Re: Glass-bottomed boats
A friend of mine, planking up a 36ft roundbottom hull, left a hole
near the bow. "What's that for?" I asked. "A window for my wife to
tell me how to navigate shoals." Don't overlook the water telescope
potential in larger boats too.
ED HAILE
near the bow. "What's that for?" I asked. "A window for my wife to
tell me how to navigate shoals." Don't overlook the water telescope
potential in larger boats too.
ED HAILE
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Garth Battista" <garth@b...> wrote:
> I was thinking of building a Michalak Piragua to go paddling with
my
> kids on the local river -- clear, shallow water full of fish,
> turtles, frogs, beavers, old boots, sunken treasure, etc.
>
> I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to cut a sizable
hole
> in the bottom of your boat and replace it with plexiglas or lexan,
> seal it up with epoxy and have a little viewing portal in the
bottom
> of your boat. This sounds like great fun for kids (including 37-
year-
> old kids).
>
> Anyone ever tried this? Recommendations for the strongest or most
> scratch resistant plastic?
>
> All best,
> Garth
First boat I built was a glass bottom.
Although your suggestion works, having the viewing
plate surrounded by black, whether wood or cloth, will
increase the viewing pleasure by eliminating glare.
The purpose is to eliminate light.
Roger
--- Garth Battista <garth@...> wrote:
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Although your suggestion works, having the viewing
plate surrounded by black, whether wood or cloth, will
increase the viewing pleasure by eliminating glare.
The purpose is to eliminate light.
Roger
--- Garth Battista <garth@...> wrote:
> I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to__________________________________________________
> cut a sizable hole
> in the bottom of your boat and replace it with
> plexiglas or lexan,
> seal it up with epoxy and have a little viewing
> portal in the bottom
> of your boat. This sounds like great fun for kids
> (including 37-year-
> old kids).
>
> Anyone ever tried this? Recommendations for the
> strongest or most
> scratch resistant plastic?
>
> All best,
> Garth
>
>
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one Place.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/
There are "water telescopes" pictured in old boys' project books --
even from back around the turn of the century. They're the square
funnel or elongated boxes you've mentioned, with a piece of glass
sealed into the underwater end. You just poke 'em into the water and
have a looksee. I suppose you could do it over the side of your boat,
too.
But I think I'll go for a replica of Stan's old design -- I like the
idea of using car glass. Hard to scratch, cheap to get at the local
dump or junkyard.
If it doesn't work out, I can always take it out and epoxy/fiberglass
in a piece of wood and be back to a plain old boat.
I'll let you know how it turns out. This will be a weather-permitting
winter project, I hope. The boat will only take a couple of days,
whenever we get a warm spell.
All best,
Garth
even from back around the turn of the century. They're the square
funnel or elongated boxes you've mentioned, with a piece of glass
sealed into the underwater end. You just poke 'em into the water and
have a looksee. I suppose you could do it over the side of your boat,
too.
But I think I'll go for a replica of Stan's old design -- I like the
idea of using car glass. Hard to scratch, cheap to get at the local
dump or junkyard.
If it doesn't work out, I can always take it out and epoxy/fiberglass
in a piece of wood and be back to a plain old boat.
I'll let you know how it turns out. This will be a weather-permitting
winter project, I hope. The boat will only take a couple of days,
whenever we get a warm spell.
All best,
Garth
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Paul A. Lefebvre, Jr." <paul@w...> wrote:
<snip>
suface of the water, not nearly as clear this way. When you stick
your head under water while wearing a diving mask things look pretty
clear, you'll lose this effect without the glass in the bottom of the
boat.
Mike
> why not just dispense with the glass? Build the invertedfunnel-shaped hood
<snip>
> Paul LefebvreIf there is no glass then you will then simply be looking at the
suface of the water, not nearly as clear this way. When you stick
your head under water while wearing a diving mask things look pretty
clear, you'll lose this effect without the glass in the bottom of the
boat.
Mike
Your right, Paul, these are big drawbacks. The one I spoke of had a
small section of floor grating so you could walk around on it, when your
using the boat for something other than bottom looking, and many times
we would pull the hood off to show something to a friend. You have no
idea of how many, "WOW, look at that" times you will have.
Stan, Snow Goose
small section of floor grating so you could walk around on it, when your
using the boat for something other than bottom looking, and many times
we would pull the hood off to show something to a friend. You have no
idea of how many, "WOW, look at that" times you will have.
Stan, Snow Goose
> Drawbacks - only one
> viewer at a time, and space taken up in the boat by a permanent
> installation........
why not just dispense with the glass? Build the inverted funnel-shaped hood
Stan suggests as a box of wood built right into the hull, kinda like a big
centerboard trunk; make it higher than the normal waterline of the boat and
it wouldn't need any glass and the complexities of sealing it, scratching,
etc.... you could use plywood and glass/epoxy just like the rest of the
boat. Make the top conform to the shape of a face, and put some pipe
insulation foam around it to pad it; it'll look just like those viewing
boxes Quahog shellfishermen use around here (Cape Cod) to look down into the
water while wading around with their rakes, except they float theirs in
innertubes, yours would have a boat built around it. Positive aspects: no
glass to get scratched, no sealing problems, etc. Drawbacks - only one
viewer at a time, and space taken up in the boat by a permanent
installation........
