john's A$$ finally in gear

[hairymick]

G'day John,

Good Job Mate!

Congrats on a fine build. Goodonyamaaaaaaaate 8)

Didja launch at that little park near the bridge? Have a look up Ningi Creek just round the corner - beautiful on a rising tide!

Real good to see Mum and the littleun getting involved too. 8)

 

[digr57]

Great looking boat. Just beware of the addiction. I seem to be spending more time building than paddling these days.

 

[john the pom]

Thanks guys I really do appreciate the positive/supportive comments. Jack I done good hey Just got to prevent Mick from taking TOO close a look at it 8) But! It will do exactly what its intended for and that's the main thing. I learn't good and am better prepared if :lol: I do it again.
About a kilometre to the left of the bridge Mick further up toward Ningi Creek, and yes I'll explore it in the next week or so. Saw two blokes dragging a plastic SOT back along the beach cos it was too hard to paddle against the wind that day. A ways out in the channel it cut up pretty rough, despite the pictures had the nose bury itself into a wave or two and thought Uh oh! for a while. Mind you I was chasing them bow waves from some of the bigger/faster boats to have a looksee what would happen. Sideways, backwards and front on it coped well though I did come close the limits. Thats a good thing though, a bit of knowledge hurt no one.

 

[bearridge]

Sideways, backwards and front on it coped well though I did come close the limits. Thats a good thing though, a bit of knowledge hurt no one.

Friend John,

Az I recall Ole Clint Eastwood tole a fella that once. Knowin' yer limit, in 'er out of a boat, iz a good thing. So what kind will ya build next? I think some of these fellas jest sniff the epoxy tween boats. :mrgreen:

congratulations
bearridge

Knowledge is never a substitute for experience. Greg Henry Quinn

 

[Kayak Jack]

You guys got talking about using large, foam blocks as a carrying rack. What kind of foam? Where are you getting it?

 

[john the pom]

Thanks once again Mick, Bear and Dig.
Jack: There are many foam roof carrying systems on the net.
http://www.orsracksdirect.com/riverside ... r-kit.html
and from cometsports: "For about fifty $ you can get a roof top carrying kit . It consist of two foam pads and four tie downs. They are made for kayaks and loading on bare car roofs. I hauled my kayak from Minnesota to Texas a few times with no problems. You want a kit for each yak. Follow the directions use common sense and stop to check the tie downs now and then. YAK ON"
Nothing really local to my area and I wanted to launch the Laker NOW! I went to a specialist rubber store (No not that kind :shock: ) They sell rubber and foam profiles similar to the foam used in upholstery. I asked for the densest material they had.Not the springiest, nor the really harsh stuff which would leave an imprint in it if poked :? cost me $20 for a piece about six by six" square by five or six foot long. It's not cheap stuff for what it is, but I asked for the densest. Densest gives you most resistance. You can do it yourself very easily but I found that once I had some tension on one end with a helper pushing the other end of the boat downwards I could save myself a bit of ratcheting and get enough tension. Believe me they hold really hard. Ratchet straps available at auto/hardware places. Wouldn't go with the cheapest, so use good judgement.
On an afterthought. once I have the length right I will put a loop in the strap and do away with the ratchet part of the strap, simply put the loop over the hook while the boat is being held down in tension. Mebbe two loops one as initial tension while I do the other end, then move onto the tighter loop.

 

[bearridge]

Truthful Jack,

Campmor Kayak Carrier 58602-J (straps, loops, bumper hooks) $34.99
58613 blocks only $12.99

http://wapurl.co.uk/?4YDBVXN

Canoe Carrier 58607-J kit $29.99
58601-J blocks only $7.99

http://wapurl.co.uk/?4YDBVXN

These work fine unless yer boat iz really heavy.

regards
bearridge

There are three kinds of men: the one that learns by reading, the few that learn by observation, and the rest of 'em that have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. Will Rogers

 

[Kayak Jack]

Thanks, guys. You each get one "Atta Boy!"

