Launched- New Sailing Canoe

[Geoff C]

I recently designed and built my first sailing canoe, "inspired by" the Yakaboo (I added a rudder and changed the rig). The hull is 4 mm Okoume with 6 oz. glass cloth, and the rest is Douglas fir and mahogany. Forumite Todd Bradshaw designed and made the beautiful tanbark sails.

Its been a fun project, I'm surprised canoe sailing isn't more popular. I've started a blog detailing the construction at http://yakaboo2.blogspot.com My daughter put up a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksOZGob3RqY
It's still a work in progress, so your comments and suggestions are welcome.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/3049274174_93cc9b8cbf.jpg

Off the Union Boat Club Dock, Charles River, Boston

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First sail, Padanarum Harbor, Massachusetts

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The moment of truth, is it going to work?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/3049275134_b9952ff3b8.jpg

At the Paddle Rendezvous with Hugh Horton, Lake Huron.

[Pernicious Atavist]

Nice, nice, nice.....

[Dan Miller]

Very nice! Bring it along to the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association Assembly in July - we're featuring sailing canoes this year...

[Pernicious Atavist]

Dan--where's the assembly this year?

[PaulT]

Very nice...Very nice indeed. Thanks for posting.....there are more pics, right ?:D

[pefjr]

Very nice kayak, looks very much like a folbot kayak.

[Pernicious Atavist]

No--it is a canoe. The Folboat looks like it.

[wtarzia]

Nice! I always thought there should be a Yakaboo revival, as it semed to represent a lot of what a small-boat-user is looking for (out of life itself, not just building/sailing). And the fact that he finished a major adventure-cruise in his should alert us to the possibility of affordable adventure. -- Wade

[Benson Gray]

where's the assembly this year?

The Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) Assembly will be held at Keuka College, Keuka Park, New York (Finger Lakes Region) during July 15-19, 2009. More information is available at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=3990 and http://wcha.org/assembly.php on the web.

Benson

[John Meachen]

Looks good,and a perfect day for a launching.

[Pernicious Atavist]

Thanks Benson!

[Geoff C]

Very nice...Very nice indeed. Thanks for posting.....there are more pics, right ?:D

Paul-

I can post the construction photos if you like....


Dan-

We'd love to come to your get-together in July.

[davidrparker]

Yes! Please do...

I can post the construction photos if you like....

[James McMullen]

Yay! Sailing canoes teach you to be both a better sailor than the average large boat sailor and a better canoer than the average paddler. Did I say "teach"? I meant "force". How many times did you swim yet? If never, you're reefing too early or not going out in strong enough winds (like, say over about 6-7 knots).

I can't wait to get my own next sailing canoe finished!

[Todd Bradshaw]

Looks good Geoff! The weather here was lousy when I got the sails done and I never got a chance to take them outside and hang them up properly before shipping them out. It's always nice to know that they actually fit the boat and work :). Here is my contribution to the construction photos album. You can see what a rinky-dink, low budget operation I run these days, but as long as it gets the job done.... Other than a couple of grommet setters, a hot-knife and the old Macintosh that I drew the original plan on, I think just about everything I used to build them shows up somewhere in this batch of photos.

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/Sail%20Construction/

[Canoez]

Looks good Geoff! The weather here was lousy when I got the sails done and I never got a chance to take them outside and hang them up properly before shipping them out. It's always nice to know that they actually fit the boat and work :). Here is my contribution to the construction photos album. You can see what a rinky-dink, low budget operation I run these days, but as long as it gets the job done.... Other than a couple of grommet setters, a hot-knife and the old Macintosh that I drew the original plan on, I think just about everything I used to build them shows up somewhere in this batch of photos.

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/Sail%20Construction/

No - Low overhead... :D

[Garrett Lowell]

Beautiful. I love the sails, and the leeboards. Congrats!

[Eric Hvalsoe]

Very Cool!

[Geoff C]

How many times did you swim yet? If never, you're reefing too early or not going out in strong enough winds (like, say over about 6-7 knots).

I've never reefed and I've yet to go swimming. My wife and I went out in 15 mph winds (flags out straight, whitecaps starting to form), and she thought the mast was going to break, but it didn't come close to going over. I kept letting out the main and heading up when the gusts came.

Take a look at the top photo. If you go to Google maps and type in Hatch Shell, Boston, you can see the dock where the picture was taken, about 50 yards northwest of the Hatch Shell. That's the Longfellow Bridge in the background. If the wind was blowing that hard on the lee side of the barrier islands, you can imagine how strong it was on the weather side. My wife took the boat out next with a friend aboard, and went out into the main part of the river. As I'm watching the sails on the far side of the island, pretty soon I see them go over to what seems like a 45 degree angle, and stay there for a while. When she came back, I asked her what happened. She said she kept the main sheeted in because she wanted to see what would happen, whether it would capsize or not. It just heeled over until it spilled wind out of the sails. The water came part way up the deck but that was all.

