Now for something totally different

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Kudzu

I have been looking at a ‘pulling’ (rowing) boat design for probably two years now. I have played with lots of ideas. I pretty much finished the design on Sweetbriar but just never built it. Not sure why but I just kept finding myself trying other things. A couple of weeks ago I was bouncing ideas around on the Wooden Boat Forum when I had a new idea.

What if I took one of my previous designs and made it more like a scull. Add a deck with coamings instead of an open boat. Lowered the profile while trying to keep some traditional styling in the boat. (I am a big fan of traditional boats)

For those of us that are more experienced boaters (read: older) keep some stability since this is for exercise and recreation. Long enough to take advantage of the sliding seat. For use on protected water and but keep the bow tall enough that it can deal with some chop too. Crown the decks to divert water off to the sides.

This is what I ended up with. If you could see the waterlines it is essentially a double ender. The transom acts as a bit of a rudder and is largely for looks. The final version has a rounded shape and doesn’t come to point like I show in the drawing. The plan is a to varnish the transom and you could even put a name on there in the traditional manner.

I have started working on the prototype of a drop-in sliding seat rowing unit for this one. I need to get the frame built so I can check the fit and work out some of the details like how I want to mount it to the boat. I need to come up with a simple-to-build outrigger. That is proving to be a bit of a challenge. I want something that anyone with some basic woodworking skills can build.

Weather is calling for 5 days or rain starting this afternoon. I just made a run to my lumber supplier and picked up a bunch of plywood yesterday. I see a lot of shop time next few days.

New boats coming

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Kudzu

It’s been over a month since I written anything in my blog. I would rather post something worth reading than just posting filler to up my post count. But I have been very busy while I was not blogging, working on some new projects for spring.

My experience with Stonefly had turned me off to canoes designs. As beautiful as that boat is, very few have been built that I am aware of. Lots of Oh’s and Ahh’s but few sales. So I have avoided canoes, till now. I started asking what people would like to see and I found a lot of interest in tandems. Not tandem kayaks, but open boats like canoes. Perhaps a Recreational tandem kayak too.

I was looking through the Sand Box (that is where I store boat designs I am ‘playing’ with) and I found a design I had forgotten about.

A 16′ long tandem canoe that I find quite attractive. I was totally surprised to see this too! Because of the orange color I used designing it I decided to call in Tangerine. You will be seeing more on this very soon.

Before I found Tangerine, I was looking at ideas for a simple and cheap boat. Problem is you can’t get much cheaper than they are now. Searching the web for inspiration I was looking at the Cajun Pirogue (often pronounced Pea-row). A very simple flat bottomed boat. This was the perfect candidate.

What I came up with is not totally true to tradition. I did add some V to the hull instead of trying to keep it flat bottomed. That should make it track better and not always wanting to turn in circles. Not as maneuverable but much better out on a lake.

This is about a simple and cheap as I can make one. There is a one man version too. (I guess I didn’t learn my lesson to well.) I see this as a good boat for someone wanting to try Fuselage Frame or as a good father son project. I think it would make a good Boy Scout or summer camp project too.

I am working on a couple of other designs that will be seeing soon but I will save them for another day. I need something else to write about.

Manual is now in print

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Kudzu

Been working on this for a few weeks. Our assembly manual is now in a printed and bound book. No more CD’s!

I much prefer anything technical to be on paper than the in digital format. After publishing my book and learning the ins and outs of publishing a book I decided to print the assembly manual. I wanted to make some updates and tweak it a little bit. That has taken a little while.

I just placed the order for the first copies. Starting around February 1 if you order a kit or a plans you will now get the printed manual instead of a CD with the manual on it.

Makin’ Waves

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Kudzu

Something new is in the shop. With Shad finished I have decided it is time to tackle what i suspect will be a big project.

Who am I kidding? This is a really big project! I am about to start the restoration of Makin’ Waves. She is a 1962 Chris Craft Sea Skiff that I have owned for over 20 years. I did a cosmetic restoration on her once before. Due to improper storage she developed a leak, a bad leak and was hauled out.

I was afraid to send it to the shop because money was tight and you never know what it is going to cost till you get the boat apart. Then you are committed. So it has been in under cover for several years.

Now I have the skill and most importantly I have the space. So I have pulled in the shop and this will be my next big project.

Shad is finished and photographed

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Kudzu

A few photos from the second time out with Shad. Foggy and rainy but a great day to do some photography. Just posting a few here.

My buddy Phil out on Short Creek. Further down the river I gave him my camera and asked him to snap away. Gave me a chance to see my boat on the water.

I need to paint my logos on there and this one is done!

Launching day finally!

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Kudzu

I finally got to take SHAD out and I love it! After just a couple of minutes I found myself paddling, concentrating on my photography instead of the boat. It was like putting on an old pair of slippers, You don’t think about them, you just put them on and go about your business and that is exactly what I did.

I found SHAD a little smaller than most of my boats. I straddle the boat in the water, park my butt in the seat and then pull in one foot then the other. Because it is a little lower volume I could still do this but I had to lean back a little to get my leg in. It rubbed against the frame under coaming. I could get in without risk of getting stuck, it was just lower and that makes it a little tighter to get in. That was a surprise but that was the only one. I found it comfortable, easy to turn and tracks really well.

I was expecting really hard tracking but a little lean and it started to turn slowly. A lean and a little paddle stroke and it would go where ever I wanted.Just really impressed. This may become my other go-to boat. I still Long Shot better, but she is a close second.

Here is some photos from the paddle.BTW, at the end of the paddle I took several of her on the water and shore….. but I forgot to check the lens and there were big water drops that ruined the photos. So I will have to take some more. Gives me an excuse to go paddling again. 🙂

: My audience for the launching

: Late arrivers comeing to see the launching.

: Nothing here to see, move on.

: Blue heron looking for his lunch

: As Buzz Lightyear would say…”To infinity and beyond!”

: Kiwanas fishing pier

: After 30+ minutes of paddlign toward the traffic, the bridge appears out of the fog.

: And the fog just starts to dissapear!

: A different perspective of the bridges

: Just as suddenly the fog starts to roll in on me. Time to turn around.

: The Islands soon dissapeared from view

Finished!

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Kudzu

Rigged up and ready to head to the water in the morning (hopefully). I have some toggle handles made and ran out of paint so I left them off for now. Here are the photos. Enjoy!

Kudzu Craft nuclear green

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Kudzu

I got my green! Well not exactly but this is pretty close. A tad yellower than I had in mind but it is as close as I can get. After all searching I found this at of all places my local Ace Hardware. The paint stores couldn’t mix it but the hardware store can? Really? Well if the quality of the paint is there, they have my business.

Anyway, check it out. It’s not finished but it’s close. Look at those lines, even if I do say so that is a good-looking boat. Now if it just paddles as good as it looks.

Now, with these you can see why I call it Nuclear Green, I think it may glow in the dark! 🙂 Anxious to get the rigging on the boat, that will help by breaking up all that green. So stayed tuned!

New Years Day paddle

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Kudzu

Meet up with some friends for a News Years day paddle. Wind was wild today! As we ate breakfast we decided the Beech Creek would be the best choice and provide some shelter from the wind. Still there were times it was liking paddling against a wall. You arms were moving but you were not going anywhere!