Another Thrilled Redbird Builder Floating His New Boat
- thechrisperkins
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 6:34 pm
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Another Thrilled Redbird Builder Floating His New Boat
Gents,
After five months of working weekends, I have achieved sucess by floating my Redbird... Not to say that she is finished, just that it is summer, it is beautiful out, and I couldn't wait to get her wet!!!
I have a few more details to add, like a brass strip for the bow/stern, and floatation compartents which we all know are there to hide the messy area at inside of the stem.
Here she is getting ready to leave the house Saturday on the way to great adventure.
[IMG:749:562]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
Okay, I admit it. I chickened out and found a nice small protected lake to give her a maiden float. And she floats level!
[IMG:691:518]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... tfloat.jpg[/img]
Oops, I forgot to take my roof-rack pads off.
:rolling eyes
On Sunday, I took her for her maiden "voyage" down to the Mosel river, the famous wine region of Germany, near a town named Cochem.
May I introduce you to "Jules." I'm naming her after the most adventuresome person that I know, because I know she's going to take me on adventures!
[IMG:787:574]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
And just for fun, sometimes you gotta take that "Christmas Card" picture... in July!
[IMG:749:562]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
If you follow this link, it should take you to the photobucket site where I have some more posted. http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/thechrisperkins/
I have a few people I need to publicly thank. First, all you fellow builders for sound advice, whether asked for, or found. And one other in particular. Mr. Robert Huffman, manager of the Spangdahlem AFB woodshop, for generously letting me monopolize an entire room, for seven months. And, for being the rational sounding board for my sometimes hairbrained ideas. He is in a few of the pictures on the photobucket link.
All told, I couldn't be happier. Jules floats straight and level, and even after two outings, I have a "Redbird Grin!" I did most of the paddling solo, and found that the nose is relatively high, initially causing me to think I put my seat too far back. Once we had two people in... perfect! She tracks a true line when both seats have paddlers, but it took me about a half an hour to figure out that when solo, a lean will help her carve really nice turns. I even learned some new math: Paddling on the right side + leaning to the right side = straight line!
The details:
Time: 7 Months total, 5 months of actual work (active duty military deployments). About 410-420 hours
Cost: Just over $1400 USD. I don't have an itemized break down. I spent a little more building the boat in Europe due to the exchange rate, and international shipping rates. I'm also not including the extra goodies like new tools, or renting the shop space on Base.
Mistakes: Countless... But I bet you'll never find 'em! :eyebrows
Fun: I can't wait to start my next boat. And I'm going to generate some comments with this one... Can anybody recommend a good Kayak? :twisted evil
Have fun on the water this summer!
-Chris
After five months of working weekends, I have achieved sucess by floating my Redbird... Not to say that she is finished, just that it is summer, it is beautiful out, and I couldn't wait to get her wet!!!
I have a few more details to add, like a brass strip for the bow/stern, and floatation compartents which we all know are there to hide the messy area at inside of the stem.
Here she is getting ready to leave the house Saturday on the way to great adventure.
[IMG:749:562]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
Okay, I admit it. I chickened out and found a nice small protected lake to give her a maiden float. And she floats level!
[IMG:691:518]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... tfloat.jpg[/img]
Oops, I forgot to take my roof-rack pads off.
:rolling eyes
On Sunday, I took her for her maiden "voyage" down to the Mosel river, the famous wine region of Germany, near a town named Cochem.
May I introduce you to "Jules." I'm naming her after the most adventuresome person that I know, because I know she's going to take me on adventures!
[IMG:787:574]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
And just for fun, sometimes you gotta take that "Christmas Card" picture... in July!
[IMG:749:562]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/t ... _email.jpg[/img]
If you follow this link, it should take you to the photobucket site where I have some more posted. http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/thechrisperkins/
I have a few people I need to publicly thank. First, all you fellow builders for sound advice, whether asked for, or found. And one other in particular. Mr. Robert Huffman, manager of the Spangdahlem AFB woodshop, for generously letting me monopolize an entire room, for seven months. And, for being the rational sounding board for my sometimes hairbrained ideas. He is in a few of the pictures on the photobucket link.
All told, I couldn't be happier. Jules floats straight and level, and even after two outings, I have a "Redbird Grin!" I did most of the paddling solo, and found that the nose is relatively high, initially causing me to think I put my seat too far back. Once we had two people in... perfect! She tracks a true line when both seats have paddlers, but it took me about a half an hour to figure out that when solo, a lean will help her carve really nice turns. I even learned some new math: Paddling on the right side + leaning to the right side = straight line!
The details:
Time: 7 Months total, 5 months of actual work (active duty military deployments). About 410-420 hours
Cost: Just over $1400 USD. I don't have an itemized break down. I spent a little more building the boat in Europe due to the exchange rate, and international shipping rates. I'm also not including the extra goodies like new tools, or renting the shop space on Base.
Mistakes: Countless... But I bet you'll never find 'em! :eyebrows
Fun: I can't wait to start my next boat. And I'm going to generate some comments with this one... Can anybody recommend a good Kayak? :twisted evil
Have fun on the water this summer!
-Chris
Air and Water, we need both to survive. The medium is irrelevant, movement is life.
- Patricks Dad
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Chris
Terrific job, you should be very proud. I like the string clamp idea. Going to use that myself. You mentioned in your post that the bow seemed to ride to high out of the water when paddling solo. Might I suggest, sitting in the bow seat and face the stern. Paddling this way puts your weight closer to the centre of the canoe and will bring the bow down.
Terrific job, you should be very proud. I like the string clamp idea. Going to use that myself. You mentioned in your post that the bow seemed to ride to high out of the water when paddling solo. Might I suggest, sitting in the bow seat and face the stern. Paddling this way puts your weight closer to the centre of the canoe and will bring the bow down.