At 36" wide, its a pretty stiff hull form, especially with two aboard, which is the functional equivalent of reefing. I can stand up in it, and it doesn't feel tippy under foot. A hull like this, designed for sailing with rocker and ample secondary stability, is a lot different than a traditional canoe designed for paddling. The sailing canoe will still paddle well, it just won't track like it's on rails.

[Fitz]

a traditional canoe designed for paddling

I resemble that remark!:D

http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/41023/2733130110054321892S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/35795/2045234290054321892S600x600Q85.jpg

I probably don't have a chance against your "sportscar", but see you at Assembly?;):p

All kidding aside, thanks for showing us your great boat.

Fitz.

[Geoff C]

Before posting the construction drawings, it might be useful to list the design goals for the project, since they influenced the way the canoe was constructed. I set out to build a sailing canoe that would be large enough to hold two, be light enough to car top easily, be simple enough to be sailed by people with little sailing experience, be good looking, be as safe as a canoe can reasonably be, and be finished in three months working evenings and week-ends. I didn't set a cost limit on the project, but in the end, it wasn't that expensive.

The desire to keep it simple led to the choice of using lugsails. The goal of light, strong, construction led to the choice of stitch and glue ply with bulkheads. Strip planking might have been better in many ways, but the time constraint I was working under ruled that out. The search for good looks and seaworthiness led me to reinterpret a classic design from the past in modern materials.

The classic design I used for inspiration was the Yakaboo, made famous by Frederic A. Fenger in his book "Alone in the Caribbean", published in 1917. With a little searching, it may be found on the internet. The design and construction of Yakaboo has been attributed to W. P. Stephens, one of the most prolific canoe builders of his era. The original Yakaboo is 17' long, 40" wide, and weighs 147 lb., too large for car topping. Among the changes I made were rescaling it to 90% of the original dimensions, simplifying the rig, and replacing the movable centerboard with a rudder and leeboard set-up.

I created the design in Gregg Carlson's Hull design software, which may be downloaded for free at carlsondesign.com . Hull allows up to 10 chines and can show frames/ bulkheads at any point along the length of the boat.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/3123013908_c3fc7c288e.jpg

The wireframe model is shown above. By hitting the button labeled VRML you create a *.wrl solid than may be viewed in your browser:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3127259816_304359f4fe.jpg

By tweaking the panels a bit I came up with a design that would fit on four sheets of 4 mm Okoume, including the decks and bulkheads. I then transferred the design to FreeShip (now Delftship, downloadable at Delftship.net), to check some of the hydrostatics and to lay out the panels for cutting.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v5_xYzUWOfY/SXqIk8osErI/AAAAAAAAAW8/EQr3IkqbowI/s512/YAKABOO2a.jpg

FreeShip gives the panel layout every six inches.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3120/3123013986_6030a7c124_o.gif

In practice, the panels fit together very well, which was great, because I wanted to finish the hull bright.

[Geoff C]

I'm hopeful that posting this series will encourage others to build their own sailing canoe (or similar). They don't take much room to build and don't need a trailer to transport, so there's no excuse to put it off!

Pardon the quality of these pictures; the earlier ones were taken with my cell phone because my camera was out for repair (thank goodness I bought the extended warranty). I set up a long worktable by connecting two sheets of Melamine covered particleboard end-to-end, set on six saw horses. Two sheets of 4 mm okoume were marked and ripped down the middle.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/3109707276_3a43d6d848_o.jpg

On a previous kayak project I scarfed the panels together, but this time I decided to try using a fiberglass butt joint in hopes of having a less-obvious joint. I sanded the edges where the fiberglass would be applied.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/3108877059_078a18c89b_o.jpg

I prepped the joint with epoxy. I used West 207 since I was going to finish the hull bright, and I had good success with it previously.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/3109706712_7afcd1c852_o.jpg

I used 9 oz. tape for the butt joint, but I don't recommend it, too thick. Next time I'll use 6 oz. cloth. The joint only needs enough strength to hold for assembly since the whole hull will be covered with 6 oz. cloth later. I wet out the tape and covered it with plastic wrap, which was a little thin. Polyethylene film would have been better but I didn't want to buy a big roll of it.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/3109706464_8b295f0ee7_o.jpg

I applied pressure to the joint with a 2 x 4 held down with clamps and a battery. When the epoxy cured, I did a lot of sanding, then turned the pieces over and repeated the process on the other side.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/3109705802_cc911f760b_o.jpg

[Geoff C]

Using the computer generated panel layout from FreeShip, I marked the strake locations and drove a small brad into the wood. A flexible batten was used to connect the points.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/3109707486_1bc2b19912_o.jpg

After marking out one of the panels, I placed it over the other one so that they both could be cut at once.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3109705536_5fde374605_o.jpg

I cut just outside the lines with the saber saw.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3109708402_fba163b92c_o.jpg

After cutting out the strakes, I mounted them in pairs in the vice. What would eventually be the outer surfaces were placed on the inside so that the inner edges could be beveled easily. Final trimming down to the pencil line was done with the plane.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/3109708116_01b7bdf10a_o.jpg

Holes for the wire stitches were drilled every 6 inches, a quarter of an inch off the edge. Location of the holes must align with the holes in the adjacent panel.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/3108879019_10d127e805_o.jpg

[davidrparker]

Thanks for a great thread, and I think it's working. I've been looking at my Macgregor plans again and hope to actually get started this winter.

