Built in the time of COVID, the boat's name is Sea Quester. "A pune or play on words," as Terry Pratchett would say.
We had been considering a canoe for some time, just to dink around the tidal creeks surrounding our island. I didn't like the outrageous prices of large boats, so in late 2020 we compromised on building a partial kit as an early family Chrismas present and as a project during COVID-19 isolation, at a nominal predicted cost of $750.
Snowshoe Traveller 18
While waiting for a shipment to arrive, I reduced the plans and built a 1/6 scale model, hoping to make most of my mistakes there. And... I did!
Unfortunately, I didn't notice the biggest one I made: In software, there may be a "1" and a "-1" but there's only ever one "0." On the plans, there were two "Station 0s" and I left one out. What we actually built is either a "Snowshoe 16 Wide-Beam" or a "Snowshoe Traveller 18 Minus."
(It's not a worthy project unless you need a new tool...)
Stongback and forms with gunwales, keelson, and stems placed; we built the boat in the sitting room -- the only indoor location with enough space. (Before beginning, we made sure we'd be able to get the thing out when it was finished!)
Stringers placed
We managed to wrestle our son away from his video game for long enough to sand a few stringers.
Stringers cut to length and glued to the stems
Steam box made from 1-1/2 inch foam insulation panel
Kiln-dried poplar will bend, if it's soaked overnight and then steamed for an hour at 95-100 degrees C
Some ribs bent and placed. (You can never have too many clamps!)
All ribs glued to the stringers
Forms removed. It's starting to look like a boat!
Inwales and floorboards installed
Kevlar roving installed... this is the "geodesic" part of Geodesic Airolite
Beginning to install the Dacron fabric
Dacron fabric applied and heat-shrunk.
Applying the first coat of varnish
Thwarted! I cut the thwart to the distance between the inside of the ribs instead of the outside
Thwarted again, but this time... more purtier! (Took some time with it and laminated poplar and bloodwood)
"Measure once, cut twice." --CRC
My Dad shipped out the old paddles that we used with a Coleman canoe when I was about the age our son is now. (Some refurbishment was needed. The one in the center has already had sanding done.)
Paddles ready to go, including one that came with Serenity as emergency propulsion, which turned out to be made of cedar
Other Units of the FSN
FSN 01 (retired) Brushfire
FSN 02 Tinder
FSN 03 Serenity
FSN 04 Bright Eyes
Cory Carpenter's Home Page
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