Maiden voyage

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Ron Mc
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Maiden voyage

Post by Ron Mc »

Since the beginning of April, been following Lou's progress on a Bedard F1430 SOT kit
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Today, Daisy made her maiden voyage
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And a second monument today, Lou's friend and my new friend Whitt made his first kayak voyage in his new PA14.
Lou and Whitt go way back with their connection at Bike World in Alamo Heights.
We met up this morning at Boerne City Lake
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first time for this boat to get wet - Whitt used to sail Hobie 16 cat
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I was in my Kestrel, and trying out new shoes - Chaco Torrent Pro - I really like these for freshwater kayaking.
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The plan was to fish, but Lou was so excited he ran off without his rod. So we just paddled.
And Whitt sailed a bit
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We paddled all the way to the flagstone at the top of the creek arm
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and got out for a stretch
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Then all the way back to the gravel beach at the park
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My Kestrel and the new PA14
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From the beach, Lou and I paddled to the dam, and back to the launch, while Whitt sailed a broad reach back and forth for the same distance.
Rounded out for a nice 5-mi paddle this morning.
Success for all, and Whitt got a nice baptism when he fell in getting out.
Fun for all, and Lou has his next two wooden boat projects lining up - he's posted here before, maybe we can get him to post his new project(s), as well.
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TexasJim
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Re: Maiden voyage

Post by TexasJim »

Neat, Ron! Lou is a better craftsman than me. My projects only have to pass the 50-foot test: If it works and looks good from 50-feet, good enough. .

I've been seriously studying building a 3-piece "Nesting Kakak". A guy from Maine built one, 12-feet, that is really neat. I have contacted the builder, and he sent me his "plans". I was wanting to convert his build to a stitch'n'glue build, but with very little compound curve chine joints, frame and plank would work. I have a design(11-1/2 feet) that could be built with 3 sheets of 1/4 ply, and some planks. Probably epoxy, but maybe wood glue & SS pin nails. Under the shade trees on my picnic table!

Google up his boats at "Tom Hepp Nesting Boats". They were featured in Small Boats Magazine in 2018.

Fence Lake craft?

Congrats to Lou! ...TexasJim...
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Ron Mc
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Re: Maiden voyage

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Jim, I agree, he did a great job - first project like this, learning curve - he knows where all his flaws are in epoxy and varnish, but no one else does.
BCL was deserted when we launched this morning, and quickly filling up when we took out. His boat was the center of attention at the launch - everyone loved it, plus there was another boat maker there who enjoyed seeing it.

for being wood SOT, it's fairly light at 70 lbs, and has kevlar lay in critical structure spots.

I think Lou took this on for home-bound April.
About the same time, I was working over my reels with Japanese pimp (though the function was improved, too...)
Since he has the Emotion Fisherman, he promised this boat to Susie, certainly to get her out to paddle, and maybe partly as a ploy to make sure she agreed to him springing for the kit - you can buy nice kayaks ready to go for what the kit cost.

I don't think it's coming to the salt - the Fisherman is a great flats boat, also 14' long and 30" wide.
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but he said he's helping a neighbor with a 16' sailboat kit (didn't ask sloop or catboat), and has his own next wood kayak kit picked out from a different designer than Daisy (that launched today).
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Ron Mc
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Re: Maiden voyage

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TexasJim wrote: I've been seriously studying building a 3-piece "Nesting Kakak". A guy from Maine built one, 12-feet, that is really neat. I have contacted the builder, and he sent me his "plans". I was wanting to convert his build to a stitch'n'glue build, but with very little compound curve chine joints, frame and plank would work. I have a design(11-1/2 feet) that could be built with 3 sheets of 1/4 ply, and some planks. Probably epoxy, but maybe wood glue & SS pin nails. Under the shade trees on my picnic table!
...TexasJim...
Jim, I couldn't find a website, but I saw one nice example a nesting pirogue shown on small boats monthly magazine website
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https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/nesting-boats/

Bedard Yacht Design, btw, sells plans in addition to kits.
His sailboat list looks really nice, including an 8' sailing nesting pram, and another nice 10' shallow water catboat
(but especially the 9.5-m racer, and on to 44').
I believe this is the 16' training sloop Lou is taking on with his neighbor - it's a "raced-down" version of the 49er, and looks like a blast.
https://www.bedardyachtdesign.com/desig ... -16-skiff/
He has a design coming that's a touring kayak with cat-ketch rigging and daggerboard.
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Re: Maiden voyage

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Yeah, Ron, that's the boat I saw and may try to copy, sort-of. Right now, I'm waiting for Hanna to visit & leave, hopefully, without major incident. Liked your Blue, Blue, Blue Suede, but not Blue, Blue Salt Water Shoes! TexasJim
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Ron Mc
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Re: Maiden voyage