What is your opinion of the fiberglass butt joints that you used? They look very neat, neater than some of the scarfs in ply that I have tried (the edge on mine have been a little wavey).

David

[Pernicious Atavist]

David, don't you have any sailing water near you? I guess we'll have to have a canoe sailing get-together come spring.

[Hwyl]

Inspirational.

[davidrparker]

We have several small-medium lakes, unfortunately most are infested with jet skis. There are 2 close by (Salem lake and High Point lake) where they are banned, but they are small lakes. My favorite water area is the Pamlico Sound.

I really enjoy your magazine.

[Pernicious Atavist]

...infested with jet skis....

I really enjoy your magazine.

infested--love it! now--here's an idea--round up as many tree-huggers as possible and get them to try to ban jet skis from those areas. then the waters are available for 'green' boating. lol--and you don't get blamed!

thanks for the good words about the magazine; i appreciate them very much!

[Geoff C]

What is your opinion of the fiberglass butt joints that you used? They look very neat, neater than some of the scarfs in ply that I have tried (the edge on mine have been a little wavey).

David

In my opinion they worked well and I would use them again in the future. Much neater and better looking than regular butt straps, and much faster and easier than scarfing.

Here is a picture of the inside of the boat. The seams are reasonably tight and the extra layer of glass on the seams doesn't show.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/3141763235_a93b29fd67.jpg

There are no stringers on the bottom of the boat, six oz. glass cloth on the inside and the outside make it strong enough for two people to sit on, or stand on, for that matter. The only framework items are the two bulkheads at the ends of the cockpit, a deck beam at the front mast step, and four deck supports like the one in the picture.

This is a very light, strong method of construction. Do you think you might give it a try?

[davidrparker]

This is a very light, strong method of construction. Do you think you might give it a try?[/quote]

Given your comments, as well as those of one of our fellow forumites who has used this method on a Goat Island Skiff (IIRC), I will try it on the Mac. Also the Mac has floors as well as bulkheads and other stiffening members that should help to strengthen the hull.

Tom Hill mentions flipping the planks end for end in order to stagger to joints in the boat. Seems like a good idea as well.

[Geoff C]

Great thread, Geoff. As others have said, inspirational.

I'd be interested in your comments of Hugh's boat sailing side by side with you. Hugh's boat is a lot bigger and heavier isn't it? And it seems you had quite a bit more sail area up.

Were either of the Gougeon brothers at the Paddle Rendezvous with Hugh? When is the next one?

The Paddle Rendezvous is an under-the-radar get-together of canoe and sailing enthusiasts at beautiful Killbear Provincial Park on Lake Huron, held either the second or third week-end in September. It is put together by John Hupfield of Lost-in-the-Woods Boatworks up in Noble, Ontario. He's the second from the left in the picture below.

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Look for his posts in the canoe sailing forum at http://forums.wcha.org/ around August for details of the next one. The Gougeon brothers weren't there this year, but there were other interesting canoe enthusiast such as Pam Wedd of Bearwood Canoe Co. of Parry Sound, Ont. who builds stunning canvas covered canoes such as the one below, which is 8 or 10 years old but looks like new.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/3145007062_3f792e0b46.jpg

That's my wife Nancy, who was blown away by the workmanship on this canoe.

Also there this year was Skip Izon, who designed gold metal winning rowing shells for the Canadian olympic team. He works with a drafting board and hand calculations, no computer at all. He's a very talented and knowledgeable resource on small craft. It was Skip who built the hull of Bufflehead. And Eric Cloutier brought his speedy 16-30 racing sailing canoe.

The park itself is amazing, set on a wooden peninsula just north of Parry Sound. The park closes after Labor Day but they reopen it for John since this was the 12th year for the Paddle Rendezvous, so we had it all to ourselves. The weather was in the 60's and the water was still warm, but the insects were all gone. And the wildlife.... While driving down the Trans Canada Highway, I looked up on a large rock outcropping and saw a black bear, sitting there watching the cars go by like it was no big deal. A deer came right into the campsites. And the chipmunks were so tame they would come right up on your lap and eat peanuts out of your hand.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/3145015494_851097b330.jpg

It took more than 12 hrs. to get there but well worth the trip.

I didn't get to sail against Bufflehead that much, Hugh was behind me taking pictures most of the time and the wind died after a while, but the two boats are very comperable in size and performance. The lug yawl rig performs very well, although there is some difference from having the sail on the "good" side as opposed to the "bad" side. I put the mizzen on the opposite side of the mast from the main to try to even out the difference.

Comparing the two; my lug yawl rig totals 54 sq. ft., Hugh's batwing gunter is 51 sq. ft. The lengths are similar, my boat is a couple of inches wider and a little lower. He has a single long leeboard, I have two shorter ones on a clamp-on bracket. He has an aluminum plate rudder, I have a high aspect foil shaped wood rudder. Bufflehead has 5 panels per side and a multi-panel deck, my boat has 4 panels per side and a continuous curved deck. The shapes are different, too. Hugh wanted a plumb bow with a deep forefoot because he doesn't want the bow to bury when in following swells. I went with a lower Cp with high reserve buoyancy in the bow, with the "knuckle" of the bow at the waterline, so it would tack well and be easy to paddle at low speeds. As you can see from the video, it does tack well even with two aboard, as long as you have enough wind to make way.

