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Digger: Nice lookin' boat! Some questions on the job for future reference: - What type of paint was original? - How did you prepare the surface for repaint? - What type of paint did you use for repaint? - Did the skin seem thicker, less flexible, or in any way different after? Thanks, Andy

Matt: First check the inside dimensions of your centerboard trunk. The width of the trunk will define the maximum thickness of the centerboard. The board should be thin enough to move easily in the trunk and not get hung up if it swells of warps a bit. Choice of materials comes down to three: wood, plywood, or aluminum. If you live anywhere near northeast New Jersey, I have an aluminum board that you could have. But I can't recommend it. When the wind is light and you're rolling some, it sounds like a bell buoy. Plywood may sound easier than wood at first, but as Pete Culler points out in his marvelous book "Skiffs and Schooners," the edges of plywood tend to splinter, the edges must be sealed, and use of fastenings in the end grain is problematic. Then you think about fiberglassing it, which has a whole other set of tasks. I replaced the aluminum centerboard in my Sea Bright Skiff with one made of quarter-sawn fir stair treads. It's lasted over 40 years. There are lots of books about boatbuilding, but check out "Boat-building" by Howard Chappelle and "Building Classic Small Craft" by John Gardner. Have fun, Andy

Wally: What a good grandpa you are! I believe that it would be very difficult to roll a boat with a beam of 36 inches. Has your granddaughter practiced rolling narrower boats? In any case she could certainly use a sprayskirt to keep water off her lap, but she would likely have to settle for a wet exit in case of capsize. If she is not expert at a wet exit, she should practice that under calm conditions, including popping off the spray skirt. And here is a word from the voice of experience: "Make sure that the strap at the bow of your spray skirt is on the outside." Another thought: Depending on the conditions of the waterways where she will be paddling, a Ravenswood Low Volume may be a better boat. Many, if not most, kayakers start out with wide, short recreational boats and, with a little experience, switch to a narrower, longer, and faster model. Have fun, Andy

Also, it is easier to loft directly on plywood. It saves having to cut out posterboard and trace onto plywood.

Marty: Hirilonde speaks truth. All wood absorbs water, gives up water, and changes shape as a result. As it absorbs water, wood expands across the grain. Warping happens when the structure of the wood fibers in the board have some asymmetric properties. Thin cypress stringers will have little tendency to move laterally and that movement will be limited by how they are integrated into the structure of the kayak. As far as "sealing," there really isn't such a thing. You can limit the rate of water moving into and out of wood by application of a coating, but you can't stop it. Even wood fully encapsulated with epoxy resin takes up water, but at a slow rate. Bottom line is don't use Kilz because 1) it won't provide any benefit, 2) it will cost money, 3) application will cost you time, and 4) you'll have a funny-looking white frame (of course, aesthetic opinions may vary). I'm jealous about your access to cypress. It is a wonderful wood to work with and can make a nice, light boat. Have fun!

Walter: Skin-on-frame and standable is a tough combination, but take a look at Jeff Horton's book "More Fuselage Frame Boats." There are offsets for "Fly Fisher," which is a pulling skiff with a transom. LOA 13.5' Beam 4.0'. Good fishing, Andy

I carry my Ravenswood on a Thule rack with pads and "Stackers," which fold down when not in use. Straps to the rack go fore and aft of the coaming. Bow line is belayed to a 1" strap that is attached under the hood by a convenient, pre-existing bolt. Stern line is belayed to a tow loop under the rear bumper. See pics.

Ben: Paddling took place on a reservoir. Maybe 20 entrants. There was a little wind, but the course was out and back, upwind then downwind. One lap was 5K, two laps 10K. For 5K, times ranged from 34:45 (kayak over 14 feet) to 48:08 (kayak up to 14 feet). Times for 10K included 55:43 (tandem outrigger canoe), 1:17:28 (single flatwater racing canoe), 1:28:18 (tandem kayak), and 1:31:30 (kayak to 14 feet). A good time was had by all.