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I had some Chaco sandals with built-in neoprene socks that were my all-time favorites for freshwater kayaking, but the strap pulled out of the rubber sole on one of them
(like Teva, Chaco sandals are made from recycled tires).
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These won't have that problem - much better materials - and have killer drains through the soles.
They're also about half the weight of the sandal-based shoes.
ImageThe reason I bought blue, their Amazon price was $30 less than black or grey (I never pay retail for my outdoor gear).
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Re: Maiden voyage

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Back out Wed, this time at first light - none of us caught a fish, though saw one in the skinny flagstone at the top.
It was odd, I only saw one rise at a distance - never seen topwater totally dead at first light on any water body.
Did get a nice photo of Daisy.
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Second time in at the ramp, the wood boat was a chick magnet.
We were coming in, and the women going out flipped over it, taking photos with their phones.
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JW FunGuy
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Re: Maiden voyage

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My kind of guy! I always wondered about a SOT. That is pretty sweet! We should get together for a wood boat regatta. :D
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Re: Maiden voyage

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Ron Mc wrote:I had some Chaco sandals with built-in neoprene socks that were my all-time favorites for freshwater kayaking, but the strap pulled out of the rubber sole on one of them
(like Teva, Chaco sandals are made from recycled tires).
Actually Ron I believe it is only Chaco’s EcoTread sole that is recycled Rubber, I don’t remember anything about tires and it is only 25% at that. All the other soles are PU (they actually used to be polyether urethane, but that was before Wolverine bought them, that may have changed)
This is something that used to be very near and dear to my heart. :wink:
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Ron Mc
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Re: Maiden voyage

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JW FunGuy wrote:My kind of guy! I always wondered about a SOT. That is pretty sweet! We should get together for a wood boat regatta. :D
Can you come to Boerne City Lake on Wed mornings? I think Whitt and Lou are making it a new tradition. (Whitt needs to get out - he owns Bike World)
Though it's probably a 60-mi drive for you.
Also think about a boat you can handle in wind and rough - BCL is the first thing high in the hill country and can get rough on the main body.
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If I'm there, will have the Kestrel - still working on my "sea butt" handling and fishing from this boat.
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Re: Maiden voyage""struction methods, I may

Post by TexasJim »

Ron: We've seen Daisy. Where are the pics of the "chicks" ogling the boat?

Most wooden SOT designs I have seen look like thick, fat, SUP's. Lou's(oops, Susie's) boat looks like a really nice paddle craft.

The 16 he's helping with looks like a smaller "Aydeen", the 18-foot Flying Dishpans" the Aussies race.

I have made a 1"=1' cereal box model of the "nesting kayak", 11-1/2 ft. After I consult with the Farley Boat Works guys about materials and construction methods, I may make some sawdust under the shade tree.

This "lockdown" may be dangerous! Everyone please be safe! TexasJim
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Re: Maiden voyage""struction methods, I may

Post by TexasJim »

Ron: We've seen Daisy. Where are the pics of the "chicks" ogling the boat?

Most wooden SOT designs I have seen look like thick, fat, SUP's. Lou's(oops, Susie's) boat looks like a really nice paddle craft.

The 16 he's helping with looks like a smaller "Aydeen", the 18-foot Flying Dishpans" the Aussies race.

I have made a 1"=1' cereal box model of the "nesting kayak", 11-1/2 ft. After I consult with the Farley Boat Works guys about materials and construction methods, I may make some sawdust under the shade tree.

This "lockdown" may be dangerous! Everyone please be safe! TexasJim
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Ron Mc
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Re: Maiden voyage

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TexasJim wrote:Ron: We've seen Daisy. Where are the pics of the "chicks" ogling the boat?
sorry Jim, I'm too subtle to aim a camera at women.
Lou has already picked his next boat, from Chesapeake Light Craft
http://www.clcboats.com/index.php

On the bike ride today, our buddy John has added a 32' sailboat slipped in PA Municipal marina.
He's planning to take on a nesting pram wood project for a tender (as well as a folding dock bicycle).
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Re: Maiden voyage

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Ron: The CLC folks were at the last(2019) Port A Wooden Boat Festival. Their craft are "art"! They even have a teardrop trailer kit & plans. Their stuff is pricey, but top-notch. Another source for your sailor friend is Duckworks Boatbuilder Supply. They have some nesting dinghy plans that are unique. There's also Duckworks Magazine. Lots of ideas for us tinkerers.
Stay safe, by distancing your boat from others. Easy if you're the fastest(you are). ...TexasJim...
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Re: Maiden voyage

Post by WC53 »

Cool build. Thanks for the photos!
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