Live aboard motor canoe project

[Guest]

Live aboard motor canoe update, week 2

Many coats of Spar urethane on the platform boats. Twice a day for 4 days, including urethane swabbed in the pole and connection holes.

PC130079 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Urethane coated they look mighty nice.

PC140081 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

On to attaching the webbing straps that hold the platform planks together, and to keep them spaced apart when the planks are pulled towards the gunwales.

We got plenty of webbing in the shop. Cut to length with a hot putty knife for sealed webbing ends.

PC150095 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

With the planks properly spaced and clamped in place, and the webbing taped down I could melt sealed screw holes in situ using a hot nail.

PC150098 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Not too shabby. The distances between screws on each subsequent board are at specific locations, predetermined on the prototype so that the boards can flat stack for transport.

For holding the stacks together during transport I made some bundling straps from lengths of double sided Velcro. An inch at each end is folded over, Gflexed together and held to dry with wax paper under binder clips for an easy to find and pull end tab. Velcro without an easy pull tab is a pick at it with your fingernails PITA.

PC160103 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Joel mentioned in passing that he would like a faux Bimini golf umbrella for shade. Parts needed, one golf umbrella with the handle cut off, one old tent pole extension that sleeves inside the umbrella shaft to raise it higher, one mini mast step to seat it in.

PC160113 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Mini mast step Gflexed and clamped to the edge of the seat frame.

PC160105 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Time to make a bunch of webbing loops. A hot 20 penny nail will melt a perfect three sixteenths inch hole for machine screws or pop rivets. Different lengths of those webbing loops will be used for the golf umbrella shaft and to anchor the platform spread apart and held in place. Might as well put one in each of the old center seat hardware holes under the inwales, the holes are already drilled there.

PC160107 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The Gflex on the tee grips and spike ends of the end anchor poles, which will pass through the painter loops at either stem and be driven into the sand, marl or mud bottom to help hold the canoe in place has set up and they are ready to go.

PC160108 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Those 8 foot long end anchor poles fit nicely between the platform boards. 8 feet is plenty long enough to drive a couple feet into the bottom, pass through the high stem painter loops and still leave room for tidal rise.

PC160111 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The laminated oak spreader board at the tent door end was urethane top coated as well.

PC160115 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Joel is back. We got busy and I missed a lot of detail action photos, including using a heat gun and pliers to compress the ends of the J hooks for tighter catch, making spare side wands, installing webbing loops, drilling new thumb button holes in the outrigger tubes, and weighing the empty Miramichi. 110 lbs.


Time to put up the tent again.

PC160117 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

With the tent secured it was time to install the golf umbrella bimini. The extended umbrella shaft passes through a small webbing loop at the inwale and seats in the mini mast step on the seat edge, with a J hook attachment and bungee on the umbrella shaft to keep it from blowing away.

PC160118 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We are almost done with the live aboard motor canoe. Almost, Joel wisely wants mini mast steps for the stern seat, and then it is just registration numbers, marine fire extinguisher and some work on the canoe trailer.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Looking great.

Surely, there has to be an on-water dress rehearsal before the Khan Tiki (inn of the first man, in Persian-Maori) gets towed 1,100 miles and plunked, like a virgin, in Chololoskee Bay. Tote that barge over to Prettyboy Reservoir and video a proof of concept for us.

 

[boatstall]

Hey Mike, would you care to share a source on the anchor poles, t-handles and tips?
I have some SS rod mud anchors that work great for fishing in the marsh, but I never carry them in canoes due to the weight. Those you have look perfect.

 

[JoelBeckwith]

Got the anchor poles here, https://mgs4u.com/shallow-water-anchor-parts-kits/ .

 

[SaganagaJoe]

That would turn some heads in northern Minnesota!

 

[boatstall]

Got the anchor poles here, https://mgs4u.com/shallow-water-anchor-parts-kits/ .

Thanks Joel. Really cool build.

 

[Guest]

Tote that barge over to Prettyboy Reservoir and video a proof of concept for us.

I believe the reservoir closes to boating sometime this week, usually on December 21. It does not allow gasoline motors. To use a boat there requires a 100 dollar annual permit, which I have not bought in years, and a signed agreement that the boat will be used nowhere else.

Will you work pro bono publico? I would need a lawyer.

We are kinda racing the clock on this build. We probably have one or two shop days left and will need them. There is a bunch of stuff yet to do, make and install more mini mast steps, renew the Maryland motorboat permit and get the registration numbers on, maybe some kind of map case and GPS holder using clips or bungee on the center deck platform.

I had not noticed how scuffed up the truss seat drops are, they really need a light sanding and coat of varnish.

In any case the Miramichi is back outside and I am awaiting the arrival of friend Scott, bringing his new used Mad River Freedom solo into the shop for outfitting. We are really racing the clock on that one, the outfitted boat has to leave tomorrow morning.

