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

From: "John Fereira" <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
> 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)
.

I just checked the Pygmy web site.  They sell a bulkhead and hatch kit for
$59.  It fits the Ospreys, Coho, Arctic Terns, and Goldeneyes.  I'm assuming
they wouldn't have to sell this kit if the items came with the boat kits.  I
also checked out CLC's Northbay page.  It says it comes with bulkheads.
Perhaps your friends who built those boats opted for the bulkhead kits.
When I was considering which boat to build, I know the Pygmies I was looking
at didn't come with bulkheads in the standard kit, and the CLC boats I
considered did.

In any event, I'm not stating these things as an "I'm right/you're wrong,"
kind of thing.  Who cares?  I only checked in case someone out there is
facing the same choice I had to make - Pygmy or Chesapeake?

(And by the way, I'm not saying that Chesapeakes are better.  I actually
think that Pygmies might be more "serious" kayaks.  However, I think both
are great deals when compared to a store-bought boat, and the added benefits
of knowing you built it yourself, the beauty of the wood, and the feeling of
having something a little different than most people are all plusses.  And
even though I said that the Pygmies may be a bit more "serious", I've
paddled my fully-loaded Chesapeake on a couple of open-water crossings to
the Channel Islands and back in some fairly rough weather, and it performed
admirably.)

>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.

My statement was based on my assumption that okoume plywood is a little
stronger than a bunch of cedar (or in my case, redwood) strips held together
by wood glue.  I don't know that's true, I just think so.  I'd be happy to
hear definitively from someone who knows.  However, your point is well
taken.  Strip built kayaks are usually glass inside and out.  I think it's
the fiberglass that gives the boat the most strength, so it seems that a
sandwich of wood strips covered by fiberglass inside and out would be
stronger than okoume plywood with glass on just one side (or neither side.)

My Chesapeake only has glass on the outside of the hull, on the inside of
the hull seams, and on the inside of the hull in the cockpit.  There's none
on the deck - just epoxy resin.  So far, I haven't had any troubles with my
boat being weak.  I've made a couple of re-entries where I had to sit on the
deck behind the cockpit.  The deck seems to be holding up okay (although I
did add a bit of extra structural support there when I was building it -
more than the kit called for.)

I just checked the CLC site, and it seems that the Chesapeake models now
come with fiberglass on the outside of the deck.  This used to be called the
"Expedition" package, and cost extra.  They now offer an Expedition package
that includes glass on the inside of the hull.

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

Point well taken!  I always say, "A new tool is really a good investment,
because it will last forever."  My wife looks at me funny.  My UPS deliverer
calls me "Package Boy".  The folks at the hardware store and the lumberyard
know my face well.  However, the nice thing about this is that the expenses
are spread out over time - there's not the one-time chunk of cash that a
store-bought boat entails.

> 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.

Very true!

> 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.
>
Hmm.  This is one of the things that's a little frustrating for me.  The
progress on my stripper is very slow.  I can't wait to finish it so my wife
can come paddling with me, but it's looking like I'll be lucky to have it
finished by summer.  I agree though, it is pleasing to watch the shape work
its way over the forms.  I think the finished product will be quite a bit
more aesthetically pleasing than the stitch and glue (though I still love my
boat!)

Thanks for writing!

- Gordon Snapp


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