Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Here we go! 

Four mm Okoume ply purchased (cut into 12" strips, ready for scarfing); 7 ft of Ash, cut into 1" strips (for scarfing into shear strips), a 3ft x 3" board of Zebra wood for the bow and stem strips, and my epoxy and cloth arrived today, so I'm off & running!  I hope to maintain a photo log of my progress and will post pics / updates here occasionally.

I say "LT modified" because I'm cutting the 17 down to the LT dimensions (1 inch off the sides), but will keep the 14 inch profile of the aft deck for the extra cargo space.  I'm adding the Zebra wood end caps for looks (it'll offset the Mahogany nicely) and I may route/cut a 3/8" strip along the deck/side lines for a Zebra wood edge (to hide that plywood deck seam)... have to look at router issues before deciding.

I may also put a decal on each side (undecided on what decal) and possibly (probably) a compass rose on the for deck.  Nice touch, eh?

Plans are great, I look forward to getting though the first phase.  Not looking forward to the fiberglass, but will find plenty of  help here if needed.

Welcome any ideas/suggestions;

Thanks,

Larry


47 replies:

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RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Epoxied side & bottom panels this week... hope to lay up and cut out this weekend.  Once I figure out how to post pics (and have pics worth posting), will put some up.

 L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified) - Question???

I've assembled my panels for bottom and sides; in doing so I had to scarf about 18 inches to the side panels and 6 inches to the bottom.  I laid on 2 layers of glass to reinforce these joints (which aren't true scarf joints, but rather 45 degree joints on the side and butt joints on the bottom panels).  My question is, will the tension on the plywood at the bow/stern cause any problems with this double layer of glass?  The curves seem rather severe and I'm hoping I haven't complicated maters (read: screwed myself) by building up the reinforcing glass for additional strength.

 Not that it matters now... I'll be cutting panels and assembling within the week.

 Appreciate any thoughts, insights or recommendations, given where I am.

Thanks, Larry

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Today I cut out the bottom panels... was easier than I thought it'd be, especially planing the plywood to the finish line.  After getting to the line I stood back and eyeballed it for fairness, used a "Micro Plane" to shave a few bumps off and everything looked good.  Here's a couple pics, if this works like I think it will...:

[IMG]http://i27.tinypic.com/wrjsi9.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i25.tinypic.com/2efjl06.jpg[/IMG]

The ladder is a "jig" I built to make it easier to support the long panels... comes in handy for nailing the plywood down when cutting/shaping.  The sides are lofted; will cut them out one evening this week.  By next weekend this should look somewhat like a boat!

I'm gonna put an outside layer of fiberglass on the small bottom joints (last 6 inches of the hull) in an effort to keep that awful end twist from cracking that joint apart when I start assembling the four pieces. 

More to follow,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Guess that "TinyPic.com" option isn't working.

 Will try to fix that.

L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

http://i27.tinypic.com/wrjsi9.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/2efjl06.jpg

Another try...

L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Cut the side panels last night and tonight I sanded them to the line.  For a change from the plane, I used a 4" belt sander, held on edge and carefully eliminated the 1/8" of wood leading up to my pencil line.  With the exception of the weight (sucker's heavy!) it worked extremely well... prevented me from all that plane-pushing and sweating all over the place.  Had to stop after doing the top edge & ends, as my arms were getting wobbly... tomorrow's another day.

At this rate I'll do a little more glassing tomorrow/Thu, set up my end-caps Friday and anticipate starting the stitching process Saturday morning.  I hope to have pictures of a boat hull by Sunday night... WooHoo!

L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Finished sanding the side panels tonight... switched from hand plane to belt sander because it allowed an easy, light touch and brought me to my lines without jerking the wood around a lot.

 Also glassed the outside of two small bottom joints at the ends (both); my concern was that without the "sandwich core" construction these might crack/separate when twisting the bottom up to meet the sides at each end.  Hopefully the glass reinforcement on each side (doubled on the inside) will prevent this catastrophy!