Paul Lefebvre
Stan suggests as a box of wood built right into the hull, kinda like a big
centerboard trunk; make it higher than the normal waterline of the boat and
it wouldn't need any glass and the complexities of sealing it, scratching,
etc.... you could use plywood and glass/epoxy just like the rest of the
boat. Make the top conform to the shape of a face, and put some pipe
insulation foam around it to pad it; it'll look just like those viewing
boxes Quahog shellfishermen use around here (Cape Cod) to look down into the
water while wading around with their rakes, except they float theirs in
innertubes, yours would have a boat built around it. Positive aspects: no
glass to get scratched, no sealing problems, etc. Drawbacks - only one
viewer at a time, and space taken up in the boat by a permanent
installation........
Paul Lefebvre
The hood could actually be a watertight well around the viewing port so
that even if the glass leaked or shattered the boat would not take on
water. I think I would stick with laminated glass. Lexan would soon get
scratched and discolor. Somewhere I recall that Bolger discussed using
a black mastic that comes in tape form and is used to seal car
windshields.
Vince Chew
that even if the glass leaked or shattered the boat would not take on
water. I think I would stick with laminated glass. Lexan would soon get
scratched and discolor. Somewhere I recall that Bolger discussed using
a black mastic that comes in tape form and is used to seal car
windshields.
Vince Chew
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, Stan Muller <smuller@i...> wrote:
> Garth,
> Many years ago, a friend of my father, fixed up a row boat (glass
> bottomed) and all us local kids had a great deal of fun in it.
> (Including kids my Dad's age.)
> It was a flat side window from a car, the sandwich type safety glass,
> set into a frame about two thirds back from the bow right along side of
> the keel. He also put a skedge on the outside of it to help protect it
> from grounding. If I were do it, I would not use epoxy, I would use a
> good grade of clear silicon to allow it to flex. (the original was set
> into some type of roofing tar)
> As important as the glass and it's mount, was the hood he built, to
> keep the sun off the glass, You could see four times more with the hood
> as you could with out it. It was like a large inverted square funnel.
> He must have done it right, because it was played with by the kids I
> ran with, and was still in use by a whole new bunch of kids when I got
> out of the navy.
> I hope this helps,
> Stan, Snow Goose.
Garth,
Many years ago, a friend of my father, fixed up a row boat (glass
bottomed) and all us local kids had a great deal of fun in it.
(Including kids my Dad's age.)
It was a flat side window from a car, the sandwich type safety glass,
set into a frame about two thirds back from the bow right along side of
the keel. He also put a skedge on the outside of it to help protect it
from grounding. If I were do it, I would not use epoxy, I would use a
good grade of clear silicon to allow it to flex. (the original was set
into some type of roofing tar)
As important as the glass and it's mount, was the hood he built, to
keep the sun off the glass, You could see four times more with the hood
as you could with out it. It was like a large inverted square funnel.
He must have done it right, because it was played with by the kids I
ran with, and was still in use by a whole new bunch of kids when I got
out of the navy.
I hope this helps,
Stan, Snow Goose.
Many years ago, a friend of my father, fixed up a row boat (glass
bottomed) and all us local kids had a great deal of fun in it.
(Including kids my Dad's age.)
It was a flat side window from a car, the sandwich type safety glass,
set into a frame about two thirds back from the bow right along side of
the keel. He also put a skedge on the outside of it to help protect it
from grounding. If I were do it, I would not use epoxy, I would use a
good grade of clear silicon to allow it to flex. (the original was set
into some type of roofing tar)
As important as the glass and it's mount, was the hood he built, to
keep the sun off the glass, You could see four times more with the hood
as you could with out it. It was like a large inverted square funnel.
He must have done it right, because it was played with by the kids I
ran with, and was still in use by a whole new bunch of kids when I got
out of the navy.
I hope this helps,
Stan, Snow Goose.
I was thinking of building a Michalak Piragua to go paddling with my
kids on the local river -- clear, shallow water full of fish,
turtles, frogs, beavers, old boots, sunken treasure, etc.
I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to cut a sizable hole
in the bottom of your boat and replace it with plexiglas or lexan,
seal it up with epoxy and have a little viewing portal in the bottom
of your boat. This sounds like great fun for kids (including 37-year-
old kids).
Anyone ever tried this? Recommendations for the strongest or most
scratch resistant plastic?
All best,
Garth
kids on the local river -- clear, shallow water full of fish,
turtles, frogs, beavers, old boots, sunken treasure, etc.
I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to cut a sizable hole
in the bottom of your boat and replace it with plexiglas or lexan,
seal it up with epoxy and have a little viewing portal in the bottom
of your boat. This sounds like great fun for kids (including 37-year-
old kids).
Anyone ever tried this? Recommendations for the strongest or most
scratch resistant plastic?
All best,
Garth