The Bufflehead has a wider cockpit to allow the helmsman to slide to windward in the British fashion. As you can see, it is set up for expedition cruising.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3144986158_c68709898b.jpg

I went with wider side decks to allow sitting room (although I have yet to sit there), but also to keep water out of the cockpit in case of a knockdown. The wider deck also gives space to add buoyancy bags or floatation foam.

An interesting feature of Bufflehead is the seat, which is adjustable to 3 heights and has multiple rake positions for the backrest.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/3144175527_69a9508ba8.jpg

Hugh is a great resource for information on small craft; name a boat and if he hasn't owned it, he's probably sailed or paddled it at one time or another.

[Geoff C]

The three lower panels on each side came from two sheets of ply; the deck, bulkheads and upper strakes came from the other two sheets.

On the part of the ply where the upper panels will go, I applied fiberglass and epoxy as before:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/3109710094_7f36d8fe9b.jpg

And clamped them as before:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/3108879601_ab1def5332.jpg

On a sheet of 1/4" ply I marked out the outline of the hull at the 4', 8', and 12' positions.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/3108878575_42b0d9819a_o.jpg

I cut the ply into 2' x 4' sections to make a basket mold for assembly. I cut a couple of 8' long 2 x 4's in half to support the pieces.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/3108877825_baf3db9686_o.jpg

Some purveyors of stitch and glue designs would have you believe that a true hull can be obtained by wiring up the hull panels on a couple of saw horses. From my experience, it's well worth an extra hour or two to make a proper basket mold, which will result in tight seams and a fair hull.

Here are the first two panels loosely wired up:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/3109708730_e073e2af9c_o.jpg

The gaps will disappear after the wires are tightened. I used the green steel wire sold for tying up plants, it seems to be a little stronger than copper.

[Garth Jones]

Pretty boat and great thread!

Thanks,
Garth

[Pernicious Atavist]

Well done, Geoff!
Happy New Year!
Ed

[Michael Wick]

The Delaware River Chapter of the TSCA has three 15 1/2 foot MacGregor Canoes. We sail together at Union Lake, Millville, NJ. We have a strong ACA Contingent, too. Let's get together. Mike Wick, President

[Geoff C]

The Delaware River Chapter of the TSCA has three 15 1/2 foot MacGregor Canoes. We sail together at Union Lake, Millville, NJ. We have a strong ACA Contingent, too. Let's get together. Mike Wick, President

Sounds great, Mike, does your club have a web site or other resource for information?

Geoff

[Pernicious Atavist]

Yeah, Mike, share it with us!

[Geoff C]

I don't know if I'm posting too much or too little information, photos too big or too small, let me know what your preference is.

With all four of the planks in place, the hull takes shape. It looks better "in the flesh" than it did on the computer screen.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3108874425_85e553fcb6_o.jpg

Profile view of the bow before final shaping with the RO sander to smooth it into a fair curve. The bow shape reminds me of many classic yacht designs. The intent is to have good reserve buoyancy to handle boat wakes or swells.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3108881045_dd6cff3341_o.jpg

The stern profile prior to smoothing. A radius was added to the lower rear corner.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/3108881647_33a32b0b8e_o.jpg

I tabbed between the stitch wires, then removed the wires when the epoxy set up. The entire seams were then filled in. I used wood flour and silica thickener in the epoxy.

The seams will be ground down before the interior is glassed.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/3109710422_2bdda80d20_o.jpg

I beveled a piece of 1 x 2 mahogany and used it as a rear stem. This will give the rudder something solid for attachment.

There is no stem in the bow.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/3108880687_dd851dec3c_o.jpg

[Ned Asplundh]

Sounds great, Mike, does your club have a web site or other resource for information?

Geoff

www.tsca.net/delriver

Apologies for it's lack of up-to-dateness....

[Geoff C]

Check it out, my daughter made me a sailing canoe ornament for Christmas! It's a keeper.....


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3517/3177810305_b84b74caee.jpg

After removing the stitch wires, the entire length of the seam must be filled with thickened epoxy. A coating of thinned epoxy is applied to the entire inside surface. All the seams are then ground down before the glass cloth can be applied to the inside.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3178597392_a103d75eac.jpg

Six ounce fiberglass cloth is set in place on the section that will form the cockpit.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3177764805_bd0ba394fe.jpg

The glass cloth is given a single coating of thinned epoxy. I'm not trying to fill the weave, I want a textured surface on the floor.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3177767765_ac3f918f59.jpg

The part of the seams not covered with cloth are covered with 9 ounce glass tape. A little extra thickened epoxy is placed on the stem, but just a little, because too much "end pour" can add a lot of useless weight to the hull.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3468/3178606200_76d12fc809.jpg

