Robin's Laker

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

I have just taken delivery of a set of plas for a Jem Okwata. I have been wanting to build this boat ever since she came to life but have been a little intimidated by the rounded decks.

Having perused Matt's superb drawings and build instructions, i am no longer intidated and can't wait to get started. To this end, Ihave been trying to gently steer Robin towards an Okwata.

No joy there, she has put her foot down and demanded that I build HER Laker first. Can't say that I blame her either. Laker is a proven boat that she loves and she has put in some pretty specific and iron clad "requests" :lol: for customising to suit her needs eg. photography and easy access to her stuff while on the water.

I will be starting her build next week and if anybody is interested, will post up a detailed build log of what I am doing, and why. This boat really is an ideal little rec kayak that lends itself very well to builder customisation. Robin has come up with some very good ideas to trick it up to suit the female of the species and I think/hope Robin's might turn out to be something kinda special.

 

[tx river rat]

Mick
Please do post and pic up on the Laker I always enjoy your builds and follow them waiting everyday for your post
Ron

 

[a Bald Cypress]

laker

YEA.

WHAT HE SAID him, that guy up there. You know Ron, aka
Tx River Rat, aka The boat building machine.

I always learn a lot seeing how you build.

Don't kep it all to yourself.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Matt, I hope you're cataloging all these mods made by builders. Sounds like a back of options for other buyers to me.

 

[islandpiper]

Mick,

How I envy thee?
Let me count the ways. (sorry, Shakespeare...)

You have the resources to take on a series of builds.....and space and time to do so.....and your wife lets you. You live in the land of beer and sunshine........you have a great job with interesting clients and an understanding and helpful boss......and SOON you will be building the Okwata.

I may have to jet over and paddle that one!! Can I sleep in your shed for a couple of nights?

We'll all be watching the new Robin-Laker build. Take lots of pics and post 'em?

Piper

 

[hairymick]

G'day guys, Thanks a lot for all the interest. :shock:

Piper mate,

You have the resources to take on a series of builds.....and space and time to do so.....and your wife lets you. You live in the land of beer and sunshine........you have a great job with interesting clients and an understanding and helpful boss......and SOON you will be building the Okwata

Yep, I am a very lucky man and every day I thank God for the bounty he has bestowed upon me. Life is indeed, good.

I may have to jet over and paddle that one!! Can I sleep in your shed for a couple of nights?

Come on over mate. There is no need to sleep in the shed. we have plenty of room in the house and you could stay as long as you like. (Open House here. ) There is allways cold beer in the fridge & we could build two Okwatas.

I made a start today, but first, I am very tired of working on sub-standard tables/benches etc. and struggling to get my panels properly aligned.

There are a couple of significantly more complex builds than the Laker and Okwata coming up so I went to the trouble of building a proper boat building bench today. It is straight, square, and above all, LEVEL

16' long X 2' wide and will double as a very good strong-back should the need arise.

All primary panels are marked and rough cut. When they are trimmed to the lines, I will be using them as templates to mark, cut and trim all the other panels. ( I just love building symettrical hulls)

 

[Ozark]

I remember you sayin that your new saw cuts to within 1/8 or so of the lines what do you use to trim them to the lines?

 

[islandpiper]

Mick, when I see a table like that I have to imagine it full of crawfish, shrimp, jambolaya, gumbo, beer, sweet tea and lots of friends and family.......guess I have a one track mind. Oh, and you could probably build boats on it too.

Piper

 

[bearridge]

Friend piper,

Same here.....a Beowulf table. Wanted one most of my life. Never found room fer one in any apartment 'er house. Never had a shed 'er a big shop. I reckon I am too old fer a Beowulf table now. Near bout all my rowdy pals have settled down.

The Thankful Days wore me out....hard ta stay up past 8 pm. Got two calls yesterday frum a fella I used ta play with who sez I jest gotta join up with hiz band at some honky tonk....fer the eve of the new year. He sent me a email with the list of songs. I dont know how ta tell him I'd have ta load my truck, go ta bed early 'n head out fer the honky tonk the first time I had ta git up ta bleed my rat. :|

regards
bearridge

A society that puts equality ahead of freedom will end up with neither. Milton Friedman

 

[Kayak Jack]

Island Piper suggested:

I may have to jet over and paddle that one!! Can I sleep in your shed for a couple of nights?

