JEM Watercraft

Wooden boats don't do as well as plastic in white water. Wood is stiffer and doesn't absorb impact as well as a more flexible plastic or royalex hull.

But wooden "play" boats have been made before. Flat bottom or shallow arc with a lot of rocker is the best bet. Probably want something multi-chined so there are less hard angles to catch on rocks and logs. I don't currently have anything like that in my line up.

[quote]For me.......I like quiet water for myself and my boats....../quote]
I'm old enough to want to think i'm younger than i am but not old enough to know better yet.
I've seen on youtube what looked like the open canoe version of a play boat being used on whitewater.
Would the 12ft sasquatch be anything like one of those?
The other thought was about going thin on the ply and trying to get 2 layers of glass on the hull.
Probably very difficult i suppose.

The boat I was using was a 15 1/2 foot canoe ( from a different designer then Jem Watercraft) made from 1/8th inch wood and glassed. Not the type of boat a person would want to run rapids in on a good day much less in the rain and cold for a 5 day trip. As far as I am concerned it is definitely not recommended for white water.
I'm not sure what I did the most of paddling , cussing or bailing the boat out , every wave wanted to come over the front of it and there were plenty of waves. Remember this is a river I was told there were no rapids in it , that's why I took the canoe.

You can bet on one thing , I will never do that again no matter how far I drive to get to the river , that was a three day road trip, one way . to get there. Next time ( if there is one) the boat stays on top of the buggy , I say my Thank You's and turn around and drive back home like anyone with two brain cells would of done. As you can see I am not the brightest light bulb in the pack. I have to admit , it sure was an adrenalin rush all the way and the canoe and I did make it.

After then I built the 14 x 30 Sasquatch and made a trip ( different state and river) after that 5 day one. We did hit one set of small rapids on this other river at about the half way mark of a three day camping /paddling , nothing like the other trip on this new trip. Made it threw them without any problems. No large standing waves or dips to dodge just a lot of rocks.
Before you ask , YES , The 15 1/2 canoe paddled in the 5 day trip is still being paddled and used.

Chuck.

Sas 12 could do ok just to get through the rapids. But it wouldn't be anything to "play" in them.

Barneseye wrote: The other thought was about going thin on the ply and trying to get 2 layers of glass on the hull.
Probably very difficult i suppose.

To answer your question on the glass , no more difficult the doing one layer of glass. Just a repeat of the process you already have done. If anything the 2nd time should be easier since you know the process.

Chuck.

oops. Missed that one. Chuck is correct. Applying a 2nd layer after the first has cured is not hard. 2 at once is another story.