Thread: Quick Canoe Questions

Howdy Dairyman

No problem with permanently installing the mast partner. Tell me how you are planning to do it, it might be a little difficult to get enough surface area for good bonding on either end. But I can help you work out a solution.

Main reason for having it removable is that the canoe can look quite nice without it. Particularly without the pad to attach the leeboard hanging out over the side of the boat all the time.

Buoyancy for canoes is hard to get right. They are so narrow that there is no really convenient place except the ends. And the idea is that it is enough to hold the sides above water while you balance and bail the water out.

Also that when the boat is on its side that it scoops up less water when it is brought upright. Normally you end up swimming in from one end which fills the boat up again to some extent. The buoyancy also makes it easier to do a rescue from a second boat. Basically putting the upside down boat's end up across the upright boat ... it has to sit on both gunwales and then you pull it across further and turn upright while it is across.

A little bit of buoyancy in the ends helps a lot.



oops ... wrong link

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUW1bBWIbkE]The Canoe over Canoe Rescue - YouTube[/ame]

If you wanted to experiment with the air cushions it might be interesting to compare what it is like with and without the cushions. It would be interesting.

MIK

I had planned on installing the mast partner flush with the inwals, with some 19 x 42 timber underneath each end of the partner. Another option I am thinking about is basically the same way the centre spreader is installed.

At this stage, I was hoping to initally use my Paper Tiger centre board as a lee board and hang this off the centre spreader. I would then fine tune the lee board requirements after this. I should therefore not require the protruding lee board pad.

If all goes well, I will still be able to easly slide the canoe onto roof racks on my Tarago.

Sounds OK!

Only slight concern is the PT centreboard might be a bit awkward because of size, but you will get upwind nicely!!!

Michael

I think you might need more bonding area between the partner ends and the inwale.

I would probably suggest making the partner fit direct to the inwale ... not underneath with three epoxied screws through the gunwale/inwale and into the end grain of the partner.

Then in plywood increase the area of the bond by making a piece to fit under both the partner and gunwale and be glued in place. I think the total area will then be closer to what you need. Maybe I would make the part under the gunwale about 100mm wider (50mm each side) than the partner just to grab a bit more bonding area. It would be kindof T shaped with a curve under the arms of the T. It would only need to bond to the underside of the partner for about 50mm as well.

I'll put together a sketch if you like.

MIK

Thanks for the advice Mik. I am fairly sure I understand what you mean by the T shaped ply.

With the plywood in the horizontal plane to glue to the underside of the partner.