[Geoff C]

A view of the hull at this stage. A few sheets of plywood have turned into a curvaceous form.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3178600194_0932124c37.jpg

It looks fast already. This might actually work.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/3178601190_20469713bb.jpg

Two bulkheads will be used, one at each end of the cockpit. The outlines are drawn on parts of the remaining ply that will not be used for the deck. I didn't loft the boat in the conventional sense, the information provided by the Hull program prooved accurate for defining the shape of the bulkheads.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3178607450_c6387c349b.jpg

I used the circle cutting tool that came with my Roto-Zip to cut holes in each bulkhead for later installation of access hatches.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3177810317_d51a14ec69.jpg

The bulkheads are notched for the inwales.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3177810321_bf48c6019a.jpg

[Geoff C]

I clamped a board to the mold, then clamped the bulkhead to the board. Fillets of thickened epoxy were added to the seam on both sides, without any added glass reinforcement. Front bulkhead shown.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3177810335_722d7afe51.jpg

The rear is done the same way. The deck radius is defined by the Hull CAD model.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3180550983_c936c30570.jpg

Scrap pieces of ply were cut out to make the deck supports. They were glued together to make a double thickness. I will add a radiused cut-out to the straight edge.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/3181389490_56330a23c2.jpg

Inwales were ripped from a 16' cedar board. The pencil line shows where it will be cut.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/3180555549_473a42fb4b.jpg

Sandpaper wrapped around a piece of scrap wood is used to shape the cut-outs in the bulkheads.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/3180554443_53f1bec3fa.jpg

[Pernicious Atavist]

Geoff, how do you like that Roto Zip?

[Geoff C]

Geoff, how do you like that Roto Zip?

I found it to be a very handy, easy to use tool, and I used it several times on this project, as you will see from the pictures. It will take router bits, so it can be used as a light router, good for rounding off edges and trimming. The abrasive wheel is very useful for trimming metal parts.

The only complaint I have is that the bits get stuck in the collet easily, and then it must be disassembled to get them out. Disassembly is made more difficult because the rotor locking device is cheaply executed. The rest of the tool appears to be reasonably robust.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

[Geoff C]

The ply deck supports and the cedar inwales were glued with thickened epoxy and clamped. No screws were used. The hull really started to stiffen when they were installed.

The inwales were planed to match the intended curve of the deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3181395136_ceae5070bf.jpg

I made doublers for the bulkheads from thin pine material. These will locate the stringers and help support the deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3180559859_d53593ddb3.jpg

I used the Roto-Zip tool to cut rings from scrap ply. These will give extra thickness for the access hatch screws.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/3180563087_88aa48dc59.jpg

I made deck stringers from fir. I went for extra strength of fir rather than the lightness of cedar because someone may sit on the deck. In fact, the deck width was chosen to allow space for sitting and to prevent water from entering the cockpit in the event of a knockdown.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3180567899_d8b50a19f5.jpg

View from the front shows the deck beam added at the front end of the cockpit. This will provide support for the third mast position.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3332/3181402804_ff900b71af.jpg

[Canoez]

Excellent thread, Geoff!

[Pernicious Atavist]

Dang, Geoff, I may have to get you to build me one!

[PaulT]

Goeff:

Thanks so much for the great thread on the build. I've not observed a S & G build prior to this. Very helpful to read and a really great boat.

Regards:
Paul T

[Geoff C]

Thanks for all the positive comments; it's always good to know someone is following the thread. :)

This is the interior prior to deck installation. The stringers and inwales have been planed to the proper curve, and everything has been given a coating of epoxy.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3393/3198290650_aa0a262b78.jpg

The rear stem is covered with fiberglass since the rudder mounting eyes will have to be bolted on prior to installing the deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/3197447735_1a8161ee98.jpg

Here the rudder mounts, which are 1/4-20 threaded stainless eyebolts I picked up at Jamestown Distributors, have been installed. The ply for the deck is marked about a half inch outside the shear line.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3197450289_613e979c3c.jpg

The ply is then cut where marked.

Does anyone else have trouble getting the blade to align with the body on these DeWalt saber saws?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3198297046_fd03988712.jpg

The stringers are coated with thickened epoxy, and the underside of the decking is coated with unthickened epoxy, then clamped in position, ready to be screwed down.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3197453787_92008434dd.jpg

[Geoff C]

The deck was clamped around the cockpit opening, then I used #8 brass screws to secure it to the inwales. The hole location was marked a 1/2" in from the outside edge of the hull with a slotted marking stick. I used a countersunk drill bit and the screws did not stick when the epoxy set up, I was able to remove them later.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3198301984_2502bdac70.jpg

At the deck joint, I glued on a couple of pieces of ply to form a butt joint for the front deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3197456055_058108ed83.jpg

Before the front deck was installed, I had to install the front mast step. I added a couple of hardwood deck braces for added strength. Were I to do it again, I could shave a little weight here.

