Re: S&G Night Heron

Posted by Kurt Maurer on Nov 4, 2007

Ah, so you want to keep it light, eh? Why, it's music to me ears, I'm just nuts about light boats. My last yak, a 17' x 19" hybrid Greenland thing of my own design, came in at 28 lbs. Did I say I like light?

There are two things to remember: first, practically all excess weight comes from epoxy and hardware. Second, think ahead as to how much strength is required... or not.

I have a kevlar K-1 sprint kayak from the 1986 olympic games trials in my "collection"... it's 17 feet on the button, has an adjustable seat and rudder... and weighs 10.2 lbs all up and ready to go. Better not hit anything, though -- parts of the bottom actually feel like paper! But it works for the races.

If your boat is gonna be used on still water, and you're not overly concerned about contacting rocks, use 4-oz cloth on the outside and tape only on the inside. Squeegee off all goo you can possibly live without (NEVER use a ROLLER -- OMG!!). Use the forward bulkhead as your foot brace unless you simply must have adjustability. Never use screws or nails or rivets where glue will do. Tiny little fillets, please. Be a freakin' MISER on anything and everything that proposes to become part of your boat, that's how you keep 'em really light.

I'm building a canoe at present, gonna be my cold weather fishing boat. The lay-up I applied is 4-oz in and out, with 6-oz over the football exterior, and 6-oz over the inside where I expect my feet to fall. The 16' x 30" boat will come in at around 31 to 32 lbs, and be plenty strong enough to stand up in. Just takes diligent attention to detail.

In Response to: Re: S&G Night Heron by CLC on Nov 4, 2007

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