Thread: Finally Building Eureka (and this time I mean it!)

"A proper fillet" is probably easy for a pro like PAR but getting something neat into that narrow space takes a major effort for an amateur like me. If I were building Eureka I would love the opportunity to stand the hull up against a tree for all to see while an epoxy pour cures, leaving me a gigantic "fillet" with a perfectly smooth surface. More epoxy but much less effort for a better looking result, IMO.

I reread the plans, I guess the next step is to wind the boat (it definitely had some twist that I got out as far as I saw but), so I will turn it over, and start tightening stitches!

Since I have doubts on the sheer panels and the boat is definitely "wide" (see my prior comments that I have a strap on it to keep the middle spreader bar in place and there is no pressure holding the smaller ones in place, I am still wondering if I should loft/cutout the bulkheads and make sure my boat shape is correct.

The news on the (off topic I guess ) kayak - we planed the sheer clamps last night, it went easier than I would have thought. I was also sanding some of that sloppy epoxy work I showed earlier. I am hopeful it is going to come out ok. The areas I can't use my random orbital are going to be a pain, that is for sure. That is also where I let some peanut butter goop harden that I missed etc. How do I know if I am cutting into the glass? I have seen bare wood from sanding before taping the bow and stern, and I am sure I had a strip of glass that had been cut into (physics, right?) but I don't know that I would recognize it if I saw it.

On the same subject, is there any way to know if my wood still has enough epoxy on it after I have sanded it down? It definitely was not even, so I am sanding to smooth to the touch since I am varnishing the inside, but I want to make sure that this area that is sure to get wet has enough protection? (the cockpit here is similarly finished to the Eureka, so the questions will carry over - in other words, fillets that are taped and at least two coats otherwise).

Also, I am going to double check, but the materials needed listed 25x19 for the gunwale but I think I saw 25x15 mentioned in the actual plans. So, I think I am going to be good with the material I have.

Ok, one more stupid question, after I have the kayak ready for the deck to go on, should I put it in the pool to look for any leaks?

Thanks for everyone's support!

Danielle

Any time you have a chance to check for leaks, like a handy pool, you should go for it, especially before the decks or other areas get "sealed up". I have handy ponds and lakes. The harbor patrol knows me well, as I've had all sorts of contraptions, in various states of decay, construction and repair, floating in shallow water doing inclining tests, leak tests, finding the darned waterline tests, etc. They use to give me tickets and grief a few decades ago, but now, I think they know I'm just the crazy boat guy up to it (again). They saw me launch a powerboat a few years ago, with a plywood bracket hanging on the transom, with 6 concrete blocks in it. Naturally, the blocks represented the outboard weight and it's CG fairly reasonably, though the officer didn't quite have the same sense of humor I do apparently. He gave me a couple of tickets, which I fought in court. The judge, who was a Chris Craft nut and knew of my work, laughed and tossed the tickets, after insisting I have the concrete outboards check are reasonable intervals, so they wouldn't leave me stranded.

Estimating epoxy film thickness is nearly imposable without really specialized tools. The only good way is to just keep track of how much you've put on and how hard you've sanded. You could drill holes and measure, but this seems a bit self defeating. As an example, if you've applied 3 coats of epoxy and had to lightly sand in most areas and heavily sand in just some, then I'd apply a single coat over the heavily sanded areas, then another over everything again when it "kicks off". This way you have two on the heavily sanded areas, because you probably sand two away and one on the lightly sanded areas, just to be sure.

With experience you'll be able to tell by color, depth and mental notes during the build. If in doubt, apply a coat. You really can't screw up with one coat too many, but you can if you're one coat too short.

Cutting and trial fitting your bulkheads will give you an idea of how much and where you need to "talk" to your hull, so it'll be the shape it needs to be.

