Building a Open Water, Long Distance Rowing Shell - Q's

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by yanos, May 24, 2012.

  1. yanos
    Joined: May 2012
    Posts: 1
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Alaska

    yanos New Member

    You'll have to forgive me if I have placed this thread in the wrong forum, but my questions are all over the place.

    A quick dialogue:
    I have been a kayaker (sea) for a number of years and have enjoyed having a large boat for a decent carrying capacity. Last year I was vising a friend's cabin and met their neighbors (Two cabins on an isolated beach). The neighbors began preaching the efficiency/benefits of rowing (sculling) over kayaking (No, this is not one of "those" threads). They allowed my wife and I to try out their rowing shell. I really enjoyed the experience, especially since I utilize a Concept C2 Erg in the winter months for a quick workout. The boat was a modified tandem sea kayak. In fact if anyone has read "Rowing for Latitude," This was one of Jill Fredston's old boats.

    I was able to determine that Necky produced the boat. I contacted them and they no longer have the tooling to create the boat, nor are the interested in creating this type of boat.

    I currently have a tandem kayak made by Northwest Kayak (Seascape, for those who are interested) that we use for visiting guests. I have thought of convert it to sculling use. The idea I had was to create a mold of our friend's cockpit and scab that in to the tandem and utilize a Row Wing or something similar for the rowing apparatus.

    My questions are:

    What would be the best process for creating a mold of our friends cockpit? There are a few constraints. It would have to occur in a weekend, would not harm the gel coat finish. Mold material would have to cure outdoors, possibly 50 degree weather*. My initial thought was to mask the area and use a urethane foam.

    While I may try to mimic the cockpit placement with respect to the length of the waterline of our friends boat, is there any guidance for placement of the oar locks along the length of a boat?

    I have some fiberglass experience and can lean on my parents for advice/help, who just finished building a 32'x12' fiberglass commercial fishing boat. What would be the best practice for scabing the new cockpit to the existing topside?

    Thank you in advance.

    * Their boat is located some 350 miles from my garage and about 15 miles across a bay (No road network), thus requiring that I create a mold at the cabin.
     
  2. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    This is a challenging endeavour indeed.

    It may work but if it doesn't what are you going to do?

    I would seek professional assistance.
     
  3. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    I love a challenge !!
    Any chance of taking a few pictures of what you are wanting to take a mould off ?? If its a oncer the mould dosent have to be to crash hot so just a light skin is ok !! best to a gelcoat otherwise will get glass fibres on the very surface and thats really not good !!.
    Now thinking back wards a little why make a mould at all !! just take a skin off whats there and use that as your artical chopped strand matt is easy to work with one layer first and if you have a shape that wont release to good just use some shears or even heavy scissors and cut it in half relase each half and tape the good side and run a strip of csm over the cut and its in one piece again . If you do have to cut do it while the glass is at the stage after gell but not cured and hard yet cutable and leave there to cure solid then release the bits If you are paddling could be easyer to carry in halves as well so thats another plus !!. If you keep the glass light at this point the bits want change shape to much till you get them back together again !!
    Pictures !!!!!:idea:
     

  4. cthippo
    Joined: Sep 2010
    Posts: 813
    Likes: 52, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 465
    Location: Bellingham WA

    cthippo Senior Member

    Just to make sure I understand what you're proposing here...

    You plan to cut out the space between the cockpits on a tandem 'yak and create a tub shaped insert that will go into the hull? Is it safe to assume this tub needs to accommodate a sliding seat mechanism?

    Assuming the answers to both questions are yes, I think I would not worry about your friend's boat and instead start with the seat mechanism and cockpit size, and build the cockpit as a stand-alone piece, then cut the hole to fit it in the hull. I think you want to be sure to support the weight of the cockpit and rower with some foam blocks between the cockpit sole and the hull, rather than have the lip of the hole be the only weight transfer point.

    Either way, I can't wait to see how this turns out!
     
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