Eureka Canoe

[Mezix]

I have just heard from one of the guys who are building the Eurekas - that there is an annual Vienna - Budapest Paddling Marathon in August where he wants to participate - the registration fee is quite expensive (about 250 AUD) but he said his company will sponsor it. what a great PR opportunity for Eureka.

[Boatmik]

It would be fantastic!

If you are allowed sponsors names you could have his organisation and/or
www.hajoepitok.hu
written on the side of the boat

One useful thing would be to have some display sheet you can put on the boat that explains the dimensions, the weight range, the time to build and a couple of construction pics. There is often some waiting at the beginning and end.

You can only talk to a few people, but many can see something.

This is a suggestion of course!

Good if he has the seats at the same height as the lightweight example of the Eureka.
http://www.storerboatplans.com/Eurek...noespage2.html

Michael

[rbappelbaum]

I launched the Eureka 155 that I built for my daughter this spring but I am just now getting around to the announcement. The trials were successful and we were pleased with the performance. The plans were better than the ones for the last boat that I built and the forum was a big help. Fitting the seat frames and clamping the decks were challenging. The canoe was 67 pounds including flotation in the bows and four coats of paint. I used 4mm okoume and put 6oz glass on the whole bottom. From inexperience I probably made my fillets to large. I also needed to fill a small hollow in the middle of the bottom panel that I created from measurement error and/or twisting my wires too tight. I can see how on a subsequent build that I might save five to seven pounds but I don’t see how I could ever get down to 50 pounds and still glass the bottom.

I also used the free paddle plans to build two single blade paddles. I used my scrap 4mm ply with 6oz glass on both sides for the blade instead of the recommended two sheets of 3mm glued together.

Robert

[Rick_Tatum]

Very nice boat Robert. Your daughter is a lucky gal to have Dad build the canoe for her

[BobWes]

Robert,

That is a great looking canoe! Nicely done.

Bob

[Coucal]

Hi Robert,

I like the webbing seats - looks like a solid timber frame - how did you fix the webbing to the frame?

Jack

[Boatmik]

HI Robert,

Gee that colour looks good! Shows off the varnish.

The weight of around 50 or a bit lighter is a glass taped only boat. The glass cloth adds quite a lot of weight as does the timber choice for trim.

We have found that just having some glass on the boat is pretty much as effective as using heavier weights - right up to the mid 20ft range for yachts. A number of Eurekas have been built with 2oz (70gsm) glass on the outside but they only bring it up to an inch above the upper chine.

Basically everything you do to remove of bit of weight pays a dividend.

Looks great - the seats are cool too. Hope you and your daughter enjoy using it!

Best wishes
Michael

[rbappelbaum]

The seat frame was glued in separate. The webbing was attached with small screws on the bottom and then the seat was screwed down to the frame. This made varnishing easier and would allow for easy rewebbing of the seat.



Robert

[Coucal]

Very tidy. She looks great.

[mal55]

HI,
After what sees like an eternity, the canoe is happening again. It was hanging from the ceiling in the shed for a while because there were a number of things I had to do. While it was on the saw horses where I could work on it, the car was outside. My wife said the car would be good IN the garage, so the canoe hung from the ceiling. couldn't work on it up there!
I now have a new shed (6m*3m that grew to a 6m * 7.5m) attached to the garage and I made a pully arrangement attached to the roof frame so I can hoist the canoe up and down thereby making it easier to work on and out of the way for the storage of my camper trailer and when I'm doing other things in the shed.
I'm about to put the blocks on the inwhale, is there an easy way to secure them while the epoxy is curing please? There are a lot of them and I have 16 spring clamps to hold them. Do I just mix up enough epoxy to do one side at a time or is there another way to hold the blocks?
Thanks
Malcolm

[Watermaat]

HI Robert,

Gee that colour looks good! Shows off the varnish.

The weight of around 50 or a bit lighter is a glass taped only boat. The glass cloth adds quite a lot of weight as does the timber choice for trim.