(This does not, however, wipe out any of your "Aw $#!T's you may have collected. If you, or any of your team are apprehended, the Secretary and I will disavow any knowledge of your existence.)

 

[john the pom]

Wasn't sure of right place to post this and didn't wanna knock Mick's Mary thing outta the news on account of that's more important. So I stuck it in here.
Was paddling the Laker the other day and after a coupla hours got to being uncomfortable (Probly on account of I still haven't really sorted out my seating arrangements properly)
Anyhow got to thinking it would be nice to be able to stand up and stretch, and/or fish standing up when I felt like a change of body position. So I put my thinking head on and came up with this. It's by no means a final draught, and if it doesn't pan out then I'll have four little holes to fill in, where the Ubolts are.

The whole thing cost less than $10 'cos it's made from various bits of Treasure I had lying around. You know the stuff that might come in handy one day. Pool noodles cost $4 for three, unfortunately three different and decidedly crappy colours. Aluminium bits are from a Walking frame I found in a second hand shop for $8! Couldn't leave it in the shop it must have been really worth $50 second hand. It had been a fully height adjustable frame. The aluminium is very thin walled but I spose has to be strong on account of yer do get some really heavy folks resting on them.

It's all deployable while sitting in the boat and "unployable" (that's one of my words) also whilst sitting in the boat.
Only thing that could rust are the springs that hold the brass buttons out. Am sure I can find replacements for them... or make some.
The best part of it is the weight, or lack thereof. The whole thing comes in at 650g. Thats 1.43lbs!

If it doesn't work I've wasted a coupla hours. I think it will and will let you know the outcome.
Overally width is 48" and the whole thing is fully-take-apartable. The centre tube is sitting on a bed of silastic.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Good "out of the box" thinking, John. I hope it doesn't get to be "out of the boat" thinking.

 

[john the pom]

LMAO Jack, well I painted and put pointy ends on them now, so at least if I end up wet I'll be doing so with a bit of style On reading Joey's
gadgets, gizmos, time and labor saving devices. This might've been better posted there.

 

[jdupre']

John, that does qualify as a great gadget. I'm thinking it's the best of both worlds-- a nice, narrow hull for speed and a wide platform when you get to the fishing hole. I give it 5 stars!

Joey

PS: Like the new words, too---------"unployable" and "fully-take-apartable". You do have a way with the words. :wink:

 

[Kayak Jack]

John, for extra buoyancy (in case a lard ass gets in our boat) you could add a third tube centered beneath the upper two.

 

[funbun]

Hmm, doesn't having it bolted down create stress on that one part of the wood? I think that's why the pacific islanders lashed everything, so that the whole unit could bend and sway as needed while remaining strong.

 

[Kayak Jack]

... and, they didn't have any metal fasteners of any kind. Until, the missionaries came. They'd have been a helluva lot better off to retain palm frond lashing and forget the missionaries.

 

[john the pom]

Hey guys, thanks for the interest. Have considered a third tube, but as a skinny little bugger at 145lbs I shouldn't need it. If I do then I'll stick one on. Would only consider using this in the flattest of water and not whilst doing aerobics. I reckon anything other than cautious casting and fishing could possibly rip the back deck open, though it's very well re-inforced underneath, and is "Floating" on a bed of silastic which will allow some movement. I have already stood up in the Laker without this gizmo, granted in very shallow water and not for long. It can be done but wouldn't advise it. All I'm looking for is an aid to occasional use to help me stand without falling over. Then again I could now add a coupla sails hmmm... It weighs next to nothing and breaks down small enough to hide. If I thought any great strain was being put on the deck I'd scrap it. Its as much an experiment in cheapskatedness as anything. On the other hand if I found particularly useful I would consider really beefing up the area and prettying it up a bit.

 

[jdupre']

John, you could maybe attach stiff rubber bumpers to the cross tube right over the gunnels and that would take some of the strain off of the center attachment point.