Looking at your photos of the framing, I can almost smell the wood. Maybe it will inspire me to start a pram project I have been thinking of...
I love it when my garage looks like that... If your like me, you'll get to a point when you must either finish it or burn it. You'll know what to do. Enjoy the journey.
For those of you that don't have the necessary skills required to flip a raft on the Yakima, this is something that came completely natural to me and I would be happy to tell you how. The recipe goes something like this: Add the following; one guy whose never rowed in his life, a good dose of impatients, high water flows, and 1 sweeper. Add those ingredients, wait about 5 minutes from your first launch and that's how you flip a raft on the Yakima.
I'm still working on the recipe for success. But I'm sure it would involve getting a clue and some training (which I have gotten since then), understanding just how dangerous a sweeper is, which I do now, and.more experience on the water, which I'm working on.
Thanks for posting your experience Jeff, people don't realize how quickly things can happen on a river. Even a low gradient river like the yakima.
Don't let low gradient, like Jeff's experience shows, sneak up on you. There are several sections on the Yakima where oarsmanship and experience are required. Best to ask ahead - a guide, a fly shop, someone who's recently run it, etc. There's no replacement for real-world experience to develop knowledge, and I've had several clients who are interested in learning the river - both how to successfully find fish, but also how to do it safely in their own boats. When's Spring, again?
I had some help this weekend and was able to get the thing sheeted. Hopefully have this thing glassed up soon. It is definitely a two man job getting the sides sheeted. I was able to take care of the rest on my own, but the four large pieces on the sides required help. Skinning the bottom and the smaller side sections is no problem one manned. View attachment 46524 View attachment 46525 View attachment 46526 View attachment 46527 View attachment 46528
Looks real good... I'm sure you will put lots of screws in the bottom and side panels, back in the old days we would put a screw every 8" and then a copper nail in between each screw. Now, all I use is Silicon Bronze screws on boats. http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...Silicon Bronze Wood Screws Frearson Flat Head
Very cool, love the project. Keep posting progress photo's Between the chine, bottom and chine batten, about 250 screws.
The screwing begins...(enter joke here) Lots of screws, lots and lots of screws. Only missed a couple, not an issue. Back them out and re-center. Here is a shot of the progress. View attachment 47209 Also, I went with "butt-joints" and they turned out OK. Here is a crummy shot of the inside, I will grind the protruding screws down and they won’t be seen. I kinda like the look of all the screws, I was going to paint, but I think this kinda looks bad ace. View attachment 47210
Lacked updates but I did finish it. It is heading out tomorrow for the first go! I may upload more pics, if I can remember to get back on here. Cheers, Kevin
Took a while, but looks good! Don't think I'd have the patience and I KNOW I don't have the space! Now all we need is some on the water pix (with fish).
Made it to the river last week. Slow day, but got two good fish in the boat. Here is a video of one fight/boat shots.
