Check out the yaks and canoes on page two: http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/02/BoatFest-1.html Not sure what a "Geodesic Aerotlite canoe" is, but it looks light as a feather. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 07:49 PM 5/14/2002 -0700, Dave Kruger wrote: >Check out the yaks and canoes on page two: >http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/02/BoatFest-1.html > >Not sure what a "Geodesic Aerotlite canoe" is, but it looks light as a >feather. Platt Monfort of Wiscasset Maine has been selling Geodesic Airolite boat plans ( http://www.geodesicairoliteboats.com ) for a long time. He's got something like 22 different designs, from an 8 pound wee lassie style canoe up through 16 foot row boats. The boats are very interesting, they are built with construction similar to a fabric airplane wing (my understanding of the construction that is). They are built with a wooden frame that is tensioned with kevlar strands. For an exterior they use a stretched dacron fabric. For adhering it to the frame Monfort sells a special tape that is used in place of lashing, glue, or fasteners. At the Maine Boatbuilding show, a few years ago, Monfort's booth had a section of dacron stretched over a 2 by 4 wooden frame and were having people jump on the fabric to see just how strong it is. Someone in my area has an airolight rowboat, it's cool to watch him one hand carry it from the car to the water. There are quite a few people using polyester(dacron) for skin/frame kayaks. There's a good writeup on how to use it for a skin frame kayak at http://www.imaginelan.com/aleut/polyester_skinning.html kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks for sharing these two links. I believe I recall reading about Geodesic Airolites many years ago in Popular Science or similar magazine. The kayaks on the skin frame site look gorgeous. That site is so detailed it's tempting to clear out the garage and get started. Some day ... And I enjoyed the photo of you (Kirk) in a yak ;-) Kirk Olsen wrote: > Platt Monfort of Wiscasset Maine has been selling Geodesic Airolite boat > plans ( http://www.geodesicairoliteboats.com ) > for a long time. > There's a good writeup on how to use it for a skin frame kayak at > http://www.imaginelan.com/aleut/polyester_skinning.html -- Al Vazquez KayakGuide.com tm Places to Paddle tm - Kayaking - Canoeing - Rafting - *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The geodesic boats are pretty strong, but they are not that puncture resistant. You can pound on the skin with no effect, but push a pencil right through. Nick At 9:39 AM -0400 5/15/02, Kirk Olsen wrote: >At 07:49 PM 5/14/2002 -0700, Dave Kruger wrote: >>Check out the yaks and canoes on page two: >>http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/02/BoatFest-1.html >> >>Not sure what a "Geodesic Aerotlite canoe" is, but it looks light >>as a feather. > >Platt Monfort of Wiscasset Maine has been selling Geodesic Airolite >boat plans ( http://www.geodesicairoliteboats.com ) > for a long time. He's got something like 22 different designs, >from an 8 pound wee lassie style canoe up through 16 foot row boats. >The boats are very interesting, they are built with construction >similar to a fabric airplane wing (my understanding of the >construction that is). They are built with a wooden frame that is >tensioned with kevlar strands. For an exterior they use a stretched >dacron fabric. For adhering it to the frame Monfort sells a special >tape that is used in place of lashing, glue, or fasteners. > >At the Maine Boatbuilding show, a few years ago, Monfort's booth had >a section of dacron stretched over a 2 by 4 wooden frame and were >having people jump on the fabric to see just how strong it is. > >Someone in my area has an airolight rowboat, it's cool to watch him >one hand carry it from the car to the water. > >There are quite a few people using polyester(dacron) for skin/frame >kayaks. There's a good writeup on how to use it for a skin frame >kayak at >http://www.imaginelan.com/aleut/polyester_skinning.html > -- Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St Glastonbury, CT 06033 (860) 659-8847 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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