Re: [Paddlewise] if not AL, how about wood?

At 04:38 PM 2/28/2003 -0600, Gordon Snapp wrote:
>> In general, what is your opinion of the stitch-n-glue wood/fiberglass
>> kayaks?  I'm thinking of boats from kits like those from CLC or Pygmy.  I
>> believe these are the two largest producers of such kits, but there are
>> others.
>
>I built a Chesapeake 17.  I love it.  It's fast, comfortable, and it holds a
>lot of stuff.  It's also rather wide - 24" - and, from what I hear, harder
>to roll than a sleeker boat.
>
>I looked at Pygmies.  I think they are also excellent boats.  I opted for
>the Chesapeake for a couple of reasons.  1) Their kayaks come with
>bulkheads.  Pygmies don't.  

I'm not sure where you heard that.    I have a friend that built a Coho and
another that built an Arctic Tern and an Osprey.  All three came with
bulkheads, and in fact, the bulkheads are an important piece in how they
are constructed.   On the other hand, at least a couple of years ago a
forward bulkhead was an extra option on a CLC Northbay (when I built one) .  

>The standard method is to use a sea sock.  They
>sell bulkheads as extras, which cost extra money.  Also Pygmies have
>pointed, angular decks.  Chesapeakes have a nice arched deck.  I don't know
>why, but the curved deck appeals to me more.

Certainly when considering a wood boat asthetics are very important.

>
>> 1) the kits seem to weigh in 10-15% lighter than a typical all fiberglass
>> boat.  Is this due to less overall strength or lighter materials (the
>> lightweight wood core rather than solid layers of fiberglass)?
>
>Check out Vaclav's page on wood core construction -

>http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Woodcore.htm.  He's talking about strip-built
>boats, but I think okoume plywood boats are even a little stronger.

Again, I'm not sure where you came up with that conclusion.    Strip built
boats are constructed with a fiberglass-wood core- fiberglass sandwhich
whereas stitch-n-glue boats typically only have fiberglass cloth on the
hull, or may have some areas where there is cloth on both sides.   The
sandwhich construction gives the shell  a great amount of strength.
>>
>> 2) as a 250 lb paddler, I'm concerned about the strength of the boats - in
>> particular the deck.  I once tried on someones wooden boat - and when I
>> (gently) planted my backside on the deck just behind the coaming in order
>> to slide into the cockpit, there was a distinct creaking/crunching sound
>> from the deck...the guy said it was nothing but I still wonder if that
>type
>> of construction would handle my less than gentle paddle-float recoveries
>on
>> the back deck.
>
>I weigh around 205.  I was concerned about this as well.  As someone already
>mentioned, there's a strong bulkhead right behind the cockpit which will
>take a lot of weight.  I agree with the other person, that you should use
>fiberglass tape on that bulkhead's seams; not just epoxy putty.  It only
>adds a tiny bit of extra weight and it's about as easy as it gets.

A lot of people will add an extra layer of cloth around the cockpit area
for extra strength and/or build in extra deck beams.  I know that this is a
concern but I've never ever actually heard of anyone that his caused a
failure in the deck during a paddlefloat.   From what I've heard most
people building Pygmy or CLC kits tend to overbuild their boats.
>
>> For someone who enjoys woodworking, these seem to be a great way to get a
>> lightweight, custom boat for about 1/2 or 1/3 of the cost of a fiberglass

>> boat (plus the labor...but I see this as a welcome winter diversion).

Make sure to factor in the cost of any tools you might need, sandpaper,
varnish, etc.  These items add up.  


>One of the many benefits of building your own boat is that you can modify
>its design to suit your own needs.  I think commercial boats have to be
>compromises.  They can't possibly offer a line of boats with sizes, weights,
>configurations, etc. to accomodate the desires of all paddlers.  When you
>build your own boat you can make it exactly what you need.  If you are
>concerned about cracking the glass on the deck when you put your weight
>not-so-gently on it during a paddle float rescue, you can add extra strength
>to that area, and it's really easy!

In my mind, that is the biggest advantage (along with the asthetic
qualities of wood).   It's also nice to know that once you've built a boat
that you'll have the skills you need to maintain it.  

>Right now I'm in the middle of a new project.  I've joined the ranks of
>those who have built a stitch and glue, and now want to build a stripper.
>I'm building a Guillemot for my wife. 

Good luck on the stripper.  I also built a S&G boat first then built a
cedar strip boat (Jay Babina's Outer Island) (see
http://caddis.mannlib.cornell.edu/paddle/outerisland).   As you may be
finding out, one of the things that I liked about the cedar strip building
process was that as you start  adding strips the boat slowly takes shape,
something I found more pleasing than how the S&G panels are wired together
as if building a large model.





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