Here's some links to some physical properties of bamboo: http://www.bambootech.org/files/mechanicaltesting%20report.pdf...
The best advice I can give on making bamboo work well is to chose the application carefully. They work great as oars and dinghy masts, outstanding...
The oars in the above photo are now 8 months old and after daily use in salt water with constant exposure to sun and rain they are in great shape...
Another option would be bamboo. I made these in about 2 hours. They are ridiculously strong and very lightweight. You cut the blades from 6mm...
Frigidnorth, I recently had to glass the underwater sections of both hulls on my 46' cat. It was actually fairly easy with just my wife and I...
Par, I would love to see the results of those tests, do you recall where you saw them? You are right about my test of course, it was very...
The results of my experiment were interesting, but not surprising. All of the strips adhered very well. I could not pull any of them off. Which...
I am preparing to barrier coat my hull with epoxy. I have glassed it with epoxy and faired with a DA sander using 40 grit discs. Unfortunately,...
Concerning loss of energy from front loaders, I don't think this is as much of an issue as people believe. Before building my refrigerator I did...
Bill, I (very) briefly considered this, but I am very happy with the boat in all regards other than the pounding issue. In truth, it probably...
I reckon they figure the speed is worth the occasional spectacular crash. :D That pitchpole probably did more for the popularity of the AC than...
Simon, Thanks. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like a single chine with a flat bottom and very little rocker? No wonder it...
Sully, I had the same experience with some epoxy from Fiberglass Hawaii. One batch of part B was much darker than another of the same stuff. I...
Regarding this; Kosan makes a marine epoxy that is cheap and widely available in Langkawi. I was told once that this was "formulated for high...
Lots of good comments and all appreciated. Of course a more intelligent sailor would sell the boat and avoid all this misery but what can I...
A kickup rudder would be a difficult modification on a boat that wasn't designed for it. I suppose all rudders and drives are "kick-up" if you...
Sabahcat, Thanks for that. I tried to order some Corecell through East Marine a few years back but did not have any luck. I got the impression...
Alik, The designer is a fellow named Copelli, formerly worked at Jeaneau according to the PO. 3 boats were built in Sete, France, one of which...
My 46’ cat has an unusual construction. The designer used a single mold for the deck and hull which are then joined by a horizontal seam at...
I recall seeing photos of a catamaran build, French maybe, in which the hulls were done in plywood single chine with foam blocks laminated to the...