Cartopping a Wood Duck 12

Posted by Laszlo on Aug 14, 2007

Well, it would appear that RHIP - Regionality Hath Its Privileges. Thanks only to my proximity to Annapolis (though I would like to think that moral superiority has something to do with it - but it doesn't), I have become the first person to take physical possession of a production Wood Duck 12 kit. The good folks at CLC have been working extra hard and they actually started shipping them out today - one day earlier than advertised. While some were shipped out this morning, mine was the first in a customer's eager paws. I know, but you need to be able to take your joy where you can find it.

Anyway, the boat bits and molds come in that small flat box you can see up on the racks (NO BOW LINES!! GASP!!) The box in the foreground is the epoxy kit, the manual and the optional footbrace mounting kit, casually packaged for a local drive. The ones shipped to distant customers are more officially packed.

So far, all I've done was read the manual twice (come on, I've only had the kit 1.5 hours). It's a good manual, well illustrated (and I'd say that even if I didn't appear in it - twice) and easy to read. It's illustrated with a combination of images from the building of Wood Duck 12's, 10's and some Shearwaters, which is possible since they are all Schade designs and share the same construction methods.

The only quibble I've found with it so far is that on page 21 it warns you to cover all the mating surfaces with tape to prevent premature joining of the deck to the hull - after it's told you to mix the epoxy, thicken it with wood flour, draw it into a syringe and then tack weld the seams with small beads. Of course everyone will read the manual several times before beginning the build process, so no one will be trapped with a syringe full of hardening epoxy trying madly to find the tape with one hand, but I'd have reversed the order if I was editor.

Other than that, it's a very nice manual indeed. First time builders should really read it over a few times before starting, and it also wouldn't hurt at all to read various Shop Tips here on the CLC web site.

So now I'm ready to get going - it's a shame about that pesky thing called a job. But without it I couldn't pay CLC, so assembly will probably start Saturday.

Sure is magic how they gat a kayak like that into such a flat box. I guess all we builders have to do is add roundness & go.

Laszlo

Replies:

• Re: Cartopping a Flat Duc by OOPS on Aug 14, 2007
  • Re: Cartopping a Flat Duc by Michael on Aug 14, 2007
• Re: Cartopping a Wood Duc by Jon T on Aug 15, 2007
• Re: Cartopping a Wood Duc by Doug S on Aug 15, 2007
• Re: Cartopping a Wood Duc by David on Aug 15, 2007
• Sic Transit Gloria Mundi by Laszlo on Aug 15, 2007
  • Re: Sic Transit Gloria Mu by David on Aug 16, 2007
  • Re: Sic Transit Gloria Mu by Doug S on Aug 16, 2007
    • Re: Sic Transit Gloria Mu by Laszlo on Aug 16, 2007
  • Re: Sic Transit Gloria Mu by Jon T on Aug 16, 2007