Eureka Canoe

[coogzilla]

Good idea, and very helpfull to all.
Keith

[koala]

Here are some development with my canoe here (besides a hole in the side panel).

I've rigged the Eureka with the ACA (American canoe assosiation) sail type (lateen). I was just testing it out if everything fits before I put some varnish on and glass tape arround some places.

I just need to figure out how and where to put all the blocks and ropes.
I wanted to have a "natural" look so I've manly used the ropes that look as they do.

[Boatmik]

Wow - Koala,

That is not something I was expecting to see!!!! It looks really good. Very pretty sail!

Watch the areas around the mast supports on the bottom of the boat and also at the deck. And the areas between them - inspect after each sail. the weak points are the joins between the ply sheets and also the gunwale and inwale itself.

Can I suggest a couple of little modifications?

The inwale spacers don't have a lot of gluing area - so it would be good to put a screw into the inwale that is long enough to go through the inwale, the inwale spacer the hull and into the gunwale. For the inwale blocks that are most under pressure I would use two screws in each and for the next one front and back a single screw. The screws should be stainless steel, monel or bronze - not brass. Keep the screws a little distance away from the ends of the inwale blocks. If they are too close to the end of the inwale blocks they will weaken the inwale too much.

The partner that holds the mast at the sheerline (top edge of the canoe) ...

I would probably suggest some blocks on the outside of the hull with some padding on the partner to rest against the gunwale and help take lateral forces.

Also when you go sailing - have a close look to see if the hull is twisting or distorting much around that area - particularly in wind gusts and also watch the bottom of the boat when you go over waves. To see how much movement.

This is an exciting thing to do with a Eureka!

Are you going to put a rudder on it?

Thank you very much for the photos!

Michael

[Boatmik]

By the way Koala,

I have some information about how to set up and organise the details of this type of sail and rig (as well as lug sails). You can see it here ...
http://www.storerboatplans.com/GIS/GISRigging.html

The main things are the rope that pulls the sail up - the halyard - should be a type of rope that does not stretch too much.

The rope that attaches to the boom (the wooden spar along the bottom of the sail) next to the mast - to pull it down (the downhaul) needs to be quite powerful and also not stretch.

And be careful with the lashings in the corners of the sails - the normal method is shown on my page.

Best wishes
Michael

[koala]

Thanks Mik for your suggestions. They are very welcome.

I'm a bit nervous how the Eureka will handle under the sail. I am concerned about the stiffness of the hull under wind pressure from one side and my weight on the other side of the boat.

For the moment I don't plan to put the rudder in. I will try to steer it with a paddle.
I will try to reinforce the mast partner onteh gunwale. There are already two wooden clamps like blocks underneath clamped to inwales and I will add 45degres support running from the thwart to the mast step.

About the boom. Do I need to pull it down as you describe for GIS?

For the boom blocks: The ACA suggests running the rope through the leeboard thwart block (double I think) then through the two blocks on the boom and to the hand.
So I wasn't planning to use inwale spacers.

What do you think?

[Boatmik]

Howdy Koala,

Not sure what you mean by the 45 degrees.

I would strongly recommend the screws. All the load is on the glue between the inwales and the rest - which is only a small glue area.

If you find the boat hard to handle under paddle the rudder will solve the problem.

The boom needs to be pulled down quite hard in medium and strong winds. It can be gently tensioned in very light winds.

Michael

[koala]

What I mean is that mast step is now just sittimg on the bottom of the canoe. Because of teh seat and bulkhead it can't move back and forward but it could still move sideways, so the plan was to fix it to the mast thwart with the aluminum bar going 45 upwards to the edge of the inwale.

Pete

[Boatmik]

Is the mast step permanently attached yet?

[Catfish]

Well met to all of you!

I am new to these forums, and to boat building. I have done a spot of carpentry (cabinets, furniture and such) but have no experience with boats.

I have purchased the Eureka Canoe plans, converted all the measurements for my local lumber supplier and ordered the lumber.

This brings me to epoxy resin. I have never had call to use the stuff (short of a little bit used as glue that comes in a double syringe sold at the local hardware store). I have done a bit of reading on the internet but am not much more informed then when I started.

My first question is what brand to buy, seeing as all epoxies are not created equal. My second question is that there is a brand called "silver tip" which seems to be well thought of in some forums. They make a fairing compound, a fillet compound and a gluing compound in addition to their epoxy coating. Michael Storer calls for three liters of epoxy to make the canoe. If I were to get the silver tip epoxy, how much would be needed for coating? How much filleting compound and fairing compound would be needed to the complete the canoe?

I apologize it this has already been discussed elsewhere on the forums, as I am new here. If it has, just point me in the proper direction.

