Look What We Did to Our Nice Canoes

Boys Trip 2006 035
Originally uploaded by OzzyC.

Per our tradition, we took our boys trip over Memorial Day weekend. For several years we have been travelling staying in Nicolette Forest in northease Wisconsin, for a few days of whitewater kayaking. This year, we decided to get back to our roots and do some canoeing. Greg and I took things a step further, and rigged up the Nice Canoes we built a couple of years ago as a makeshift catamaran. Greg, being engineer-boy, calculated the dimensions, measured the sail, and determined where to put the various parts. It worked surprisingly well -- for one day. The boat was structurally sound, but anything that directly related to the sailing aspect was woefully under-engineered. Stay tuned for the complete story... its quite a ride.

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This is nice

 yup.  A hot day, a roller, and tip off brush.  Hope to paint soon

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How We Did It

Boys Trip 2006 055
Originally uploaded by OzzyC.

Our construction process was precise yet simple. Engineer-boy took the measurements and did the conversion mainly with things he already had laying around his garage... plywood, 2x4s, wooden dowels, ratchet straps, hose clamps, lag bolts and so forth. About the only parts he needed to buy were the flagpole that we used for the mast, and the tarp that he cut to the shape of a sail.

When we got to the reservoir, we spent the first two hours or so assembling the catamaran. By the time we finished the construction, got to camp, set up the tent and ate, it was time to go to bed. Additionally, the maiden voyage from the landing to the island occurred on a day with almost no wind. We were able to make our way to the island, but it was slow going. Our real test would have to wait for another day.

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looks nice

So far, the sanding and fairing process has been very smooth.  spent an hour today with the hand plane knocking down the globs and cutting off the bungs, then following up with the Makita palm sander.  I wish the Random Orbit sander was not broken, but it is.  Got half the exterior sanded and faired in one hour.  Will do the other half next weekend and will decide on the fiberglass issue.  To glass or not to glass. 

Transom corner. 

Starboard side and bottom have been faired and sanded.

??

oops!  a small flat spot.  Will probably live with it.  Wont be visible unless the boat is upside down.
It is interesting to see just how smooth these bow seams can be.  15 minutes with the block plane followed up with the palm sander and 60 grit.

??

prior to sanding. 

This area still needs some finishing with the plane and sander, but the seams leading up to the stem came out good.

Another view of the bow and stem.  I did some trimming, but am working slow here.

this boat is a candidate for a clear finish.  as the wood is almost too nice to hide behind paint.  Perhaps a coat of 4 oz glass followed up by spar varnish and sanded smooth will do the trick.

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