Smoothing fillets can be a core if it's a structural mixture. Sometimes it's better to mix up a light weight mixture and apply this over the fillet, concentrating on making it smoother and prettier. The sanding of this will be much easier and you can hide the ugliness of the structural fillet sanding from hell. Apply some masking tape above and below the fillets (before applying goo), to give a clean edge if the fillet will be visible.

Hi Danielle,

Never put a boat with unsealed areas that will get wet into water. It is just not good for them. It is extremely rare that a boat built with epoxy has even a single leak.

But people using lesser building materials often have to do tests like this.

In the case of good materials and methods .. no problems and even for the one boat in five hundred that does have a leak it is something minor.

Did you use screws to hold the spreaders in place on Eureka? That way the tightness or slackness is a non issue. There are reasons for everything in the plan It will all work.

The main thing is to follow the method closely.

If that happens it is really easy for me to work out what has happened if you have other questions

Best wishes
Michael

Originally Posted by Boatmik

If that happens it is really easy for me to work out what has happened if you have other questions

By now knowing me a little bit, don't you mean "when" not "if" )

Mik's right and I have to admit, that I assumed your planking is encapsulated, as it's one of the first things I do in a taped seam build.

You will have problems, but as we discussed once, boat building is a problem solving exercise (repeatedly). You can bet on this, but given some luck, careful deliberation, inventive cursing and some head scratching time, you might just get through without another question.

Originally Posted by imafigureskater

By now knowing me a little bit, don't you mean "when" not "if" )

We both understand well them

And that's fine!

Michael

I was trying to figure out the angle to cut the temp spreader bars and remembered there was such a thing as a compound bevel - then figured out how to cut one )

Danielle

Wow!

That's a step up in quality and skill!

I cheat and just do about a 30 degree angle and allow the spreader to rotate by not putting in the fasteners too tight.

But glad you did it the other way .. because you have built up your skills!

Michael

Here is my Eureka in progress. After screwing in the spreader bars, I winded it again. As you can see from the closeup, there is definite twist. It is enough you can see it visually without even lining them up. Additionally, putting a level on the bottom of the boat, the near board is almost level slightly right of center. The back one is no where near level and left of center. I have tried "untwisting" the boat, but nothing seems to work.

What is the trick here?

Thanks,

ps) I didn't see an approximate angle, so that is why I figured out how to do my compound bevel. It is amazing how knowing you can do something inspires you to figure out (in my head!) how to do it! I knew that I could trace something and decided to trace the gap at the top of the board to the sheer panel, transferred that to the bottom of the spreader and connected the near edge on the bottom to the point at the top. Not sure that is the best way or even the right way, but it worked good )

Hi Danielle,
Your desire for accuracy is great but sometimes you've just got to say "that's near enough".

I would ignore that little bit of twist, when I built mine I had lumps and bumps everywhere on the bottom panel very difficult with thin ply and stitch and glue not to.

Don't worry no one will know and it will paddle just fine.

Regards

Hi Danielle,

Like Mike says it is probably not really that important.

But a couple of ways ... the first glass taping or filleting or combo happens inside the boat.

Set up the trestles about 25% from the front and back of the bottom panel and get them untwisted. by putting spacers under their legs and sighting the tops.

Put weights in the boat over the trestle areas to make sure the bottom is in contact with the tops of the trestles. You might be able to get a bit more out still.

Michael

Originally Posted by m2c1Iw

Hi Danielle,
Your desire for accuracy is great but sometimes you've just got to say "that's near enough".

I would ignore that little bit of twist, when I built mine I had lumps and bumps everywhere on the bottom panel very difficult with thin ply and stitch and glue not to.

Don't worry no one will know and it will paddle just fine.

Regards

Mike,

Did I miss how the sailing of the Eureka went during my "furlough/hiatus"?

MIK

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Mike,

Did I miss how the sailing of the Eureka went during my "furlough/hiatus"?

MIK

Mik,
I'm embarrased to report the spar blanks are still waiting to be shaped, Coquina has taken priorty but it will happen.