Tomorrow I'll smooth out my shear strakes and glue them to the sides (must buy more clamps... must buy more clamps... argh!).  Then I'll have the 4 day weekend to start wiring the hull together.  I'll have photos Monday night!

One note on "LT Modified," I was going to cut an inch off the sides to turn my "17" plans into the "LT" boat, leaving the aft deck curvature (24" radius, IIRC) of the 17 for extra cargo space.  Due to the size of my final glued up side panels, I reduced them by 1/2", which'll give me a little more interior room and still reduce overall volume from the 17 regular (read that it's quite a large, expedition-sized kayak!). 

More soon, L

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Today I started the stitching process.  What a PITA!!!  But after a little fussing with the bow, things became fairly easy.

Found that leaving the bottom center seem loose until the sides were tight/aligned, then going back and tightening the centers really helped even things up.

The hard part, though, was in the center of the boat.  I've stitched half the length of the hull and my bottom overhangs my stern/sides by about 3 inches.  I believe that's because I'm having to almost fight to get the middle sides to reach the bottom... that 22" bar (that  holds the 23.5" beam on the middle of the sides) is really pushing the sides out; pushing them back in as I "stitch" should eventually lengthen the sides to meet the bottom (my theory, we'll see if it works).  But that's tough... have wrapped clear packing tape from side to side to pull those in as I go along... makes it easier to align / drill my holes for wiring.

Had to buy "bell wire," which is a tad lighter than the stuff I ordered here.  Would prefer the heavier gauge, but hey, it's Lowes.....  Anyway, seems to be holding up well.

Decided to fit/install my end-caps (bow & stern) after the hull is wired up.  Then I'll just loosen the end wires enough to slip in the tab on my fancy wood tips.

Pics of progress this afternoon; as I mentioned, I'm now half way down the hull (tomorrow will see it completely wired).

http://i31.tinypic.com/29aqtjn.jpg

http://i31.tinypic.com/29aqtjn.jpg

Enjoy - I am,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

And a couple pics that didn't load last time (not sure what happened there...?)?

http://i25.tinypic.com/jzwf86.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/qnaame.jpg

 

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Ok, boat's wired (with a few zip ties... 85 feet of wire and I run out at the last 12 inches... whoddathunkit???)..., and the internal seams are buttered with the first layer of epoxy, plus end pours bow & stern to hold that complex array of plywood connections together.  Tomorrow I'll begin cutting those wires, run a heavier fillet of epoxy; Tuesday I'll begin taping the seams.  The boat is hanging (as depicted in the plans, to check for twist) for now; believe I'll leave it until the taping is done. 

I was amazed while wiring it together, I kept thinking I should be doing something to ensure the shape came out ok... but it's like the boat knows what it's supposed to look like.  With very few exceptions, my seams lined up, my lines were increadibly straight (or curved, as the case may be... they were "fair"), and when I leveled the boat from the "hangers," placed two straight edges front & back, it was amazing, perfectly plumb!  I was overjoyed (mostly 'cause my body hurts so much from climing around under and over that hull to get the wirings in!). 

Tomorrow I'll put thicker/wider fillets of epoxy along the seams and Tuesday I should begin taping them (4" wide tape; CLC didn't have the 3" in stock).  When that's all set up I'll tilt the boat and complete the end-pours.  For deck hardware, I'm fitting a piece of Ash into each end, above the epoxy pours, that'll accept the screws for two brass eyes. 

Pics:

http://i31.tinypic.com/a72vm.jpg

http://i26.tinypic.com/161nr0l.jpg

Enjoy, Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

P.S., for what it's worth, my next boat (will build 2 14 footers for my wife and her girlfriend), I'm using zip ties all the way around.  I broke so many wires, and my fingers are full of holes from being poked by the ends.  I figure those 7/16" holes are all getting filled/glassed/painted anyways, so why torture myself!?!

