First stripper build: Prospector-16 Help & comments appreciated

[Kliff]

Well, I'm done with the Jimmy clamps. I found a couple dozen moving straps, basically giant rubber bands. Blue are 36" relaxed, Green are 30" relaxed. Not as quick as Jimmy clamps, but they fit in tight spaces. I have trim screws into my forms below the shear line, sticking out about 3/4". Just hook em, stretch em, hook em. Getting close.

 

[Boatman53]

Where did you get those giant rubber bands/moving straps?
Jim

 

[Kliff]

I recently had movers move my parents into an assisted living facility. They left behind a dozen blue, and a dozen green by mistake. There's no labeling on the package, other than large for blue, and medium for green. I also have one red one, I'm assuming extra large. I just did a quick search on Amazon. No way I'd pay 60 bucks for them, but they do work real nice.

Here's the link I found, so you can see what they are:

https://www.amazon.com/US-Cargo-Con...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[scratchypants]

I'm sure I'll see every little oopsy every time I paddle it.

Such is the curse of the builder. To be clear, I wasn't saying not to do your level best, but simply not to sweat it too much. Look up my Bob Special build. A robin got stuck in my garage and took a massive dump on the hull, staining it almost through-and-through. I chose to laugh about it.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Such is the curse of the builder. To be clear, I wasn't saying not to do your level best, but simply not to sweat it too much. Look up my Bob Special build. A robin got stuck in my garage and took a massive dump on the hull, staining it almost through-and-through. I chose to laugh about it.

Good ol’ Turdus migratorius… aptly named.

 

[Kliff]

LOL! I had to look that one up, and sure enough. That's their latin name. I had a few mulberries land on a couple strips and stain them while cutting. A couple made their way onto the canoe. Hopefully they'll sand out. They weren't on very long.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Probably too late for the Whiskey strip. I always stop stripping the first side, a strip or two early. This gives me a chance to easily fit the last strips in pieces.
As for handling the cove ?
I trim the top edge off , so it looks something like a "J" or backwards "J". Then all I need do is sand a bevel on the Whiskey strip, and it sets right in, without a gap.
I know a pic would really help , but I don't have one.

I do have a few pics of my last strip designs.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Bungee cord makes a great band clamp.
They are pretty cheap, if you buy the cord on ebay or such.
These Bungee clamps from The other Jim Dodd are quite handy !

 

[Kliff]

Jim: Those are stunning. I thought about stopping a couple strips short on the first side, but didn't. I'm planning to do the method as outlined in the book. One more unmodified strip to go. Going to fit it & glue it, cut the cove off 3rd from last while the glue dries. Hoping to get that in this afternoon, glue the last 2 together, and let them sit in clamps overnite.

I've been meaning to ask: How many canoes have you done?

Again, thank you for all of your help throughout this process.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Thanks !

I've been at it awhile, the first canoe in 1990-91.
I've built 30 something canoes. 5 were composites. I have a stripper, glassed on the forms now, It is covered with plastic, to be used as a mold for a Kevlar copy.

I've always felt an obligation to help other builders, especially "First Timers".
Remembering well the help I freely received, when I started. I hope to pass it on.

Keep up the good work !

Jim

 

[Kliff]

The whiskey strip is in. Bow & Stern stair-steps filled in. I haven't had a drink in quite a while, and today isn't the day to start. If anyone is inclined to help me with this, I'd be obliged. The ugly chewed up part in the lower part of the second picture gets covered by the outer. stem.

 

[jffdejongh]

Very nice!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

whiskey strip

Not being a boat builder ever, or a drinker of whiskey for 33¼ years, I had to DuckDuckGo this term. After getting past The World Famous Whiskey A Go Go, which I hadn't heard of since the Swinging Sixties—when I did tipple and topple a tuple of times—I found the answer and some videos at Nick Schade's joint:

Whiskey Strip

guillemot-kayaks.com

Looks like a terrific job to me, Kliff, and I'm now drinking some hibiscus tea to celebrate.

 

[Kliff]

Well, I'm back at work, so I'll be splitting my canoe work between home and school.

At home, I'll be fairing and sanding the hull, and glassing it hopefully soon.

