Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and Sticks

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LesForgue
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Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and Sticks

Post by LesForgue »

Stitch & Glue Canoes versus Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and Sticks:

Have you a story to tell?

Could a few added pounds of epoxied fiberglass cloth have saved the day?
Les Richard Forgue
tx river rat
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by tx river rat »

Thats what I run every time I paddle on the Brazos.
6 ounce cloth inside and out ,epoxy graphite coating on the outside and bottom then go play , just one note let the boat sit for a couple weeks the epoxy takes at least that long to cure and get harder.
Ron
jem
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by jem »

and extra narrow strip of fiberglass on the bow stem will help. And like Ron said: make it slippery and a lot of that impact is deflected.
-Matt. Designer.
tx river rat
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by tx river rat »

Dahhh
I am in the process of rebuilding my T-V after a couple thousand miles of the concrete rebar rocks and etc.
I stripped of all the cloth and started over,let me see if I can explain what I did.
instead of using one piece of cloth on the bottom ,I used two ,covering the left side of the boat then the right , I overlapped the cloth 4 inches in the center for a double thickness on the keel line ,after completing the reglassing finishing out the bow and stern with glass ,I went back and using 4 inch tape
ran another piece down the center of the bottom then a piece on each edge of the bottom lapping 2 inches on the bottom then two inches on the side. Now my hull is complete and sealed I then put on external stems front and back ,the reason for the external stems on top of the normal bow in stern was I could wear through them and never loose my sealed hull.
The points I reinforced were the spots that were showing wear.
Ron
This boat should just about be bullet proof and ready for a lot more than 2000 miles before the next rebuild.
LesForgue
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by LesForgue »

Thanks Ron and Matt! Your replies will help me figure how much and how heavy fiberglass cloth to buy.
See I had been studying keeping my canoe light weighted but the thought kept arising do I want a canoe that will be easy to cartop and portage but will also be easier to break? or do I want a canoe that might be slightly harder to cartop and portage but will also be harder to break? I will opt for the harder to break!

even tho my plywood for the JEM trapper 15 is 5mm where Matt recommends 4mm, I will still go with the 6 oz cloth inside and out, with at least 2 layers of it on most of the outside, plus graphite in the epoxy for below waterline outside.

I still might be able to keep the finished product under about 60 pounds (was originally hoping for under 50 but that was just a dream I had on my mind)

I tell my daughter if you keep choosing what is easiest you will build a collection of regrets - now I need to listen to that myself and quit dreaming about a canoe I could twirl like a baton.

Thanks again
Les
Les Richard Forgue
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by goanywhere »

Stitch and glue yaks aren't indestructible - at least if you use 1/8 ply. But they are easy to repair. I just finished tidying up my Sabalo after a year of regular use. I have given it quite a workout. 2 holes, several deep scratches and some wear and tear on top from anchors and knives etc. meant that it has been in dry-dock for a couple of weeks.

About 10 months ago I fixed a big crack with a nice thick fillet and 8oz cloth, then epoxy graphite over that. Now it's the strongest part of the hull. (That happened when my overloaded yak crushed my trolley and it got a nice 4" crack/hole in it). On the small hole I just used 8oz cloth tape and epoxy.

The epoxy/graphite coating is good for seeing the wear spots. I just put an extra layer of 8oz cloth over those spots (mainly the rear skeg) and epoxy/graphite.

I don't care how many layers end up on the hull, every time I repair it, it will be stronger. Maybe eventually it will need to be sanded off and re-clothed, but I think that will be awhile.

(A bit of a tip: always take a roll of vinyl/cloth tape with you when you go out. I's a great temporary repair and will last quite awhile until you can get to fix it properly).
My psychologist reckons I need lots of fishin' therapy!
tx river rat
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by tx river rat »

Weight is still under 50 lbs,.
Ron
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Re: Stitch&Glue Canoe vs Submerged Rocks, Rebar, Logs and St

Post by Oldsparkey »

All of my boats except two of them are made with 1/8th inch wood. The reason I like the thinner wood is that I can keep the weight down on them and still have a functioning craft. Most of them at 30 pounds and a few at 40.

They have been paddler threw rapids , over logs , around trees , over sand bars and threw mud. Stumps and widow makers ( the logs that are a 45 degree upstream and under water that like to attack down stream boat bottoms). You know the ones hidden and you are easing along and all of a sudden the boat rises and leans to one side or the other and then slides off unless your aim is just right and then the bow just rises and you are balancing on a point of wood holding you still.

The boats have suffered some scratches and a couple of time the bottom was actually pushed up when contact was made. That left some nice scratches which were easy to get rid of when redoing the bottom with some graphite and epoxy.

The bottoms of the boats are either epoxied and graphited after the wood was epoxy saturated , then glassed with three coats of epoxy and then three coats of the epoxy and graphite mix. The graphite is a lubricant and when suspended in the epoxy it helps the boat to slip over items in place of the item sticking to the bottom and digging into it.
( Note... I use the 3oz tight woven glass both inside and outside on the boats )

The other item I like is the brightsides interlux paints which are an epoxy paint that has Teflon in it. Three coats of it makes the bottom really slippery and sure helps when it hits something. I took the canoe threw some really rocky water on the Brazos , during a trip out there with tx-river-rat and a couple other friends, and was sure the bottom was all scratched up , especially after running up and getting stuck on some or the rocks. Not even thinking of the 1/4 mile rocky stretch we had to drag the boats threw. A inspection later showed that all I had were a few , minor , scratches and no damage.

The best thing to do is to avoid the obstacles but that is impossible at times. As far as rebar , I avoid it like the plague at all times , that dam stuff will tear the bottom out of a metal boat.
Remember:
Amateurs built the Ark...... Professionals built the Titanic
Visit some fine paddlers at The Southern Paddler
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