Are you going to do some extra stiffening on the bottom? It seems so big it looks like it will be prone to flex.
The original plan called for a 1 x 3 piece of oak built into the forms to run the length of the hull. The strips would be glued onto this. I thought about it, but decided against it. The strips are 1/2 inch thick and I have two layers of ten ounce on the bottom. When I flipped it over, I was worried about flex, but it is rock solid, all dimensions are correct. Once I get it sanded (two days of heck I figure), I'm going to do a football of six ounce on the inside, then I will run the ten ounce width wise, with generous over laps. I was thinking then of running a hardwood strip all the way down the centre, but the boat has a sharp V, I don't think it will work. So I will put shorter lengths of hardwood under the seats with posts running from the seat (3/4 inch ply) to the board on the bottom, and possibly one from a centre thwart. That's the plan right now, but it may change. Have to get that arduous sanding job done first.
My initial plan of trailering it upside down on my ski doo trailer will probably not work. My son and I moved it yesterday off the forms to flip over. Without any trim or inside glass, I'm guessing it is over 200 pounds already, so I'm speculating it will come in around 250 to 275. I'm gonna need a trailer. I didn't really comprehend the size until we flipped it over, and then I was somewhat freaked out, and wondered if I was entirely right in the head for building this thing.
Whenever I have conceived of building a new canoe, it was usually the result of some kind of perceived need. My wife is very paranoid about waves, and we like to go camping on some big lakes. When the women come camping with us, the canoes are always packed to the gunwales and riding low, which compounds the wind problems. A few times in the 17 foot square stern I built, she has been pretty nervous, so I wanted to build her a boat she would be comfortable in when we ran into wind. After I flipped it over yesterday, she was pretty much speechless, which was an odd and pleasant sensation. She also doesn't like to go fast in boats, so with the six horse, I don't think speed will be a problem. I had initially predicted 20 kilometres an hour with the six horse, but I am guessing now that maybe 12 to 15 might be realistic.
Anyway, back to the salt mines of sanding!
