Gunwhale padding?
OK, I need something and can't find it (google can't
either). There is a gunwhale guard or rubrail that is a 'P'
section of closed-cell foam covered in white canvas.I want this stuff because it fits the gun'l naturally, it's
light, and it's great padding. I hate to scuff & scratch our
boat (or anybody else's) bringing a dinghy alongside. I know this stuff exists because I've seen it on chandlery
shelves. But where the heck can I order it? Somebody please
help! Thanks
Doug King |
DSK
Nov 7
2006
|
| Glenn's a hero all right. He not only did all that, he
documented it on his web site and is uniformly helpful to
others with their projects. RUTU is awesome! DSk |
DSK
Nov 8
|
| What is the status of his project? Do you have an updated link. |
Reginald
Nov 8
|
| Well, it's costing me about $3k worth of materials, bought
retail and with moderate regard for keeping expense down. It
doesn't include vacuum-bagging gear. > How would it compare to a $1K Walker Bay 8' model Glad you asked.
The Walker Bay looks like a cheap toy next to my dinghy. It
is about 4x heavier, has far less carrying capacity, and (if
theory proves somewhat correct) should be noticably less
stable. It will also be harder to row and slower/less
efficient if used with a motor. Of course, mine has the
advantage of being a foot longer. However I don't think that anybody would pay 5X the price of
a Walker Bay for a similar boat no matter how blatantly
obvious it's technical advantages. DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| The Walker Bay is good for kids or very light adults. It's not good for a
200+ pounder, I can unfortunately confirm. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
| I have met George O'Day a few times, raced against him some
in the long-long-ago. Small world! He was a brilliant racing
skipper. He gave the impression of being less of a screaming
butt-head towards his crew than many skippers were back in
those days, however I didn't approach him for conversation.. The ironic thing about the Day Sailor is that he didn't even
design it. Uffa Fox did. Nice boat although still not the
answer to all the world's problems. DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| Yep. I built a couple of Teals and Surfs, at one point I was |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| Absolutely. It is difficult to appreciate the skill, effort and
workmanship required to build even a small boat until you have tried
it yourself. Glenn Ashmore is one of my heros. He's been working on a 40 something
cruising sailboat since my first days on the internet back in the
early to mid 90s. |
Wayne.B
Nov 7
|
| Sweet - love to see what it looks like finished. Nice job. |
Short
Nov 7
|
| Thank you both, very much. I will add more pictures, and
promise that the launch & test ride will not be kept top
secret (unless it's a really really embarassing flop). If it turns out that my Amazing Scientific Dinghy hull
design really is significantly better than what's currently
on the market, I may be interested in selling this one and
starting over, now that I know how to actually make foam
core & composite laminations *right*. Boats are always a
learning process! DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| Ah .... we have another Dick Fisher on our hands. http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/originalHullDesign.html Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
| Thing is, there's virtually no demand at all for classic
looking efficient rowing craft, much less ones made with
space-age super-light materials. Everybody I have talked to
about this dinghy idea (originally, I wanted a Fatty Knees
made in carbon/kevlar) said it was stupid. Oh well. BTW the career of C. Raymond Hunt is quite fascinating, not
only did he help originate the Boston Whaler and the
"cathedral hull" but he also originated the deep-vee and a
bunch of different original sailing designs, including an
America's Cup winner. He should be a lot more famous. Albert Hickman was no slouch either, but he turned himself
into a grumpy idealogue who became best known for his
arrogant insistance that his Sea Sled was the ultimate
solution to all the world's problems. Boat design is like music, there is infinite room for new
ideas, new applications of old ideas, etc etc. DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| What do you think a dinghy like that would be worth?
How would it compare to a $1K Walker Bay 8' model |
Don
Nov 7
|
| Enjoyed the post and the pictures. Like Tom, I can't wait to see the final
product. Great job. |
JohnH
Nov 7
|
| Back in my late twenties, I met a guy from Thomaston, ME named Harold
"Dynamite" Payson at a Mystic Seaport Museum boat building class - it
was right after I sobered up and I was going to build a sail boat for
my own amusement and to keep me out of trouble. Harold Payson was a character of the highest order. Lobsta' man by
trade, he built his own boats and got into building plywood boats -
most of them designed by Phil Bolger of all people. :>) http://www.instantboats.com/ Anyway, to make a long story short, I began quite a conversation with
him, ended up telling the story of why I was there and eventually
developed a level of communication that was unusual for a "fan" and
the "fanee" I guess you would call it. It became a Saturday morning
ritual for a long time chatting with him about how I was going with my
boat (The Glocester Gull adapted for sail). During one of those
conversations, he said that the Gull design would be perfect for some
"new fangled foam core" technique. Side note - eventually, right before Christmas in 1980, I received
autographed copies of his books and all his plans in the mail along
with a very nice note about building boats and the joy derived from
it. I haven't built a boat since the Gull, but I can appreciate the effort
you put into it. Most excellent Doug - most excellent. |
Short
Nov 7
|
| You think he was a grumpy ideologue, you should have met George O'Day.