L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Ugggh!

Finished my fillets this morning and began glassing the bottom strip (tape) after lunch.  I knew there were some ridges and bumps in my fillets, but the more I tried to remove them (while soft) the worse matters became... so I let things be.  I considered sanding the bottom before glassing it, and started to, but that wasn't really fixing the issue.  So, there seems to be lots of little air-bubbles under my glass tape seam, and I'm hoping I haven't severely damaged the integrety of the bottom. 

I'm strongly considering adding some thickened epoxy to the chines before taping them, as I see the same issue coming up again.  I hate to add the extra weight, but I also want strong, tight taped seams.

http://i30.tinypic.com/4rusgj.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/b7b2w7.jpg

L

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

After some thought yesterday, I spent an hour power-sanding those rough chine fillets this morning (what a mess!).  Afterwards they were smooth enough but had enough dips that I'd have air bubbles galore when glassing.  I filled in a small, smooth overlay of some thicker putty and they really evened out.  I'll take the extra (nominal) weight in favor of less air bubbles/pockets and a stronger tape bond.  This new layer has some verticle ridges (left by design - it was that or continue to screw up a nice, even fillet) which will easily sand off tomorrow.

After a little research I decided to only tape the cargo holds and let the 6oz cloth in the cockpit count for my seams (rational was twofold, amount of work/epoxy and the difficulty of getting one layer of glass to lay across the edge of another (without serious sanding!)).  I'm a tad nervous about glassing the cockpit because filling that 9oz tape was a bear!

I'm feeling much better about the structural integrity now... off to buy more mixing cups, brushes, etc. at Dollar General (I love the General!).

Pics:

http://i27.tinypic.com/15hmt5j.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/15hh7qp.jpg

http://i30.tinypic.com/2vtwsx0.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/wqsx0y.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/2hn5b21.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Well, all that extra sanding, re-filleting and re-sanding paid off; tonight I put my glass tape on the seams, and they layed down exceptionally!!!  The smooth curve across the seams (fillets) gave a perfect surface for the glass to adhere to, and I got very few air pockets along the way.  There was a lesson learned, though...:

Never (NEVER) mix up a cup and a half of epoxy to do tape seams... you'll never get through it before it goes exothermic!  I got half way through my last seam and the glue got sticky, as in - it pulled the tape off rather than setting it onto the wood.  I stopped when I got it layed down with a credit card, mixed up a small, fresh batch, and was able to finish without much incodent.  But, I'll have to do some serious sanding as the goopy glop that I put on toward the end really sludged up the bottom.  The glass looks good, but it'll take some fairing in order to look nice.

Tomorrow I'll sand all that excess epoxy off, then put 4 oz glass in the cockpit.  The plans call for 6 oz., but I've got lots of 4 oz and just enough 6 oz to do the hull.  I'll put some 6" strips of 6 oz along the seam under the 4 oz cloth, as a little extra protection, but don't envision any problems.  After all, the exterior gets 6 oz cloth, and my keel will get an additional layer of the left-over 4 oz for rub protection.  Think I should be fine. 

Very happy with the results so far.  This weekend I'll shape and install the bulkheads (1/2" marine-grade Fir plywood, 4 oz glass on both sides).  Will form up about 4 Ash beams and try to cut/install those....  A little sanding and paint on the interior, and it's DECK time!!!

Moving right along... more pics to follow.

 Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Tonight I glued in the deck beam (first of three, actually).  Glued the arch up over the weekend (Ash, cut into 1/8" strips and epoxied to a 3/4 x 3/4 inch cross section)... I cut the angle on each end with a Japanese saw, then touched them up on a stationary belt sander.  Fit was excellent! 

