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HonestKen

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HonestKen last won the day on February 23 2013

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    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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  1. B The clothing you have mentioned is not going to do you any good if you end up in the water!!!! Polypro and other synthetics are excellent with respect to how quickly they dry once you are out of the water, but they will do absolutly no good when you are in the water. A dry suit in cold water, a wet suit in cold-ish (OK so it's not a scientific term but you get the idea) water. Wearing anything else is fine...as long as you are close enough to shore to WALK out of the water, and get warm quickly. Put the gear you are thinking of wearing on, and go for a swim at the water temps you are planning on paddling in, see how long you want to be in the water. Not trying to scare you, or be a jerk, just trying to keep you safe. I've paddled on glorious spring days when the air temps were warm and the water was very cold. I stay close to shore and enjoy the moment. And, I'll be around to enjoy it again. Save the open water crossings for warmer water temps. Be well! Ken
  2. Well done Jeff. Very valuabe info for those of us who paddle in colder climes. Took a cold water survival seminar put on by Dr Gordon Geisbrecht at the University of Manitoba. If any of you are interested in more cold water information his site is worth a look. http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/kinrec/about/giesbrecht.html There are links to articles and videos of more cold water tips and information that the good doctor has done. Ken
  3. David I'm just to the point of beginning to skin mine with marine ply. Canadian winters are not kind to boat builders. Haven't heard from Andrew, who is building in Australia, lately. He was progressing quite nicely a while back. Contact Paul Riccelli if you need any info on the design, I'm sure he'd be glad to answer any question you might have. Ken
  4. Got anything with a porta-potty and a coleman stove? Try to keep it under the million dollar mark, I'm a little short this week! Ken
  5. Andrew, looking good. I've only progressed as far as laying out forms. That's all I have room for in the basement shop. I'm in Winnipeg MB Canada and outdoor temps are in the -25C range, so I can only putter on the small stuff till spring when I can get out to the boatshop. Can't agree more with regard to how helpful Paul is. Not only does he know his stuff and reply promptly, he's also has a great sense of humor. He's a pleasure to be involved in a build with. Keep up the great work! I'll be following in your footsteps as soon as the weather breaks. Ken
  6. I sharpen my own chisels and knives no problem. I've had mixed results with plane irons(blades) and hope to get consitantly better results someday but in the mean time a couple of times a year I just decide I've had enough and pack up all my handsaws, plane irons, table, mitre, and radial arm saw blades and take them to a local outfit that sharpens them.$30-$50 and a day or two later all my blades are a pleasure to work with again. Some day when I'm not chasing kids around I'll hone my sharpening skills (sorry, couldn't resist) but until then I'll rely on the pros once in a while. Your going to love the feel, and sound of those planes cutting effortlessy as you build your boat. Enjoy them. Ken
  7. In Canada we changed to metric 25 years ago or so. I have no problem with knowing at -40C I'm going to freeze my butt off. But as you say after 20 plus years, I'd rather know I had to duck 2 inches to avoid being knocked in the head, than 50mm. My kids on the other hand have no issues with either method of measurement, they have kind of grown up with both and make the transition back and forth effortlessly. Ken
  8. Howard et al, Not intending to hijack this post, I tried to send Howard a PM but it wouldn't send. Howard, where did you end up getting your marine plywood from? I need 24 sheets various sizes to build the PAR design Rocky, looks like I'm into it for $2500 or better from any Canadian suppiers. If the price was better I could ship to Grand Forks ND and pick it up there, it's only an hour and a half away if the price was right. Thanks, Ken
  9. Dave, The other Dave is right. Longer will paddle more effortlessly, and track better (which means go straighter), in most cases. My favorite kayak is a 19 footer I built 10 years ago. It's fast(efficient) and stable. I'm also a lazy paddler, I just appreciate being in the outdoors, experiencing nature. There is usually no need to rush. That's what I tell my paddling buddies anyway. Although a smaller, lighter kayak would be easier to load and unload. Ken
  10. Dave, As they say; the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask! What type of paddling do you anticipate doing? River/creek or larger open water, how big are you? how much gear do you want to carry? how fast do you want to go? Jeff (aka Kudzu) might be able to give some insight. Try this forum as well, lots of kayak builders and designers there. http://kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi Ken
  11. Greetings, Over the years I've enjoyed reading, learning, and following along wih the building achievements of the people on this site. Until now I’ve been a kayak and canoe builder. A while back I decided I needed a sailboat. I looked at numerous designs and read all I could about them and others. I discovered this and a few other boatbuilding forums, and bought a set of plans for a Vacationer. I had read of mods being done to the Vacationer to make it sail better. I tracked down Paul Riccelli aka PAR from Riccelli Yacht Design and asked if he would be so kind as to help design a modified keel for my Vacationer, he agreed to help me out. After numerous exchanges I received a very nice keel design with the draft I was looking for. I contacted PAR about moving a support in the keel so the bolt pattern would fit better with the cabin interior I was envisioning. After some discussion I said “Paul, why don’t you just design me a boat that will do what I want it to!” He asked me what I was looking for, and I told him I was looking for a 20 or so foot boat with the cockpit and cabin layout of a 30 footer, that would handle nicely as I was rounding Cape Horn in stormy seas, and that I could race in the America’s Cup when I wasn’t cruising! He gave me a digital slap upside the head and asked what I needed rather than wanted. Well OK, maybe the conversation didn’t go exactly like that. I wanted a boat that could be easily trailered, with as shallow a draft as I could get away with and still have it sail well, being beachable would be a bonus. A fairly roomy cockpit and cabin, that was easily single-handed (my kids are in their mid to late teens and my wife’s idea of roughing it is when she can’t get a parking spot close to the mall, although we’re a close family, realistically I may not always have crew readily available). A fairly tall order I know, but Paul said to leave it with him. I received periodic updates and a few electronic copies of what Paul was working on or had just completed. I was like a kid at Christmas waiting for the plans to be complete. Well, the time has come and the plans are complete. A week or so ago I received a large tube of plans from Riccelli Yacht Design. Very impressive, just short of 40 pages, many of which are near full blueprint size. Very thorough, very detailed, very well done I must say! Living north of the 49th parallel, epoxy friendly weather is soon to be in short supply. I will be doing parts of the build that I can do in my basement shop and moving to the boatshed in the spring. I’ll try to be diligent and post frequent updates of my progress. Be well!! Ken
  12. For sizing and building here is a good link http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pdf I like to laminate my blanks for strength and no warp. If you laminate be sure to run the grain the same way or it makes planing less than enjoyable. Been using the same paddle and storm paddle for about 10 years now, unfinished cedar. very pleased with the performance and how they have held up on granite. rock and sand. A real enjoyable project but can you say 'wood shavings'? Bussels of them from just a weenie greenland paddle. Enjoy the project. Ken
  13. Some plants have evolved biologically to grow thorns or form alkaloid/acid compounds that cause skin irritation, digestive tract problems or nerve problems to protect their leaves or fruit from being eaten. Cedar has evolved to have irritating wood dust to protect itself from boatbuilders! Seriously though, being as sensitive as you are to the dust as you are, you should spend a few extra bucks and get a good quality respirator with repacable cartriges. They are more comfortabe to wear and will do better job of keeping the cear dust from sneaking in arould the edges of the mask. A better respirator is really not that much more expensive considering how miserable exposure to the dust has been for you. Wear it for any epoxy sanding as well so as not to develop a sensitivity to that, which would be a boatbuilders nightmare. Be well!! Ken
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