The hull is sanded smooth inside and out. It’s repaired, patched and epoxied and glued. It’s ready for glassing. The object is to get the cloth smooth. That’s best done with the weave (bias) at an angle. The 4oz piece I used was not quite cut at that angle so getting it smooth was a…
Epoxy wood kayak
Check(ing) please
The hull has a number of areas like this. You can actually see through to the inside of the hull and in some case the glue from inside seeped through. Otherwise, the wood seems pretty solid. Hand sanding after cutting away most of the loose veneer …
The hull story
Once I flipped the boat to start the hull work, I wanted to flip it back upright again, ala Eskimo role. Very overwhelming. It seemed that every square foot was loose or damaged or needed some sort of work. Where to start? In the middle. I choose the worse area and soon found that delaminate…
I’m committed now.
I just ordered the 6oz fiberglass and epoxy for the first boat from CLC Boats. That stuff is NOT cheap but CLC’s prices are still about the best plus I know it’s good quality. I’ve just about finished the inside of the hull and am ready to flip it to start on the outside. I’m…
Quote of the Day
That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory. Open up a little hotel right on the beach. Buy some worthless old boat and fix it up new. Take my guests out charter fishing… Andy Dufresne“The Shawshank Redemption”
Oh my goodness, this idea actually worked
Since removing the deck, I’ve been focusing on the hull. The problem I had was regluing much of the plywood veneer back in place. Using waterproof glue I did not have a problem clamping the loose wood near the shear clamp. However much of the problem was further down the hull where the clamps could…
Quote of the Day
Johnny: You got some time. I’m wide awake let me buy you a drink, alright? Venus: You got it Johnny: Can you teach me about magnets? WKRP in Cincinnati Season 3 Episode 12 “Venus and the Man”
String Theory as it Applies to Kayak Construction
Well not exactly String Theory but I am trying to figure out the reason there is string embeded in the kayak structure. It loops from the cockpit up to within a foot or so of the bow across to the port side, then back to the rear of the cockpit. It was glued/nailed between the deck…
Form over Function
This is the start of the form building process. I managed to get half the forms drawn and cut out although I’m not sure how fair they will be. That may take some adjustments as I start adding the deck (much later). I changed the test shoe to my paddle shoes. It looks like I…
The Carnage Begins
The restoration finally got underway. Or at least the deconstruction or should that be destruction? Originally, I planned to remove the deck down to the hull. From that point I would repair the hull before starting on the new deck. However as I started, it occurred to me that I needed points of reference for…
The boats now have names
It was decided that the boats should have names: John B (The Beach Boys song by the same name) and African Queen (from the great Bogart/Hepburn movie).
The Two Kayaks Story
OK. This all started when my wife and I decided we needed a fourth kayak. We reasoned that with four boats, we could take others on excursions and trips. (We also figured out that we would need a way to carry all four. Look for that story in the future.) I shopped for something new…