Thanks, Tom

[Boatmik]

Howdy,

The tests for epoxies would go something like this.

It needs to be a "high solids" epoxy. This means no solvents have been added during manufacture. If solvents have been added the epoxy is weaker and also loses its effectiveness as a water barrier. Some of the thinned epoxy products are no more moisture resistant that paint.

If you are lucky ... the labelling or website will tell you if it is "high-solids" ... most shops don't know what that means. But generally you can smell the solvent if it has been added. Epoxy should only have a slight ammonia smell at the most. Nothing like a solvent smell

The second main thing is the mix ratio. At this stage of the game ... If anyone is offering a 1:1 epoxy system because it is "convenient" then this is very much a watered down version of the real thing. Any ratio of resin to hardener of 2:1 or 3:1 or 4:1 or 5:1 is fine.

Finally steer clear of "convenient" pregelled epoxy glues ... that have been prethickened. These usually fail the "not 1:1" test above, but also are quite weak in comparison.

The plan gives the approximate quantity of epoxy ... we normally recommend 6 litres.

Best wishes
Michael

[b.o.a.t.]

How much filleting compound and fairing compound would be needed to the complete the canoe?

G'day Tom
Haven't built Eureka, but if my ply multi-chine kayaks are any guide, a two pound tub
of filleting powder should see you through with some left over.
No idea on the fairing compound, sorry. Depends how smoothly your ply takes its
curves & how much & how heavy glass & tape you use, & how much straight epoxy
you use to fill the weave & edges. Theory is it's possible to use none at all I think.
Especially if clear-coating.
cheers
AJ

[Boatmik]

Thanks AJ,

You get a gold star for a perfect answer!

Generally you only really need to do much fairing if painting as it will show up any lumps or hollows.

Clear finish and you can avoid almost all fairing. There is still plenty of sanding of glass tape etc .. but no bog and sand at all.

MIK

[Catfish]

Thanks for the quick replies fellas.

The canoe I am building is intended for lake fishing here in North Carolina. It will also see some use in the protected inland saltwater along our coast. It will most likely see water one or two days per week nine months out of the year. I am building the canoe of 6mm okoume with 3mm for the bulkheads and decking. (I could laminate the 3mm for the bulkheads if folks think it necessary, but i got a really good deal on a "damaged" sheet)

I will order the 6 liters Michael suggests and the 2lbs of filleting compound (It just seems wrong paying for wood dust after all those years in the cabinet shop!).

A question comes to mind. The Bribie Island canoe and Koala's canoe both show interior seam glass as per the plans. Peter Hyndman and Bob Bauze's canoe both show interior fillet joints with no hint of glass inside except for the flotation chambers. Am I seeing this correctly? I rather like the looks of the fillets rather than the glass if it will make an equally strong boat.

Another question in regard to glass is the option of covering the bottom and lower half of the canoe with much lighter glass as opposed to the 2" strip glass along the outer joints. I am not afraid of sanding, so labor saving is not really important to me. Making a durable canoe that will be with me through the coming years that is a joy to use is my objective. Is one method superior to the other in any fashion? If the light glass sheet is better, how is it applied? is it cut in sections, or does whetting it make it magically fit the contours of the boat with no wrinkles.

Lastly, the idea of graphite added to the bottom for durability appeals to me, but I assume it will turn the bottom of the canoe black and that the hull will need to be primed and painted? The cabinetmaker in me loves the idea of a clear coated wood boat, but the practical side of me longs for a rugged boat that will stand up to regular use.

I'm sure I'll have more questions as the process gets underway.

Thanks in advance for your insights, and for enduring my extremely novice questions. I plan to document the work and have planed some time off for a "speed build" with any luck I'll have it in the water for labor day (September).

-Tom

[Catfish]

I just stumbled across the thread where Nick built his canoe, It answered most of my questions.

I understand the fiberglass process better now.

I ordered glass, epoxy, hatches, and some miscellaneous items from duckworks. I should be ready to start construction when their package and the lumber arrives.

My wife has decided to be my assistant for this project, and has been reading the forum and such to catch up. She has become enamored of the painted outer hull versions, so all that is left is to choose a color. Which brings me to another question, How much paint for the outer hull and varnish for the inside will be required to cover the canoe reasonably well?

Cheers, Tom

[mal55]

Hi,
After much deliberation and looking for canoe plans, Michael Storers Eureka was recommended. I read and read the blog and bought the plans. I have read the instructions (don't tell my wife, it's usually "if all else fails, read the instructions") and now have the ply. The job for the next couple of days before I have to go back to work, is to mark out the panels.
Thanks very much for the suggestions and comments on the blog and I am sure to return a number of times as I work through the construction.
Malcolm