Freedom Performance Review

[Oldsparkey]

would you bleed out all the grits and sweet tea before shipping?

SWEET TEA ??????????? Who drinks that vile stuff , unsweaten is the only way to go. With a good tea like Constant Comment there is no reason to add sugar , besides I am so sweet it is not needed.

OK .. Back to the subject at hand ........ Why two coaming options ? Are you thinking of a standard one for us normal folk like the boat has and an extra wide one for folks like Jack ??????
If that is your thought then just make the 2nd one Pear Shaped. "O" by the way I was told on this last trip that Jack's aim even at close range is not that good ..... anyway at hitting the certain ( empty ) bottle when camping and having to answer natures call in the middle of the night. They say the Eskimos call him ..... One Wet Hand ..... when he camps and paddles with them.

LORD , I did not say that about Jack and I apologize to all of the Eskimos in the Florida keys for saying it , sort of.

Chuck.

[Oldsparkey]

Ya have a good design with the one I paddled ........ It is hard to improve on perfection...... Sometimes it is best not to try to improve something that works really good ......

Let it be and then change things as modifications to the original design.....Slow down .. Stop and smell the Roses (just don't inhale the bee) everything is just right for a week long paddling and camping boat or just as a fun boat.

Make any changes later , you have a winner with this one , just like it is. You are burning daylight by trying to improver on something that does not need it. Modifications later ... Yep more options for the builders ... BUT right now it is one winner for anyone who would want the original.

Chuck.

[jem]

Chuck, what was the final weight of your boat? Can you review the plywood, and fiberglass you used. I believe you only taped the deck.

[Oldsparkey]

1...I glassed the outside of the hull with 7.50 glass in place of using the tight woven 3.25 oz glass on the outside and inside, speaking of the inside ...... Epoxy saturation and that is all , 4 coats of epoxy.

2... Epoxy saturating of the plywood add's about 4 times the strength to it over plain exposed wood.

3... By doing the outside with the 7.50 oz glass I added one ounce more of glass to where the problems would happen. Hitting mermaids, gators, logs, Kayak Jack, stumps .... all of those navigation problems when paddling that want to damage your boat from the .............OUTSIDE

4...By doing this I am trying to keep the weight down on the boat ..... If this is possible............. since the outside of the deck is going to get 6 oz glass on it. "O" Well it is just something to try and see how it works.
If'n ya don't try it then ya will never know.

A....The way I built this prototype it weighs 40 pounds by using 1/8th inch plywood.
B....The hull is glassed with 7.50 oz glass on the outside only
C....The deck is glassed with 6 oz glass on the outside only with the glass overlapping the 7.50 at the side and deck seams.
D....The interior of the boat received 4 coats of epoxy saturation

Chuck.

[jem]

Fiberglass taped the interior seams, correct?

[Kayak Jack]

Chuck,

As I understand it, the boat bottom is somewhat flat. If you run up onto a rock or stump that bends the plywood inwards, it is more likely to split and crack without glass on. May consider glassing the center few panels that are "flattish"? The sloping ones are much more likely to slide off of a rock or stump.

Just a thought.

[Oldsparkey]

Fiberglass taped the interior seams, correct?

NOPE......... If you are talking about where the deck and sides meet.

Ran a 1/4 by 3/4 inch strip of redwood just under the seam on the side boards so the deck sat on that when flush with the side boards , then ran a good amount of epoxy along there to epoxy the deck to the strip along the sides.

Might say I taped the interior seams but it was with the 1/4 by 3/4 inch redwood strips and epoxy ... not fiberglass tape. There was no way I could tape the interior seams because of the length under the decking that could not be reached. If I would of put hatches in the decks then it would be possible to do that.
The distance from the aft bulkhead to the stern is 72 inches. The bow section is a little shorter but not by much.

The seams on the panels for the bottom and sides were filleted but not taped. The fillet is about 1 inch wide. Remember the inside was epoxy saturated with 4 applications of epoxy.

The 7.50 oz glass on the outside handled all of that for me when the boat was together, no oil canning from the bottom and I did run up on a log ... just to try it.

As I said when I was making it , I wanted to try something different and see how it worked. If you don't try it then you will never know. "O" by the way I strapped it down on the rack really hard (it compressed the rubber I have on the bars ) without any problems. and it was bottom down , deck up because the coaming will not fit between the bars on the roof rack.

If I did it that way the coaming would be supporting the boat and not the deck. Remember a Jeep Wrangler is not a real long vehicle. Actually it is short sucker made for running thru the woods so the roof rack is rather short.


Chuck.

[jem]

I meant on the main hull.

[Oldsparkey]

I know I should not tell you this......... I have never taped an seam on any the boats I make , just filleted them. The reason for that is because I always glass then over by glassing the compleat inside of the boat.

[jem]

Chuck,

Thoughts on if an additional deck brace is needed for the cockpit? Think in terms of someone who might not get in and out the proper way.