tandem questions

Has anyone ever built a two piece fast double? Love the boat, but have no place to store a 25 footer

Also, can the Shearwater double be done as a hybrid from the same plans as the all-ply? The only comment on the board is that this boat is "tippy" anyone else have any experience? I would like to use this for couples adventure racing.

Cheers,

Ed


5 replies:

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RE: tandem questions

 

Hello Ed.   About three years ago I was in the market for a double and was asking many of the same questions.  My usage is primarily day tripping with my bride but I wanted a boat capable of kayak camping and possibly for a Water Tribe event. 

I did not consider the Fast Double because of length.  Even if you build it “take apart” you will need a place to build it full length before you sectionalize it.  If you go the sectional route, you may want to go with three pieces vice two.  That would move the joint away from the middle of the boat, where the stress would be highest in waves.  That is something that I would discuss with Nick and/or John.

I did consider the Chesapeake Sport Tandem, Chesapeake Double/Triple, Great Auk Double and Shearwater Double.  The Sport Tandem would not fit in my garage and has a reputation of being pretty tippy.  The Double/Triple and GA Double would fit in my garage for storage but during construction I would have to work with the garage door open.  I was also concerned that the 21’ boats would be pretty hard to handle in some of the smaller streams that I paddle.

In the end, we went with the SW Double.  I completed it two years ago and we could not be happier.  It is fast, stable, comfortable and can carry a big load.  We have not kayak camped with it yet, but last month we did our first race, covering 10k in 1:05 (5.7mph ave).  We could have easily taken another couple minutes off of that time, but we were so far ahead of the nearest boat at the turning mark that we relaxed and paddled easy the second half.  I had paddled a 20k race the day before and did not want to kill myself again.  I have paddled the boat with a friend who is a bit stronger than my flea-weight wife and we can maintain a solid 6 mph, but can’t sprint too much faster.  It would make a good boat for expedition racing but I would consider a couple of modifications.  If you are racing one of the ultra-distance races and are not carrying too much gear, I would consider removing the aft bulkhead of the middle storage compartment.  This would make the aft cockpit long enough to sleep in.  If you put the rudder controls in the forward cockpit, the aft paddler could sleep while the front person paddled.  If you need the center storage, I would make the hatch for that compartment a bit bigger.

You certainly could build the SW Double with a hybrid deck.  You would have to modify the shape of the top of the four bulkheads and insert some temp forms after the hull is completed.  Similarly, you could do the same with any of the Chesapeakes. 

 

Here is a copy of my post to this site from June 2015:

After a six month build, we launched our Shearwater Double yesterday.  The kayak, which took 153 man-hours (67 work periods) to complete, came in fully rigged at 78#.  As usual, both the kit and build manual were exceptional.  From a technical perspective, there is nothing difficult about this build, the only real issue is size.  The long panels are fragile during assembly and a second set of hands really helps.  With 400+ (I lost count) wire stitches, it takes a while get everything lined up and tight.  There are nine full length (18.5’) filets, filets around both sides of the four bulkheads and the two cockpit recesses.  Glassing, sanding and varnishing are all marathons.  This is a build that takes some patience, and probably not the best first build.

As expected, we found the Shearwater Double to be very roomy, stable and comfortable on the water.  It is so stable in fact, that my wife was able to raise up and lay on top of the deck behind the forward cockpit with no fear of capsize.  What really impressed me with the design is just how fast and maneuverable this boat is.  I installed a Smart Track rudder system but I am not convinced that this boat needs it.  I had the rudder up for about half of our first outing.  We did not do a lot of speed work, but I was able to move the boat at 5+ mph at an exercise effort with my wife resting.  (The boat was lightly loaded: my wife weighs 118#, I weigh 155#, and we had maybe 10# of gear and water.)  When my flea-weight wife joined in paddling, we saw 6+ mph.  I am excited to get the boat out with another strong paddler so I can see what the boat can really do.  Another huge positive with this design is that the cockpits are far enough apart (6’+) that the two paddlers can uncouple their stroke without fear of hitting paddles.  My wife and I own a short SOT tandem, and I know why they are called divorce boats.

Really, the only negative with the boat is the weight.  While much lighter than a plastic kayak with similar payload, it is definitely a two person job to load on the overhead rack on my pickup.  If it were any heavier, it would be too heavy for my small wife to help. 

When we decided on the Shearwater Double, we were looking for a boat that the two of us could use to cover more distance than my wife could in her single.  We are also hoping to use it for kayak camping.  I have no doubt that this will be an excellent boat for both of those purposes.

Build Album: https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNo6licYvri6ES2vlmLbo2ZifYt93PJB5o1DvS4

  My bride showing her excellent paddling form!

RE: tandem questions

Mark N

Your bride and mine have identical paddling techniques. How did you attach your grab handles?

Thanks

Mike   

RE: tandem questions

Stainless T-nuts available at HD or Lowes.

 

Learned this technique from Nick Schade's PP build manual.  1. Drill/fill/drill holes sized to the shank of the T-nut.  2. Run a piece of mechanic's wire through the hole and back to the hatch opening.  3. Thread the T-nut onto the wire then put several 90 degree bends in the wire below the nut to keep it from coming off.  4. Use a Q-tip to put a little thickend epoxy on the top lip of the T-nut.  5. Pull the wire back through the hole until the shank is in the hole and the t-nut is up tight against the underside of the deck.  6. Bend the wire flat over the top of the deck to hold the T-nut tightly in place.  7. Once the epoxy has cured, you can pull a bit harder on the wire and it will pull through (the bends below the nut will starighten out).  DO A COUPLE OF PRACTICE RUNS WITHOUT EPOXY!!

That picture of my wife is actually a bit unfair.  She worked hard the first half of the race which was directly into strong winds gusting to 3o.   

  

RE: tandem questions

I read your post about the speed the two of you averaged and I knew you were joking. I actually prefer to paddle alone but my wife prefers a tandem. We compromise, I am the only one who paddles and we are both happy, but then we do not race. The bulk of our paddling is in Grand Teton wildlife watching and enjoying the scenery. Thanks for posting your grab handle technique. I like it and may add the handles this summer.

Mike   

RE: tandem questions

  Mark,

Thanks for the great response. Looking at building this for a friend that does adventure races. They are using a plastic sit on top that they say paddles with all the sleek athleticism of the tugboat that it is. Hadn't thought about the three piece idea and the middle flexing issue. Glad to know now instead of later. Next time I am up in Annapolis I will quiz John on his thoughts.

Thanks again

Ed 

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