The step is set forward of the hole in the deck to give the proper rake to the mast.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/3198302880_069a9116aa.jpg

The front deck was installed in the same fashion as the rear. Clamps hold the curve of the deck until the screws are in.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3198304918_d79beeeaa6.jpg

Clamps secure the cockpit edge of the deck until the epoxy sets up. The hull is now a lightweight, extremely stiff structure.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/3198305736_365e2493b6.jpg

[Geoff C]

After the glue set up, it was time to trim the deck. The sheer line was traced on the deck and I cut a quarter inch outside the line.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/3198307572_b05c3ce293.jpg

After cutting, I trimmed carefully with a plane, then used a random orbit sander to get a clean joint without scratching the wood.

I picked up the vintage Stanley plane at the WB show in Mystic.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3198309440_4f4504cc5c.jpg

I used the Roto-Zip with a laminate trimming bit to trim the cockpit opening back to the deck stringers. Takes just a few minutes.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3198308500_055425f7ec.jpg

The hull and deck were clear coated with epoxy, then sanded with the random orbit sander.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/3198313950_e66dd76048.jpg

View from the rear. Note the eye bolts for the rudder.

The hull will get a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass but not the deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3197465757_32d5c17223.jpg

[Pernicious Atavist]

How are you going to finish her--bright? paint?

[Pernicious Atavist]

Nice work, Geoff! How will you finish it?

[Geoff C]

After a complete sanding of the hull, I wiped it down with mineral spirits to remove sanding dust and show any remaining flaws.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3248849549_b11ce1cf9f_o.jpg

View from the front. The seams filled in rather well, you have to get really close before the stitch holes are visible.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3508/3248849551_c819665547_o.jpg

Four ounce cloth is applied to the deck and the weave is filled with at least two coats of epoxy. More sanding followed.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3381/3248849561_aa32d4580f_o.jpg

Any cloth or epoxy that extended past the deck was sanded flush.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/3248849573_0be38e7613_o.jpg

I removed the brass screws and filled the holes. I could have left them in but I was worried they would turn green from salt water exposure. Next time I'm going to put clear packaging tape over the fillets so that they won't need much sanding after the epoxy sets up.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3248864087_54e6c60ed7_o.jpg

[Geoff C]

How are you going to finish her--bright? paint?

Bright

But that's a good question because the right finish can make or break the looks of a boat. I would be interested in hearing from others about successful finishes they've done on canoes/ kayaks.

BTW the blue traditional canoe in the Killbear post was brush painted with Epiphanes paint, looked like a spray painted job.

[floatingkiwi]

Does "bright", mean varnished with the timber visible as opposed to painted?

[Geoff C]

Does "bright", mean varnished with the timber visible as opposed to painted?

Yes, and "brightwork" refers to all the varnished areas of the boat.

[Geoff C]

I didn't bring the sides of the cockpit to a point at front end so as to make more room for the passenger, but the squared off end made for a bit of a challenge in finishing off the coaming. To keep water from large waves out of the cockpit, I designed a simple wave splitter in SolidWorks.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/3256167655_286a38eacf.jpg
I ripped and planed a mahogany 2 x 4 into 1/4" thick boards. Mahogany is heavy, so I tried to use as thin a piece as I could. After taping the two pieces together, I placed them on the deck and traced the required curve with a pencil on a spacer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3248864091_e751769ef9_o.jpg

The bottom curve had to be cut at a 45 deg. angle. Not having a bandsaw, I improvised by mounting the sabersaw in the vice. This actually worked well.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3248864099_24c355e9d6_o.jpg

Perfect fit. I glued the parts together but didn't glue them to the deck at this time.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3248864105_750b485190_o.jpg

The next step was to drill the holes in the deck for the front and rear mast steps. I hit the location within 1/8".

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/3249705884_803b9b5aed_o.jpg

[Pernicious Atavist]

Geoff, I didn't catch it--centerboard? Dagger-? Lee-?

What will you do for cockpit drainage?

[Geoff C]

Coaming height is a compromise between keeping the water out of the cockpit, and being able to sit on the deck. I decided to keep the height low and rely on the wave splitter to keep most of the water out.

I ripped some 1/4" strips from the mahogany 2 x 4 and shaped the ends to fit. No fussy joinery work here, just some cuts with the saber saw and smoothing with the sander. The top edge was rounded off.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3285097956_f4a88b7991.jpg

A few clamps held the coamings in place until the epoxy set up.

The curved piece lying on the deck will go across the top of the bulkhead between the coamings and cover the exposed end grain of the deck plywood. A similar piece was put on the front of the cockpit.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3285097958_9e5d0c4515.jpg

At the front of the cockpit I glued in the third mast step.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3285098000_fb42a77d09.jpg

The rear mast step was aligned with the hole in the deck. It was offset toward the bow to maintain the mast rake.

I'm using a piece of ABS tubing to protect the mast against chafing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/3285032810_143b97ca0c.jpg

The filler pieces between the coamings can be seen above and below.

I don't like the lighter colored wood of the upper mount but I ran short of the other wood. I'll change it later.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3285098004_80f694e084.jpg

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Great thread, beauty boat :)

[Ahimsakid]

Great post Geoff, thanks for taking the trouble to share!

[Geoff C]

Thanks to all of you for the encouraging comments...

