Building
Although wooden boat building is too labour intensive for wooden boats to compete commercially with their plastic counterparts, wood is still one of the best structural materials for small boats. Wood and epoxy are used to build some of the world's best multi-hull sailing boats, sprint kayaks and rowing shells.
Wood is up to 10 times stiffer than fibreglass by weight and nearly 6 times stiffer than kevlar/epoxy composite. Thus your energy is expended moving the boat not flexing the hull. Wood also retains its strength despite repeated cycles of tension and compression from rough seas and fast paddling: it does not get brittle with age as fibreglass and plastic can.
Marineply boats are lighter than a glass or plastic version so they accelerate quicker, carry more equipment and supplies, and are easier to spin on wave tops and in surfing conditions. Ashore lighter boats are also better: they are easier to carry above the high water mark or lift onto a car roof rack.
With fibreglass sheathed hulls to resist puncturing and abrasion these boats are tough. All the wood is saturated in epoxy so that most of the maintenance normally associated with traditional wooden boats is eliminated.
Hard-chine, Multi-chine, or Round-bottom?
Hard Chine |
HARD-CHINE boats are renowned for great handling. A good hard-chine hull tracks well yet is very maneuverable. The underwater profile of a hard-chine kayak changes dramatically as the boat is leaned. So it's easy to "carve" turns or make subtle course corrections by leaning the boat. This superior handling allows hard-chine boats to cover miles faster than other hull shapes in certain conditions; less bracing and fewer corrective strokes are required. Hard-chine boats are, by far, the easiest type to build; most of our customers with no previous woodworking experience choose our hard-chine craft. Hard-chine kayaks often hold more gear and feel roomier than multi-chine or round-bottom kayaks.
Multi Chine |
Some paddlers like the feel of MULTI-CHINE kayaks. They are willing to trade some nice handling characteristics for slightly better efficiency. A loaded multi-chine hull has about 3% less wetted surface area than a hard-chine hull with the same dimensions; this decreases resistance by about 1 to 2%. While multi-chine kayaks don't surf as well as hard-chined hulls, they can be easier to control when surfing onto a beach sideways. Initial stability is often a bit lower than hard-chine hulls, and turns require more lean. Multi-chine boats are more difficult and time consuming to build after all, they have so many more parts. Since they have many seams, considerable fibreglass work is required, but building one is still within the capabilities of most folks.
Round Bottom |
ROUND-BOTTOM, or compounded plywood boats offer incredible efficiency. Their low wetted surface area hulls move with minimal effort at low to medium speeds. They are also fast and fun to paddle, but have less initial stability and lower volume than either hard-chine or multi-chine boats. These boats are best for paddlers who don't wish to camp or to paddle in rough conditions. They are very fast to build once you "get the hang of it," but the process is exacting and a little tricky, so we recommend them as a second, rather than a first, project. |
|
Fyne Boat Kits
Unit 5, Station Yard, Burneside, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6QZ
Tel: +44 (0)1539 721770 Fax: +44 (0)1539 721 770
E-mail: info@fyneboatkits.com
site design by bf internet
|
