Building a flat bottomed canoe

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by wardd

but are you willing to stand behind what others may do or say in your name, like buy expensive stuff?

If someone wants to get my credit card numbers, I doubt starting out only knowing my license plate numbers will help them much. There are much simpler ways to find victims for identity theft than that.

What's to stop them from writing down my number in the parking lot of a mall or store, if it's all they need? I believe in reasonable caution, but I'm not wound that tight.

I don't obscure the serial numbers of my guns either, when I post photo's. People have said, 'what if someone writes down the number, goes to the police and claims you stole the gun from them?!?'

My answer is, 'well, what if they do? They still have to prove it.' No court is going to take my gun and give it to them, strictly on their say-so. I'm the one who knows the provenance of it, and can document how it came into my possession.

I've never freaked out when a newspaper published my name and picture, either.

[ancient kayaker]

My boat roofrack is also from QDCI - but a much earlier model. Looks like their build quality has improved some in the past few years

[hoytedow]

It is a good canoe rack and the canoe is very nice.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by ancient kayaker

My boat roofrack is also from QDCI - but a much earlier model. Looks like their build quality has improved some in the past few years

They get around, don't they?

Originally Posted by hoytedow

It is a good canoe rack and the canoe is very nice.

Thank you.

[troy2000]

We put the boat into the water at Perris Lake this morning, and had a blast with it.

Quick, what's wrong with this picture?



That's right; no PFD. I had to fetch it from the truck, and toss it to him.

Next, we'll work on teaching him to buckle it. Baby steps....



The grizzled, sea-wise old captain at his post, alert and ready for whatever may happen:



Our destination: a point on the other side of the lake from Sail Cove and Perris Beach, north of Bernasconi Cove.





The old man showing off a little for the kid. I'm very pleased with the maneuverability of the boat; I spun it in a tight circle around that rock.





So of course the kid had to try it standing up, too. His balance was fine, but he was too tall for the short paddles (we have a longer one, but left it home). So I got a few pic's of him just paddling.





Being an evil dad, I also got a shot of him catching a crab....



Back at Sail Cove. If you look above the boat, just left of center of the picture, you can see a dark little clump of trees and bushes on the far shore. That's where we paddled to, and back from.



All in all, I'm quite pleased with the boat. It has a slight tendency to lift its bow and drag its stern, unless you put the center of weight a little farther forward than you think you should, but no big deal. It's very stable for its width. It tips easily to a point, then firms up like a rock right before the white gunwale touches the water.

And unlike some flat-bottomed, narrow boats, it tracks straight even when it's leaned, with a chine digging in hard. It looks like I got the curves right this time. The last one I built had an unfortunate tendency to circle right when I leaned left, and vice-versa.

Back on the truck, and ready for the road. I need to build something to cushion my truck cab, and tack some carpet around the cross bar of the rack. Or buy a trailer....

[troy2000]

add: the boat is also a little wide amidships for comfortable paddling. If I were soloing I'd set my ice chest and anything else up towards the bow, and scoot back.

We also need a couple of legless chairs. Back support is nice, when you sit on the bottom. I've seen pic's of some on canoe sites; I'll go look at how they built them.

[lewisboats]

What about a stadium seat?

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by lewisboats

What about a stadium seat?

That's the general sort of thing I'm thinking of. There was a guy on a canoeing website who made some with wood frames. They not only folded; the back angles were adjustable. And in the evenings, they used them for kicking back around the campfire.

[ancient kayaker]

Did you try it with 2 aboard? Knee protection pads are great for paddling canoes, more power is available in the kneeling position.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by ancient kayaker

Did you try it with 2 aboard? Knee protection pads are great for paddling canoes, more power is available in the kneeling position.

We took it all the way across the lake with two of us aboard. But there wasn't a third party, to take pictures of both of us in it....it was about an hour each way, and that's probably more trekking than this boat will normally do.

I agree that for power and distance, kneeling is the way to go. But the little Blue Bayeau is intended for fishing, not wayfaring. We built it with the backwaters of the Colorado River in mind: places like the Palo Verde Lagoon, Pretty Water, Cibola Lake, Ehler's Backwater, etc.

I don't want permanent thwarts. They limit weight distribution, and get in the way of shoving ice chests, tackle boxes and camping gear around. I do want reasonably comfortable seating - for paddling around, and for sitting with a line out.

It's definitely going to need rod holders, though. Some style that doesn't stick up high enough to interfere with paddling.

It sounds like you're a hard-core kayaker or canoer compared to us; moving your craft across the water is what you do for fun. But to us the boat isn't an end in itself; it's a means to an end. Although I have to admit we built it as much for the fun of building it, as for the use we'll get out of it.

[ancient kayaker]

Originally Posted by troy2000

... It sounds like you're a hard-core kayaker or canoer ...

-moi? Actually, I got to admit I probably spend at least as much time building the boats as I do using them.

Originally Posted by troy2000

... But to us the boat isn't an end in itself ..

-i'm going to pretend that I didn't see that ...

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by ancient kayaker

-moi? Actually, I got to admit I probably spend at least as much time building the boats as I do using them.



-i'm going to pretend that I didn't see that ...

I hope I didn't say it loud enough for the boat to hear.

[muddin redneck]

i have been following this thread quietly and watching this boat come to life and i think it has turned out damn fine.

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by troy2000

add: the boat is also a little wide amidships for comfortable paddling. If I were soloing I'd set my ice chest and anything else up towards the bow, and scoot back.

We also need a couple of legless chairs. Back support is nice, when you sit on the bottom. I've seen pic's of some on canoe sites; I'll go look at how they built them.

I made 2 "legless chairs" out of plastic lawn chairs. I cut the legs down to stubs and they work perfectly. It is the rainy season and algae is growing on everything left in the weather. Here is the picture so you can see they are very easy to modify.

[ancient kayaker]

Or, for something a little less prosaic -