Wabanaki 15 - 32

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

I haven't posted a buid thread here for a while and have been feeling a "need" for a slightly smaller canoe than my Sasquatch 16.5. Sort of a purely, solo job dedicated to my three great passions in life, fishing, photography and paddling.

I think this boat will fit the bill for me beautifully and I have some ideas on how I want to set this one up that are still evolving. To this end, I will not be rushing into this build like i usually do. Rather, I plan to let the ideas ferment a little more (a bit like my poor addled old brain.

As i get into it, will start posting here with what I do and why.


here we go again.

 

[bearridge]

are we there yet? [chuckle]

 

[Kayak Jack]

Mick sez, "my three great passions in life, fishing, photography and paddling." I follow you through only one of those passions - paddling. I like to look at photos, but get bored trying to take them. I also get befuddled with equipment, gear bags, water proof boxes, etc. And fishing - well motorbikes and girls trumped fishing a long time ago.

So, Mick, I entrust to you the job of catching fish and taking piccies.

 

[hairymick]

G'day Bear and Jack,

Thanks for the interest guys. It will be about another month or so before I start this build. I am letting some ideas ferment properly first.

100% reliable dry storage is a must on this build. for my camera, lenses and other nick nacks, but at the same time, I need to be able to access it from within the boat. I think this is achievable but still playing with it.

Matt will correct me if I am wrong, but Wabanaki looks to m to be very similar below the water line to Sasquatch. I expect Wabanaki will be a superb paddler and a great solo tripper. I am just trying to make her user friendly for me and what I want to do in her. Longer than normal mini decks with hatches and bulkheads and very dry storage somewhere whin easy reach of the paddler, oh yeah, and a semi-permanent mono-pod camera mount. 8)

 

[Jimmy W]

I have carried cameras in canoes for years in a padded military 50 cal ammo box. Sometimes swamping the canoe in whitewater and the camera never got wet. I recently bought this French army first aid box which seals up watertight like the ammo box. Here it is with a Nikon FM2 with 50mm, 24mm, 135mm and 300mm f/4.5 lens and 2 extension tubes. I paid $10 for the box. I think that this is about the best way to carry a camera in a canoe. I need to add some padding and dividers to this case. By the way in my avatar, that black spot sticking up above the flotation in my canoe is my ammo box for my camera which was tied on.

 

[hairymick]

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Holy Smoke Jimmy!

Thanks for the tip mate 8) Where did you buy that container please?

 

[Jimmy W]

I bought it at a local army surplus store. Do you have Army-Navy surplus stores over there? Cabelas sells some plastic Marine Dry Boxes similar to the military metal ammo cases, but I can get the metal surplus ones cheaper. If you have more money to spend, a Pelican case would probably be even better. http://www.pelican-case.com/

 

[oldsparkey]

My camera and Medicine is in one of the Plastic Ammo Boxes ( 50 cal ) from Cabelas and a smaller one is used for snacks or to keep a handgun in.

The plastic ones will keep your stuff dry in case a Hurricane comes along or you decide to switch the dry side of the canoe for the wet side. I like the plastic ones , they are lighter then the metal ones but the metal ones will float with everything inside them if the boar takes a flip.... I painted mine orange so it can be seen and not lost or left behind.

Chuck.

 

[stickbow]

Regular ammo boxes (like the ones you can get made of plastic) are a kinda weird size for cameras. I do like the looks of the one Jimmy is messin' with. Is this it? http://west.loadup.com/military/surplus/12649.html It's 9 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 2 7/8 inches. I like that it has two small latches instead of the standard one great big un.

I use the latter for my black powder when traveling in the car. According to my friendly local law enforcement friend, the BP or any other ammo latched in one of these, then in the back of the SUV counts as "secured separately" from an interstate transport point of view.

I would like one that's easier to open for my camera in the boat, and that French one sounds like it might fit the bill.

but back on track -- what were you thinking about for dry storage, Mick?