A Hairy Swamp Girl. | Page 3 | SouthernPaddler.com

A Hairy Swamp Girl.

Swampy

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
1,736
0
Southeastern North Carolina
I do love the color of th' wood ! Makes me wanna just sit down and start paddlin' ....

Yer mess is nuthin like mine Mike! Yers looks like Better Homes & Garden compared to my lot .... :oops:

Looking forward to the round of pics.

swampy
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Hi guys,

Got the inwhales and spacers on yesterday. I reckon he spacers are a great idea. Had never seen them before.

Jack, thank you for the beer cup idea, worked a treat. The more I used em, the better she looked. :D

Guys, as I mentioned on Matts forum, thank you for all the help, tips, encouragement and advice. You have inspired me to greater efforts and also inspired me to get my little puddle duck down from the rack and finish her off.

She has been hidden up on a rack in another shed for about 6 years because the job of fixing my mistakes was just too daunting. (not anymore :D ) thanks to all here.

Got the gunwhales finished yesterday. Will probably take her for a walk later in the week to work out where to put the seat etc.

A couple more piccies.
SWAMPGIRL085.jpg

SWAMPGIRL084.jpg
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Mick,

I even went so far as to take four gunnel spacers, drill a large hole in them, round the corners nicely, and glue them to the boat floor inside. Two immediately aft of the center seat, and two just forward of where my toesie-wosiess set whilst paddling. These are tie-down points.

I run a light rope (less than 1/8" hard braid nylon) zig-zag back and forth across the bow and stern to keep camp gear & dry bags in the boat in case of capsize. I run these ropes down to the tie-down points on the floor to keep bags from scooting out from under the web above. In camp, these ropes are clothes lines, etc.

(Or, if you camp with Swampus Lurchicus, they can be used for the kind of snare that snatches him up into the air in the middle of the night.)
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Mick

For my use because I made my Swamp Girl out of 1/8 th inch wood I had to put a center rib in her to stop the oil canning and it worked out really great for me. :D

The seat I make fits over the center rib (to keep the seat in place when paddling) and puts me just slightly back from the center line. I have found this is the best place for me to sit when paddling her because it balances the boat out really nice.

Chuck.
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
I seen the pichurs on Matt's forum, but not on here. Mick, ya tryin' ta bumfuzzle us? :wink:

I jest heard that anuther bad hoodoochie iz headed downunder. Ya'll keep yer heads down 'n call out when it passes.

regards,
bearridge


I asked him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.' Frank Layden, Utah Jazz President
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Hi guys,

I don't know what I did to the piccies. i just put em in a mini album in photo bucket. will re- post then a bit later.

Took the swampgirl for a test paddle this morning. To say I am delighted is an understatement. will post full story and more piccies when I get cleaned up.

Bloody hoodoochies, someone should blow em up. This one is headin for the west coast. Not many people there (even by our standards) Mostly desert and a few mining and aboriginal communities The ones who are there are getting a hammering though.
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
I'm back!

Still don't know what happened to the piccies. I am a IT idiot.

As I was saying before, took the girl for a walk in the local wier today, to sort out seating. I had so much fun, I just kept paddling. did the length of the weir and back ( about 6 miles each way) and was really sorry to see it come to an end.

Stability is immense, she tracks straight and manouverability was remarkable. I could turn her 180 degrees in her own length with two forward strokes on one side and one backward stroke on the other. I have never seen anything like it.

Re the stability, I was sitting on 8 inch foam blocks about a foot behind the centre of the boat and there was no hint of tippyness.

Re tracking, - beautiful. no sign of weathercocking at all. She did seem a little flighty on each stroke with a canoe paddle. I could only manage 3 strokes on each side before I needed to change sides to straighten her up. When using a kayak paddle, there was no problem.

In short, I just love my swampgirl. I made a few mistakes when building her and she was only ever going to be a practice boat. I have learnt a lot from this and the next swampgirl will be much better. Until then, I will finish her off and she will become my boat of choice for fishing and touring skinny water.

a couple of piccies.

Loaded up
SWAMPGIRL086.jpg


SWAMPGIRL088.jpg


SWAMPGIRL093.jpg


SWAMPGIRL092.jpg


SWAMPGIRL089.jpg
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Mick,

If you haven't seen Paint Your Wagon, try to get it and see it. 3 1/2 hours of absolutely great entertainment with great scenes of the Sierra Nevada's. Paraphrasing some lines from the movie, "Building and paddling our own boat, are the second and third most fun things in the world to do!"

Your last picture with flowing water & granite looks like my territory. The swampy ones look like a clean-water version of Chuckie's neck of the woods.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Mick

The last JPG (Picture) did not work for you so I repaired it and got it on here ... Your neck of the woods would make me homesick if I was over there paddling ... My type of area.
The Girl looks like she is sitting on the water pretty good and it is a pleasure to hear that you are happy with her.

Matt does design some good boats. Now if it wasn't for Jack and I helping him, He could do a better job at it. Jack and I can never agree on which end should be the bow but fortunately Matt (Like every one else) does not listen to us. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chuck.
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend mick,

Are ya bout ta head out with a group a paddlin' mates ta camp, tell tall tales, sip fine drink 'n eat fine food? If ya do, dont fergit the trip report. I didnt see no sand bars on that river....so where do ya'll pitch a tent ('er string a hammock)?

regards,
bearridge
paddlin' geezer canoe clud

The Tenth Commandment sends a message to socialists, to collectivists, to people who believe that wealth is best obtained by redistribution, and that message is clear and concise: Go to hell! It's as simple as that. P.J. O'Rourke
 

dawallace45

Well-Known Member
Mick
I can see your going to be a bad influence on me , here I am with my roof trusses on , just putting my veranda posts up and already I'm considering building the Swamp Girl , I really don't have time for this , MUST RESIST !!!!!

You are going to bugger up all my plans for the next year , I can see it now , as soon as I finish the house I'll be building another canoe that I really don't need , I should be spending that time more constructively like fishing , hunting or paddling

David
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Hi Dave, Why thank you :D , My work here will not be done until you have at least one swampgirl in residence. :D

Truly mate, they would be ideal for the upper reaches of Eurimbular creek,

Go on mate, You know you want to, We are Waiting Waiting Waiting
 

dawallace45

Well-Known Member
Mick

That Hairy Swamp girl does look good but I really don't need another canoe , already have the Mill Creek 16.5 , a BK18 and a Yakoo another frame made up for a 13 ft Skin on frame ready to skin and plans to make another , MUST RESIST HAIRY SWAMP GIRL !!!!!! ,

Hell maybe my brother needs one , I can build one for him

David