Mill Creek Bottom

�Just bought a Mill Creek 13 at the MASKAF St. Michaels for my son in upstate Ney York. When I got it home I decided to keep it for my self . Has anyone installed rub strips on the bottom. We have some nasty concrete launching ramps.

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RE: Mill Creek Bottom

It's a pretty standard addition and there are several approaches.  if you go to the CLC website and type 'rub strips' into the search website field (upper right hand side of the CLC internet site) you will see a lot of the options discussed.

one that i routinely use is dynel rubstrips:  https://www.clcboats.com/modules/catalog/product.php?category_qn=boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood&subcat_qn=kayak-gear-accessories&code=kayak-rubstrip-kit

but there are other materials that can be used.

that said,   my personal perspective is that most rubstrips are really about protecting high-impact areas and not really set up to actually allow for the wholesale dragging of a CLC boat up a concrete ramp the way you can do on plastic boat/kayak.  concrete is pretty abrasive and if dragging is what you need to do....imho...not a good match for a woodcored glass boat.

h

 

RE: Mill Creek Bottom

I've used a 6'x3' piece of indoor/outdoor carpet laid at the water's edge to get our Passagemaker Dinghy partway up on the concrete with good success.  Sorta like making an instant beach.  She'll sit there comfortably until I can get her up in the truck or onto the dolly for further movement.  If I anticipate a landing on a rough shore somewhere during my outing, I'll take that piece along in the boat.

If I need to drag her farther up the ramp for some reason, I'll get the 12'x6' piece out of the bed of the truck (on which the boat sits when transporting), lay that out on the concrete, slide the boat onto that bigger piece, then grab the carpet and drag all together.

.....Michael

RE: Mill Creek Bottom

just to build on Michael's point above. 

i routinely launch/land from boat ramps and the rubstrip protects the boat well from the touches and impacts to the bow and stern that inevitably happen during these launches...but once i touch,  i am typically out of the boat and carrying it or use something like a carpet as mike suggested.  

i don't drag it up a concrete ramp unprotected the way you will see a plastic boat handled.  the rub-strips are not meant for that type of handling.

h

RE: Mill Creek Bottom

I added extra fiberglass to certain areas on my Mill Creek 16.5.  Makes it heavier, but I do not shoulder it.  I assume no floating dock.  I got a Kayak dolly from Walmart less than $40.  I even use it on my Dory.  There are instructions on this site about reinforcing keel for high rub areas and they sell the supplies for this.

 

RE: Mill Creek Bottom

   I use those rectangular boat fenders (contour fender) Amazon $17 to keep from hitting floating boat dock duw to wind, waves, current.

RE: Mill Creek Bottom/Update

   Thanks for all the replys. I lucked out when I stopped at a old friends house, where I had helped him put some gunnel strips on his Aubrey dingey. I remembered he had some surplus 1/2 x 3/4 inch mahogony strips 14ft long and was able to get 6 of them from his wood shed. I cut them to lenths I needed and put 1/2" rounded on the bottoms, applied them to the bottom with epoxy. I am now on my 3rd coat of Schooner 96 and expect to do two more coats. While in the process I also made a hardtop for the cockpit for when I am doing long distance trips, as I like to transport upright. This way I can put all my gear/lifejacket, paddles, bailer etc inside. Pictures will follow. I have a nice cart and I usually use my wifes old yoga mat(anybody got any of those around) near the ramp. By the way those mats make a good buffer in the bottom of the cockpit to keep from scratching too. Ya I know I'm obsessed with my varnish. I told my wife not to waste money on a coffin, just knock out the front bulkhead and lay me out in there. If I time it right we can just have a Vikeing funeral at next years OkumeFest.

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