Got a chance to try the new canoes today. I’ll post my thoughts about the solo canoe today and the tandem tomorrow. The solo boat is 30 inches wide 12 1/4 inches deep and 13’9” long, it weighs 30 pounds and it’s probably about as durable as a well-made Kevlar canoe. 14’9” is probably...
"Notes on the solo canoe"Continue readingCategory: Prototyping
Working towards finishing the canoes today
Working towards finishing the canoes today with a quick and dirty rough install of the seats with some hex cap 1/4-20 bolts and some random hardwood dowels. Once I test the boats and decide on final seat heights I’ll replace these with oval head machine screws and cup washers for a more finished appearance....
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Reviewing shaping on the 14 foot solo canoe
Nice light in the shop this morning. This winter has been pretty brutal so it’s good to finally see the sun. With this last solo frame finished I finally have a solid sample set to analyze the shape that my rib length formula is creating. To my eye it looks good from the bow...
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Prepping the ribs for the new 14 foot solo canoe
As soon as I got the 16 foot canoe skinned, I just knew I was gonna have to build a 14 foot solo canoe to fit inside it, so that’s what I’m doing this week. I’m pushing the rib length system into slightly new territory and crossing my fingers it all works out! I...
"Prepping the ribs for the new 14 foot solo canoe"Continue reading
Row/sail canoe for sale (SOLD)
Row/sail canoe for sale (UPDATE: SOLD) I build a LOT of prototypes when I’m working out new designs, which means I can’t get sentimental about hanging onto things. This latest little row/sail canoe was an exploration in building something of roughly Adirondack guideboat proportions using my canoe building system and adding a little sail...
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Skin-on-frame row/sail canoe version 2, impressions
Skin-on-frame row/sail canoe version 2, impressions:. For those who haven’t been following along this project was an attempt to make a small row/sailboat using my super easy canoe building system. I was curious how far a free bent system would scale up and how the shaping formula would perform at larger scales. The boat...
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Day 5, Skin-on-frame tandem canoe
Day 5, Skin-on-frame tandem canoe. Build time: 7 hrs. Faired the stringers into the stems. I’m liking the new curved stem shape, it feels right on a full size canoe. I’m wondering if I could still nest a pair together? Wouldn’t make sense for a pack canoe where every inch counts, but for a...
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Day 2, Skin-on-frame tandem canoe
Day 2, Skin-on-frame tandem canoe. Build time: 6 hrs. I sometimes think that the hardest part of working out a boat design is deciding on a stem shape. At some point you just have to commit because it’s impossible to get it right your first time. I’m working a bit of recurve into this...
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Day 1, 16ft skin on frame tandem tripping canoe
Day 1, 16ft tandem tripping canoe. Build time: 7hrs. While I’m deciding what I think of the row/sail canoe, I thought I’d take the week to build a straightforward Prospector-style tripping canoe. 16 feet long, 35 inches wide, 13.5 inches deep. 2 inch progressive rocker, 8 inch sheer, shallow arch hull shape, little bit...
"Day 1, 16ft skin on frame tandem tripping canoe"Continue reading
Day 14: Row/sail canoe, version 2
Day 14, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 5hrs. Woke up to beautiful light in the shop and started working out a flotation strategy. I want to have easy options from bare boat photoshoot/protected water rowing mode, to svelte grey pool noodle light air summer sailing mode, to big yellow repurposed inflatable fenders middle...
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How a simple material change can tip the balance between skin and frame in a skin boat
Compared to other forms of boatbuilding skin-on-frame is significantly faster, easier, and less expensive, so much so that it can feel like cheating at times. The big caveat is that there are formidable design challenges owing to the unpredictability of the materials. Unless you simply overpower the problem with extensive bracing, lamination, or oversized...
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Day 13: Row/sail canoe, version 2
Day 13, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 7hrs. A huge disappointment today, I’m having difficulties with the shape of the canoe due to the heavy skin I put on it. It’s worth a detailed explanation so I’ll tackle that in a separate post. Got all the pieces together today and started setting things...
"Day 13: Row/sail canoe, version 2"Continue reading
Day 12: Row/sail canoe, version 2
Day 12, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 2hrs. Webbed the canoe seat copying the commercial seats I’ve purchased. I have a compressor and a 1/4 crown pneumatic stapler so I was able to do it the exact same way as the pro seats. Not sure how you could do it otherwise. I set...
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Day 10: Row/sail canoe, version 2
Day 10, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 7hrs. Spent the morning making VHMW skid-strips which I’ll talk about and show in another post. After that I stripped the frame and took the opportunity to weigh all the components separately which much to my surprise came out lighter than my last boat despite using...
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Day 9: Row/sail canoe, version 2
Day 9, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time:4hrs. Put a coat of oil on the frame. I’m pretty sure the instructions don’t say “use at 36 degrees” but sometimes you have to bend the rules. I use Watco Danish Oil because it penetrates well, dries fast, and is reasonably inexpensive. The reality is that...
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