Looks mighty racy from this angle. Looking forward to seeing in in the water and finding out how it handles , just make sure you don't paddle to hard so the speed stays down to a respectable level. 
The Swamper- new design
- Thread starter jdupre'
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Chuck, from the looks of it, I might have to throw out a sea anchor to keep the speed at a reasonable level.
jdupre' said:Chuck, from the looks of it, I might have to throw out a sea anchor to keep the speed at a reasonable level.
Forget the sea anchor and just paddle with tx-river-rat , you could tow him behind yours. Look out when Ron reads that. :lol:
You guys are making some fine looking boats and I bet speedy ones. Not even saying anything about all of the ideas you guy's are coming up with , it sure keeps things interesting around here.
Joey, next boat is the "kitchen trailer boat".....a tow-behind that will carry the dutch oven, a cooler, folding table like Bear's, and a dry food box. Maybe two dutch ovens. I'm thinking decked, like a whale-back ore boat with a water tight hatch, self-righting. that'l do it.
Piper
Piper
Yeah! How about an intergral solar-powered fridge, flip out table, built in Thermacell and telescoping light standard for nighttime cooking. Pull it up on the bank and fold out the attatched legs for a stable cooking platform. Matt ???? Ron????
:mrgreen:
:mrgreen:
jdupre' said:
The boat has a 20 foot bottom. Bottom looks good from 20 feet- definetly not close up. :roll:
Looks even better from I-Dee-Ho. . . . . . :lol: :lol: :lol:
Joey, looks like she's coming along real well. . . I'm really interested in reading how she performs when you get her wet. . . .
jdupre' said:
Sounds good.
Now, if you could figure out how to use a keg (full, of course) for positive floation, I believe you'd win a Nobel prize.
Put the kayak in Grand Bayou this morning to see how she floated so I could start with the bulkheads. She floated with an inch of the bow and stern clear of the water- pretty level. I sat on the floor and she was really stable. Being about 27 lbs., she responded to the paddle by leaping forward with little effort. The glide was fantastic. I moved around some to get the draft about right and marked where I wanted the bulkheads. Came home and started measuring for them.
I'm going with the slghtly lower peaked rear deck as in the model.
I like the looks of Chuck's prototype Freedom with the rear peaked deck and it's a little simpler to construct.
I did something different with the end pours. When I glassed the skinny inner bow area, I folded a piece of glass and wiggled it into place leaving about 1.5" of space between it and the actual bow seam. After it cured it left an open topped cavity that I filled with the boat sitting level. No horsing the the boat up against the house.
Joey
I'm going with the slghtly lower peaked rear deck as in the model.
I like the looks of Chuck's prototype Freedom with the rear peaked deck and it's a little simpler to construct.
I did something different with the end pours. When I glassed the skinny inner bow area, I folded a piece of glass and wiggled it into place leaving about 1.5" of space between it and the actual bow seam. After it cured it left an open topped cavity that I filled with the boat sitting level. No horsing the the boat up against the house.
Joey
The peaked deck in the back on the Freedom was the way it was designed and after I made it and suggested to Matt what changes needed to be made the one major one was the peaked deck in the back.
Using a sit backer chair for the test paddle that peak on the deck dug into my back after a few hours of paddling....... If you want it peaked then use something more ridged as a chair or seat , the one I designed for the pirgoues would work. It would stop that problem since it is not a soft back seat.
Matt redid the back deck to get rid of that peak and all of the rest of the Freedoms have that peak removed.
Chuck.
Using a sit backer chair for the test paddle that peak on the deck dug into my back after a few hours of paddling....... If you want it peaked then use something more ridged as a chair or seat , the one I designed for the pirgoues would work. It would stop that problem since it is not a soft back seat.
Matt redid the back deck to get rid of that peak and all of the rest of the Freedoms have that peak removed.
Chuck.
Jd
I second the part about the peaked deck, my Freedom also has it,non of my other boats will.even with the plastic seats I use it would dig in your back.
Ron
I second the part about the peaked deck, my Freedom also has it,non of my other boats will.even with the plastic seats I use it would dig in your back.
Ron
Chuck, I plan on building some sort of lighter, shorter version your folding chair, so the peak won't bother me. If it does, I'll put some sort of stop to limit seat travel. I really like the shape of the peaked rear deck on your Freedom. It just ties the whole shape together.
Just giving you a heads up on that one problem ........ Sounds like the seat block would cover it since I keep sliding back in the boat when paddling it. Awaiting the test results when you have it done and are on the water.
The peaked deck sure helps water run off and offers a little more storage room in the aft section.
The peaked deck sure helps water run off and offers a little more storage room in the aft section.
The last fill coat of epoxy on the inside is done. Next come the decks. Tried a little cardboard to get the feel of what they will look like. I'm liking it. :mrgreen:
The templets are oversize. I''m thinking I might make the front and rear of the cockpit curved - kind of a long oval a little fatter in the rear.
Joey
The templets are oversize. I''m thinking I might make the front and rear of the cockpit curved - kind of a long oval a little fatter in the rear.
Joey
This boat photographs kinda strange. It does look like the bow is LONG, but it is just an optical illusion. I had it in the water to test cockpit location and it behaved well.
Check out a square- on picture of the kayak. It gives a better idea of proportion.
Joey
Check out a square- on picture of the kayak. It gives a better idea of proportion.
Joey
You're RIGHT. That one picture is an elliptical conclusion. The shot of the boat's bottom is a better perspective.
By the way, the boat's leaning up against the shop that I'm doing the build in. Tight, huh? :roll: