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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). 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At 09:28 AM 3/2/2003 -0600, Gordon Snapp wrote: >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. Possibly, but considering that the hatch kit is pretty inexpensive, while it may not "come with" the Pygmy boats as a standard option, it's easily available for a small additional cost. >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. When I built my Northbay the front hatch kit was *not* part of the standard kit. Apparently so many people that ordered Northbays opted for the optional front hatch CLC decided to include it as standard. >(And by the way, I'm not saying that Chesapeakes are better. I actually >think that Pygmies might be more "serious" kayaks. I would suggest that it is the other way around. The Northbay (20" wide x 18'6" long) is a very serious kayak as is the Patuxent. I have found that the Pygmy boats on the other hand are generally more stable and higher volume, both qualities that one would associate with a model that is a bit "friendlier" to the less experienced paddler. When I was looking for a Greenland style boat to build I compared the Northbay with the Arctic Tern. I found the specifications on the Northbay to be much closer in line with a traditional Greenlanders boat. A 23" wide beam, as in the Tern would be considered massive by traditional Greenland standards. >>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. Nick Schade's book has some real good information about the strength of the fiberglass/wood/fiberglass sandwich. The wood just isnt' going to separate at the glue joint once it's encapsulated in fiberglass and the wood core construction compares similarly to an I-beam used in building construction. > However, your point is well >taken. Strip built kayaks are usually glass inside and out. Usually? I don't think I've ever heard of an instance when they were not glassed inside and out. >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. I think Melissa mentioned that this was how the CLC version of the Arctic Hawk was supposed to be constructer. (Come on, Melissa, hurry up and finish that boat...I want to hear how it handles). *************************************************************************** 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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