I think I will build the rudder I had thought to build.  I'd like to see how that works out.
For now, I am just glad to be sailing again, and ecstatic that it is in a boat I built.

Bottom's up

Today I got the bottom of Liz's boat cut out and attached.

bottom ready for attachment

 I set the remaining piece of plywood, 2'x8' , on top of the chines, clamped it down at the middle then traced out the shape on the outside.  Then I flipped it over and cut it out with the electric jig saw.  I cut just outside the line to leave some wood for trimming up and shaping later.  At the very middle of the boat the bottom is exactly as wide as the boat.

I was in a mood so I got to glueing it up right away.

Bottom glued and screwed to the chines

The weights were used to press the bottom down on the cross frames.  A screw every 6" and Gorilla glue should be more than sufficient to hold it on.
I am very happy about my choice of the bevel angle for the chine.  It seems spot on, the bottom sits very flat on the chine.

Get my mind back on business

Now that the presentation at the Library is over I can get my mind back to things that feel more normal.  The presentation was fun and I really enjoyed the people I met, but it did kind of harken back to things from the past with the set up, performance like feeling, and I haven't had to deal with that in a while and can honestly say, I don't miss it.
It was nice to have the casual and friendly feeling of just a bunch of people getting together to talk about boats.  It should happen once a month maybe, but at a nice pub or club house.  It probably does, I'm just not there.
I can get to putting the bottom on Liz's boat now.  That will be exciting, at least this moment always has been.  It's the moment when the wood and screws and glue actually become a boat, and can float.
BUT FIRST, I am off to the water to enjoy and test out the new mast partner sailing rig.  I would be happy just to row today as I have been inspired by a woman named Sarah Ouhten.  She is rowing from Japan to Canada right now.  Check her out.  She is way cool.
Thanks to all who attended the presentation last night!  We had a good turn out.  I really appreciated the friendly faces and the warm relations.

Liz's boat a pleasant distraction

Today I got the frames in so that I can now put the bottom on.  The frames fasten to the chines so that the weight of a person is distributed to there.  I cut them from cedar and put in limber holes for the water to move about thru.  Each frame has a screw in the end and glue.

(reclaimed decking) cedar frames for the floors

Limber holes for the water to run thru, though this boat could just be tipped over
easily enough

After tonight is past I can get back to thinking only about this boat and that will be a relief.

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