A kayak for Caroline

[Woxbox]

Time for a reality check. I carried the top out to the garage where the bottom is stored to make sure the two actually fit together. It's close enough -- the sections are quite springy. But one never knows -- an earlier kayak gave me a hard time getting the halves together.

So for the first time, I get a feel for the shape and size of the boat. Seems about right.

28 Checking the fit.jpg

[Woxbox]

Yes, there's been a decided lapse in the action in the workshop. I was away for several weeks, sick a few days here and there, and just didn't get into the shop much.

But the past few days I've been back at it. Nick's instructions suggest the two halves can be pulled together with tape and nothing more. And they are quite flexy, but in my case, the bottom was narrower than the top -- and the top measured out correctly. (So did the bottom when I put it aside to assemble the top.)

So the tape wouldn't spring out the sides of the bottom. I tried measured sticks inside to splay out the hull, but that just wasn't good enough. So I then resorted to drilling holes and using copper wire to pull it together. This got me to within 1/8" or less in most places, a bit more just aft of the cockpit on the port side. Still not quite there. So I replaced the wire with ply blocks screwed into the bottom, which very effectively pulled the sides out to mate with the top. A spool of fiber-reinforced tape and I'm finally ready to bond top to bottom on the inside with epoxy and glass tape.

It's not pretty, I know, but there's progress here. The boat is braced on its side to keep the goop down in the seam.

Taped up for inside bond.jpg

These self-tapping pocket screws with the square drive are the treat for temporary holds.

Tape and blocks to align top and bottom.jpg

[Woxbox]

Top and bottom joined, tape and screws out, holes filled. Next job is to install the fore and aft bulkheads and finish out the cockpit.

31 Halves joined, screws and tape removed.jpg

[Breakaway]

Nice, Dave!


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[Woxbox]

Bulkheads in, but nothing much to see there. Today, a test fit of the roughed-out cockpit coaming. I usually steam bend them for looks and a solid feel. Here I followed the plans and laminated the unit from plywood. After it's shaped and glassed, I'll be painting it black. It's plywood, after all.

Cockpit rim test fit.jpg

[MattMKE]

You’ve put these on my radar as yet another boat I’d like to build at some point!

[Woxbox]

You’ve put these on my radar as yet another boat I’d like to build at some point!

The design is a great all-around boat. I've already been thinking I'll need one for myself.

[Woxbox]

Today I got the part that had me worried done. Fabric on, epoxied and trimmed. The samples I did earlier helped me avoid major issues, but I nevertheless spent a lot of time chasing out wrinkles and bubbles. It did not lay down perfectly, but I'm hoping the glass that will go over it will hide the little sins I left here and there.

The fabric is glued down here. It's extremely light stuff, and therefore a lot more fussy to work with than fiberglass.

Hull taped, fabric epoxied.jpg

After letting the epoxy set up for 3 or 4 hours, I trimmed off the excess and pulled the tape. Caroline may get to paddle it before the lakes freeze over after all.

Fabric trimmed.jpg

[cstevens]

Wow! Very cool result.

[Breakaway]

Great, Dave!


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[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

That is very very nice indeed.

[MattMKE]

This looks great! Any concerns about glare off that surface in the sun? I’m fairly certain my partner will want something like this if I show her the pictures, and so I’m planning now for that build to follow my sailing dory.

[Hwyl]

Cool.

[Woxbox]

This looks great! Any concerns about glare off that surface in the sun? I’m fairly certain my partner will want something like this if I show her the pictures, and so I’m planning now for that build to follow my sailing dory.

I don't think it will be any more shiny than a fiberglass boat. We'll find out.

[Woxbox]

Cockpit coaming on and hatch covers dropped in place. This is pretty much how it will look when completed, but I have some hours of labor yet to go. Finish filling the glass, sand it out and then varnish, varnish, varnish. Add some deck bungies and carrying handles. The coaming needs to be glassed down to the interior, faired and painted, too. Oh, and paint the cockpit interior. And fit the seat, of course. (And, oh yeah, I promised a paddle to match.)

Cockpit coaming attached.jpg

[Woxbox]

OK, it's done. Lot's of fiddling since the last post -- coats of varnish, outfitting, etc. But it's officially done.

So Caroline has her boat, which I promised her last Christmas. (Please don't miss the matching scarf!)

Complete - with Caroline 4.jpg

And a view from the stern

38 Complete.jpg

Took a bit longer than I expected, which is how almost all of my projects go. But the fabric trick seems to have worked. I did put on multiple coats of UV retardant varnish on the deck to, hopefully, retain the colors.

[JimConlin]

Nice job!

Jim

[Woxbox]

Nice job!

Jim

Thanks, Jim. It was a fun project.

[Cogeniac]

Wow!! Well done!!

[Woxbox]

Wow!! Well done!!

Thanks. We're still waiting for warmer weather for the sea trials.