Hairy Mick foolishly responded: Come on over mate. There is no need to sleep in the shed. we have plenty of room in the house and you could stay as long as you like. (Open House here. ) There is always cold beer in the fridge & we could build two Okwatas.

Kayak Jack advises: Mick, if Piper san comes to visit, let him sleep in your shed. Please furnish him a rafter of rough sawn texture, it helps him keep his grip while asleep. He'll sleep upside down as he usually does, and awaken at dusk.

If you hear an ungodly squeal, it may be:
A. Frightened neighbors calling for help
B. Piper San's bag pipe in full regalia
C. The retaining nut loosening from the large, circular blade in the local saw mill
D. A jet in full after burner about to crash into your home

Provide gritz for his sustenance. If you have already fully consumed that package I sent you, then standard kitty litter, pre-boiled and flavored with gooey mucus from either yucca or aloe vera, will suffice.

Oh, and tell him "Hi" from me.

 

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

I got a bit done today. It was nice and cool, only about 85f and could keep at it pretty much, all day.

Ozzie, I hope this helps to answer you question mate.

Once, the primary, or template panels are marked and rough cut, II trim them down with a belt sander or electric hand planer to about half the thickness of the pencil lines.

I then use each master panel as a template to mark out any panels that need to be identical to it. I can get better use of each sheet of plywood this way. (less waste) Once all panels required are marked, I cut them to within about 1/4" inch or so of the pencil lines ( not important, near enough is good enough at this stage.)

Once all panels are cut, I stack them carefully with the master panel on top and screw them down onto my bench. (I love my new bench)

Using a good router with a solid flush trim bit,

I trim all the matching panels at once to be identical to the master panel.

I got all hull and deck and coaming panels cut and trimmed today

 

[tx river rat]

Mick
LOOKING GOOD
ron

 

[Ozark]

Thanks Mick
That just enough reason for me to go buy a 3/4 hp router I've been contemplating.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Thanks Mick
That just enough reason for me to go buy a 3/4 hp router I've been contemplating.

You're wayyyy too easy there, Ozark. Took no arm twisting at all, did it?

I'm using the same rationalization (emotional self-defense technique) to justify Carol getting me a new random orbital sander for Christmas. Mick's to blame for that too.

He's way too influential on us poor, susceptible fellas.

 

[Ozark]

But it's work related and tax deductible. Trying to keep up with the Jones. Mick said so then its gotta be true. If your friends jumped off a cliff wouldn't you. Besides if I had a new one I could loan the smaller old one out and still have the new bigger better one to use myself. You got to remember I'm not married so there's no one to tell me NO YOU CAN"T HAVE THAT! YOU ALREADY GOT ONE WHY DO YOU NEED ANOTHER!

 

[oldsparkey]

YOU ALREADY GOT ONE WHY DO YOU NEED ANOTHER!

Now you sound like my wife when it comes to boats. One of these days I will add up all the shoes and outfits she has , if I can count that high. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chuck.

 

[hairymick]

Guys,

I like to look at it this way

1. The quicker and more efficiently I can build a boat, the sooner I can get started on the next one.

2. Each boat I build, I learn a little more about the process and become a little more proficient in using my toys(power tools)

3. This is helping in my work where I am expected to pass on some of my "skills" to my prisoner workers.

4. Each new boat is an excuse to buy another toy 8) - bargain!!

5. after all, He who dies with the most toys - WINS

 

[Kayak Jack]

...(1) Mick said so then its gotta be true.

(2.) You got to remember I'm not married so there's no one to tell me NO YOU CAN"T HAVE THAT! YOU ALREADY GOT ONE WHY DO YOU NEED ANOTHER!

Me too. Both retired and a widower - best of both worlds. No one to be accountable to.

 

[hairymick]

Bit more done yesterday.

Hull panels are stitched up.

And tacked

I am not using the spacers on this build. (just an experiment.) and so far, I really like the much quicker way the panels come together. another benefiet for me is that it is easier to check the hull for fairness without all the little spacers sticking up.

I also like the fact of using much less resin and wood flour which should be a saving on the weight of the boat.

This is my first foray into the world of quality marine (gabboon) ply and I LOVE it. Beautiful stuff to work with, easy, consistent bend properties, no voids and at a millimetre thicker than the rubbish I have been working with prior to this, makes things better and easier all round.
Next to the plans, the ply is the cheapest part of the build and I will never use the cheap rubbish again. it is well worth the extra mony!

 

[Kayak Jack]

RE: Good plywood and no spacers. Welcome to my world.