July 15, 1998 Issue |
August 1, 1998 Issue |
July 15, 1998 Issue
Stripper Canoe and Kayak Too
By Ron MamerowAs it is my belief that the Great Lakes do not have nearly enough amateur boat builders, l was glad to hear from a new club in the Saginaw-Bay City, Michigan area called the "Tri-City Amateur Boat Builders." After long talks on the telephone, it was arranged for a few of our "Middle Of Mitten Boat Builders Club" members to visit the Tri-City work-shop, which is located in a local school for the time being. Three of us went up on April 22nd to see what was up with this group, and a really interesting morning it was. Much to my surprise, we found a shop with at least 14 boats in all stages of being built and one finished.
After meeting and talking with several of the members, I think I got the sequence of events that led up to this point. It went something like this: A semi-retired teacher, John Schmude, a man with a great amount of knowledge and dedication, decided to offer a class in building stripper canoes. In the beginning, the class learned to loft and build a 12-footer. Then they started on their own boats, built the strong backs, made the molds, cut all the cedar strips, milled the edges, then assembled them. All the boats I saw were very well done. The time and effort put into the stripper canoes and kayaks was obvious to us.
During the building process, the students formed a club so they could keep the construction going after the class was over. Then they started planning a symposium at a local park for this coming August. Plans are for some of the members to show their boats, some will give demonstrations on building stripper canoes, and some will give instructions in lapstrake planking. Also, there will be an epoxy seminar and a stitch and glue demonstration. The club also plans to have several paddle power boats in the water for anyone interested in trying them out. There will be no admission charge for the symposium, but the park charges an entrance fee of $5 per car.
All in all, it appears the "Tri-City Ama-teur Boat Builders" have gotten off to a great start. Much credit for this must be given to the dedication and hard work put out by John Schmude who, like many others who love wooden boats, are willing to pass on their skills and knowledge.
I am happy to report, even though they are losing the schoolroom in which to build the boats, John is committed to finding a new space for continuing the classes. So we can hope to see the club grow and prosper over the years.
Anyone wanting more information on either club, "Tri-City Amateur Boat Builders" or the "Middle Of Mitten Boat Builders Club" can contact me:
Ron Mamerow, 980 Grand River Road, Woos, M1 4X867-9717, 517-725-7407
Dreamboats: The Damsel-Fly-Fish Neither "Fish nor Fowle"
By Richard CarsenThis is a small elfin fly with gauzy wings. This playboat resembles it. If you are ambitious, this hull could be cut out of a log, the tail to be fitted later. The length between perpendiculars (without tail) would be 15-1 /2'; with tail about 18' . Width about 3', and height of side in the middle about 1-1/2'.
However, to build it from plank, with liar sides and flat bottom, would be alright. You could attempt a slightly curved (sectional) bottom. The side planks could run up to the front of the eyes and a bulk-head inserted there. The rest of the face could be added any way you see fit. This is a take-off on a maduran fishing prahu, and these become very narrow where the head is, about halfway to the eyes. You could use heavy (or double) plank there, attached to the forward bulkhead and strengthened with side attachments.
The masts are stuck-in. Make them heavier towards the bottom; you could build them from plank, getting a T section. If you use the plank for the forward part of the face, you could use two planks, flattening the mast there by trimming the sides. On the inside, another pair of planks could hold the mainmast. This was the very effective construction on my 30' yonck (junk) for a 33' mast, unstayed with 3' bury.
The sails are triangular and have booms. Make the foresail narrow enough that it can clear the mainmast when tacking. The canvas shelter is for overnight-ing.
The outriggers could be PVC pipe about 3" to 3-1/2" in diameter. Have them stick out as shown, for balance against somersaulting downwind. The outrigger booms are stuck into PVC pipes, maduran fashion and run approximately 6-1/2' from the side of the hull. These should be slightly divergent, about 3 degrees out of parallel with the boat's long axis, spread-ing outward at the front end. For booms you can take one-piece branches with the proper curve towards the outrigger, tying them to the pipe; or you can make up a two-piece booms the top straight and an-other piece connecting with the outrigger. I saw a simple and effective set-up on a single outrigger, motor driven, in Hawaii. It looked like a professional's fisherman's rig.
The horizontal part comes out till above the outrigger. In the case I saw, this was a narrow plank just nailed across the sides, which were ply. There was another plank teed on the end just butted on. It we' fastened into the wooden outrigger, a beam. At the top of this vertical piece were two wires fastened. They ran towards the canoe side and were fastened there. A toggle-stick was stuck in between these wires, and this connection had been tightened by twirling the stick. The vertical plank itself just butted against the end of the horizontal and was fastened there with two nails to hold it in place.
