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Reliability

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:26 pm
by traveling man
I have been wanting to build a boat for awhile now but am a little worried about it breaking in half in the middle of a three day trip, how strong is the hull of a wooden boat? I camp and fish out of a Trident and it takes all the abuse I can throw at it. The bottom of my kayak is one big scar from the front to the back. How would a wooden boat hold up in rocky rivers?

Re: Reliability

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:33 pm
by bowgarguide
They are tough
I mistreat my boats and if built properly they will stand up.
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:37 pm
by DarrellS
Ron and I paddle together and we are hard on boats. The area we paddle is very rocky and we have hit some very hard with no damage other than scratched varnish. Wood yaks are as tough or tougher than plastic boats.

Re: Reliability

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:39 pm
by gerald
Gosh...I wish I could have taken you with me on the Great Castell River Race. Read that post.
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 1&t=122150" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Talk to strider, pogo, bowgarguide, Darrel, and others about how strong and durable wood composite boats are. I've done many marathons in my wood composite boats and never failed to finish because of boat damage. After the Castell river race all I need to do is sand the hull and recoat with graphite impregnated epoxy. Several of my boats have done the Texas Water Safari. I've done thousands of miles on the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers--at speed. I've also done a lot of races on the Neches river race below Lake Palestine--21 miles of ramping logs, stumps, stobs, portaging, and dragging. I have ramped off a 6' high damn onto rocks and water. I don't baby my marathon boats at all. I'm not saying you can't damage them because you can but they are very strong, durable, and easily repaired.

However--if you are worried that a wood composite boat isn't strong and durable enough there's nothing at all wrong with a good plastic boat.

A wood composite boat is MUCH stiffer than a plastic boat.

Re: Reliability

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:42 pm
by DarrellS
Here's one I just finished. Built out of 1/4 inch thick redwood strips. Looks fragile does'nt, but I don't baby this boat and it's tough.

Image

Re: Reliability

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:21 am
by preacher
Since i'm new to the DIY wood boat stuff I also worried about the strength and durability of the Bumble Bee, but this week in Corpus has given me assurance they are reliable.

When we got here Friday we found near Gale (30 - 35 MPH) winds and nothing has changed. Monday I decided that I would join GoDoe at Lighthouse Lakes and give the boat a testing and catch me some fish. Short fishing report is I got skunked but the up side was the Bee. I paddled through the wind with what I believe is less effort than my OK Big Game. Also, while fishing near the boat lane a 50 foot boat plowed by sending out some massive waves. I paddled the Bee right through the 2 1/2 foot waves without a bit of problem. I noticed that the shock of ramming into the waves was transferred to the side walls which flexed out and in with absolutely no side effects. Later while drifting (being blown around) the Bee rammed hard into an oyster bank. I can't even find a trace of where it hit much less damage.

In short, my plastic yaks are great, my wood boat is GREAT.

Re: Reliability

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:55 pm
by traveling man
Thanks guys looking forward to building one, I bet its pretty rewarding to fish out of a boat you built yourself.

Re: Reliability

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:06 pm
by DarrellS
There is not a feeling like fishing out of a boat that was a pile of material a few weeks ago. :D

Re: Reliability

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:18 pm
by bowgarguide
Traveling man
I am going to give you one warning(you cant build just one) by the time you get half way through with the first one you will be planning the next build.
Repeat after me My name is traveling man I am a boat building addict :D :D
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:12 pm
by traveling man
Thanks bowgarguide, maybe you can suggest a boat builders rehab clinic or maybe a support group, I know how addictive hobby's go.

Re: Reliability

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:14 pm
by bowgarguide
They havent found a treatment that works yet,all I can suggest is a bigger boat shed.
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:54 pm
by rodloos
They haven't found a treatment that works yet,all I can suggest is a bigger boat shed.
Which brings up another question in my mind:

What do y'all do with all of your older boats? You've built, what, 10 boats or so Ron? Do you keep them all? Cut up/throw away early models that didn't work quite as well as later models? Do you find people interested in buying your older boats you were "learning" on, or were even your first boats top-rate and worthy of selling?

I don't have any indoor space, and my back yard is already getting crowded with a canoe and 3 kayaks.

I feel myself sliding down a slippery slope towards building a boat, like an ant falling down into an ant lion's den :)

I'm sure my skills will not produce the best boat ever seen on my first try, should I just plan on building one out of the cheapest plywood I can find just for the practice, then cut it up and build my real boat?? :lol:

Re: Reliability

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:09 pm
by bowgarguide
Rod loos
I have 5 of my ten boats still here,all ten were good servicable boats and still being used, two were built for my grand daughters,two son in laws got two more,One I loaned to a friend and havent seen it in 1 1/2 years ,he calls me and tells me about the fish he is catching out of it.I think another son in law is claming my hot air perow.
I will keep at least five boats, the last two for me, the T-V because it is the best all around boat I own, and the cuda because I plan to do some more racing with Gerald,( I had a blast at my first one) the rest when I want to take a bunch out and let them try a yak or a wood yake I have plenty to go around
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:25 am
by Light Keeper's Kid
I personally watched Ron's Kayak fall from the top of his jeep full of water and hit the hard ground right on the nose of the bow and it didn't have anything wrong with it. It's one strong kayak :wink:

Mike

Re: Reliability

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:54 pm
by Hirsch
Light Keeper's Kid wrote:I personally watched Ron's Kayak fall from the top of his jeep full of water and hit the hard ground right on the nose of the bow and it didn't have anything wrong with it. It's one strong kayak :wink:

Mike
What Mike did not tell you is that when it hit the ground it dug a hole that Ron is still waiting for the State's Bill of Repairs on. As Mike said there was zero damage to the boat. :D

Re: Reliability

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:23 pm
by bowgarguide
If you dropped my boat twenty or thirty times you would have the Castile race.
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:46 pm
by gerald
bowgarguide wrote:If you dropped my boat twenty or thirty times you would have the Castile race.
Ron
Yeah...and if you rolled it sideways over a couple of rocky bluffs with me under it you would have MY boat....

Re: Reliability

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:57 pm
by bowgarguide
Gerald
I have to ask how did you get under the boat?
Ron

Re: Reliability

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:28 pm
by gerald
It's kind of like wrasslin' alligators. We would tussle back and forth, roll over and over, and the dang boat would always end up on top. There was one time I was afraid one of those little plastic boats was going to come over the rapid and spear me while the boat had me pinned down for the three count....

I could have easily won a hundred grand for America's funniest video....

Have you ever seen one of those cute fluffy cats that have been fished out of the river? Looks like a drowned rat don't it. That was me...