Adventure Boat

This is an idea I have had for about 3 year. To design a boat that could be used for a single-handed adventure, capable of short portages, upriver, downriver, big river, and coastal. The route would be from Saint John New Brunswick up the St.John River to Meductic (portaging around Mactaquac Dam) then taking the Maliseet Trail to the Penobscot River in Maine,

then up the Penobscot to as close to Mt. Katahdin as possible, then leave the boat and hike up and back down the mountain, then back down the Penobscot all the way past Old Town to the Gulf of Maine and returning along the coast to Saint John. Leaning towards a scaled down version of the Micmac Rough Sea Canoe, including a small sail, but primarily paddled solo with a kayak paddle rather than a canoe paddle. Open to other design ideas. I weigh 230 hoping to lose weight enroute so I will have more room for provisions for the final leg. Resupplying enroute. Thinking of a 60 pound boat, 20 pounds gear and clothing, varying amount of food and water.

see page 66-67 of Tappan Adney's book...
also I would use plywood and glass rather than birchbark
https://books.google.ca/books?id=1a...EwBg#v=onepage&q=maliseet tappen skin&f=false

The intention is that it would be a spiritual journey as well as an adventure. I would like to use sustainable materials as much as possible, but I would also like to be able to build it quickly. I was thinking 16 feet by 24" beam, but might go shorter and wider, and heavier as long as I can still carry it. I don't mind having to do the portages in two trips, as they are not too long. I think the total distance is about 900 miles, so perhaps 9 days for some modern day adventure racing Glooscap demi-god, but I would give myself several weeks to complete such a trek. I have to be able to carry the boat though, on trails.

Thought this building technique was brilliant...
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?165793-Plywood-Canoe-Concept-Birchbark-Style

Here is a beautiful Rough Sea Canoe built in Bear River by traditional methods and materials, beyond my ability...
Note the hogged sheer, rounded ends, and tumblehome for coastal travel. The Mik'maq truly are maritime people.

 

Have a look at

the open canoe sailing group

and

Solway Dory

a great deal of what they do revolves around expeditions, often involving 'portages' (robust canoe trollies/dollies are carried in the canoes)

 

Thanks, great stuff. I will be giving it a read over for the next while.

 

It's pretty easy to get a good size skin on frame kayak into the low 30 lbs range. Could be good for a trip like this.

I would be happy to let you borrow my 17' George Dyson Baidarka if you wanted, the trip sounds awesome and the boat is just sitting in the basement of my mothers house near Boston. 14 oz ballistic nylon skin on aluminum frame, not organic but durable as hell so sustainable in that way, and it's already built. Not the most maneuverable river boat, but a good load carrier and fast on open water.

 

Thanks. That's a very kind offer and it would be a very suitable craft for such a trip. I need to stew some more though, figure some things out before I go walkabout.

 

Finally got the Yngling painted, launched, rigged, and went for a sail. Sitting at her mooring now. Will have to check on here after supper, like being a new dad again.

p.s. Lots of things to work on but a lot I can do while sailing. Lively little boat.

 

Went out for our first long sail with the Yngling today with Margaret and her friend. Perfect sailing weather. Had a beautiful solo sail home to Brother's Cove after dropping the girls off in Rothesay. Starting to get a good feel of the boat. It's an open boat but with some mahogany trim for shelved under the deck above the side tanks, and in the cuddy forward. Planning on cleaning up the old bright work and adding some more in the way of a double bottom in removable modular sections. It has two movable seats now, between the side tanks and the new rules allow a double bottom at that level. It can be very practical and comfortable even when not racing to just sit on the double bottom and stretch your legs out. Also need to add hiking straps, so have to figure that out. I would like the hiking geometry to be similar to a Laser as that is what Margaret and I both sail. I think that will work well with the double bottom. Just have to figure out how to fasten the straps at that level and still be able to remove the double bottom pieces. Thinking the straps might be fastened to the double bottom, and the double bottom will have it own straps or ropes to secure them to the old fastenings on the bottom of the boat. Looks like it will sleep 4 quite comfortably with a boom tent.