Underneath the horizontal piece, the same thing as above was repeated, but these wires did not run all the way to the side of the canoe, but maybe about halfway. The canoe itself was wall-sided and flat bottomed. The whole thing looked as if it was regularly used. This is simple, and you can devise your own version, to your own taste.
The craft may need some kind of lee-board forward. You can fasten one to each side forward with a thru-hull wing-nut assembly, so it can swivel.
Color your damsel-fly red underneath the dark side-stripe, and a very dark green above it. Make the head black and the eyes very light green. Making them phospho-rescent would add a nice touch on a late summer evening.
This is a plaything, meant to flit about at random on some suitable pond in a pleasant breeze, or a small protected bay. Do take a paddle just in case there is the usual no-wind period at the change over from day to night.
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August 1, 1998 Issue
Activities & Adventures...
Vireo Is IdealLast week I rowed from Providence to Newport in a Vireo rowboat I built this spring to Jim Michalak's plans. This 26 mile (land miles) trip took me 6 hours, 12 minutes on a beautiful, calm morning with a fair tide, without much effort at the oars.
The Vireo is almost ideal for this kind of rowing-cruising. The V-bottom design went together easily with taped seam con-struction. The plans are very clear, and this was about the simplest of several small boats I have built over the years. Construction took about 30 hours with work boat finish. The boat inspires confi-dence afloat, staying dry in a chop and tracking well. While its length of 12' does not allow a very high maximum speed, it slides along at 4 mph or so with little exer-tion, feeling like a leisurely stroll rather than an athletic event. The weight of 57 lbs. with hull of 6mm okoume plywood makes it very easy to handle off 'the water.
Frank M. Kahr, Providence, RI
Tin Boats for TransportationMy childhood chum from the 1,000 islands, Charlie Donevan, who was the co-conspirator in the re-creation of the tin boats in the islands after a 50 year ab-sence, has told me the do-it-yourself tin boat concept is alive and well. They will be a featured event in the annual Festival of the Islands held every August in Gananoque, Ontario, Canada. Gananoque, quite rightly, has long proclaimed itself as the Gateway to the Thousand Islands. It's the heart of the islands on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River.
The Gananoque Festival, one of the largest summer celebrations in eastern On-tario, runs from August 14 to 23. It boasts many events, the newest of which is the Tin Boat Regatta held on Confederation Pond August 17 in the center of town next to the town hall. Participants will be di-vided in two groups of up-to-8 years old and 9 years and older. Awards for best designed, best decorated, first to sink, last to sink, and the like will be included in addi-tion to races across the pond.
Who knows? Tin boats may become the preferred mode of transportation for youngsters between islands, once again af-ter 50 years.
J. Peter Hughes, Lake Bluff, IL
Small Craft Festival at ClaytonThe Antique Boat Museum is hosting a Small Craft Festival in Clayton, New York in the Thousand Islands area on Au-gust 22. Presenters and boatbuilders are invited to participate at no cost. The day from 9am to 5pm will be devoted to demonstrations and tryouts, with land display.
St Lawrence Skiff events, rowing and sailing, canoe races and a kayak presentation are scheduled. A small craft crossing cruise to Grindstone Island for dinner is planned.
Call for details if this interests you.
Antique Boat Museum, Clayton, NY, 315-686-4104.
Pond Yacht ExhibitionAn exhibition of Pond Yachts will take place during July and August at the Port Washington, New York, Public Library. The exhibition is presented in celebration of the Port Washington Mill Pond Model Yacht Club's 100th anniversary, and will feature boats of all popular racing classes.
"A" Class boats up to 6' in length will be included as will the Marblehead "M" class, which is 50" long with 800 square inches of sail. Memorabilia, arti-facts and examples of steering and sail control systems, old and new, will be shown.
Queen of the show is a gaff-rigged sloop built in the early 1900s, which was recently rescued from a Port Washington attic and restored to pristine condition. Other boats will show how boat design, steering and sail control, space-age mate-rials and remote radio control have evolved over the years.
The Mill Pond Model Yacht Club was founded in 1898 by Port residents Charles Dodge, John Erickson, Fred Farmer and Harold McKee. Improvements were made to the pond in the early 1930s, and in 1933 the Mill Pond Model Yacht Club was reorga-nized. Pond Yacht racing has taken place on summer weekends ever since.
The present clubhouse was originally a small waterfront shop which, after the 1938 hurricane, was moved to Smull Place and later to its current location at the head of the Mill Pond.
The library is located at 1 Library Drive in Port Washington. Hours are 9 to 9 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 to 9 on Wednesdays and 9 to 1 on Satur-days. Mill Pond is located on Mill Pond Road, off of Shore Road in Port Washing-ton. This exhibition is sponsored by the library's Art and Nautical Advisory Coun-cils, and Port Washington's Mill Pond Model Yacht Club.
Mill Pond Model Yacht Club, Port Washington, NY
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