Warning, do not buy...

[Paul Frederiksen]

the new skin on frame boat building book. If you do you will have to interupt your present building schedule to make one of these beauties. The boats are just too seductive. The book is a great read and sufficiently detailed to build from. There is just something appealing in a boat with no glue or nails in it.

[Paul Frederiksen]

Oh and I almost forgot, the claimed building time of only forty hours is a real hook. I think I spent more time than that just varnishing my bowsprit (the one on my boat, silly). http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/wink.gif

[dasboat]

Thanks for the clarification Paul.At first I thought you were braggin. http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/biggrin.gif
Darryl

[bob goeckel]

naw, i wus gonna but naw.

[bob goeckel]

well, i tried!
may need some epoxy i don't think varnish supplies enuf stiffness. at least at my boats age that seems to be the case. http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/wink.gif

[Paul Frederiksen]

or with a little mustache wax you could fashion wisker stays.

[Dagon]

Paul,

Is that the Robert Morris book?

What keeps these boats together if there's no glue or fasteners?

What material is used for the skin?

Also, are there any sailboat plans in the book?

Thanks

[Paul Frederiksen]

Dagon,

Yes it is the Morris book. Quarter inch dia wooden dowels and multi filiment sail thread (the stuff from sailrite that comes on 300 ft spools). The thread is wrapped six or eight times to form lashings at joints to keep them in compression, while the dowels maintain alignment. Works great, I am about a third of the way done with a Greenland style Kayak, I started a week ago.

Ballistic nylon is recommended for the skin. I am still searching for a supplier. Ballistic nylon is a heavy nylon used to make things like the kids school back packs you see everywhere, and army flak jackets.

There are plans for four distinct styles of kayaks, two canoes, an eight foot pram, and an eleven foot sailing dingy, refered to a providence river boat because that is what Chapelle called it when he recorded the lines. All are tempting but I don't think I can do em all. I plan to finish the West Greenland kayak and then build a superfast Baidarka, and then a Canadian canoe. That should tie me up for the winter.

[Dagon]

Well Paul,

I've got your ballistic nylon source right here:

http://www.americanhomeandhabitat.com/products/FBN105.htm

[Dagon]

Paul,

Just wondering if you've seen these boats:

http://www.geodesicairoliteboats.com/

They use heat-shrink(ed? shrunk?) dacron skins.

Dagon