The new boat

Post Reply
User avatar
TexasZeke
Posts: 440
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:35 pm
Location: China Spring, Texas Hand built boats

The new boat

Post by TexasZeke »

I ordered all the "must be ordered" stuff yesterday for the new boat. I'm sure for some stuff I ordered to much but that means I shouldn't have to wait for more to get here.

Have some new questions though, please forgive some of my boating terms

I had played with the idea of squaring off the back just a bit to provide a good place to mount a transducer outside the boat. I've about given up on this idea, but was curious, why do they all come to a point in the back? Better performance? Looks better? Easier to build? just wondering

After reading some of Ron's post I'm kicking around the idea of trying to come up with a seat mount that can be adjusted front to back and up and down. I may keep the seat removable so it would just need to go up and down. Any ideas?

I had talked this over with Ron awhile back, and while he said it wasn't needed still think I like the idea for my piece of mind. At the back of the boat, once the hull has been completely glassed and sealed, Think I'm gonna take a block, 1/4 to 1/2 thick couple of inches or so long and goopy it to the hull for a wear strip. I plan on tapering all the edges so there is nothing to hang on, just a little bump. When it wears down to much I can sand it off and replace it, if I decide I don't like it I can just sand it off. I know me and there will be times when the boat gets drug around by the nose and I would rather tear up something meant to be torn, than have to repair something. My biggest question on this is what kind of wood to use. I plan to seal it like the rest of the boat but by it's purpose it will get wet. Cedar would do better with water, but oak would wear better, but it's also bad about splitting so how would that affect it being glued to the hull? Any thoughts?

I ordered graphite to do the bottom with, but was wondering how much you put in the epoxy. I could have swore I saw that mentioned somewhere but I can't find it.

thanks
kevin
User avatar
gerald
TKF 4000 Club
TKF 4000 Club
Posts: 4174
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:48 am
Location: Gatesville, tx www.theoldmansboats.com

Re: The new boat

Post by gerald »

The boat doesn't necessarily have to come to a point on the stern. I does have to have a shape that allows the water to be released easily off the back of the boat however. If you paddle a small displacement hull with a squared off transom you will be pulling many pounds of water along with you.

In an ideal world your boat seat should adjust forward, backward, up, down, lean forward or back. In the real world you sometimes don't have the room, time, money, expertise, or feel the trouble is worth it. For a casual recreational paddler it's probably not worth it. For the racer or advanced paddler it probably is worth it.

I have used the rub rail idea on the bottom of the boat at the stern before. It works fine. It may be worth it to you, it may not be. yes...you build the boat to run with out it--then add it with with epoxy and laminate several layers of fiberglass over it. Shape it in--don't make a hump. As it wears you can replace it when necessary. Actually you don't replace it--you simply sand and shape it and add more strips. I normally use 1/8" strips of oak laminated to the boat, then shape. This extra precaution for wear has really never been necessary except for ultra marathon races under exteme conditions.

I add a heaping tablespoon of powdered graphite to 8 or 9 oz. of epoxy. Then do a minimum of two coats. This is a sacrificial coating. It will wear off in places but once a year you simply, sand, and do another coat.
User avatar
bowgarguide
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5370
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:52 pm

Re: The new boat

Post by bowgarguide »

Gerald
Where do you get the most wear on your boats ,on mine the nose and the first six inches of the boat wears worse than any other place, when I drag mine it is usually sitting on the bottom,I tend to pull my by a rope and not the handle.
Ron
User avatar
gerald
TKF 4000 Club
TKF 4000 Club
Posts: 4174
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:48 am
Location: Gatesville, tx www.theoldmansboats.com

Re: The new boat

Post by gerald »

Well...since I paddle my boats rather than drag them I don't get much wear from dragging. :lol:

I get wear at three general locations. A small amount at the stern from beaching. More bashes and scrapes around the cockpit area from hitting object while I'm paddling fast among the obstructions--rocks, stumps, etc.. The center of the boat around the cockpit and slightly further back is where I will suffer the most major damage--if I do suffer damage. And the most general wear from rubbing, scratches, bumps, etc. is on the last 4 feet of the boat at the stern. Wood composite boats don't like to be dragged on hard, solid, rock--so I don't. Gravel, mud, sand, grass I just drag across without a second thougt.
Post Reply