New Solo - setting the shape

Using a 20 or 30 year old fiberglass hull, we wont approach the slick underwater hull shapes on current pack boats like these, designed for Swift by designer extraordinaire David Yost. The 14' hull has a depth of 11.5" and a max width of 28" and gunwale width of 24".  Our hull will be pulled into a shade over 28" wide, and its depth lowered to around 11.5" as it actually gained height as its pulled narrower. Luckily it has a very shallow keel, which wont hurt performance much as it will be used with a double paddle rather than single blade. 

Not near as slick, but functional and 1/7 the price. Off we go..

Rivets drilled out, rails coming off

One side relaxed, one to go

Paint line will be used to drop side height

Bow to be lowered

Bow and stern to be lowered along with mid section

One coat of inside and outside paint on, final coats on after boat is railed and trimmed

Tumblehome accentuated as boat is pulled in, need to cut bevels on backside of inner rails

Next is cut new sheer, lower ends and rail the hull.

Engine stand

Best money i've spent in a while. No more lugging around heavy outboards and off season storage solved. Makes servicing easier as well. 

Together in ten minutes

 

Four strokes can only be laid on one side, compared to two strokes that can be put in any position

 

Stored, and easy to move about

Solo update and progress

 Most of the dirty work is done. Old paint sanded, damage repaired,wood parts laminated.

 Hull was painted with super thick paint, which has alligatored over time. Its well adhered to the hull, so only needs surface prep. Hull would need to be sanded in any event, so hasnt added much work. 2 cracks in the hull were damaged and repaired. Inside was cleaned with the pressure washer, and the old seat hangers cut off and the hull faired. Thwarts and decks have been laminated ready for shaping and a seat ordered. Next is paint and assembly.

Tough old paint

Surface prep and damage

Repairs done

 22' of clear ash

Roasted ash for accents

 

Thwarts and carry thwarts ready for shaping

 

Decks to be profiled

Felt for skid plates, to protect fiberglass ends when beaching or from impacts

Cut and shaped

Taped off

Soaked and positioned

Hull colours in 2 part polyurethane

Seat supports cut off

Hull cleaned

 

Supports faired in

Repairs faired, hull ready for primer

 

 After hull paint and wood parts assembled, seat base to be fabricated and installed

Time for another solo canoe project

Decision time has come and gone. With only so much time available and summer fast approaching, time to decide what to work on, what will get done, and what will get enjoyed through spring and summer as free time gives way to activity. 

New build on the form has been put off; time spent readying the Grand Laker for summer pushed a new build back, to where it wont get finished for spring. We'll work on that to ready it for fall. The solo boat turned out to be so much fun,and got so much use we need another. Post here: 

http://blog.ravenwoodcanoes.com/2017/04/pack-canoe-done-photos-of-process.html

At a fraction of the cost of a new one, while the hull design might not be modern and the weight heavier than modern composites, the old hand laid glass hulls are solid and do pretty well all around. 

Single keel hulls are uncommon compared to the poorly built 3 keel hulls made with chopper guns so when this one popped up for a song we snapped it up.

An easy project that'll be ready as soon as consistent -shirt weather arrives.

A familiar site on the van

34" width, will be pulled in to 31-32"

 Nice shape, small keel

 Aluminum decks coming off

 Aluminum rails, coming off

Tubular steel thwart - definitely coming off

Snazzy blue seats. Already off

This one is hers

Nice lines, will pull into a nice shape

Nice solo from Clipper, not sure yet if we'll go with a hung seat or a kayak style like the first one

 Nova Craft solo, sweet shape

Time to get the pressure washer out, then:

drill rivets and take off rails, decks and thwart

grind off seat mounts and smooth interior

felt skid plates

paint inside of hull

sand outside of hull, paint with 2 part urethane

wood rails inner and outer

fit decks, thwarts

varnish all

mount seat

go paddling...