Got the hardware on the decks today. I sure do like the cords with the hooks on them ,they are easy to handle and you can change the length and configuration as needed for hauling gear.



I still need to install the gaskets but I think I am going fishing in her first.
Ron

Oh, my goodness! You would fish out of an unfinished boat???? Oh, the tremors and horrors! Next, you'll admit to not having all of the basic electronics that every simplistic tourney fisherperson deems, basic--can it be so?
And having said that line of BS, catch a buttload of fish, and take lotsa pictures...there are magazines everywhere that need them! Great boat, great build, helluva job!

Barditch
Those electronics dont really bother me much. When I first started tournement fishing it was out of a 16 ft flat bottom with a 25 horse motor, I won a lot of tournements out of that boat,then I got a fancy glass boat all the dodads and caught less fish.
Yea I like it simple.
Ron

Ron...I fished alot of saltwater tournaments out of an ourboard, and my sole navigation tool was the Fairwell Buoy! Won a few bucks, too! Jolly times! Best year was the one when I caught the #1 Kingfish, and took the #2 Kingfish home, fileted, in the cooler, and hoisted the only Tarpon of the tournament. There were some upset folks!
Now, I really like it when folks like you turn out boats like you do, and then make newspaper quality photos out of your catches. Not for any reason, other than knowing that, if people would get off their duffs and do a little listening and learning...they could be having just as much fun as you are! And that's what this whole site is all about--Haviing fun.
Dam'! I broke off into a rant!
Sorry about that!............but not alot!

The handles on the ends of the yak are very handy but I have problems with them hanging down in the water at times.
Today I put the handles on the criuser, instead of drilling a hole placing them right on the point I backed the holes up 4 inches . It leaves plent of hand clearance for carring.



But you have to push it down past the nose and it doesnt extend low enough to get in the water


I think it may solve that problem.
Ron

Took her out for the first fishing trip today,I just went for a couple hours but slimed the Cruiser .


I paddled her about 5 miles today on a lake ,she will just sit up there and cruise , I need to put her on the river now
I think she is going to be a dream to fish out of on the Brazos ,fast handle easy , and float shallow.
I am a happy camper
Ron
PS I will keep working on her till I get her completed ,but she is going to see some miles while I am doing it.

Congrats on the slime time, great catch.

Are you going to install foot pegs and rod holders?

Preacher
I am not finished with the Cruiser , but I like to paddle and use a boat before adding pegs and rod holders. I need to see how she trims and handles with different ice chest and my seat placement for the balance.
Ron

Took a few days off ,but I am back to doing the little things that make a boat personal.
Got the rubber seals installed on the hatches



I am trying something different on rod holder. I dislike the factory ones ,they stick and its hard to get a rod out when a fish hits, this is what I am going to try on this boat.





I do a lot of drift fishing and they seem to be at the right angle.
Ron

Review of the Brazos Cruiser
This is a neat boat ,it has a high cruise speed and tracks well but still turns easy.
This boat will be given to my granddaughter when she is ready for it and I think it will suit her well.
Like most three panel boats it shines in flat water are going down stream . Should be a good hull for the Neches race ,light , flat bottom for portaging ,and a good cruise.
I am to big and carry to much gear for this to be a tripping boat for me,and do to much upriver paddling
where a three panel doesn’t shine. It would be a great boat for day trips and a lighter paddler.
Thanks Gerald she is a sweet boat.
Ron

Thank you Ron. I appreciate your building this boat and you did a good job. Some interesting innovation there--strip panel S&G. Probably be one in my future as well. As with all prototypes I usually make changes after testing. I went with 10" side panels on this boat. I was expecting it to need a little more freeboard for the weight of a big old grandpa. As it turns out you overloaded it big time and still did ok. However--future Brazos Cruisers will be with 8" side panels and will come stock with 3 piece S&G decks (which are easily changed for strip decks). As you say...this should be a great day tripper. Ah...3 panel boats--the most boat for the money you can buy or build.

Just another add on here , the rod holders worked really well and I loved the big open hatches ,both of these will be incorperated in future builds.
Ron

Man, Ron, I like your thinking. Build your boat the way you use it not the way someone thinks you should build it. Thats what I do and I am making me very happy on my fishing trips. Those rod holders are really neat . . . do you really use 8 rods at the same time

I normally carry 4 to five rods and I like having them in front of me when I am paddling so I can watch the rod tips plus they are so much easier to get than rods mounted behind you.
There are a couple little things I havent showed yet on this build and as I finish them I will add to this thread.
It is why I keep building boats and I am getting close to the perfect for me river camping tripping boat.
Ron

Yep, Ron left me far back in his wake but, so did everyone else on the Brazos Trip.

What are the problems paddling a flat bottom upstream compared to say a TV?

