Clayton Bay 144LV - 12ft plywood kayak

FINISHED !!

As finished as it's gunna be anyway. Bulk brush-marks in the top-coat. It sure does
start to go off quick !! Added a bit of turps into the last bottom coat for better result.
Should have done same for deck. <shrug> Managed to beat the Wisteria petal-drop
by half a day. It has been raining petals all over everything since the paint dried to
the touch.

Hatches glued in using an Oz-made marine sealant that I haven't seen before. Says
it's free of silicone & various other chemicals. Tested exclusively on baby seals or
some-such... One thing for sure - it is very slow curing. Didn't use screws. The
sealant is seriously sticky straight out of the tube, so should be ok when (if) cured.
The bricks are resting on the cover rather than the rim, so that it all stays nice &
straight - no warping to bind the threads.

Foot-rests bolted in with a wee dab of sealant around each bolt, and inside each nylok
nut where the bolt doesn't quite reach the nylok. :doh:

Finally, today the 8 holes & plates securing the end straps screwed into the epoxy
fillet & double thickness backing ply installed all those many months ago... A drop or
two of pox on each screw to encourage it to stay put, and not leak.

At this stage, it looks like launch in about 12 days. Or possibly 3.
But, looking at the weather forecasts... more likely 12.

Now there's just the cleaning up to do - too late for the paint which dripped off the roller
onto the concrete paving... :doh: And rust to scrape off tools left out over winter. :doh:
cheers
AJ

B...b...but it's blue :oo:

Is it as good in real life as in the photos? Looks pretty sexy there under that purple horror (I had a wisteria once - after many tries, I finally killed it by building a house on it).

Give a yell when you're launching her. It's school holidays and I'll be looking for things to do with the kids.

Richard

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daddles

It's school holidays and I'll be looking for things to do with the kids.

Richard

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You too huh ?
I've tried all sorts of things but they keep coming back.
I figure a kayak has gotta be worth a go... :U

Booked solid until late in the second week. How's that sound ?

cheers
AJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

Booked solid until late in the second week. How's that sound ?

cheers
AJ

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It's possible. I was booked to take the kids over to Vinnie that week but the lad's soccer club has decided to have its U19 trials that week so we have to stay home :(

Richard

Very impressive AJ - even the inside of yours looks better than the outside of mine.

Are you planning a local launch or heading to Goolwa? (My sources say the water level there has risen significantly since the new dam was finished).

A flash hideth many sins.
Wish I could have got the outside as good as the inside though.

Yes the water level has risen in Alex.
It had already risen appreciably from the rain before the weir was completed.
As at 2 weeks ago almost all sandbanks were gone, & water was lapping the
Clayton Bay Sailing Club marina entrance.

Most likely launching at Clayton Bay. But by no means certain. Could be
anywhere between there & Westlakes. :U Will let you know. Maybe make
a day of it with the SA Chapter.

cheers
AJ
(Hmmmm... better have a secret pre-launch launch to check that the darn thing floats... :C )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

(Hmmmm... better have a secret pre-launch launch to check that the darn thing floats... :C )

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Do that and I'll mount a cannon on Redback :cool:

Richard

pwomises, pwomises... :U

anyway, given your enthusiaism for Redback's ergonomcs, just exactly how do you
propose to aim & fire the thing ?

Except for possibly straight downwards... :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

pwomises, pwomises... :U

anyway, given your enthusiaism for Redback's ergonomcs, just exactly how do you
propose to aim & fire the thing ?

Except for possibly straight downwards... :D

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Bugger firing it, I was going to intimidate you long enough to be able to ram you :2tsup:

I guess letting off a flare would be considered antisocial :(

Richard

Sat 10th Oct
Late morning : 11 o'clock-ish
Seacliff Sailing Club
forecast looks ok too.

Saturday
Precis: Fine. Mostly sunny
Noarlunga: Min 8 Max 20
Wind: E/NE 8/13 knots, increasing to 13/18 knots late evening.
Afternoon and early evening sea breezes 5/10 knots.
Sea: around 0.5 m.
Swell south of Marino Rocks: W/SW below 0.5 m

that's the plan anyway...
didn't get around to a trial, so no idea if it will float.

cheers
AJ

Have fun :2tsup:, unfortunately I won't be able to celebrate with you but I will toast your success sometime during the day or night I'm sure :D.

Mike

Ta muchly Mike.
Have just about talked the Missus into participating too. Which is only reasonable
since the boat was mainly designed & built for her... :roll:

Scratch the Seacliff Sailing club idea... today is their season opening day.
Would be a good day to take a gaggle of PDRs there, but won't be any parking
within a bull's roar of the place. :~

Hope no-one's heading down there on the spur of the moment...

AJ

So did you go somewhere else or give it a miss altogether?

(I'm hoping for a morning session tomorrow on the Onk - haven't been out for a few weeks).

G'day Bob

Went as perfectly as I could have hoped.
Pics tell the story.

Ended up on the Onk near low tide.
Stable as a rock.
Tracks well.
Dead easy to paddle up to hull speed. Hardly any wake at all.
Digs a big hole when I try to push much past that.
Not quite as high a top speed as Mk.2, but vastly more stable.... swings & roundabouts...
Only negative is that I over-built some bits - probably 1 - 2 kg over-weight.
All in all, I is one very happy puppy. :U

Only one other negative reared its ugly head - daughter has out-grown her boat... :doh:
(She is still darned fast in it though.)

cheers
AJ