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The Ragtime Phoenix - A Skin-On-Frame Canoe
Squirrelly. That's the way it handled. I paddled it for a few miles hoping I would change my mind, but no. It really was squirrelly.
So here are my options:
1. Paddle a boat I hate
2. Put lots of weight in the bottom
3. Make outriggers
4. Sell it to a sucker and hope they don't drown
5. Destroy the boat
What would YOU do? I need a boat that I actually enjoy that is light and quick to get in and out of the water. I usually only paddle an hour or two at a time, so:
1. I would never use it
2. Too heavy to get on and off the truck by myself
3. Too time consuming to rig up everytime I want to go out
4. No thanks
5. Cut the boat apart and hopefully salvage some of it
So here we go...
It all seems so clear now. How could I have not seen the problems? Love IS blind.
I cut the deck off, look at the frame, and... I think I might be able to pull this off...
Cutting down the ribs and refitting the gunwales...
It looks much better!
A 3/4" x 3/4" stringer is salvaged and lashed to the outside of the bottom chine. This will add some much needed stablitly. Finishing up the flooring is easier without a skin. With all this work I must be pretty optomistic that this is going to happen!
Another Saran Wrap Test. This one with a more critical attitude. And... I think I like it. I think.
So here we go again with a new skin.
And a little blood to christen...
The rub rails go on. The only place where metal is used, they are screwed on and then plugged.
The plugs are chiselled flat, sanded and varnished. You can see the stringer under the skin just below the rub rail. I really like the asthetic how it pulls the skin back and under the rail.
And finally it's in the water. Paddles just like I thought it would too. It still needs the accessories but then, no boat is ever really finished :-)
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