Thread: Seacoast NH Eureka

To give you a taste of my experience so far, I think I'm around hour 30-35 and expect to be done in less than 60 hours of work. Part of that will be caused by my ancestors from Deutschland and their anal-retentiveness. I'm estimating $500-$550 US. Not bad for a canoe that I'm hoping will weigh around 40 lbs. Based on my experience with the Eureka and the patience required, I know I would have trouble building a GIS as a first build only because of all of the different facets in the build. The canoe is a simple hull, gunwales and final furnishings. Building a mast, centerboard, rudder, etc on top of all the rest? I know I would run out of patience. Sorry Mik. For a first build, the Eureka has been perfect, so far. I watched Callsign build his GIS and now I'm watching him build a QuickCanoe. Wow, what a difference! Good luck with your GIS. If you need any amateur advice about the Eureka let me know. If you want real advice, ask pretty much anyone else on this forum.

Less than 60 hours for the total build? Really? Geez... I may need to think about building a Eureka canoe to serve as my car-top watercraft for my camper-trailer adventures. I'll have a place to build a boat late next spring so I am contemplating designs. The QC is in consideration but I really like the looks of the Eureka.

Eventually I would like to build a sailing version of a Wee Rob or a MacGregor canoe but that project will have to wait.

<sigh> Too many designs out there to choose from.

All perceptions are really important to me Pete. Your hours are pretty much in line with what I have found in a building school scenario or maybe a bit better.

The Goat is pretty simple for such a big, potentially multi function boat. But as you say, the sailing gear adds quite a bit of effort.

Thanks for the feedback!

MIK

Hey, the bulkheads fit now!

Looks Nice!

Thanks, I was dreading this step. I'm not sure if the 4mm ply was the culprit but the two high points on the bulkhead that contact the bilge panel between the chines were way too high. I ended up scribing the bilge panel shape onto a piece of scrap ply, transferred the shape to the bulkhead and cut off all the excess. That worked really well.

We've had some nice days here but they won't last. I'm going to do the same thing bitingmidge did and throw this thing in the water with no decks. I'm dying to give her a paddle before it's too late. With any luck that might happen in the next 5 days. I also want the check out the stability so I can figure out where I want my seats.

WOW!
I like it!

Consider you to use MIK's drop-in sail rig for your Eureka?

That thought definitely crossed my mind. That may be one of my winter projects.

Out of curiosity I weighed my canoe with bulkheads and hatches installed, no gunwales, spreaders, decks, or seats (just the basic hull). Needless to say, I was quite happy. She weighed only 27 lbs or for those of you operating with a system that makes sense, 12.2 Kg.

We would probably round down to 12kg!

As a boat designer I would probably strongly round it down - talking about built weights! Or round up with unbuilt boats

MIK

Since it was a bathroom scale lets call it 12kg (+0, -2 kg). So lets just call it 10kg. 10 lbs its is! I like it!

Actually I do try to be fairly accurate - because that is the way of learning what is really happening. But amazing how a few plus and minus signs in your note above makes it all look legitimate!

Also good to measure the boat twice. Once just the boat and once with you and the boat and then deduct your own weight and see what happens.

MIK

Well she's seen the water. A 6 degree C 20 knot day with some whitecaps, no buoyancy tanks, a temporary center spreader, a lot of rocks, and a good friend. I was amazed at how well she cut through the waves. I was used to a wide flat bottom canoe so the initial stability difference took a little getting used to but it is a fun canoe. I definitely don't regret glassing the bottom as the pictures will show. It's going to get scratched up eventually. I might as well get it over with!

I was out with Callsign who just finished his quick canoe. It was fun to compare the difference. The Eureka is more like a sports car and the QC seemed more like an RV. That is a roomy canoe! I might need one.

Originally Posted by Peteloaf

I was out with Callsign who just finished his quick canoe. It was fun to compare the difference. The Eureka is more like a sports car and the QC seemed more like an RV. That is a roomy canoe! I might need one.

I am curious to see what types of differences you noticed between the two. I have only built the QC, but not a Eureka (yet).

Rick Landreville