I mixed up a very thick paste of epoxy & cab-o-sil and lightly pressed the beam into place between the sheer clamps; using a small strip of plywood on each side to keep the beam from popping up out of position.  Worked like a champ!  There's a 1/32" gap between the end of the beam and the sheer clamp but planing the sheer down will eliminate that.  I probably should have sanded the beam first (to prevent stressing it after gluing) but don't anticipate anything more than hand sanding to remove a little excess epoxy from the sides.

I left off the end screws (as mentioned in the plans), based on advice here and the fact that the epoxy cures hard as nails... figure I'll be fine, especially after the deck is installed.

Next step is to sand the cockpit and aft bulk head, tape the bulkhead and glass the cockpit... a little planing and I do believe I'm ready for the deck!  Need to buy another sheet of Okoume.

Picks of the deck beam here:

http://i36.tinypic.com/14kl5vp.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2dl9qgj.jpg

More to come...,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

This week I added two additional deck beams.  These will provide extra "shape support" to the deck when I cut out the hatches (well, that's my theory).  They added no real weight, don't get in the way, and if they keep the deck from distorting after removing a significant sized hatch, they were worth the extra effort.

Today I sanded the cockpit, bulkheads and all the beams (what a crappy job, sanding epoxy! but I must say, this MAS sands pretty easily, using a Makita palm sander and 100 grit paper).  Later today I'll tape the rear bulkhead and possibly glass the cockpit (although that's a big job and I'm reluctant to get started).

Last night I began planing the sheer strip (clamp?) at the beams to determine how much wood I'd be removing.  Easy to plane (it's Ash) and pretty easy to match the curve of the deck.  I'll cut a curved template out this afternoon to provide a better gauge when I get to final planing.  It seems I'm getting close to decking...!!!

The pic shows the beams in place prior to gluing them in.  I used two 1/16" nails under each beam (pressed into the sheer strip) to keep them in place while the epoxy cured... there's no real pressure on them.  Worked like a charm, and the nails, pressed into drilled holes, pulled out with very little effort.

http://i36.tinypic.com/30wo28l.jpg

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Larry

I am from about 60 miles from New Orleans in bayou country

Steve Bourgeois

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Glassed the hull today.  Wow, major job!  Used 3 and 1/2 cups of epoxy (5 separate batches) and it took almost three hours.  Hit a few snags (literally... snagged the cloth - doesn't like to lay back down easily!) but all in all I was very pleased with how it went.  Biggest chore was simply playing with the epoxy until it wet out the glass; then getting the bulk of it off / spread around so it wasn't too thick. 

I plan to tape the bottom and use micro-balloons to fill in that part of the weave; bottom will be painted; sides and top varnished.  Figure I can feather the seam / line between the two when I do the sanding.

Took several pics but this is a good representation:

http://i35.tinypic.com/2u4ueip.jpg

Any thoughts?

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Hi Larry,

  The worst of the glassing is over. The micro ballons idea will help when it comes time to finnish sand the bottom and also save some epoxy, just keep it off the varnished deck. Looking good.

 

         Chris

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

I decided against the micro balloons, as the glass seemed to fill easily... here's a couple shots of two coats of un-thickened epoxy.  Once cured I'll sand it lightly to knock off the bumps (and a few warts, which will take some heavier sanding); then I'll put one more very thin coat of epoxy on, after which I'll flip it, finish the interior and begin the decking.  The glass filled easily, with very few runs.  I had a pinch on the bow that I might fill with some micro-balloon thickened paste, otherwise, I think I'm happy with the results.

http://i34.tinypic.com/2chvpsm.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/339owsz.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2wno77d.jpg

More to come...,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Man..., this is getting long!  I wish they'd show these in reverse order (newest to oldest... like e-mail forwardings, then you'd get the latest & greatest up front!).