On the Kudzu Craft website, Jeff says that the Ravenswood model is a fast cruiser with good performance in the range of 3 to 4.5 mph; however, resistance increases dramatically at 5 mph. I believe he got that right. I paddled in a 5K race on Sunday in my Ravenswood and finished in 41:02. Doing the math, this represents a mean speed of 4.5 mph. Jeff, that's good hydrodynamic engineering! Below is a photo of my boat from a day of more relaxed paddling.

Or, do it the easy way and drive screws from the top. I think that the screw heads look fine. Photos are of my Ravenswood.

Dear Mr. Even-Keeled: That's a lovely model! I've made models myself to see what a boat looks like in 3D; however, none of them were skin-on-frame. I have to wonder, tho, doesn't a 1/4 scale model of a SOF boat cost almost as much in time and material as a full-size one? Fair winds, Andy

Gunwales of a birch bark canoe are constructed of an outwale and an inwale with the birchbark sandwiched between. A cap is applied on top and then the assembly is lashed together. Lashings are visible in the photo of the birchbark canoe above. Scantlings for a typical 16' canoe might be 1" X 1" for the inwale, 1/4" X 1" for the outwale, and 1/4" X 1-1/2" for the cap. These members were often tapered to be smaller toward the ends of the boat, which is common for longitudinal members on many types of small boats for both structural and aesthetic reasons. Using three members, bending them to the desired curve, then lashing them into a single piece has advantages over attempting to get a single piece of wood to conform. It looks like Punta's method is similar to the traditional approach for birchbark canoes. Nice job, Punta! (Source: The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America, Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard I. Chapelle, Smithsonian Institution, 1964.)

For those looking for alternative suppliers, here is my experience. In the stern of my Ravenswood, I have a Spirit Line Greenland float bag (shop.skinboats.com). In the bow, I have an NRS stern (yes, that's right) split kayak float bag (nrs.com). Note that Spirit Line also makes full sets. For safety, remember to install bags that fill as much of your boat as practical.

Jason: I paddle a Ravenswood, which has hard chines in lieu of the multi-chine (essentially round) bottom of a Short Shot, but I believe that I can provide you with some useful information. I paddle mainly in the lower Hudson (Alpine, Piermont, and Nyack) and New York Harbor. Photo below was taken near Liberty Island. I am pretty sure that a Short Shot would handle anything that a factory-built boat of similar model would. I haven't seen any disadvantages compared to factory-built boats that I have paddled alongside. And the big advantage is, of course, lightness. Foot room might be a little different in the two boats, but my size 11 or 12's fit fine. I use a nylon spray skirt (Seal Skirts Adventurer), which was custom made. I sent a tracing of the coaming to Seal Skirts and they sewed one up for the same cost as a standard skirt. I ordered it through Campmor, as Seal doesn't sell directly to consumers. If you prefer a neoprene skirt, you'll need to check if a standard model fits or if you can have one custom made. You will want to outfit your boat with float bags fore and aft. Another item some SOF paddlers like is a sea sock, which further reduces floodable volume. Fair winds, Andy

Brad: I also had hogged chines in the bow of my Ravenswood upon initial assembly. If I remember correctly, I trimmed a bit (1/4" or 3/8") off the upper edges of notches on the first frame until the chine lay fair. Photo is attached showing alignment after adjustment. Fair winds, Andy

Omar: Below are 2 pics of a yokes. The first is of one like the plan that I attached to the earlier post and is sold by adirondack-guide-boat.com. The contrasting colors of the laminations on this yoke help to visualize it in 3-D. The second pic shows a different type of yoke on a pack canoe. Have fun, Andy

Omar: Everything looks great... the boat, the scenery, the bass...! If you're looking for ideas on upgrading your yoke, I've attached a drawing of a yoke for an Adirondack guide-boat. This is from The Adirondack Guide-Boat by Kenneth and Helen Durant, which is the definitive book on the topic. Note that the ends of this yoke are round in cross section with brass rings. On guide-boats, these ride in semi-circular notches by the gunwales at the center of gravity, which allows the boat to be pivoted up and down while the yoke fits comfortably on your shoulders. Fair winds, Andy

Excellent! Great to see kids paddling proper boats. One thought: for more comfortable paddling, you could find child-sized PFD's specially designed for paddling. They are cut higher in the back so that the coaming doesn't interfere with the PFD. Have fun!

