Hairie's Sasquatch 16.5 (Big Foot)

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

I have been drooling over the Sasquatch 18 ever since I found this site. The problem was that there are very few significant rivers or lakes in my area to justify such a big canoe.

To this end, Matt has drawn pretty much, the same beautiful boat, only scaled down to 16.5' X 33"

http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail ... d=Sas16-33

My wife, Robin has never forgiven me for selling our old fibreglass canadian canoe. It was a fine boat, but at only 14 feet, it was a little short, fat and slow and because it was so heavy, we rarely used it.

We, (I) want this boat for multi day trips down some slow rivers here. It also needs to be a very capable solo boat but primarily, it will be used for day trips and overnighters for the two of us. Criteria was for significant load capacity, dual purpose (solo and double) and still be very manageable in both modes.

I think Sasquatch 16.5 fits the bill perfectly.

At the moment, I am aiming for sub 50 pounds but time will tell.

I finally got a start today.

All primary panels are marked and rough cut. Will now trim these to !/2 the pencil line thickness and use them as templates to mark their respective mirror panels. Q.A. checked out to within 1mm of the specified diagonals I just love it when it works out like this. Will post a couple of piccies tonight.

[hairymick]

A couple of piccies,

All primary (template) panels are cut and trimmed.

1/2 pencil line left.



My new, high teck hold down clamps to hold the panels in place while I trim them. works a treat and much quicker and easier than "F" clamps.





Will use these trimmed template panels to mark the remaining ones before cutting them tomorrow,

[Kayak Jack]

THAT is an expedition canoe that would do proud here in the Canadian Shield country. Should come in under 50 lb easily. Are you planning a ventilated gunnel?

[hairymick]

G'day Jack,

We have owned a couple Canadian style canoes over the years and they were all lacking in some regard. i.e. too heavy, two slow or not manouverable enough etc. I think this boat will overcome all of the shortcomings of our previous canoes.

I think that in part, the problem is that Australia doesn't have an extensive inland water way. There are no significant lakes or inland rivers here. The Murray-Darling system isour longest but is little more than a large drain that has been endlessly dammed (damned) to support irrigation farming in what is, at best, marginal farming country.

There are plenty of commercially available canoes here, but none of the fibreglass ones I have seen could be in any way considered paddlers boats. The plastic ones are just pigs and there seems to be no one who builds seriously good, solo, tripping canoes.

Both Robin and I are mainly kayakers but there are times and places where we would like to take a canoe but we have been repeatly frustrated by the shortcomings of the canoes we have had.

Re the gunwhales, Not real sure what I am going to do at this stage. The boat is worthy of quality materials and that is what I am using. Still researching the availability and suitability of timber. I would really like to make her as pretty and user friendly as I can.

[zeb]

Hi Mick
Im very interested in this build as I too drooled over the Sasquatch 18. this shorter version sounds right up my street but I am worried about how complicated it looks
Congrats on the Lakers and the other fifty boats Youve built since
I was last here!!!!!!!!!
GOOD ON YER MATE

[Oldsparkey]

Mick...

Like you I have a lot of boats that I made for different types of paddling and the old standby is the canoe I made.

If I don't know the type of water I will be in then it is the canoe , if I know the water or river then one of the other boats which were made for that type of paddling.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the canoe is the all round general use boat , it will take a lot of gear and even another person and not complain. You could call it the truck while the others are suv's and race cars.

For you and Robin on a day paddle or a camping trip , both in one boat , the canoe is a good choice. This way Robin can be up front (relaxing) while you paddle along singing her a song. OK , Might want to forget the singing part.

Chuck.

[hairymick]

Heya Zeb !!!

Good to hear from you again mate. Still happy with your Eno?

I just love this boat building caper. Hopelessly addicted to it now.

If you are after a smaller boat, have a look at the Issaquah 14. Seriously nice lines. That is my next project. One I will be making for a very dear friend. I am afraid I am being a bit selfish and building this one for me first.

Thanks for the very kind words re the lakers. They are brilliant little day boats. I built my first one as a loaner but it is so good to paddle, it is now my favourite kayak and then Robin tried it and wanted one too.

Chuck,

I am having a real love affair again with the single blade.

The Noosa Everglades where I want to paddle this one, involve crossing a shallow lake (about 5 miles) to the entrance and then up a flowing river (about 20 miles) through national park and melaleuca forest/dryish swamp land. there are a lot of camsites along the way but allmost all the landings are very steep to and completely unsuitable for a kayak.

This is a true wilderness area with no facilities and everything needed has to be carried in in the boat. Again, a canoe is a better option but crossing the lake with our prevailing SE winds can make it interesting in anything less than a very good canoe.

There is an outfitter mob on the shore of the lake that also run a water taxi service, ferrying people and their boats to the everglades but they are not nice people and I won't deal with them.

[tx river rat]

Mick
If you don't mind go into your affair with the single blade(we want tell Robin) I would really like your explanation as to why you prefer a single over a double.
Ron
NO Jack we are not talking a twosome here down boy

[Kayak Jack]

Mick,

I asked because the structure of this boat is different than your others. Your Southwind comes closest, but still different.

The gunnels are the backbone of an open canoe. They must be strong, or they can fold easily. You can achieve that strength through a brute force method of building a large, solid beam, or a more elegant method of a box beam.

Properly done, a ventilated gunnel will be a box beam and provide very rigid sides for you boat. Then, a couple of thwarts to hold them in line and you have a strong framework from which hangs the hull.

The gunnels replace the deck (think of an eggshell here), like a lintel replaces studs for strength above an opening.

In a skin-on-frame kayak, the gunnels, sometimes reinforced with a keel, are the backbone of the structure. Similarly on an open canoe.

[Oldsparkey]

Mick
If you don't mind go into your affair with the single blade(we want tell Robin) I would really like your explanation as to why you prefer a single over a double.
Ron

Not sure about Mick but my choice is the single paddle. I can make any boat do what I want it to do with the single paddle and never switch sides when paddling all day , unless I want to. No matter if I am in the bow or stern , I prefer the stern.

My way of thinking is the way I was brought up , a paddler worth there salt would never switch sides when paddling and double blades were for the untrained.
Just the way I was raised and initiated into canoing by a Wisconsin Game Warden ( My Uncle ) and a even harder instructor ... My Father , Bless there souls.

They taught me well and it has added a lot of enjoyment to my life. What I can do with the paddle and any boat has folks wondering ... how does he do that. Nothing hard just knowing the secrets and how to do it with a lot of years of practice.

Do it the wrong way ........ or do it the right way , I like the right way or old fashion way. It is a lot easier and takes a lot less work to do it the old way. That is what I teach folks to do when they paddle with me.

Chuck.