Tonight I glassed in my adjustable footpeg bolts (the kit from CLC).  I made the initial mistake of thinking that creamy paste was thick enough, only to watch my bolts slide down the side of the boat!!!  I added another scoop of Cell-O-Fill and really thickened it up (like refridgerated peanut butter), scraped off the original applications and reapplied.  I quickly switched out to unthickened epoxy and put 4 oz glass squares on (45 degree attitude, for additional lateral & vertical strength), later I may add an additional 6 oz strip of glass, slightly longer, on the opposite direction for added strength.  It just seems like those bolts could be under lots of tension and that little glass patch makes me nervous!  All in all, each bolt dropped about 1/8" before settling in (I had to prop a piece of wood between the bottom and one bolt to stop the sliding - it just wouldn't hang on), and everything seems to have settled.  By about 10:00 tonight I should see where they'll land.  Verticle slipping doesn't bother me (a little slipping), as long as they stay aligned horizontally (distance between centers). 

Tomorrow I'll finish rolling epoxy on the interior, and then I'll prepare to paint it.  I have an oil based exterior paint that would work great (color-wise) for the cockpit and hatches, does anyone know if this'll stick to that epoxy? or will I have to sand a little first?  I hate to use primer first as I'm trying to keep the overall weight down.  Appreciate any thoughts on that....

Someone mentioned a mid-November launch (WD12) here - that's what I'm hoping for.  Once the interior's painted I'm ready to put the deck on.  I think it'll all be down-hill from there.  The finish work is a little frightening, but I'm gonna take all the sage advice on this website and "sand, sand, and sand some more!"

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

I've painted the interior (exterior oil-based paint - "Tropical Teak"), installed the foot braces and some hardware for the seat..., this weekend I dry-fitted the tops (fore & aft).  Both fit extremely well!

I drilled three 1/4" holes at the boat side perimeter for dowels that will align the top with the sides of the boat during installation - as long as the dowels are touching the sides, the top will be perfectly aligned for strapping/nailing.  The benefit, I think, will be less movement of the top, spreading epoxy off the sheer clamps and bulkheads/beams.  That's the theory, anyway.

If weather holds (and work cooperates), I'll be gluing both front and rear decks on this week - can begin trimming them this weekend.  (My daughter is visiting this weekend - would like to show her a boat that actually looks like a kayak and not a wierd canoe!).

Pics if you're interested:

Painted interior with foot braces installed

http://i34.tinypic.com/25849ec.jpg

Painted interior - again

http://i33.tinypic.com/20aa1x1.jpg

Rear Deck 1

http://i37.tinypic.com/ftq4cn.jpg

Rear Deck 2

http://i34.tinypic.com/np2gzl.jpg

Fore Deck 1

http://i33.tinypic.com/2eq3os2.jpg

Fore Deck 2

http://i37.tinypic.com/2hg71ac.jpg

Thanks for following,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Glued the aft deck on tonight..., went on flawlessly!!!  Will cut out a rough opening for the coaming and then install the fore deck in the next day or two (have to scarf the extra 15 inches on to fill the forward void). 

Very happy with tonights' results; looking forward to installing the rest of the deck and then trimming... thatl leaves me with only the coaming build (custome fiberglass and carbon-fiber overlay) and finishing work to do.  After 2 months and 1 week, I'm really feeling like I'm on the downhill run.

Pics of the aft deck install included below.

Larry

http://i36.tinypic.com/o104tk.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2exbzw1.jpg

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Past weekend I glued on the aft deck, trimmed to the sides with jig-saw and plane.  Tonight I dry-fitted the fore deck, although it still needs the last 15 inches scarfed onto the piece (weekend coming...).

One pic shows the stark difference in height between the aft and fore decks at the cockpit.

Looking forward to finally getting this enclosure "enclosed!"

Pics:

http://i34.tinypic.com/mrep1v.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/1s0bck.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2eoz7rk.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Finally!!!  Got the bow deck epoxied/nailed on this evening.  Thought I'd never see this day! 