Woodmike: I paddle a Ravenswood as well. In a crosswind, I do have to edge the boat to counteract weathercocking, where the boat wants to turn upwind. Basically, you want to get the windward chine deeper, which turns the boat downwind. Look for information online about edging kayaks. Fair winds, Andy

Walter: Here's another option for rub strips. Pictures are of the bow of my Ravenswood. The strip is a piece of vinyl about 32" long, 7/16" wide, and 1/16" thick. I cut it from a slat used to insert in a chainlink fence. It's fastened with #4 stainless steel flathead screws on 4" centers and painted with the rest of the hull. Works like a charm and lighter than bronze. No signs of deterioration. Fair winds, Andy

Erik: I would recommend option 1, which is what I have implemented on my Ravenswood. It avoids the complications and extra weight of a hatch. Anything I want to carry goes on the deck, tucked out of the way in the cockpit, or in a pocket of my PFD. Fair winds, Andy

Omar: Since you asked, I'll provide my two-cents worth. Take it for what it's worth. 1) My son sells really expensive furniture and he says that no two pieces of wood match perfectly but all wood looks good with any other wood. In other words, no need to stain. Let the wood match or contrast as it is; it will all look great. 2) See item 1. 3) Depends on the type wood but remember that the principle reason for building a SOF boat is lightness. Breasthooks are subject to tension and compression in the horizontal plane but little twisting; therefore, they can be pretty thin. 4) Put the frame in the sun, apply oil generously, and let it soak in. In places where there is oil left on the surface, wipe it off. In places where it soaks in rapidly, add a bit more. 5) That is an unnecessary step. Lash the frame together then oil. Plenty of oil will penetrate the joints. 6) See what the Kudzumeister says. 7) The geometry and ergonomics of single-blade and double-blade paddles are very different. With a single blade, you are either sitting on a thwart or kneeling on the floor. You can generate more power (especially when kneeling on one knee), but need to make corrections to keep the boat going straight, which dissipates some of your power. With a double blade, you are sitting on the floor. You generate less power but the symmetry of the stroke means less power lost to course correction. I have an Old Town Pack Canoe and have it set up so I can switch between double blade and single blade. I usually use a Greenland type paddle with my Ravenswood kayak, but I doubt it would work well with the 29" beam of the Stonefly. A longish European-type paddle would be better. 8) One thing to consider regarding the height of the thwarts is whether you would use the rear one to support your butt while kneeling on the floor to paddle. 9) My Ravenswood has rub strips cut from pieces of vinyl fencing. They are 1/8" by 1/2" and fastened with flat head, stainless steel screws about 4" on center. Painted along with the rest of the hull, these protect the bow and stern, look good, and show no sign of deterioration. Have fun building and paddling, Andy

Dear Mr. Biscuit: That's a beautiful boat. The pool picture makes me wonder if you've adjusted things since then to get your knees inside the boat. That's really important for stability and ergonomic paddling. Fair winds, Andy

Woodmike: Overthinking. While I note a little bit of fabric stretch in the heel areas on my Ravenswood, there is no sign of wear. The boat is covered with the "old" 8-ounce Dacron, which, according to Jeff, is actually 6 ounce. Your mention of watershoes also prompted a thought on safety. Make sure your paddling footwear has no laces or loops that could get hung up on footpegs or other internal bits during a wet exit. Fair winds, Andy

As far as thwarts in tension or compression, the answer is yes. A boat is subject to dynamic forces as it moves thru and over the water. For example, as waves lift the ends of a boat with a center thwart, that thwart is in tension. As waves lift the center of a boat and try to hog it, that thwart is in compression. You can see that effect by taking a piece of paper and folding the ends to make a little paper canoe. As you move the ends in and out, the "rails" move in and out.