WE AGREE ! Ha !
You can easily off balance with gear, if you find the need.
Comfort on the Shoulders is paramount though !
Rick's yoke looks comfy, and angling may be just the ticket.
Nice work Rick !
Jim
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Happy New Year 2025! 🕛🍾🥂
First Build: 17'-6" J. Winters "Yukon"
- Thread starter RickR
- Start date
You can easily off balance with gear, if you find the need.
Comfort on the Shoulders is paramount though !
Rick's yoke looks comfy, and angling may be just the ticket.
Nice work Rick !
Jim
On our first ever guided trip last spring I was introduced to the wonders of clamp on portage pads. Nothing not to like! The first thing I did when we returned home was build a pair for our Mad River Explorer. I'm sure I'll make a pair for this canoe also for portage heavy trips.
Gunnels are pretty much a working surface for us. I usually slide the canoe up onto the truck rack and it’s not unusual to use the out-wale as a paddle fulcrum. With that kind of treatment I thought oil might be an easier finish to maintain than varnish. I was hoping to use Watco Teak but wasn’t sure it would dry in time for our trip next week. I’ve had good luck maintaining cherry paddles with boiled linseed oil but decided to try tung oil on the ash because I’ve read it’s more resistant to mildew. Time will tell.
I was curious how much the seats, thwarts etc weighed so I took time to weigh them when I disassembled for final finishing.
2 lbs 7 oz stern seat, drops, hardware
3 lbs 10 oz bow seat, drops, slide rails (1 lbs 3 oz), hardware
1 lbs 6 oz bow thwart, hardware
1 lbs 10 oz carry thwart, hardware
1 lbs 2 oz stern thwart, hardware
14 oz bow and stern decks
_________
11 lbs 1 oz
Everything adds up!
Although similar in length the bow thwart is 4 oz heavier than the stern thwart due to my beefing it up a bit due to front seat load. Making the bow seat adjustable added about a pound and a half to the build.
2 lbs 7 oz stern seat, drops, hardware
3 lbs 10 oz bow seat, drops, slide rails (1 lbs 3 oz), hardware
1 lbs 6 oz bow thwart, hardware
1 lbs 10 oz carry thwart, hardware
1 lbs 2 oz stern thwart, hardware
14 oz bow and stern decks
_________
11 lbs 1 oz
Everything adds up!
Although similar in length the bow thwart is 4 oz heavier than the stern thwart due to my beefing it up a bit due to front seat load. Making the bow seat adjustable added about a pound and a half to the build.
Are you setting those parts in cups of oil to soak into the grain? I did that with white oak in linseed once, it took time but went all the way through lengthwise.
Yes. I think the initial application of oil is the most important for water proofing. I want the wood to absorb all that it can first coat. End grain soaks up a lot and I find it easiest to soak for a couple hours when possible.
Rick
Thinning Epifanes varnish 15% with their thinner was a big difference maker. I didn’t have any trouble tipping with the foam brush or advancing the wet edge without lap marks. The first photo shows something worth noting. S glass doesn’t wet out translucently like E glass does. I used S glass for a 5 inch waterline football because of its increased abrasion resistance (also for the inner layer for increased tensile strength). I don’t mind seeing the S glass, but I’m glad I wet out the football to a taped line. At least the transition is neat and orderly!
I made some quarter sawn ash “keepers “ to secure the bow seat to the slide rails. Washer head wood screws secure them without the tendency to split that flat head wood screws have.
I made some quarter sawn ash “keepers “ to secure the bow seat to the slide rails. Washer head wood screws secure them without the tendency to split that flat head wood screws have.
We reinstalled thwarts and seats first thing this morning before wrestling the canoe out of the “boat shop”. I borrowed a digital scale to try and get an accurate weight. 59.5 pounds. I really haven’t focused on weight at all in this build, but this was a pleasant surprise. Our 1979 Mad River Explorer (Royalex) weighs 82 pounds.
I took a few photos to give an idea of hull shape. This afternoon we drove to Medway, Maine and tomorrow we head to Allagash Lake for 6 days. I’ll take some proper canoe in the water photos there to post when we return as well as report on our paddling impressions.
I took a few photos to give an idea of hull shape. This afternoon we drove to Medway, Maine and tomorrow we head to Allagash Lake for 6 days. I’ll take some proper canoe in the water photos there to post when we return as well as report on our paddling impressions.
Looks gorgeous, especially on the "Che __let" truck. Have a great trip!
Looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it on the water!
Nice job .....
Beautiful!
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Just stunning!! Nice work!
My apologies for being so slow getting back to this thread with paddling impressions and photos. We enjoyed quite a bit of time in our new boat with day trips on the Lamoille River and Green River Reservoir in VT, a 6 day trip to Allagash Lake via Johnson Pond in ME and a 5 day up and back trip from Inlet on the Oswegatchie River in NY. We haven’t paddled many different canoes, however we have paddled a royalex 16 foot Mad River Explorer a lot. Comments are relative to our Explorer.
Primary stability is a little more tender, but not uncomfortably so and we adjusted quickly. Secondary stability is solid. We experienced high winds and waves on Allagash lake, but never felt unsafe.
The hull is definitely more rigid. Doesn’t “give” to the water at all. No oil canning!
It is noticeably more maneuverable and turns easily. It carves turns beautifully. Paddling out (downstream) on the Oswegatchie was a new experience!
It does not track as well. I needed to be more attentive in the stern.
I’d say carrying capacity is similar. Although it’s a foot and a half longer the adjustable bow seat takes up a lot of that.
It seems like it’s faster, but I have no empirical way of proving that. It’s definitely more responsive to our paddles.
I’m optimistic it will be a decent poling canoe, but need more time in it to know. I doubt it will match the Explorer. We were largely wind bound on Allagash Lake (hurricane Lee), so spent a day poling up Allagash Stream. We made great progress and had a lot of fun.
Our dog Libby took a little time to adjust. She sits at the bow which she found noticeably narrower and more slick. I don’t think she cares which boat we take as long as she gets to come.
Now some thoughts specific to the Yukon: Gunwale scuppers are great tie off points. The “grab” decks worked well for 2 person carry. Karen said she preferred them to handles. I like the low line attachment holes and would install them again. I’d also angle the carry yoke again. The difference is noticeable. We liked the seats. The swoop in the front rail is very comfortable to kneel off of. The adjustable bow seat works well. Easy to adjust and stays where put. It was nice to be able to adjust trim on the fly without having to stop and reshuffle gear.
We’re still learning our new canoe. It’s definitely a paddling upgrade and I think it will be a nice river/lake tripping boat for us. Safe and seaworthy, just what we need.
Thank you to everyone who offered advice, support and encouragement throughout this build. You kept us on the road and out of the ditch. It made a huge difference and we appreciate it.
Primary stability is a little more tender, but not uncomfortably so and we adjusted quickly. Secondary stability is solid. We experienced high winds and waves on Allagash lake, but never felt unsafe.
The hull is definitely more rigid. Doesn’t “give” to the water at all. No oil canning!
It is noticeably more maneuverable and turns easily. It carves turns beautifully. Paddling out (downstream) on the Oswegatchie was a new experience!
It does not track as well. I needed to be more attentive in the stern.
I’d say carrying capacity is similar. Although it’s a foot and a half longer the adjustable bow seat takes up a lot of that.
It seems like it’s faster, but I have no empirical way of proving that. It’s definitely more responsive to our paddles.
I’m optimistic it will be a decent poling canoe, but need more time in it to know. I doubt it will match the Explorer. We were largely wind bound on Allagash Lake (hurricane Lee), so spent a day poling up Allagash Stream. We made great progress and had a lot of fun.
Our dog Libby took a little time to adjust. She sits at the bow which she found noticeably narrower and more slick. I don’t think she cares which boat we take as long as she gets to come.
Now some thoughts specific to the Yukon: Gunwale scuppers are great tie off points. The “grab” decks worked well for 2 person carry. Karen said she preferred them to handles. I like the low line attachment holes and would install them again. I’d also angle the carry yoke again. The difference is noticeable. We liked the seats. The swoop in the front rail is very comfortable to kneel off of. The adjustable bow seat works well. Easy to adjust and stays where put. It was nice to be able to adjust trim on the fly without having to stop and reshuffle gear.
We’re still learning our new canoe. It’s definitely a paddling upgrade and I think it will be a nice river/lake tripping boat for us. Safe and seaworthy, just what we need.
Thank you to everyone who offered advice, support and encouragement throughout this build. You kept us on the road and out of the ditch. It made a huge difference and we appreciate it.
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That's the kind of report I like to see ! Honest, and relevant to what people want to know about a design.
I looked back on your Build thread and give you an A+, all around !
Jim
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