Went fairly smoothly, although I'd done about 4 dry runs for one reason or other... and I walked through the roll, thicken, glue, nail, cut, nail routine in my head first to ensure I wasn't forgetting any steps... had everything laid out for when I needed it.  I used two nails fore and aft for side-to-side alignment, that way all I had to do was align the wood at the cockpit...; I put in two nails at the arch beam to hold it steady while my wife pushed down the other side and I put the straps on.  Having her there made it a success, so I owe her flowers or something.  Only mystery is that I ran out of epoxy after rolling the underside of the deck.  Just didn't make sense but was no problem.

The dip in the end of the arched bow that was so prominent (and somewhat so on the stern) magically disappeared as I nailed down the side lines, just like John (I think) said it would.  Great results and I can't wait to trim the deck edges down to the hull.  Will actually be a kayak at last (vice a canoe with bulkheads!).

Photos, of course:

http://i37.tinypic.com/qougow.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/73iebl.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2qcmemv.jpg

More to follow,

Larry

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Larry, your story and pics are great.  i have the plans for the Chesapeake 17 and i am really interested in building it.  this is first time i have looked at this forum.  keep up the good work.

Dave

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

  We are admiring your work out here in California.  We are going to build a surf kayak as our first project.  Know anybody who built the Mantonuk (sp)

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Dave, thanks.  Jump right in on the 17, it goes together very easily (and quickly, if you're OCD, like me!).  I had very little difficulty along the way, and have really enjoyed the process.  Haven't built anything in a long time (wood working, that is) and this has been an excellent way to get back into the craft.

Dawn; Dave, haven't seen anyone here building the Mantunuk, but it looks like it'd be easier than some of the longer boats (space is an issue, as is scarfing two and three pieces of ply together to get the length needed on the panels).  I think it'd go together pretty fast, and it looks like a blast on the water!

Good luck to you both,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Finished sanding the deck this morning and glassed it around noon.  Went much more easily than the hull (4oz glass wets out so much more readily).  I thought I'd have more difficulty with the edge over the hull sides but that turned out to be pretty easy to deal with. 

Used 2.25 cups of epoxy, one long sheet of glass.  Got nervous 'cause I only had 1 more measuring cup (first was 3/4 cup; second I went for 1.5 cups and it was just enough to finish it). 

Pics:

http://i45.tinypic.com/qs5y8l.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2wdakgz.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

A couple better pics (from my camera, vice my phone) of the newest glass.  Temps are up and it's sunny today so I should get two coats of epoxy rolled on before sundown!  One more and I'm thinking of starting the coaming (vice flipping it and sanding the hull).  I hate sanding that beast!

http://i45.tinypic.com/106m39t.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2dh9xg2.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Mad Experiment!

Beginnings of my carbon coaming.  This is two layers (sometimes 3) of 4oz glass over two 5/8" hoses, taped to the shape of the coaming.  One more layer of glass and I'll put the carbon on, atop which will go one or two more layers (not sure yet).

Lessons:  Epoxy doesn't like sticking to a substrate that isn't "fixed."  I covered the mold with seran wrap and began putting glass on that.  Unfortunately, the seran wrap lifted off the boat/mold every time I touched the glass... wetting it out was impossible.  After two pieces of glass I ripped the entire thing off and hurried to cover the entire mold in clear packing tape.  My fear was that my cup of epoxy would get too stiff to work with.  In the end, everything worked fine... the glass wet out much more steadily and everything laid pretty much in place.  Tomorrow I'll pull it up, trim off some of the excess and sand a little to get rid of bumps and furry ends of the glass.  Then on to carbon!

Pics:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2lnik4h.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/33zbio5.jpg

I'd welcome any ideas..., 

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

My near dissaster of yesterday (two layers of 4oz glass on my coaming mold) left me feeling like this wasn't gonna work.  A little research and I found an article on the topic - but the guy used numerous layers of glass (and three layers of carbon, which I thought was overkill). 

So today I put 4 more layers of 6oz glass, cut on the diaganol, and most of the warts/bumps disappeared.  I had to cut a few bumps out of the original lay up to smooth things out, but they covered over very well.  I'm once again psyched about how this is gonna look!

