I have well over a thousand miles on my T-V .
Thought I might run down my thinking and the improvements I have made on her. Since there are a couple getting built might give them some food for thought.
Location sensitive ,yep this boat has been mistreated but has done a good job with the bashing it has taken on the Brazos and the type paddling I do.
First mistake , I built this boat from some 1/8 merinta ply , never again for me that wood was junk. My boats will be strip built from now on cheaper and stronger.
With 6 ounce inside and out she has done well , had one fracture running some rapids ,when I hit that rock it nearly through me out of the boat ,cracked the wood but didnt come through I paddled it the rest of the day with no problem.
Second fracture was on the coming , I fell on some rocks when lining the boat stiff armed the coming with 250 lbs behind it , cracked the coming, really a pretty minor deal. Third fracture was when it got blown down a sandbar in some 90 mile an hour winds flipping and rolling for a hundred yards , where I had the rod holders sticking up the cracked the top deck.
She has had a rough life.
I painted the sides and bottom on this boat with rustolem black semi gloss and it has held up well.
Improvements I have made , the boat wears in three areas , nose where it runs up on the bank rear where we drag them , both of these were taken care of by installing wood stems. That cured that problem , the other place that wears or gets cut is the area where you sit , the flats ,surprisingly the center v has worn very little .
I install my stems a little diferently than most folks , I build put glass and cloth on just like there were no stems, this seals the boat then I come back glue on my stems and then coat with epoxy and cloth ,if this gets worn through I still have a water tight hull.
Ron
Thought I might run down my thinking and the improvements I have made on her. Since there are a couple getting built might give them some food for thought.
Location sensitive ,yep this boat has been mistreated but has done a good job with the bashing it has taken on the Brazos and the type paddling I do.
First mistake , I built this boat from some 1/8 merinta ply , never again for me that wood was junk. My boats will be strip built from now on cheaper and stronger.
With 6 ounce inside and out she has done well , had one fracture running some rapids ,when I hit that rock it nearly through me out of the boat ,cracked the wood but didnt come through I paddled it the rest of the day with no problem.
Second fracture was on the coming , I fell on some rocks when lining the boat stiff armed the coming with 250 lbs behind it , cracked the coming, really a pretty minor deal. Third fracture was when it got blown down a sandbar in some 90 mile an hour winds flipping and rolling for a hundred yards , where I had the rod holders sticking up the cracked the top deck.
She has had a rough life.
I painted the sides and bottom on this boat with rustolem black semi gloss and it has held up well.
Improvements I have made , the boat wears in three areas , nose where it runs up on the bank rear where we drag them , both of these were taken care of by installing wood stems. That cured that problem , the other place that wears or gets cut is the area where you sit , the flats ,surprisingly the center v has worn very little .
I install my stems a little diferently than most folks , I build put glass and cloth on just like there were no stems, this seals the boat then I come back glue on my stems and then coat with epoxy and cloth ,if this gets worn through I still have a water tight hull.
Ron