At school, I'll be working on the trim work: Gunwales, seats, thwart, decks. With that in mind, I'm wondering about seat placement. I'm designing it for two equal weight paddlers, both approximately 175 lbs, 5'-10". It will likely be used by other paddlers, and trim can be adjusted with cargo. Trying to get it set as close as possible so two equal weight paddlers won't have to add weight for short day drips.

According to my calcs, I'm coming up with 40" forward of center for bow seat, 48" aft for stern seat. Does this seem right? Has anyone deviated from book recommendations/calculations, and been glad they did? I also want to lock in seat locations so I can get started on the gunwales.

In looking at these locations on the canoe, it seems to me both seats could be shifted 4" or so further from center.

 

[scratchypants]

I pained over that - information overload. I found it best to save that until the boat is fully outfitted then find the balance point and use that for the basis of your calculations. I have a 2" steel pipe from who knows where and I lay it on the floor and sit the hull on it - moving it fore and aft until it balances.

 

[Jim Dodd]

First, be sure the bow paddler has enough leg room ! Or you will likely be paddling solo !

How much is there with your calculations ?

Once that is determined, generally the front edges of both seats are the same distance, from center.

I make my seats deeper than commercial seats. This allows a paddler to shift their weight for correct trim, and still be reasonably comfortable.

The smaller seat, was made as a replacement to use the same holes, on the trim of a Bell Magic.
The other is what I cut mine to.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I'm designing it for two equal weight paddlers, both approximately 175 lbs, 5'-10". . . . Trying to get it set as close as possible so two equal weight paddlers won't have to add weight for short day drips.

If that's your goal and this is a symmetrical canoe, just place the bow and stern seats equidistant from the ends of the canoe. You could also make one of both of the seats as sliders, so at one slide position they will be equidistant from the ends.

I believe most paddlers don't mind or even prefer a canoe to be trimmed slightly bow light, so the stern seat is almost always closer to the end than the bow seat.

 

[Kliff]

Yeah, I'm not doing sliders. I'm shooting for slightly bow light, with 1-2" trim up at the bow. Shooting for 1.5", I'll see how close I get. I have an old Peterborough wood & canvas that I want to restore at some point, but that's another project. Those seats are 32" forward, 48" aft on a 15' canoe. I haven't paddled it in quite a while, but my recollection is that it was a bit too bow light. I tried paddling it again a week ago, but I recaned the seats when I didn't know much if anything about canoe dynamics, and removed the spacers to drop the seats, because they were in bad shape. Needless to say, with the seats at the gunwales, It's a bit like trying to sit on top of a giant beach ball. Add a dog in the center, and it was a very short trip. Ended with my wife and I not talking for a day, and something about "I'm never getting in a canoe with you again". Not good, half way through a build project. One of those moments where a video would have been good.

Speaking of dropping the seats, I'm planning to go on the low end, about 9.5" above the hull at the centerline. I want to get the seat locations fairly close before I start on the gunwales, because of scupper placement.

At 40" forward for bow seat, there seemed to be PLENTY of leg room, and a modest pack/bag. Almost more than necessary, that's one of the reasons I first put this question out there. But from the outside, looking at it upside-down, looks are deceiving. The first 2 feet aren't really useable for feet, unless one or both of them are pegs, and my wife isn't a pirate.

 

[Kliff]

Jim: I like the slightly larger seat idea. What is the size of the caned area on your bigger seat? Looks to be about 12" by 20"????

 

[Roybrew]

I remembered sitting in the front of my Mad River canoe with the standard stock seats. My brother and I were running a river, and since he was 8 years older, I thought he'd be more comfortable in the stern. More leg room for him. He was awful back there. Every time he would get out, he would flip us. I would tell him to wait for me to get first, but oh no! He would try to step out into knee deep water with out warning. I'm glad it was warm weather. After 4 times I was getting tired of getting baptized, scooping up my tackle and shaking the water out of my reel. Uh well sorry off subject.
The bow seat was to close to the front. I was sort of uncomfortable. Just didn't seem like I had enough foot room room. So when I made my first set of seats for it, I made them deeper and moved the bow seat back about 6 inches.

I pondered on seat height and position when I made my 16 foot stripper. I wanted my wife to be comfortable, oh and of course happy. I placed my bow seat 48 inches back, and about 9 to 10 inches high.

I'm no expert, so I don't know any better. Seems good and comfortable.
Roy