My vacation was drawing near when it came time do something about the leeboards and rudder. I checked around to see who might have ready-made parts that I could buy and adapt for my purposes, potentially saving time. All I could find were leeboards made of plywood and rudders for kayaks made of injection molded materials. Neither would do from a cost or aesthetic point of view. I decided to make my own.

I was running short of mahogany but had some fir so I decided to combine the two for an interesting look and added strength. I glued the pieces together with thickened epoxy. No pins or biscuits needed since I was going to cover the parts with fiberglass.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3249705868_09226a04c0_o.jpg

This is where not working from plans can slow you down. Decisions have to be made on the size, shape, and taper of the foils. I sketched out a shape in SolidWorks and transfered it to the wood.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3285028868_33a490be01.jpg

After cutting out the foils, I trued them up on the sander.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3285029774_a672962fc9.jpg

Roto-Zip again, this time with a cove bit to round off the ends and the handles.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/3285030822_358013da5c.jpg

I set the blade to 16 deg. on the leading edge and 6 deg. on the trailing edge, then rounded everything with the r. o. sander.

Making these foils from solid wood only took a few minutes more than cutting them out of plywood, and they're more durable and better looking.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3285031880_c537ac85cc.jpg

[Geoff C]

Geoff, I didn't catch it--centerboard? Dagger-? Lee-?

What will you do for cockpit drainage?

Ed, I'm not sure I understand the question.

[Pernicious Atavist]

I think I was looking at Summers' 16x30 at the time and it drains through the CB slot. I was wondering if yours will have scuppers.

[Geoff C]

To make the rudder mounts, I started by gluing up some mahogany pieces that were notched to clear the gudgeons. The overall width of the rudder mount will be 2 1/4" and the only gudgeons I could find were designed for 3/4" rudders, thus the notches.

The cutouts were made on the table saw.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/3248908405_94d9bb87fc_o.jpg

After sanding, I glued the mahogany pieces to a piece of fir.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3248908427_2a49649734_o.jpg

The leading edge was beveled on the table saw.

You can barely make out the pencil line that defines the radius that will be cut on the trailing edge.

"I'm making this up as I go along."

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3249764402_acc881a43f_o.jpg

The completed rudder mount is in back.

The rudder itself is being covered with fiberglass cloth.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3249764410_21386389bf_o.jpg

The leeboards were also covered with fiberglass. Here they are shown after being epoxy coated, prior to final sanding and varnishing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/3249764396_40b077863e_o.jpg

[Geoff C]

I thought it would be a good idea to put a raised pad around the mast steps, to add strength and provide a place to mount rigging hardware. I cut some mahogany down to 1/4" thick and glued it to the deck, using clamps to make it take the curve of the deck.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3249716622_35edc4dd93_o.jpg

Ditto for the rear mast step. The hull is close to being finished.

I epoxy coated the deck but did not install glass, to keep the weight down. I did not have checking problems on kayaks I built in similar fashion 6 years ago, also of 4mm okoume.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3249716628_bed5b62a60_o.jpg

View of the hull prior to final finishing. Several thinned coats of epoxy were all it took to fill the weave, and I didn't need to do that much sanding. The construction quality of this boat was noticeably better than on the kayaks I built previously, so a little experience really helps.

After sanding with the random orbit sander, I wet sanded with 400 grit. Initially I put on 3 coats of Helmsman poly, but I didn't like the lack of "warmth" and gloss. I then applied 3 coats of Interlux Schooner varnish.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3248908419_e1e59b1550_o.jpg

Time to make the masts and spars. I tapered the poles with a hand plane and smoothed them with the sander. I probably could have used the power planer, but it wasn't that bad doing it by hand.

The top of each mast was drilled to make a dumb sheave for the halyard. I love simple rigs!

When finished, I sealed the masts and spars with a coat of thinned epoxy.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3361/3248908429_ef11e84075_o.jpg

Not wanting to mess up the clean deck with glued-on leeboard mounts, I decided to make a clamp-on mount. An added benefit is the adjustability of the leeboard position.

In practice, the mount serves as a backrest for the front seat passenger.

I considered mounting the leeboards directly to the sides of the canoe, but I've been told by more experienced canoers that it might not be a good idea, I'm not sure why. One thing I do know is that the mount has to be high enough so that it doesn't hit the water when the canoe heels.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3424/3249764414_4352263547_o.jpg

[Pernicious Atavist]

Geoff--lovely as usual.

Boards mounted directly to the hull impart torque, directly to the hull. Hit something, get sideways in shoals and get jammed up [did it last weekend] and the hull gets the energy. Maybe only a bit at a time, but on lightly built hulls....

What's the specs on your mast? Wood? Etc?

[ShagRock]

Superb work, Geoff! Great photos and wonderful thread to read. Looking forward to the mast and sail rig setup.

[Geoff C]

I think I was looking at Summers' 16x30 at the time and it drains through the CB slot. I was wondering if yours will have scuppers.

Nope, the bottom of the cockpit is the bottom of the boat.