That guy was the sourest, grumpy, touchy, unapproachable old fart I
ever met in my life and held a similar opinion about his Day Sailors. |
Short
Nov 7
|
| I've got one of those gathering dust in an old garage. Even has the mast,
sail, rigging, centerboard, rudder and oars. Anyone want it? Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
| I might - email on the way. |
Short
Nov 7
|
| What...a Walker Bay with the sail option?
I'd love to have it... if only you were a bit closer. |
Don
Nov 7
|
| I don't know much about the different sail types ... this one has a
particular name that I've forgotten. It reminds me of a small version of
what you see on a Chinese Junk. I sailed it around Scituate Harbor a couple of times with onlookers waving
and laughing at me from their boats. (I am not a "little" guy). It was fun.
I even registered it at one point and used an electric trolling motor on it. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
| I see the 8' version has two different sail types. The cheaper one is
pointed at the headboard like your average sloop while the performance
plus version is rounded at the top.
In the 10' model both main sails are the rounded top type but the
performance version comes with a small jib. |
Don
Nov 7
|
| I hunted thru the Hamilton Marine web site (among many
others) and couldn't fin this. Thanks DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| The stuff you are looking for is actually 3/4 of a circle with tabs of
fabric. It therefore is not a P section but more like an Omega. I have
always folded the top tab under so that it looks like a P section on the
boat. The row of screws on the top of the gunwale is covered by the folded
tab. I hope this is clear.
Dave
"DSK" <dsk@dontbotherme.com> wrote in message |
Dave
Nov 7
|
| Doug,
I've used both styles of this stuff. The stuff on the left side of the page is less garish in color, firm and
heavy.
The stuff on the right is a bright white, a good bit lighter, and its
ethafoam core is not bonded to the hose, so it can get misaligned. The most reliable way i've found to attach it is with oval head self-tap
screws and finish washers |
Jim
Nov 7
|
| Thanks Jim- it's very encouraging that I'm getting close to
putting on the gun'ls, after so much time has gone by with
very slow progress. The boat is coming out heavier than I'd
like, but it's still far lighter than anything else would
be, and it's STRONG. When you see two ~200lb men jumping up
and down on the center thwart, with the boat resting on a
simple cradle (6' between the hull supports), you begin to
think "here's a boat that will probably not experience
structural failure during normal use." DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| PICTURES - I DEMAND PICTURES!!! |
Short
Nov 7
|
| Here's more than you want to know about the Amazing
Scientific Dinghy from git-go
http://community.webshots.com/album/82561569ZSrzNA The last pics are couple weeks ago, since then I've finished
the inner skin, trimmed the edges of the hull down to the
final sheer line, and built & installed the center thwart,
and made a template for the aft seat (which will of course
be a fancy curved one, like the classics). To finish up I
need to build & install the bow & stern seats, laminate
across the top of the gun'l, flip it & fair the outside of
the hull, paint it, mount the hardware & rubrail. The intent was to make a classic Whitehall-styled rowing
dink, more stable and easier to row than any in production,
of carbon fiber & foam core so it would also be a one-hand
job to lift & stow (or launch) it. We'll see. DSK |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| Nice job and I admire the patience you obviously have. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
| I've seen it too just recently and for the life of me I can't remember
what the name of the stuff was or who made. The odd thing is, I picked some up and looked at it closely. AARRGGHH!! |
Short
Nov 7
|
| Some help you are. You posted this just to torment me, right? Just to get even, I'm going to post a lot of pics of my
Perfect Dinghy when I get it finished. Regards
Doug King |
DSK
Nov 7
|
| Hey - I live to serve. |
Short
Nov 7
|
| ? http://www.hamiltonmarine.com/0270.htm?gclid=CO_0g8X_tIgCFT9nOAodLDQPzg |
ACP
Nov 7
|
| I've seen stuff similar to what you are looking for ... canvas covered
closed foam, "P" section.
It was being used for bumper strips on the edge of finger slips. Maybe you
could find them under dock supplies or something. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Nov 7
|
