Freedom lx

[tx river rat]

This is going to be my play boat, The Freedom I have built is just what I needed for my river trip (if the river ever goes down) and while Matt is finalizing the 11 fter that I am going to build for my granddaughter's I am going to build the LX Light Experimental boat Boy that sounds official.
OH MATT AND i MADE A DEAL ON SECOND BOAT OF OFF HIS PLANS.
Chuck on you Freedom did you run glass tape on seams inside or any glass on the inside. And did you ever weigh your boat and how many coats of the thin epoxy did you run on inside.
Thanks
Here we go again
Ron

 

[oldsparkey]

I am going to build the LX Light Experimental boat Boy that sounds official.

Chuck on you Freedom did you run glass tape on seams inside or any glass on the inside. And did you ever weigh your boat and how many coats of the thin epoxy did you run on inside.
Thanks
Here we go again
Ron

Ron ... Welcome to the group of "X" Boat builders , Actually it is a lot of fun since we get to try them 1st.

Matt is going to have some smoke coming out both of his ears when I tell you how I built it but remember Matt did not send any instructions with the plans. My guess is he thought I did not know how to read or would read them. He was right on both counts. :lol:

I did not tape the seams , just epoxy filled them on the inside , then glassed the outside of the boat all the way around. I figured the glass with the overlap between the hull and deck would act as the tape ( a really wide version of it).

I did epoxy saturate the wood two times , both inside and outside.

I did not glass the inside at the time I built it but did go back and glass in the inside between the bulkheads to protect the wood from any wear and tear of me getting in and out. (I need to add that it is best to glass the whole inside of the boat for protection of the wood and for strength). The ends of the boat past the bulkheads only have camping supplies (packed in bags) in their area.

The Freedom when finished and after the add ons weighs 40 pounds.

Chuck.

 

[tx river rat]

Chuck
On my boat I put mat on the inside so it would be non skid do you think when you ran glass on the inside sand or non skid mixture would do the same.
Ron

 

[JEM]

the interior seams really need to have some glass or at least a woodstrip glued over the length of the seam. Epoxy provides some stiffness when applied to wood, but the fillet is not made of wood.

One high-center over a rock or log and you'll hear a cracking sound that will lead to your butt getting wet and the freeboard decreasing rapidly.

 

[oldsparkey]

Sand in there would be equal to sitting on sand paper. I use a rubber backed , inexpensive , door mat.

As Matt said , the last thing you want to hear is a loud KRACKkkkkkk as you paddle down some river. The tape and glass stops that problem for you. I am a firm believer in glassing the boat all the way inside and outside. In my way of thinking the glass is what gives the boat it's strength while protecting the wood.
I usually refer to it as a sandwich ( see here I go with the food idea ) the wood is the filler ( PB & J )and the glass is the bread protecting it and keeping it in place.

I was doing some ex-permitting ( ideas not usually permitted) with the Freedom when I made it , When I tried it I was on a lake that I walked to. After the shake down and I knew the boat was solid with the changes I made to the bulkheads it was back home and then adding the inside glass.

I tend to baby my boats ( more then the average person ) both on and off the water by not putting them in harms way or trying to.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Chuck
On my boat I put mat on the inside so it would be non skid

I saw a beautiful stripper outboard boat in Canada. HOWEVER, the owner had lent it to his Son the summer before. He had laid a rubber mat in the bottom of the boat and left it there. It collected moisture and that penetrated the wood underneath, turning it black.

You may want to remove those mats whenever you're not in the boat. Don't leave them lie there.