We will have to trust Joel to shoot some video and take photos of the live aboard motor rig in the Everglades.

 

[memaquay]

I have to say, this is the most unique canoe thing I have ever seen. Keep on putting the weird into weird. it's fascinating stuff!

 

[JoelBeckwith]

GPS... Mike, you bought me a GPS? You shouldn't have.

 

[Guest]

GPS... Mike, you bought me a GPS? You shouldn't have.

You know what a techy I am. I bought a giant one you can set on the dash of the van, so we do not get lost while driving 2000 miles due west on I70 to Utah.

Cause, ya know, I might get lost in Breezewood PA. I am easily distracted by turns, stop lights and fast food emporiums on an InterState highway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breezewood,_Pennsylvania

Breezewood is all of 130 miles from home, and I will be ready for a road breakfast by then. Grab me two sausage biscuits and a white milk to go while you are in MickyDees.

That flat, easily stern seat visible and accessible platform in front of the motor driver could be handy. Mapcase holder at least. Solar panel recharging station?

Giant bullseye when for when you paddle near the test bombing range. Maybe a political message visible from Googe Earth? I have plenty of enamel paint.

 

[Guest]

Neat idea and nice work!. I once slept in the bottom of my canoe anchored off shore in the ADKs to escape the bugs with a tarp over the canoe. It worked so well I did it on another trip, but it rained on that one. Since the tarp didn't cover the entire boat and I was sleeping on the bottom --I got soaked. You got me thinking--I still want to make a raised platform for the bottom of my 16' Pal to sleep on and try it again. No looking for campsites either. Anybody ever try that?
Merry Christmas, Turtle

 

[Guest]

The last of the Live aboard outfitting. Almost.

The motor canoe now has registration numbers on the bow. The 2018 registration card, effective tomorrow, has yet to arrive. Our State government at work.

The bow seat now has four mini mast steps. The original two experimental ones on the back of the bow seat frame positioned the open golf umbrella awfully close to the tent vestibule. Since the open bow seat area is the open sitting, cooking, working space, that area can now be umbrella emplaced on either side at either distance to catch the best available shade.

PC290260 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The stern seat is located oddly far back in a 20 foot long canoe, which does work well to provide a near stem side mount motor behind the seat. Two umbrella mast steps and webbing loops are plenty there.

PC290262 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Those same webbing loops that hold the golf umbrella shaft on the stern seat are also used to attach a Surf to Summit back band for motor driver lean back comfort. The bow seat was outfitted with a vintage Dagger Headwaters seat back, designed by friend Buff Grubb. Nicely tapered for banjo plucking in that spacious bow seat area outside the tent door.

PC310297 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We made another double extension wand for those mini mast steps and webbing loops, this one to hold a Luci-light above Joels head at either seat. That also serves as the white all around light.

PC300291 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Joel has red green running lights, and a place to put them.

What the heck, we drilled holes for Zingit cord on the umbrella tip, just in case something ever needs to hang from that upright appendage. Joel can make custom woopie slings later, as he sits quietly by himself in some shaded mangrove grotto.

PC300295 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Beyond Live aboard solo use the Miramichi needed a downwind sail, for times when it is run as a motorized tandem. A sail operable by the bowman, while the stern rests, leaning on a paddle rudder.

Big boat, big sail, or at least a bigger sail than I am comfortable using in one of my solos. 24 square feet of sail should move even this monster along nicely when it visits Lake Powell next spring.
PC290264 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Saving gas on downwind legs can only help. The juice, the precious juice. . . . .

https://yarn.co/yarn-clip/910c4d4e-39ca-429c-948f-de0aa66a87e1

The tandem Spirit Sail mount is attached via a clamp on base. With the new supply of doohickies and doodads added for funsies.

PC290266 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We are dang near done with the Live aboard. The 8 foot long end anchor poles will be transported inside the hull. The sundry webbing loops and a couple bungee balls serve to secure them nicely.

PC300277 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Joel wanted Mishipeshu painted on the Live aboard as a canoe Gogetch.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mishipeshu/

Luckily we ran out of shop time. Joel could not spell Mishipeshu if his life depended on it. And the last time I Gogetch logo painted one of Joels canoes with Mishipeshu I had it facing the wrong way on one side, which Joel believed to portend very bad juju, and I felt responsible for his impending demise.

Nix on hand painting a Mishipeshu Gogetch. We do still have a few things to do, but if the snow never melts Joel is gonna need a 4WD vehicle to get the trailer and live aboard up to the top of the snow covered driveway.

I would love to push the trailer in the shop before then, fix the lighting issues, install another set of kayak J cradles and repack the three storage boxes while inside, in non 20F weather, for the forthcoming trip south.

