Epoxy without glass and Pirogues
Oh dear! Hackles are rising, I detect, regarding epoxy without glass. I
offer my own experiences -
12 years ago I built a flat-bottom skiff - Iain Oughtred's Seahorse - from
luan ply (pretty decent stuff). It had lapstrake sides. I coated the whole
thing, inside and out, with 3 coats of WEST epoxy. On top of that I put an
undercoat of 2-part paint from International, followed by two coats of
2-part gloss from the same people. I sold it 8 years later (for about what
she'd cost to build - in materials) and no re-painting had been required in
that time, apart from patching up dings with epoxy and more paint.
I conclude that in certain circumstances epoxy coating with no glass but
with a top-class paint job on top results in a great boat. The only thing
I'd do different if I was building the same boat today would be to
glass-sheath the bottom - which took most of the punishment.
On another matter - pirogues - the boat I made after the Oughtred skiff was
Bolger's 'Payson' pirogue - the one Payson sells as the 13-foot canoe. I'm
not sure how well it fits into the 'pirogue' category - multi-chined hull,
for instance. She's very light for a canoe, though - under 40 pounds.
She's a terrifically versatile boat - happiest on rivers and lakes, but I've
used her on the sea in calm conditions (perhaps recklessly?) a few times.
She's the lightest boat I know that'll take two adults and still give a good
turn of speed. If you belong to the 'hair-shirt' brigade, you could even
sleep underneath her (inverted, and on dry land you understand) at night.
Sorry now that I gave her away to make room for my sea kayak. I'll probably
make another, soon, and send the appropriate royalty to Mr Bolger for a
second boat.
Anyway - forgive my reminiscing.
Happy sailing/sawing/whatever . . .
Bill Samson
offer my own experiences -
12 years ago I built a flat-bottom skiff - Iain Oughtred's Seahorse - from
luan ply (pretty decent stuff). It had lapstrake sides. I coated the whole
thing, inside and out, with 3 coats of WEST epoxy. On top of that I put an
undercoat of 2-part paint from International, followed by two coats of
2-part gloss from the same people. I sold it 8 years later (for about what
she'd cost to build - in materials) and no re-painting had been required in
that time, apart from patching up dings with epoxy and more paint.
I conclude that in certain circumstances epoxy coating with no glass but
with a top-class paint job on top results in a great boat. The only thing
I'd do different if I was building the same boat today would be to
glass-sheath the bottom - which took most of the punishment.
On another matter - pirogues - the boat I made after the Oughtred skiff was
Bolger's 'Payson' pirogue - the one Payson sells as the 13-foot canoe. I'm
not sure how well it fits into the 'pirogue' category - multi-chined hull,
for instance. She's very light for a canoe, though - under 40 pounds.
She's a terrifically versatile boat - happiest on rivers and lakes, but I've
used her on the sea in calm conditions (perhaps recklessly?) a few times.
She's the lightest boat I know that'll take two adults and still give a good
turn of speed. If you belong to the 'hair-shirt' brigade, you could even
sleep underneath her (inverted, and on dry land you understand) at night.
Sorry now that I gave her away to make room for my sea kayak. I'll probably
make another, soon, and send the appropriate royalty to Mr Bolger for a
second boat.
Anyway - forgive my reminiscing.
Happy sailing/sawing/whatever . . .
Bill Samson