Thread: Beginner's canoe/kayak

Originally Posted by Daddles

You're right about that. Funny, I was looking at Jim's plan's list today and completely overlooked it

Two sheets of quarter inch ply eh?

Can be turned upside down on roof racks eh?

Works with the funny paddles eh?

Looks pretty quick to toss together eh?

Ticks a few boxes doesn't it

Thanks
Richard

Richard, yerp, it is a right easy build, inexpensive too. Personally, I don't think it's a bad looking boat either. Double paddles are limited to a beam of 32"-34" or thereabouts...you can use them on a wider boat, but it is a real pain once you go beyond a certain width. Here is a link to another similar pirogue...I think this one might have the edge in looks over Michalak's boat, and it appears to be as simple to build.

Applegate Boatworks Zydeco boat Plans

OK I've inspected the social calendar and consulted with the special events coordinator along with various interested parties and I'm reliably informed by all concerned that Easter is definitely out for me.

Unless of course someone changes my mind in which case I'm an uncertain possible maybe.

Besides the canoe will not be seaworthy however a duck could put in an appearance if the planets align.

Would beer help the planets align?
AJ

I'm going to caution against the pirogue style.
Wide, high-sided boats are ok for very short periods, and for kids who don't
know better (and in any case, are having too much fun splashing around to
care if the boat paddles like doggie doo). They can be tolerated longer if the
paddler has long arms, and/or the effective gunn'ls are very close to the
water line, and/or the paddler can sit high in the boat to lower the relative
gunn'l height. They are less of an issue for single-blade paddles, but still
not great.

Banging your knuckles on the gunn'ls at each stroke wears thin after a short
time. The exaggerated paddling style needed to avoid doing so also wears
thin pretty quick too.

The drawing shows what I'm getting at. And why I do my kayaks with an
extra tumble-home panel. It narrows the effective gunn'l width, & makes
paddling easier & more pleasant. For longer. The 3 boats have the same
waterline beam. The bottom one could have a wider beam for more stablity
in flat water, yet have the same effective gunwale width as the two cross-
sections above it.

I will concede to being a fussy old git on this. I learnt it the hard way with
barked & bruised knuckles.

cheers
AJ

Hmm, so you're steering me back to the Laker again are you?

Just noting that Jan is your typical, smallish woman and so reach and strength are issues to consider.

Richard

Hmmm, your threads are like ten pin bowling Richard - every time someone sets 'em up someone else knocks 'em down .

OK, I mentioned this one briefly before - the Jem Buccaneer - but I don't know if you looked at it. It's a bit more complex than the Laker but the wider version has a 31" beam and enough tumblehome to make paddling possible. It's also super short so should be manageable among the current build chaos. I have the feeling this would actually be fun in small surf but OK for messing about in West Lakes as well.

http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddet...?prod=Buc10-31

I really don't want this build to be too complicated - it really does have to fit in and around what else is going on and complication means extra time building which could work against the whole concept.

Richard

*gasp*
the blighter has pinched my original CB90 & added a pointy tail !!
(only kidding)
I scaled down an approximation of Bolger's Gypsy & added a deck.
90 inches long, 27 inches wide
Pics show it floating with 100kg of me, 50-odd of the missus, & 35-ish kg of a daughter's friend.
Daughter couldn't manage it in strong winds at 30kg - too much windage.
Was fun over short distances for me. Drier and more stable than a canoe polo bat.
But only just...

AJ

And it's faster than Teal

That might be a goer - sort of a super Mouseboat.
How much do you charge for the plans and do you get grouchy if I 'improve' them?

Richard

[QUOTE=b.o.a.t.;1130169...more stable than a canoe polo bat.
But only just...

AJ[/QUOTE]

AJ, just how stable is one of them bat thingys?

Went back and looked at Michalak's list again last night and noticed nobody has suggested the Toto yet. Is there an obvious reason for that? It has certain similarities with the Piragua but would be more versatile. Width is 30" and I'm not sure how that compares with the Piragua because the site says that is 3' in one part of the blurb and 30" in another. A builder says in a review that they built it in "a couple of weeks of spare time" and indicates that it is very easy.So, may be another possible.

Another advantage of AJ's little blob is that it is so reminiscant of the Mouseboat that she's already used (the brute that started all this), but would be narrower and more efficient. The shortish length would slow it down and reduce the distance you can travel, but this is only for banging about off the beach and so that isn't a real problem.

Now to look at Toto.

Has anyone got a second hand boat I can buy and save all this mucking about?

Richard
yeah, I know, you lot enjoy spending someone else's money

Richard I'm sure you have also considered Miks Russki or perhaps you could talk Mik into dusting off some Eureka 130 plans perhaps.

Cheers Mike who is just trying to confuse the issue

Originally Posted by Daddles

Now to look at Toto.

Has anyone got a second hand boat I can buy and save all this mucking about?

Well, there's a bloke in Sydney that has "His n hers" Totos and has since built himself 2 SOTs. He's never mentioned selling them but who knows....

There's a pic or 2 on this page: JEM Watercraft • Login

Somehow though I just can't imagine you NOT building this thing yourself.

I suggested Piragua over Toto (or Larsboat that I'm building) because the Piragua is so much easier and quicker to build and fitted the original criteria more closely

Now the discussion's opened up let's look at ex pat Aussie, Graham Byrnes' desighs:

Rowing & Paddleing