The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

Hi Brian Well, I did a Google thing, and found regulations, that exempted various watercraft, including canoes. I stand corrected ! Several years ago a good friend, and paddling authority, emailed flotation regulations to me. This is what I was going by. ACA has a wonderful program, it's a shame tha...

Several points on to consider on flotation chambers. Here in the States, the Coast Gaurd requires them. And they have specifications for them. Without chambers, a swamped hull will ride with the gunnels just above water. Any downward pressure, and the hull sinks, and takes quite awhile to return to ...

Hi Tim I'd vote for the floatatin chambers! I've built them both ways, and the chambers definitely make it easier to empty a swamped boat ! Try it ! I make a cardboard pattern, then glue up some strips to resmble a paddle blade. A Japanese rasp really works good to shape it to fit. Good Luck ! Jim

Thanks Tom !
I get up to the cities once in a while. We should meet up !

Mid West Mtn.'s Spring thing, is a favorite of mine !

Sorry Rablerouser for vering off track !

Good luck with the dual routers !
Jim

That's the difference!
I'm a hobby builder, not a commercial builder, I work in my 25x28 garage, that also houses our two trucks.
As a commercial strip supplier, how long do you make your strips?
Thanks!
Jim

Tom I use 3 feather boards,one to hold the strip down to the table, right where the strip runs "BETWEEN" the bit and the fence, and two featherboards, just inches before and after the bit, to hold the strip against the fence. Make them from scrap wood. Tension is neccessary, just not too m...

Two routers are difficult to set up, one miss adjustment, and the whole strip is ruined. I use one router. I have better control over the quality of the strips, and the little extra time spent runing strips twice, is only about a half hour! Simply replace bit, with only a slight adjustment to the fe...

Johan sure makes sailing look tempting! I'd like to try it someday!
The Disko is Awesome!
Keep up the great work!
Belgium sure has some great builders over there!
Jim

Sorry for the late reply! I build my seats using "NYLON" snowshoe cord. you can get info from <http://www.snowshoe.com> The nylon stretches very little, and will tighten up after varnishing, I drilled holes and laced mine. Using the traditional snowshoe method, may be hard to keep tight. G...

Hi John Skimping on glue in the joints, can get you into trouble! The canoe I spoke of turned out GREAT! We seal coated the hull,. A rising temperature while applying a seal coat produces outgassing. Seal coat with slightly falling temps, and you will eliminate most all outgassing! The epoxy that so...

Thanks Bryan For your insight! Years ago I saw a stip built canoe, where the builder used what appeared to be thin veneer, for the wood core! The strips were 4 or 5in wide, and appeared to be molded to a form before glassing. I'd like to find that boat again, and check the weight. Thanks again Bryan...

Hi Duncan Years ago we tipped a tandem stripper, without floatation. It floated with the gunnels just above the water. We then tried to get into it, and it went down and slowly returned to the surface when we got out. This would not be a good thing on a river during high Spring water! After that all...

Hi Brian
I don't doubt that your 1/8in hull is adequate!
In fact I thought of trying it myself different times.
Did you use a 12in spacing on the forms?
Also how did you sand it?
No need to bead ands cove either!
Thanks!!
Jim

I think using "peel-ply" might be a valid weight saver, without sacrificing durability! I know a lot of builders don't build floatation chambers, I would'nt build one without them! Another trick, is to build without a full length inwhale. The ones I've seen have the inwhale in the mid sect...

I've always felt that lightening a hull was great, so long as you did'nt sacrifice durability! A friend who had built a tandem, and taken it to the BWCA, ended up duct taping it to limp back! Why spend 200 hundred hours on a hull, and have it break down in half of that time in use? A fix and repair ...