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Floor boards


Daniel Daniels

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I used to carry a bilge pump but rarely do now. They take forever to empty a boat. 

 

I learned to empty most of the water from the boat while swimming. Enough for me to be able to re-enter.  If I have someone with me we can get 95% out and just don't worry about the rest. If we take a break I can get out of the boat and dump it out.

 

But, generally I just don't worry about it and empty it when we get back.  That is why I said turn it upside down.

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22 hours ago, Kudzu said:

Hello Jeff,

I don't talk about a capsize or lots of water in the boat. In my strip built Fire Star or Night Heron I paddle in summer without a spray scirt ( I don't paddle at sea but on rivers, lakes and canals) and get always some water in from the paddle. I hate water in the boat so I take that out with a sponge.

In the skin on frame the water is between the floor boards and the skin. My Siskiwit bay is a multi stringer so the floorboards close the space between the keel and the first stringer completely. I cannot reach under then they run from frame to frame. Also in front of the cockpit I am planning floor boards. I do not like it to touch the skin with my heels during paddling. So I will not be able to reach the space between floorboards and skin during paddling.

I just decided to leave space between the frame in front of the cockpit and the front floorboards to reach there with a sponge.


Thanks for this bulletin board Jeff.

 

 

20201116_112824.jpg

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Daniel:

Remember that there are two reasons for floor boards in a skin-frame boat: 1) to keep pressure from feet and/or butt off the inside of the skin, and 2) to keep feet and butt out of the bilge water. Having some bilge water is inevitable. Many small, wooden paddling and rowing craft have floor boards as well, but for those, usually only reason number 2 applies. Those floor boards often have an opening at a low spot where you can bail or use a sponge.

 

As far as letting your heels touch the skin, I think that's exactly where they should be. Any sort of floor board will move your heels higher. For comfort, ergonomics, and stability, you want to be as low in the boat as practical.

 

Fair winds!

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