Boards mounted directly to the hull impart torque, directly to the hull. Hit something, get sideways in shoals and get jammed up [did it last weekend] and the hull gets the energy. Maybe only a bit at a time, but on lightly built hulls....

Good point. I was thinking at the time that if I were to mount the leeboards directly, I would have to add framing inside to take the load, but that would make the boat heavier to lift onto the roof of the van. Right now it's about as heavy as I can manage alone.


What's the specs on your mast? Wood? Etc?

My specs? Unobtainium, of course. :) To save time, I made the masts and spars out of closet pole stock, which appears to be pine. Very strong but heavy. To save weight, I made them 1/4" thinner than what Todd recommended. At least it looks better than aluminum, and has the required strength.

When I was at the Paddle Rendezvous, I took a look at one of John Hupfield's masts, which was spruce, and I was surprised at how light it was, so one of my winter projects will be to make some proper Sitka spruce masts and spars.

[Pernicious Atavist]

Again--last weekend..sailing in heavy chop, ~15kt winds, I noted the bend in my lower spar (bamboo)(40' lateen). I've looked at closet pole stock and wondered if the grain runout would cause it to splinter when bowed, so I've never used it.

Any experience with pole stock before? Would a laid-up, hollow boom even be possible (what--1.5"?)?

[switters]

outstanding thread, I'll keep this one book marked.

Thanks you,

[Geoff C]

Again--last weekend..sailing in heavy chop, ~15kt winds, I noted the bend in my lower spar (bamboo)(40' lateen). I've looked at closet pole stock and wondered if the grain runout would cause it to splinter when bowed, so I've never used it.

Any experience with pole stock before? Would a laid-up, hollow boom even be possible (what--1.5"?)?

Ed-

If you give it a coat or two of thinned epoxy, I can't imagine it would ever break. I'm using the smaller size for the booms, and my main is about the same size as yours. In similar winds to what you experienced, nothing was bending.

If your boom is bending only in the vertical plane, you could also consider a rectangular boom, possibly of Douglas fir, or glue up an I beam cross section.

[Pernicious Atavist]

I believe the bamboo will hold up (though my beliefs have been tested before with varying results), but I was curious about the poles undergoing that degree of stress and how they'd stand up to it. After inquiring or you I thought about epoxying the poles; glad to see it works for you, Geoff! I'll add it to my list--maybe for the 54' sprits'l.

[Geoff C]

Superb work, Geoff! Great photos and wonderful thread to read. Looking forward to the mast and sail rig setup.

Thank you, ShagRock. I don't have too many pix of the rig. Let me know if you need more detail, but it's pretty simple; just a halyard on each spar, a downhaul on each boom to tension the luff, and a sheet out near the end of each boom.

I ordered 8" Beckson hatches from Defender Industries and installed them into the two bulkheads.

The jamb cleat to the left of the mast mount will take the mizzen sheet, which will be cleated off most of the time.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/3142615326_90c1129376.jpg

At each mast step position, I installed two 4" cleats from West Marine, one for the downhaul and one for the halyard.

The wave deflector was epoxied to the deck before the final finish was applied.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3142615320_dd0e6e14b2.jpg

The front mast step. I used fender washers and nylon insert nuts under the deck to secure them, and rope caulk to keep water out of the holes.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/3141763261_c6c7e73ea4.jpg

Here's the picture of the sails Todd sent me when they were done. The seams are vertical, in the direction that the sails will be under tension, which I think is the right way to do it.

The head of the sails are laced to the spar; the foot is attached at the tack and the clew to the boom.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3360573501_6283640b1c.jpg

On the lawn at the house we rented for vacation in Padanarum. Buzzard's Bay is in the background, the harbor and the New Bedford Yacht Club, where we docked our Sea Skiff, is to the right. I decided to get all the rigging done in one final push.

A halyard was tied to each spar, run through a hole at the top of each mast, then down to the halyard cleat.

The downhaul went from the downhaul cleat, up around the boom, and back down to the cleat. No expensive hardware was needed, the only block used was on the boom, and that was about $10.00.

The leeboards were secured to the bracket with two fender washers, a stainless steel carriage bolt, and a plastic handled nut on each side.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/3361499162_17353422aa.jpg

For good performance, it's important to have strong tension in the luff. When it is right, the spar does not twist much relative to the boom, and windward performance is improved. The position of the boom and spar relative to the mast is fully tunable. It took a few outings to figure out what set-up works the best.

[Lew Barrett]

Congratulations on a fine launching!

[ShagRock]

Geoff - thanks for giving the details on your rigging and sails; and I agree the vertical seams on the sails look great! This is one of the best threads I've read anywhere on building your own sailing canoe.

I especially liked that you made the process so all-inclusive, i.e. starting with the design at the outset, through the construction phase, and finally the finishing touches and the rigging. A great resource for those interested in building their own.

Many happy sailing adventures!

[skuthorp]

What a great thread, thanks very much GeoffC (I'm a Jeff C myself, and sail a Macgreggor). She seems very lightly buillt and seems to have much more freeboard than the dry hull would suggest.

[Pernicious Atavist]

Well done! Well done!

[Garrett Lowell]

Thanks for posting these.