Sailing Canoe - QC155 decisions

[Benjamin W]

Hi all,

My name is Ben, and after much reading on this forum have finally registered! The questions I had got too much.

First of all I'd like to thank everyone that have already posted about Storer canoes and provided many photos. This has been great to be able to get an idea of the work ahead and the possible outcomes.

My query is, I had purchased the Waterman 12 plans from Selway Fisher in the UK to build and drop my 25'sq sprits'l in. However, I have a little boy that's due this year! So funds have had to be cut dramatically as well as the time to build. So I decided I wanted a 2-sheet canoe which led me to the Eureka 155, however, it was much larger than the 12' I had in mind. Finding the Eureka then led me to the quick canoe, which is great for build time! However uses 3 sheets AND is larger than the initial 12' - 13' I wanted. I'm thinking the QC is more stable than the Eureka, am I right?



Will the 25' sail be a suitable size for the 15'6" of the quick canoe?
Is there a 2-sheet canoe that is similar to quick canoe in design?
Does anyone recommend a plywood supplier in Sydney?


Second of all, where has the Duck Flat website gone????????????????????????????????????????????

Cheers,
Ben

[Young Flyer]

Hi all,

My name is Ben, and after much reading on this forum have finally registered! The questions I had got too much.

First of all I'd like to thank everyone that have already posted about Storer canoes and provided many photos. This has been great to be able to get an idea of the work ahead and the possible outcomes.

My query is, I had purchased the Waterman 12 plans from Selway Fisher in the UK to build and drop my 25'sq sprits'l in. However, I have a little boy that's due this year! So funds have had to be cut dramatically as well as the time to build. So I decided I wanted a 2-sheet canoe which led me to the Eureka 155, however, it was much larger than the 12' I had in mind. Finding the Eureka then led me to the quick canoe, which is great for build time! However uses 3 sheets AND is larger than the initial 12' - 13' I wanted. I'm thinking the QC is more stable than the Eureka, am I right?



Will the 25' sail be a suitable size for the 15'6" of the quick canoe?
Is there a 2-sheet canoe that is similar to quick canoe in design?
Does anyone recommend a plywood supplier in Sydney?


Second of all, where has the Duck Flat website gone????????????????????????????????????????????

Cheers,
Ben




Hello Ben,

BTW, just responded to your Q about Duck Flats on another thread.

BTW do you know the Wooden Boat Magazine & their on-line store in the US?

They also have a large collection of plans listed, but watch out for postage costs:
Canoes - Kayaks (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/category/canoes_-_kayaks)

If you are just starting out & can afford it, you can have the paper copy of Wooden Boat magazine delivered direct for less than $4 per copy if you pay for 3 years subs via their on-line store - that's what I still do:
WoodenBoat Subscriptions - WoodenBoat Print Subscription (outside the US & Canada) (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/product/900-wbc)

Plywood

Trend Timbers in Sydney will help you with most marine plywoods, or try Boatcraft Pacific, they also have a range of glues & finishes and both have very helpful people:
Trend Timbers | Timber (http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/timber.html)

DRIVE Marine Services (http://www.boatcraftnsw.com.au/home.html)

You should also locate, or buy Tom Hill's Ultra Light Boat Building book, great source for what you are looking at a light weight small
canoe:
Canoes - Ultralight Boatbuilding (http://www.woodenboatstore.com/product/book_Ultralight_Boatbuilding)

You could also join the Wooden Boat Association NSW:
http://www.wbansw.org.au/

Suspect you are just starting out - my apologies if you are a little further along the path.

I would urge you to avoid the quick & dirty route to a first boat. Cheaply built wooden boats are a waste of time & money. You also end up being frustrated with the built-in problems / faults.

You don't have to build an elaborate large boat to start with, a 12ft canoe is a good start - seems to be the limit of your spare time & funds. But first you need a minimum of a few sharp chisels, screw drivers, a #4 smoothing plane, jig saw, electric drill, set if HSS drill bits, small bench grinder, 1/3rd sheet sander, course & fine sharpening stone; plus clamps, measuring & set-out tools! If you don't know how, read up / find out how to sharpen chisels, planes, drill bits & screwdrivers; without that vital information, you cannot successfully build a good boat! Then read all you can about wooden boat building for small boats.

WWF Market, Gumtree & eBay can be sources of second hand tools, but buyer beware. Very cheap Bunnies tools are often a bad investment.

When you are ready, buy good quality marine ply & small sections of recommended dressed timber as per plan instructions.

A solid old second hand wooden table will do for a workbench. Or make your own workbench & building supports out of MDF & cheap pine from Bunnies.


Most of all enjoy the journey and aim to build a boat you will be proud to put in the water; with other Wooden Boaties looking on!

No it doesn't have to cost, or look like a million dollars.


Yes I'm an (amateur) Wooden Boat owner & builder (for over 4 decades), (my aircraft engineering background & a grandfather who built wooden boats during first half of last century - has been very useful).

Hope all the above is useful encouragement. We all started at the beginning!

PM me if you wish.

Cheers,

David

[titchtheclown]

You might like to check out my instructable. I included links to most things I looked at like the Mersey duck punt and the lazy weekend canoe in there.

Simple canoe (http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-canoe/)

[Benjamin W]

Hi David,

Thank you for your rather informative reply. I am not starting from scratch by way of learning as I am a tradesman and have the necessary tools. My main question was concerned with the decision between the 2-sheet Eureka (cost less in sheet, but more work) or the 3-sheet Quick Canoe and how they would relate to my 25' sprit sail. I have purchased the plans for the Quick Canoe as I believe it may be more stable.

Thank you for your recommendation for ply suppliers - there are many advertised around so just getting the feel of who buys what from where.

Many thanks, I see that Duck Flat website is now up and running - I must have got caught out in a period of website change. Storer may have to fix his links on his websites to connect with the new.

Cheers,
Ben

[casjon]

Sorry wrong thread.