Need a free 'yak?

[jdupre']

10-4 on the balance thing, Keith. :shock: I'm still not quite comfortable to really relax in it yet, but it's getting better.

Well, couldn't stand the claustraphobia any longer. I took the jig saw to Old Blue and cut a bigger cockpit.

MUCH better. I can just pull my knees up for a little change in position and to help getting in and out. Cockpit is 33" front to rear. I might go another inch longer and maybe widen it a bit in the front. With my feet supported on the front bulkhead I can stll wedge my knees under the deck for balance.

I considered using the front coaming I cut off and just moving it forward and filling in, but the arc of the deck in that area is not the same. I'll probably just glue on some marine ply strips to beef up the edges.

I also played around with some left over camping pad for a back rest. That's part of paddling a kayak- fitting the cockpit to you.

Joey

 

[islandpiper]

Joey, that arched cross beam you cut off was all that held the deck up and in shape, so you may be well off to make a new one at the end of the new cockpit opening. Just a suggestion.

That original spray rail/spray skirt rim was built up of 3-4 layers of 5 MM ply, sort of layed in, wet glued and clamped with MANY CLAMPS , then trimmed and sanded. If nothing else, it was stiff.

piper

 

[jdupre']

Joey, that arched cross beam you cut off was all that held the deck up and in shape, so you may be well off to make a new one at the end of the new cockpit opening. Just a suggestion. piper

Good idea. I'll glue one in when I finalize the design.

 

[islandpiper]

Looking down on that little shelf seat makes me thing my butt was a bit narrower back in 1994. I never padded the seat back because I always wore a PFD that went to my waist and padded my back.

piper

 

[jdupre']

Kind of slow here today. Went out fishing and caught one bluegill. Figure I'll throw a couple of coats of paint on the kayak and seal up up the tiny little checks in the hull where there was no glass. Just some latex paint left over from another project. My house is 65 years old-- there is ALWAYS leftover paint. :roll:

Actually, latex paint should work well. It has enough give to allow the wood to move around some and not flake off. Oil based paint, though harder, cracks more readily allowing water to get under the paint layer causing peeling.

If I decide to re-glass the boat, the latex paint shouldn't be too hard to sand off.

Joey

 

[jdupre']

I took the yak out again in Grand Bayou yesterday after work. It is MUCH easier to get in with the larger cockpit. My quick and dirty paint job seems to have closed up all the holes. I'm getting more comfortable paddling her, too. I hadn't been gone from the landing 2 minutes when a big gator rushed out of the shallows out into the bayou in front of me. Back paddle!! Judging from the commotion, it was in the 9-10 ft range. I was a little on edge after running into the 14 footer on the last trip. I felt considerably more vulnerable in this boat. I saw three more gators in the 6-8 ft. range in the next several hundred yards and decided to call it a day.

The yak obiously has a higher sprint speed than my pirogue, but the easy cruising speed is not a whole lot different- maybe a half to three quarters of a knot.. That says a lot for the simple design of the lowly pirogue.

Took a tape measure to her and it was eye opening.

She's 22" wide, 16" wide at the chines with a 3" rise! Can you say "lively"? There will be no standing up bowfishing in this thing in the near future.

She's sealed up enough for me to take her out for a few mile trip now. Might try a little paddling between showers this weekend. Having fun with her so far. :mrgreen:

 

[Kayak Jack]

I'm surprised that you haven't discovered the suppressed torpedo tubes yet. Piper San told me he'd hidden them, but I didn't think he could do it that well. There should be small flasks made of wrapped fiber glass in each stem end. They hold 4000 psi apiece, and are used to launch the torpedoes. Once gone, each fish will be self powered and is heat seeking. I hope your deck attenuation exercise did not sever the trigger line. Third knot hole from the left activates them. Just like a standard side-by-side, left one first, then the right barrel. Also standard, modified and full choke. Elevation is set by leaning back or forward in the cockpit. Windage is set by bow position in relation to the target.

 

[jdupre']

Jack, have you been into the scotch again? :mrgreen:

I've checked the yak from end to end-- no torpedo hardware. I'm afraid Piper stripped her before I picked her up. Coulda come in handy on that 10ft gator, though.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Just like that little, scotch piper - he's more scotch through and through than we realized. Those yoopers taught him well, and he probably recycled the tubes and launch gear onto his car. Now, if you see him in traffic, better wave and smile for real. Can't do that fake smile at him no more. If you see a trail of smoke coming at you, best start lapping the beads, cause eternity's headed your way.

OK, Joey, here's what you do. Upgrade that blow gun of yours from little shishkebab sticks to real cane poles. Add an air tank up front, or in the rear if that's where your balance requires. Mount a pair of pipes up front of oh, say, 3/4" inside diameter. Paint a tigers mouth and eye on the bow - Flying Tiger style, ya know. Like John Wayne woulda done it. Set up a Cajun gun sight, one that will provide target resolution out to 100 yards, even through fog or Spanish moss. An old tomato can with fish line tied across the ends in an X will do. Hook up at least a 9 volt battree to it.

Now, compadre', you are ready to go hunting. Robins, egrets, jet skis, javelinas, gators, moccasins, gar pike, or texicans. Gimme a few days, and I'll cook up a song that is at least as good as the ones Disney had for Davy Crockett and Zorro combined. All I gotta do is find a few words that rhyme with stuff like "Cajun" and "bayou" and "sneaky".

 

[Bilgerat]

...........Once gone, each fish will be self powered and is heat seeking........

Dang good idea 'cept dem gators is reptiles - cold blooded. Heck, dat torpedo, not seeing a warm target, would turn right around and take aim on Joey! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Mike

 

[Wannabe]

Bet Joey could pull that knife and slice and dice it before it got to him. That boy be fast.
Bob

 

[Kayak Jack]

Dang good idea 'cept dem gators is reptiles - cold blooded. Heck, dat torpedo, not seeing a warm target, would turn right around and take aim on Joey!

THANKS, Mike. Now what'er we gonna do for entertainment? Ehh? Not many things as much fun as watching a Cajun dance across the water ahead of a torpedo. A good one can do it whilst strumming a banjo.