Sadly, I went with cheap ply and there are a lot of places were there is filler and other stiff that doesnt look good at all. Far away the wood looks great, but up close it looks awful, should have listened to everyone who told me to go with good ply. I really love the wood look, but not this boat, she will be green, to make up for it she will have a lot of brightwork done to her, rubrails, bresthooks, bottome runner, seats (from undle Johns) and I am installing runners for the seats to go on that will be bright as well. I am sad about painting her, but it will look nicer, and hide all the imperfections from my first boat, next wood canoe will be wood finished (but I am painting the yak that matt is designing) Figured I would hear about it from you guys. :wink:
The plans dont call for thwarts, and many of these have been built so they are not going in. At first I was going to add one, but that would screw up my idea to be able to set one of the seats in the middle to make it a solo paddler. The rubrails will stiffen her up a lot, as will the bresthooks. I am not worried about it the bottom will be stiffened by the seat runners (consisting of one that goes the full lenght of the bottom long ways, and three that go cross ways were the seats will be located, these will keep the seats in place) and the bottom runner. And the sides are glassed to the bottom.
There are a lot of things left that will add a lot of stregth to her, and I cant believe how strong it is already. We had a picture of me sitting in it pretending to paddle it, while it was up on the saw horses. The sides flex a bit when she is moved but I have heard no cracking or seen any sine of breaking. "She'll hold Gentlemen, she'll hold" -U571
