Re: [Paddlewise] K1 assembly

In a message dated 2/25/01 4:08:18 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
woodardr_at_tidalwave.net writes:

>Does anyone have any tips on getting the frame centered inside the hull of a
Feathercraft K1 during assembly? 


Woody,


Ralph and David both had some very good suggestions.

Since it is a new boat, I'm not at all surprised you're having trouble.  The 
new welded skins are very slippery, so I have had the same problem with all 
models with urethane skins -- much more than the older fabrics.  But only 
when the boat is new.  The good news is that they are much easier to assemble 
than the older boats once the skin gets some shape to it.

I find that carefully twisting the frame sections into alignment and then 
sitting in the skin while pushing with the feet helps a lot.  Balanced foot 
work is the secret.  You must do both ends and then recheck alignment before 
and in-between each bar expansion for the first few assemblies.

The real helper is to leave the boat assembled with the sponsons fully 
inflated for a week or so after making certain the boat is aligned properly.  
The ends of the skin will take a set and become more self-aligning after a 
while.  It probably helps to leave the boat in a warm place during this time.

Another thing -- when inflating the sponsons, start with one big breath in 
one side, two in the other, three in the first, then back and forth, trying 
not to get one side ahead of the other.  Check alignment during this process 
and, if the skin is off center, blow one side up more than the other to use 
the pressure of the sponson to pull the skin back on-center.


Good luck and congrats on the new K1.

Harold
Khats pilot

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