The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

Any of you ever intentionally overturn your strip canoe, load it down to near maximum capacity or take it out on a wavy lake to see how it performs or behaves in extreme conditions? Ever practice solo rescue? Any of you carry any equipment or devices to assist in self rescue? I recently spoke to som...

Bryan, thanks for the references. After reviewing the links Glen posted regarding building material testing, it looks like Nick Schade has the most comprehensive data. The three point testing he had done on 1.5" x 5" samples in a load frame quantifies each sample's relative flexibility and...

Wow! Thanks Glen.
This is exactly what I was looking for. This is information I should have been able to find but it never came up in any of my searches.

Fabulous, thanks a bunch. Now I got to get busy studying.

Bernie

Judging by the length of this thread reducing weight is an issue. Unfortunately all our good ideas have no basis in hard facts. Where are all the studies on the characteristics, properties and behaviors of cloth and epoxy layered core materials? Rather than building something that could ultimately b...

Hey Moonman, According to Ted Moores (Canoecraft page 69): “We found that ¼ inch cedar between layers of 6 oz glass cloth did not fail until subjected to a load of 221 lbs. An additional layer of 6 oz cloth (such as might be applied to a canoe’s bottom) increased the failure point by more than 100% ...

Thanks Moonman, that’s great information. Stuff like this is obviously available to designers but I’ll be darn if I could find it. Granted, I have not contacted any cloth or epoxy manufacturers. Bryan, all good suggestions. Relative to spacing the stations 10" apart, I'd pretty much need the fo...

Everybody, thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. Bryan, exactly what do you mean by "it gets pretty difficult fairing the canoe with 1/8 inch strips"? Are you specifically referring to the fact that the hull will be unusually soft with a lot of give which will make sanding difficult? I...

Wow is right! FCPO your boat is absolutely outstanding and a testimony to your skills as a craftsman! The accents are artwork in themselves. You must be very proud. After spending so many hours toiling away in the workshop, I hope that you are ready for all the attention you'll be getting from now o...

Hi Glen, your 12 footer is gorgeous. The double diamond detail is a particularly nice choice and adds class to the design. It seems like shorter hulls look better with slightly more busy detail. As it turns out I've been thinking about the Bob's all along. In fact I already have the forms ready to p...

Hey guys, Glen is your 12 footer your own design? How stable is it in the water? It looks great for kids but a bit light and tight for two adults. Snowman, I too had found the article by Jay Morrison and hope to study it more when time permits. Don Wilkinson ( http://www.smallboatforum.com/PDFfiles/...

Moonman, I appreciate the link. Don Wilkinson’s experience with 1/8 inch thick strips and 4 ounce cloth seems to indicate that it can be done safely. His sliding bow seat design is interesting too. I wish I could easily calculate the portion of a boat’s weight that is due to planking. If I knew the ...

Hi Glen, hearing from you is like meeting an old friend. Your suggestions and postings helped me a lot when building my Redbird. My primary consideration is to minimize weight which should certainly be under 40 pounds if I am going solo. Length is secondary around 13 feet or less as long as it is no...

Hi everybody, it has been a while since I've been on this forum. I built a Redbird some 3 years ago but don't use it much because of size and weight. It is a little too heavy for me to handle alone, due to a bad back, and when my wife helps me she struggles to lift it onto the car top. What I'd like...