Pics of the last lay up:

http://i47.tinypic.com/m7gtqx.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/wlzt36.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/fdvawy.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Hi Larry,

it sounds like you are making the C17 combing built to withstand anything.  is this something you are doing for you or does it say to do all this in the manual.  my Mantunuck manual does not talk about all those layers of glass. 

Dave

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Dave,

This isn't in the manual..., I found the idea from "One Ocean Kayaks" website, then found several other online references for kayak carbon fiber coamings. 

The layers of glass will (hopefully) provide the strength needed at the opening of the boat, the rigid nature of the carbon should keep everything from moving/flexing.  I'll put a layer (or two) more of 6oz glass over the carbon, but mostly for safety reasons (don't want to sand into the carbon; it ruins the look and the dust is extremely hazardous to "carbon-based-beings!"). 

My manual (from CLC) gives instructions for a plywood coaming.  While I'm sure they're functional, they're not much to look at, especially when compared to the carbon.

Tomorrow I might be laying up the carbon layer.  If I do I'll have pictures posted afterwards.  Keeping my fingers crossed... I might put on a layer of thickened epoxy to fill any low spots and create a fillet between the coaming rise and the keyhole knee braces.  Still thinking that one threw.

More to come; thanks for commenting,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Larry great information and great pictures. I just purchased a Chesapeake 17 kayak that is about 50% complete and over 10 years old. My question is the beam measurements Beam at sheer is 231/2 inches from 111" dist. from the bow. so is this a Chesapeake 17 or a LT17. The plans show said it a 17.

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Quickstart,

According to the plans sheets, the "17" is 24" at the widest point; the "17LT" is 23.  Mine measures 23.5", as yours suggests. 

I went with a modified LT, meaning instead of reducing the hull height by 1 inch, I reduced it by 1/2", giving me a little more cargo capacity but a little less overall volume.  Mine beam comes to 23.5" exactly.

Measure the height of your hull sides at the beam..., they should be either 1/2 or 1 inch less than a full Chese 17..., that'll tell you what you have. 

Also, note that putting your spreader stick in the center of the boat during the stitch up determines the width, and you could easily go 1/2" more or less on the beam without making much difference in the end product.  Might've been a simple error in measurement during initial construction, the angle of the sheer clamps can add to the overall width of the boat (I angled my spreader stick to compensate for this - not sure everyone does this).

The other difference between the 17 and the 17LT is the radius of the aft deck; the LT has a 48" radius, whereas the 17 has a 24" (if memory serves).  The LT has a very flat rear deck.  I kept the 24" on mine 'cause I like the curvy shape of the deck....

Has your deck been installed?  Bulkheads and deck beam?  If not, you've some options regarding the end result of the boat.  You could go with the 24" radius to keep the volume (for gear) and the attractive look of that curvy deck, or go with a flatter overall appearance and reduced volume (and wind resistance).

However it turns out, I think you'll love this design.  It's a beautiful boat, holds a tone of cargo (LT or other) and is supposed to be extremely stable.

Let me know how it goes,

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Did my coaming today.  Amazing stuff, that carbon!  Went down with much less hassle than I'd imagined and after 2 hours has stayed put.

The seams were a pain 'cause you can't cut that stuff without leaving a rough weave edge.  Jayarboro (I think I spelled that right) gave me a good tip - a strip of 4oz glass over the seam holds the weave down, so while you can still see a subtle shift in the patern, it's nice and flat/smooth.

Will cover the entire thing this evening with 4oz glass and fill in the weave next couple days. 

Looking forward to popping it off the boat for trimming!

Pics:

 

http://i47.tinypic.com/nh05mr.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/aca7p1.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/j93vwz.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

4:30 and I just laid 4oz glass over the carbon.  Carbon was a little tacky but that didn't raise too many issues... the glass did stick to it a tad if there wasn't sufficient epoxy under it.   The glass seams get a light sanding tomorrow evening and more epoxy (if I have any left)... I may pop the entire thing off the boat first and trim some of the edges down... lots of loose cf hanging in the boat and I'd rather not have that stuff drifting around my garage.

