von

Mitch - I remember those winters all too well! The Jan/Feb -20° days are why we moved from Minnetonka to South Florida about 20 years ago. When we were doing the "snowbird" thing, I remember landing at MSP on May 1, in a snow storm, with piles of dirty snow all over the airport. That's when we sold the house and moved south permanently.

I know that this boat is not what you're looking for, but for a comparison of stability factors, my Castaway is a 120 or so, and I can testify that it is rock solid. Like, you could possibly hold a square dance in the cockpit without getting wet. I used to paddle a typical skinny boat, 18" at the waterline, but age and a nerve illness have robbed me of my sense of balance. The Castaway makes it possible for me comfortably paddle without a swimming session.

Here's a link to an auction website I frequently visit. They're normally a car auction site, mostly unusual or rare or special cars, but they've taken on the collection of the Lake Tahoe Marine Museum that is closing. Some great looking antique power boats are included, but also this 1930's era skin-on-frame kayak. Take a look at really early version of a modern SOF. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1930-mead-gliders-kayak von

That's great news! Now you just need a swift and painless recovery. And a quick return to paddling.

First let me say that I love the whole SOF concept, feel very satisfied with the kit and support I got from Jeff, and in no way am I maligning Kudzu. If memory serves, I had to get the 9 oz fabric because the Castaway design is too beam-y for the premium, lighter fabric. I would gladly have paid the premium if the lighter fabric would have been wide enough for my boat. I sewed it a tight as possible, starting over several times to get it right. In fact, I sewed the center seam around 3/16" fiberglass rods rather than using paracord for the corded stitch. I tried it with paracord and couldn't get a decently straight line. The fiberglass rods gave me real leverage to allow me to get it super tight and gave me a straight seam. I pulled the artificial sinew to breaking point multiple times between each end and the cockpit. Not fun starting the next stitches. Do not copy this process unless you have the persistence of a hungry puppy - it's a major pain in the butt, and will lead to much frustration, yelling, and occasional swearing. I ran an experiment on shrinking the 9 oz fabric. Marked a 6" + on a scrap, then ironed and steamed it until there was no more movement. The most I got was about 5/8" over the 6 inches of the +, and that only in one direction. The other dimension was less the 1/4" of shrinkage. So, I knew I couldn't rely on shrinking to get it tight. It was TIGHT before I ironed it. So, it's like I said, it's not a piano, it's a boat that I intend to use daily - the photo below is where I get to live here in South Florida. I plan on using that Castaway daily to paddle and fish, wrinkles be damned. My only point in raising this whole wrinkle issues is to alert the community that there may be a more generalized problem than just Zar on the 9 oz fabric, one that extends to the most trusted and recommended of finishes for these boats, Rustoleum.

Jeff - Please take a look at my two additions to the Rustoleum thread. I don't think your recommendation of Rustoleum for the 9 oz fabric is working out. I know someone had a problem with Zar, and I now have the same problem with Rustoleum paint. There's a photo of the problem. von

Here's a representative photo. All four quarters of the hull look like this, plus the bottom of the hull is slightly floppy. I re-shrunk the whole boat prior to painting, just to be sure everything was a snug as possible. Are other people having a problem with the 9 ounce material? I thought I did everything as I was supposed to - including the use of Rustoleum oil based, high gloss paint. Rolled it on, and here's what I got.

I used Rustoleum (actually Ace Hardware's private label version made by Rustoleum). Seemed to go on really well, did 3 or 4 coats, but then noticed that the skin had slackened. It was drum tight before painting and now I can see diagonal ripples in the hull, and the deck feels "soft." My boat is a Castaway, and the fabric was the heavy weight stuff. Not real pleased with the outcome, it's a "twenty footer." Not the ideal boat that I wanted, but as someone said, it's a boat, not a piano. I get photos tomorrow when I'm in the workshop.

I'm starting to put the fabric on my Castaway and I'm wondering how much I can expect the heavy duty 9oz fabric to shrink in the final stage. It's tough to get the cockpit section really tight because the canvas pliers are too long to allow any leverage in the shallow cockpit, plus the floor boards limit how much "pull" you can get on the fabric. Mike v G

Thanks Jeff. I'm getting everything done that is easiest BEFORE I put the skin on. I'll shoot for about 4".

Measured from the back wall of the cockpit, how far forward should the seat/back band be placed?

Measured from the back wall of the cockpit, how far forward should the seat/back band be placed?

Thanks, just did it before I saw your response - it was the only logical thing to do.

I'm having a problem figuring out the bow end-point for the gunwales at the bow of my castaway. I have plenty of length, so I could carry the gunwales all the way to the peak of the baltic birch bow plate. The only photo of a Castaway that I'vbeen able to find is shot from the stern, so I can't see how the bow point is handled. Thanks for your help. Von

What are the overall-length and beam dimensions? Guesses on weight?

Great, that's the answer I was looking for. Thanks Jeff!

Hmm. A week passes and no answer to my question. I'll simplify. Is the proper sequence: 1) scarf scantlings at standard thickness, typically 3/4", then reduce to the required dimension? 2) reduce stock thickness to the required dimension, then cut and glue scarfs? I'm planning on building a Castaway and I do not have a table saw. I going to build a jig like a miter box with a single stock thickness and a single cutting slot to produce a 9:1scarf angle for that thickness of stock using a Japanese-style pull saw.

Jeff, I think I remember you once suggesting that you scarf at 3/4" and then plane down to 5/8 where needed. Is my memory roughly correct, or is old age scrambling the connections again? von

I think that the Messabout/Castaway boat look a lot like the decked sailing canoes I used to see on Lake Michigan in my youth. Beamier, but same basic shapes. I wonder if that could be the basis for a sailing canoe. With the rear deck beefed up the way Jeff designed it on the Castaway, you could mount an outrigger ama there. It's doubled up frames in less than a foot of waterline and a solid ½ inch plywood connector between them at deck level. With the same kind of treatment somewhere forward of the bow-end of the cockpit, maybe you could step a mast. Don't know what you'd do for dagger boards/center board. Perhaps the outrigger would be enough.

Try this link for traditional wood canoe seats with back rests. I particularly like the bucket version. Looks like it might fit in the mess about. http://www.edscanoe.com/caac.html

Here's an idea I've had stored on my hard drive for a couple of years. Never made it, but it looks really simple, collapses to a small size, and has the added advantage of looking like a Kudzu fuselage component. Looks like Baltic Birch plywood to my untrained eye. von

Jeff, How about a decked canoe. Still double bladed propulsion, but could be a single blade. Jem has two, Northwind and Southwind, both quasi-replicas of the Kreuger decked canoes. Or maybe like the Bell Canoe Rob Roy. Your Mess Abouts are close, but beam-y by comparison. von