Sassafras 16 Launch Day

Posted by David Warren on Dec 29, 2005

Finally in the water. Summer here (Australia), perfect morning for a test-paddle. Warm, glass-still water, not a breath of wind.

Hardest part was fitting it on the family "car" (used to be a truck until we left it out in the rain...!). All of three feet long with no roof rack. It was either that or drag it behind the motorbike!

Tried a variety of paddles and have settled on a pair - a stumpy, reinforced (read expendible)wooden dragon boat paddle for launching, general near-shore rock banging and tight direction changes, and a 63" (that's looong!) cherry otter-tail by Grey Owl for the deepwater and distance stuff. Sweet, springy and silent.

During the build (no kit and no power tools used), I departed vaguely from the plans for the decks (flushed/counter-sunk into the inwales - which are rebated to visually taper towards the stem - breasthooks and Tasmanian sassafras bookmarked veneers on the decks.

Here's some pic links: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoefinalfit-out2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoefinalfit-out4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoefinalfit-out5.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoelaunchday1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoelaunchday4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Davdoodles/canoemountedoncar1.jpg

Hmmm. I wonder what I'll build next... .

Replies:

• Re: Sassafras 16 Launch D by Toby on Dec 29, 2005
  • Re: Sassafras 16 Launch D by Doug Judd on Dec 29, 2005
• Re: Sassafras 16 Launch D by John Short on Dec 29, 2005
  • Re: Sassafras 16 Launch D by Pete on Jan 2, 2006