Hursch
This is just from my limited experience an comes from paddling beside a lot of boats, the full round cornered striper handles upstream the best the four or 5 panel next and the 3 panel the last. I think the water has more to catch on .
Darrel and I have experienced this several times ,he was in his soft chined boat and could run off and leave me going upstream ,now when we turned downstream the deal was different I could run off and leave him.
Ron

The ability of a boat to go upriver, downriver, or on flatwater is a matter of efficiency. All things being equal--width, length, etc.--the more efficient boat should be the round chine boat. All things are not always equal though. A flat bottom 3 panel is generally going to draw less water--which makes it suitable for shallower water. Hard to say either type is better than the other. Good engineering of any design is what makes the difference...not the basic design itself. That's why I painted myself into a corner when I stated that I could design a fast 3 panel and Ron called me on it. There are no secrets. In a case like that you simply make it long and narrow. You make compromises in utility to strengthen the desired characteristic. So...I'm always going to go back and say that you need to decide what you're going to do with a boat--then choose a boat that will do what you want. Small paddled boats are fairly task specific.

This boat did just what we wanted out of her ,a light fast three panel.
I 100% agree with Gerald on boats are job specific .
I really think this is the first thing on our list choosing a boat design.
When I start looking for a a new design to build my list goes like this
What will the boat be used for and where,that narrows the field a lot.
Second ,kind of construction
what kind of wood and look I am wanting.
how rough I am going to use it
fitting within the load carrying capacity of the boat.
There are a lot of things that stem off of these things but for me they are the starting point of choosing the design I want to build.
Each construction method has there strong points and weaknesses.
Ron

Ron or Gerald, you have an estimated weight for the craft and an estimate of its capacity?

The design displacement at the 4" waterline for this boat is 220 pounds. Should be fine 1" either side of that point--say up to 300 pounds. Ron overloaded it by considerably more than that (400 pounds?) and didn't have any problem, though you could tell it was overloaded. The original Brazos Cruiser--which is this boat Ron has built as a prototype--has sides that are 10" high. Prototypes are simply to try out new designs. As a result of this trial build I've changed the sides to 8" high. Changes the freeboard but not the capacity. This change will be reflected on all future Brazos Cruiser plans. Boats of this type at 16' should be under 50 pounds and even 40 pounds is a viable target.

I weighed this boat in at 39 lbs. I wasnt trying to build it light . 6 ounce glass inside and out including the bottom sides of the decks.1/4 inch thick western red ceder and a few white pines on the deck for accents
Ron

If you wanted a 400 lbs capacity (most of my camping loads are 300-325 lbs including me) without overloading and still retain most of the paddling efficiency would increasing the beam from 24 to 26 inches give you the capacity while still giving a slim and efficient boat?

Of decks and hatches how much advantage and what are the advantages unless you are facing water fast enough the bury the bow before it breaks surface again (or doesn't if more a canoe or traditional pirogue design )? How much weight could be eliminated by going without them? I know an open deck boat is easier to pack for large and odd size loads.

HURSCH
The decks and hatches are very important to me for several reasons ,I like having all my gear stowed below deck if possible, I dont have to secure each piece like in an open boat. With the big hatch openings on this boat packing is easy.
The trip you took with your pack canoe was a low wind trip , the decks in high wind are a blessing, you can also keep the decks lower than an open boat which also helps in shedding the wind.
The decks add strength and very little weight if any, you have to brace an open boat more ,the decks do the bracing for you.
Ron

Hirschhunter: Adding 2" (26") of width might add 50 to 60 pounds of design capacity. I believe the Challenger at 28" is around 330. Remember that this is design capacity at the 4" waterline. That's what all of my boats are design at. The capacities most manufacturers use is max capacity....which is entirely another thing. In that case I might say that the capacity of the Brazos Cruiser is 320 pounds, but I won't. Don't forget that I used the Conquista, 16' X 28", in the CR100 and did it in 16 hours and 27 minutes. That's a pretty good time for any boat. That's a pretty efficient boat. Darrell's Longhorn is 26" wide. I'm pretty sure he likes the boat.

Decks. I like decks for several reasons. First--I do get into water that comes over the bow and stern--and the gunwales too!. I like at least some closed storage. The decks add strength to the boat. They look good. But most importantly is that the closed hatches provide flotation. While most people think that wood and wood composite boats won't sink--and most don't (more or less)--many of them WILL sink if filled with water. Nothing wrong with a boat that doesn't have a deck or closed hatches. However, in that case you must consider how to add flotation.

I also continue to say that when you have a canoe capacity that fits your load you won't have trouble with the wind. It's those 300 pound loads in a 1200 pound capacity canoe that has the wind problem.

Determine your requirements--then figure out which boat you should have.