Archives for 2008

False stems provide protection against all the things we’ll bump into. They’re replaceable, like bumpers on a car, but a lot cheaper. They are fussy to fit, but no more so than any other curved part. Did I mention that there are no straight parts or 90 degree angles on most boats. Everything is a curve and everything has at least one beveled edge.

For a “wow factor,” I gave about ummm 7 seconds thought to the idea of carving a fiddlehead in one of the false stems.

BTW, here’s another nice view of the gains.

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The four boards for decking need to fit snug to the coamings and slightly overlap the covering boards. They do. Well yes, there was one incident along the way where a tip was broken off during sanding and a new board had to be cut.

Did I mention that this stuff is really thin?

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Coamings are boards that extend above the deck and serve to keep water from splashing into the boat. Hey, we could have built a completely open canoe, no decks, no coamings. But, this was more fun. No, I won’t actually go camping where the deck and coaming would be helpful, but I might go paddling on cool days and not want to sit in a puddle of cold water.

My coamings are made of cherry, to provide a little visual contrast when finished bright. Right inside the point where they meet, a trim piece is added for stiffening. It’s a nice exercise in fitting angles.

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