Experimenting with sail shapes and catamaran adjustments. We've got a hot week ahead in Portland, looking forward to putting the sails through their paces and testing out some canoe modifications....
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Experiments in paddle building…
Experiments in paddle building......
Another shot of the canoes in the shop
Another shot of the canoes in the shop from earlier this month before they hit the water. Working on a new paddle concept for these today, it'll be interesting to see if it works....
Video: Last step before sending a boat out the door
Last step before sending a boat out the door is branding the gunwales. Since I had the torch out already for the latest F1, I took the opportunity to restock on business cards as well. Cards are cut from old salvaged dimensional lumber, and the stamping process smells amazing....
Tasks for this week
Tasks for this week include building paddles and sails for the canoes. Dialing in some details and then we'll start building the next round of prototypes for testing....
Shooting some video about my replica kayak designs
Got the West Greenland kayak out to shoot some video about my replica kayak designs. This is my favorite boat when it comes to putting a modern paddler into a traditional kayak. Looking forward to getting some on the water footage when the rain clears and posting a detailed walk through of the kayak...
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Bending Tests
Been working on bending tests of different types of readily available hardwood. I'm fortunate enough to get my bending oak directly from a sustainable forester here in Oregon, but most builders will be restricted to the stock at their local shop. I'm getting interesting results, hopefully this will let me make broader recommendations when...
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Doing things a little differently in the shop this week
Doing things a little differently in the shop this week... When Tillamook dairy approached us for a kayak to install in their new visitor center, there was one challenge: the boat needed to match their brand (and their cheese). Normally we skin with dyed nylon coated in polyurethane, but to get such a precise...
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Nested canoe frames
Here are some shots of the nested canoe frames before the skins went on. Super happy with the way these nest- snug so they don't rattle around or become awkward to carry, but with enough tolerance that they nest and un-nest with a smooth motion....
On YouTube: Full trip report on our John Day River test
Full trip report on our John Day River test paddle up on the YouTube channel now. I talk in more depth about the catamaran and removable thwart systems, shaping and performance in wind and waves and rapids. Still very pleased with their performance and got a lot of good info for the next iteration....
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End of the trip
End of the trip. People always see the and assume we must have to be really gentle with these boats, but Liz plugged a class 3 hole with this one and and when I got back to the boat it was wrapped around a boulder, facing upstream. Literally curled around the rock, and not...
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On YouTube: On the water footage with the nesting canoes
Just posted a video of on the water footage of the nesting canoes to the YouTube channel. We spent a large portion of the trip with the canoes catamaraned together – an experimental feature that performed beyond expectations, and wound up being fairly critical on this trip to avoid swamping on the class 2...
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Thankful for summer, and time on the water.
Thankful for summer, and time on the water. Prototype skin on frame solo canoe from above, packed with flotation and a week's gear. This one is sized for a 175-200lb paddler plus gear, and weighs in at 19lbs. The movable thwart worked out well for seating adjustments and carrying....
Back from a 70-mile wilderness test paddle
Back from a 70-mile wilderness test paddle with lots to report. Video update on the canoes' performance coming later this week, after I've had a chance to edit footage and give the boats a careful inspection....
Answering questions about the adjustable thwart
Been getting a lot of questions about the adjustable thwart. Here’s a close shot of the attachment on the prototype. A series of notches allow it to snap into place in four positions along the gunwales, and then bungee on, wrapping the ribs. Because the ribs are mortised into the gunwales, they can serve...
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