 

[martin2007]

Coolest DIY canoe project I've ever seen. Potential to inspire myriad mad dreams of canoe nomadism. On a par with DIY submarines and homemade aircraft. Love it! Downside: wee bit of envy of the DIY engineering genius and obvious joys of the creative process. Hope to see photos of your canoe out on Everglades backwaters. Bon voyage, Joel! Thanks for sharing this, Mike.

 

[Gdwelker]

"Watertribe and other adventure racers in Sea Wind decked expedition canoes use some combination of bug screens and rain flies connected around the cockpit coming and sleep in their boats. I have seen photos of Sea Winds done that way in cunning fashion."

I built a cockpit double wall tent for my Seawind. Works well. Erectable from the seat, which I then remove and there is plenty of space for an inflatable pad and sleeping bag. Sleeping comfortably in the boat does require putting all the gear under the decked ends. Have slept in marshes and beaches and mud flats this way. I have not slept on the water, but could do so using the BSD amas and akas for stability.

My wife told me we needed to buy a second Seawind, so I did, and can now catamaran the two together. I sail and paddle from the one, and use the other for my sleeping space. I built a homemade platform to fit across the two catamaran poles. Acts as the "bridge" to allow me to kove easily from one boat to the other, and gives me a flat place to do food prep, cooking, and spread out gear for various operations.

 

[Guest]

My wife told me we needed to buy a second Seawind, so I did, and can now catamaran the two together. I sail and paddle from the one, and use the other for my sleeping space. I built a homemade platform to fit across the two catamaran poles. Acts as the "bridge" to allow me to kove easily from one boat to the other, and gives me a flat place to do food prep, cooking, and spread out gear for various operations.

That sounds ideal. Where does the motor go? Smileyfacethingee.

The Miramichi has an anniversary coming soon, one month in my shop, with but a few days exiled to the frozen yard.

To celebrate I added not Mishipeshu, but the shop Gogetch. In the manner of the Passamaquoddy canoe builders of old I, like they, have a personal Mark of the Builder displayed on the stems of my boats.

P1030312 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The shop Gogetch is a stylized combination of Noel Polchies paddle, Old Peter Polchies pipe, and Joe Ellis new moon. See pages 84 and 85 in The Bark and Skin Boats of North America.

That Shop Gogetch appears on most of my boats.

P1050357 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

P1050358 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

P1050359 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The left stern is still available for Joel to paint a Mishipeshu. But only if he can spell it correctly.

The understanding is that, if a canoe lives in my shop long enough, I get to do whatever I please with it. Even though the stems are still near pristine that canoe is soon headed for the Everglades and oyster bars, limestone and worm rock.

I might as well install skid plates now, rather than later atop ragged stems. Dynel cloth, with graphite powder in a 50 50 mix of Gflex and West System 105 206.

Rough textured Dynel before peel ply application

P1050351 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Smooth textured Dynel after peel ply

P1050362 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

After a UV protective topcoat of black enamel paint next week those skid plates will look sharp.

Having dang near run out of boatwork to do it was on to fulfilling other special requests.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I see those numbers on the hull. Was Joel advised he had to register this boat under Maryland's boating laws?

 

[Guest]

I see those numbers on the hull. Was Joel advised he had to register this boat under Maryland's boating laws?

While Maryland does not require registration numbers on canoe or kayaks, a registration and displayed numbers are required for any craft under motor power.

I assume that is true in all 50 States. One possible added advantage, States that do require registration of paddlecraft may offer reciprocity for boats registered in other States.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

While Maryland does not require registration numbers on canoe or kayaks, a registration and displayed numbers are required for any craft under motor power.

I assume that is true in all 50 States. One possible added advantage, States that do require registration of paddlecraft may offer reciprocity for boats registered in other States.

The way I read the Maryland regs, registration is required only if the boat is under motor power and Maryland is the state of primary use, which means the state where the boat spends the most time on the water for the calendar year. If Joel's canoe spends most if its time on Florida waters, it wouldn't require a Maryland registration under this interpretation. Florida registration could also probably be avoided.

Of course, this is all moot even if correct, since Joel presumably has already paid the excise tax, title fee and registration fee.

 

[Guest]

The way I read the Maryland regs, registration is required only if the boat is under motor power and Maryland is the state of primary use, which means the state where the boat spends the most time on the water for the calendar year. If Joel's canoe spends most if its time on Florida waters, it wouldn't require a Maryland registration under this interpretation. Florida registration could also probably be avoided.

Joels legal residence is in Maryland. He does not spend 6 months in any one State. Winter months in Florida, summer months on Acadia. Early spring in Utah. Cannes in May, Monte Carlo in the fall.

It is quite the ritzy life, especially the bits involving humping around 100lb tandem poly sea kayaks and towing exhausted clients. Hence the after guiding getaway motor rig.

