Re: [bolger] glacial erratics > Options for ply thickness for similar sharpie construction on simila
One variable that hasn't been mentioned yet is
whether the boat will be used in a glaciated area or not.
Here is a good picture of a beach with larger
glacial erratics mixed in with the cobles:
Erratics can be house sized too, however these are
easier to spot on beaches than the smaller ones.
In my area there are many beaches with 1-3 foot
diameter erratics with at least half their diameter exposed above the cobbles.
Having an extra thick bottom on a boat makes it much less of an issue if a wave
trough dumps your boat down on top of one of these protruding rocks. Since the
water is often a bit murky in this region, it isn't easy to see the
rocks from a distance. In addition, from a distance the wave peaks can
obscure the swirls in a trough indicating a rock close to the
surface.
While careful observant navigation can avoid the
erratics most of the time, it seems a poor bet to say you will avoid them 100%
of the time. Also, if you are landing in choppy surf, by the time you see the
signs of a submerged erratic, it could easily be too late to steer around
it because turning sharply would risk being hit broadside by a breaking
wave.
Having a thick fiberglassed bottom greatly
simplifies dealing with the combination of erratics and surf on
beaches.
I'm just assuming that exposed glacial erratics on
beaches are a problem in all glaciated areas, not just around the Salish
Sea.
Are glacial erratics on beaches a problem on
the east coast of North America and it Europe too?
May your day be filled with clarity, grace,
strength, insight, balance, cooperation, and warm laughter,
Roger