We have found that just having some glass on the boat is pretty much as effective as using heavier weights - right up to the mid 20ft range for yachts. A number of Eurekas have been built with 2oz (70gsm) glass on the outside but they only bring it up to an inch above the upper chine.

Basically everything you do to remove of bit of weight pays a dividend.

Looks great - the seats are cool too. Hope you and your daughter enjoy using it!

Best wishes
Michael

MIK,
Just to make things clear to me;
Recommended ply for Eureka is 6mm 5 layer gaboon without glassing.
Would a thinner ply ( 4mm ) plus a thin layer of glas ( 80 or 160 gr/m2 ) be stronger? or lighter ?
Would it make sense to use f.e 4 mm hardwood ply ( more impact resistance ? ) in stead of 6 mm gaboon? ( both without glassing )

Regards
Ralph

[m2c1Iw]

HI,
After what sees like an eternity, the canoe is happening again. It was hanging from the ceiling in the shed for a while because there were a number of things I had to do. While it was on the saw horses where I could work on it, the car was outside. My wife said the car would be good IN the garage, so the canoe hung from the ceiling. couldn't work on it up there!
I now have a new shed (6m*3m that grew to a 6m * 7.5m) attached to the garage and I made a pully arrangement attached to the roof frame so I can hoist the canoe up and down thereby making it easier to work on and out of the way for the storage of my camper trailer and when I'm doing other things in the shed.
I'm about to put the blocks on the inwhale, is there an easy way to secure them while the epoxy is curing please? There are a lot of them and I have 16 spring clamps to hold them. Do I just mix up enough epoxy to do one side at a time or is there another way to hold the blocks?
Thanks
Malcolm

Malcolm,
As it happens I glued the blocks up last night for my Eureka, same problem not enough clamps.

So after measuring out the spacings on one side bang a clearance hole in the block and screw each block on with a 25mm drywall screw. Set up the other inwale alongside to repeat the measuring process and again screw the block on. Much easier than fidling with 48 odd clamps and the hole in the block will be hidden against the hull.

I plan to do the same when gluing the inwales to the hull as the gunwale will hide the scew holes. Now as for gluing on the gunwale well, note to self get more clamps.

I'll post a couple of pics tonight to show you what I mean.

Cheers
Mike

[m2c1Iw]

MIK,
Just to make things clear to me;
Recommended ply for Eureka is 6mm 5 layer gaboon without glassing.
Would a thinner ply ( 4mm ) plus a thin layer of glas ( 80 or 160 gr/m2 ) be stronger? or lighter ?
Would it make sense to use f.e 4 mm hardwood ply ( more impact resistance ? ) in stead of 6 mm gaboon? ( both without glassing )

Regards
Ralph

No I'm not Mik, I'm Mike but I'm doing a 4mm gaboon ply with 4 oz glass think that is about 160gr/m2 on the bottom based on the Bitingmidge build.

I'll let you know what happens in a few weeks, hope I don't put my foot through the bottom.

Cheers
Mike

[mal55]

Thanks Mike.
Screwing the blocks on and then removing the screws makes a lot of sense. I had thought about nails (like was used when doing the butt strapping holding) but the screw idea is better.
I found some spring clamps at one of our "cheapie" shops and was pleasantly surprised at how strong the springs in the clamps were. Just what is needed for a eureka canoe. I have bought out the shop supply 3 times so far. (they don't stock many at a time)
Malcolm

[Boatmik]

It is the real ME!

Or just use the number of clamps you have to glue on as many of the blocks that you can in one session. Nice little night time job.

The Eureka was originally built of 5mm ply, which is not very available now so most get built of 6mm.

Some have been built of 4mm and even 3mm ply. I do recommend glass.

It does seem that 2oz (70gsm) glass is fine and does save some sanding of the glass tape option.

I recommend that the glass cover bottom and bilge panels and goes 25mm (one inch) onto the topside panel.

Best wishes
MIK
j