Joel, like me, tries to be legal as a beagle in following any sensible regulation. Hence the registration, running lights, marine fire extinguisher, live aboard toilet facilities and etc, etc.

But, if Joel gets started on some nonsensical regulation or illogical enforcement there may be heck to pay. I have seen him shut down an officious National Park Ranger, who was in fact incorrect, with the magic words You are interfering with my right to worship. The Ranger went silent, turned and walked away.

Theres a question Glenn. I have apocryphally heard that the phrase, You are interfering with my right to worship, actually went to and through the courts. Possibly used in a Native American claim. Joel looks a little native.

What were the actual facts and outcome of that?

Dammit, my people have been here for near 300 years. I am native enough by now. You are interfering with my right to worship.

 

[Guest]

Last of the Live Aboard Work. For now.

I top coated the Dynel and graphite powder skid plates with black enamel paint. I wish there was time for a second coat, but I have had only had the Live Aboard captive in the shop for a month.

P1080371 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I just can not seem to stop screwing with it. Poor Joel. He knows how I love reflective tape.

I added High Intensity reflective tape to dang near every piece of boat outfitting he left in my shop.

The Suzuki motor, front and back

P1080372 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

His 30L barrel, several pieces around on the barrel sides, so one was always glowing, and atop the lid. The wag bag toilet likewise, around the sides and on the lid. All of the fiberglass extension wands, and the spares. Even the tip of the umbrella. The ama flotation chambers

P1080377 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The 8 foot long anchor poles. In a couple places. Those black anchor poles really need a few wraps of tape, not only for reflectivity, I taped the poles at the 1, 2 and 3 foot marks down from the tee grip. Those marked increments might be handy in several ways. How much water depth to the sand or mud bottom? How far into the bottom is the pole anchored? How much pole is left for tidal rise?

P1090380 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That may be the most useful few inches of reflective tape yet.

I alcohol wiped everything, and flame treated all the poly stuff before applying the tape. A few months in the Everglades should be a good test of High Intensity reflective tape durability, even with carefully rounded corners.

The in boat anchor pole transport using the webbing loops and a bungee ball seems very secure, but I do not like the stainless steel tip pressed and possibly rubbing against the inside of the hull. If only I had something with which to cushion that harsh tip. Some cylindrical foam, with a hole through the middle.

P1100383 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I hope Joel was not planning to stealth camp. I want to see a nighttime flash photo of the fully set up Live Aboard. It will look like the Vega Strip. That mysterious glow alone should keep human visitors away at night. Gators, Crocs and Pythons might mistake it for a confab. Oh well.

The trapezoidal seat back needed some work. I watched Joel struggle to install it twice, with the canoe on sawhorses at a comfortable work height. I gave up without ever touching it.

Imma go touch it. Well hells bells, the bottom attachment should be easy to improve. It would be hard to make it worse. The part of the seat back that connects underneath the seat uses a sewn in OEM ladder lock and naked webbing.

P1100384 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I do not enjoy threading webbing through ladder locks underneath a seat , working upside down and blind, and rectified that with a couple of no sewing side release buckles, with a ladder lock incorporated on each side of the buckle.

P1100386 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

P1100387 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Schweet. The wrap around seat bottom now fits tightly with a simple click click.

I left the bitter ends of the straps long, so Joel can makes any desired adjustments. With that seat used in the bow the open living area outside the tent would be most spacious and convenient if the seatback were facing backwards. With the side buckles close to the aft end of the seat for easy connection and release.

The back of the seat back was a mess of twisted webbing. I got tired of threading old, frayed, flat cut webbing through ladders lacks before I got started, and made fresh angle cuts on all of the ends.

P1100393 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

In the initial installation the seat back webbing tensioned through the same small loop that holds the shaft of the umbrella bimini. It was a PITA to attach, and precluded the use of both seat back and bimini at the same time. Given that I hope to someday be a bow passenger in this motor craft that will not do.

P1100395 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We had added short webbing loops to the ends of some seat hardware locations. That seat bottom webbing loop was as easy to replace as taking off a thread protector, nylock and washer. Two more ladder locked side release buckle to the rescue. The seat back is now easy to install, four clicks total, and easy to adjust. Even with the bimini umbrella in place.

P1100398 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

You sure do have some putry webbing loops there Meester Beckwith.

P1100396 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

P1100397 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

All good things must come to an end. Joel came by preparatory to heading south to pack up van and trailer. Tire check, everything needed a little air. Love that little lithium battery Ryobi Power Inflator. Bearing Buddy too, the trailer bearings took a couple pumps of grease.

P1110407 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The trailer was racked and ready for the road.

P1110405 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We Gflexed repairs to some wading and hiking shoes, annotated some planned trip calendar dates and contemplated some future boat, trailer and van work.

Wave buhbye to the giant Live Aboard Motor Canoe. Hope we meet again.

P1110409 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

My shop seems so empty.