Excellent material for a coaming!

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

With this winter wonderland reaching as far south as it has it's been a while since I did anything in the shop.  Today it warmed up enough to finish sanding the bottom (easy, by comparison to sides/deck) and cut the carbon coaming to shape. 

The coaming still needs fine-tuning and sanding, then will probably get another layer of glass overall to fix it to the deck, but I'm pretty happy with the results.  Looks excellent on the boat and feels quite strong.  I'll put an epoxy fillet under the top edge before attaching it, that'll reinforce the lip; the fillet around the deck will add the extra protection/strength it'll need for carrying and attaching a skirt.

Pics:

http://i49.tinypic.com/2d1mdy1.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2nur31g.jpg

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Today I cut the hatches out.  I HIGHLY recommend against using a dremel tool with a "high-speed cutter."  I tried for about 6 inches and all it did was burn the wood... made a very rough cut.  I finished with a jigsaw, which made a very nice, crisp line... so I can still use my hatch cutouts for my hatches (hence the wood grain matches).  I did have to sand a bit to remove the burned area, so that hatch will have a slight gap, but not terribly noticable, probably no more so than the other (cut only with the jigsaw). 

I also found that making a plunge cut with the jigsaw was easier than I'd guessed..., just keep the speed up, steady the foot with your hand and go slow.  You'll know immediately when you break through, then you can stop and restart in the slot.  Easy-peasy!

Next step is to fix the hatch braces, do some more glass work on the hull chine (where I sanded through the edge), and I'm ready for primer/paint/varnish!  WooHoo! 

Pics of hatches:

http://i45.tinypic.com/1etnx4.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/era6m8.jpg

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Larry,

 I ended up using the bonzai saw to cut out my hatch for flush mounting. I had been considering a couple of options for the seal material and ended up with a nice method for sealing gaps between the deck and flush mounted hatch cover. 

I used a foam gasket material on on my hatch seal rim the hatch pressed down into, and then attached a D-shape rubber gasket to the to the hatch doubler and the deck edge.  This closes gaps between the deck and the hatch cover nicely. In fact sits slightly above the deck.  Now I have to widen the kerf to make this fit all around.  I thought this might work if you have a wide kerf from the dremel.

Jeff

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Have been out of work for 2 weeks with the latest "plague" going 'round but was able to get some build time in (Virginia temps are starting to cooperate again)..., was able to finally glue, sand and re-epoxy my coaming last week.  Went on much more easily than I anticipated and it looks / feels great.  The extra layer of epoxy (there's 4oz glass over the carbon) really smoothed out the weave and a little wet-sanding before varnish should result in a very sweet accent to the boat.

Pic:  http://i41.tinypic.com/2e3vqis.jpg

I put the seat in for effect; I've lots of finish sanding work to do before painting / varnish, but that step is now just around the corner!

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Ëþáîâü

Unfortunately, I'm unable to read your post.  Do  you have an on-line translater?

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Hey Larry:

 It appears to be a link from a ??  Russian ??     PORN SITE.

Reply if you wish.

Ted B

http://thumb12.webshots.net/t/76/76/5/65/70/2676565700100154152nQCkpQ_th.jpg

 

 

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Ted, I think you're right!  What I can't figure out is how this got posted to a posting that was burried 5 or 6 pages back in the CLC forum listings.  Very strange!

Oh well, I'm not in the market for a Russian bride (or date!)..., so hopefully that'll be the last I hear from them....

Larry

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

First couple coats of varnish.   Trying the tutorial for posting photos... see what happens:

 1st coat of varnish 

2nd coat of varnish

RE: Chesapeake 17 (LT modified)

Lost the nose... guess the image was too long for the board.

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