Curlew II * Launching Photos

Jeff Horton · Jul 24, 2009

Photos beside the original last night.

Rennie Heuer · Jul 24, 2009

I just find your work amazing. I'd be afraid of drowning in anything I made to go on the water. :rofl:

glenn bradley · Jul 24, 2009

Those are lookin' sweet.

Rob Keeble · Jul 24, 2009

Looking real good Jeff. :thumb:

After thought what would one of those look like if it was covered with cedar strip :huh:

Jeff Horton · Jul 24, 2009

Rob Keeble said:
After thought what would one of those look like if it was covered with cedar strip

Hummm

Dan Noren · Jul 24, 2009

Jeff Horton said:
Hummm

go for it jeff, i can feel those evil thoughts from here....

Jeff Horton · Aug 30, 2009

This boat has taken forever! I have been working on it, documenting what I did with photos. Then go write it all down for the manual. I could have had 2 or 3 built in the same time span.

But I finally have the skin on the boat. I am trying a plywood coaming this time so this is new to me. I am working out the details now. Once I get that installed I can finish it up.

While you can't see the lines of the boat really clearly, I can see enough to know I like the changes I made. I had a flat rear deck and peaked this one just a little so I could get in my dry box and a dry bag behind the seat easier. I changed the deck in front of the cockpit and this one looks much better. I think the changes are going to be improvements!

I am also using a polyester skin material instead of a nylon. This is a very loose weave so you can't pull it tight. Have to depend on the skin to shrink tight and that has required me to learn a new method of sewing it on. I have sewn it up and taken it all out twice on the back of the boat before I figured out the best way to sew it.

Should be on the water soon though.

Toni Ciuraneta · Aug 30, 2009

Looks good Jeff.

Is this the boat that you mentioned some time ago that you were thinking about selling it as a kit?

Jeff Horton · Aug 30, 2009

Yes it is. Assuming this boat preforms like I expect it will be offered at my first kit.

Don Orr · Aug 30, 2009

Looking great there Jeff, sure would love to try it on the water. Hmmmm, maybe when the kit is ready...

If I only had the time, space, money, skills... But hey, you never know.

Ned Bulken · Aug 30, 2009

Don Orr said:
Looking great there Jeff, sure would love to try it on the water. Hmmmm, maybe when the kit is ready...

If I only had the time, space, money, skills... But hey, you never know.

psst, Don, you've got that garage right next to your shop... plenty of room for building a couple of kayaks!

time, well, who knows on that one, but skills, you can do that!

Jeff Horton · Sep 2, 2009

WooHooo! Curlew II is skinned and ready for coating!

I only have two (maybe three) more chapters to write for the Assembly manual.

I actually did a job for someone one last week and made a profit on that job.

Looks like the light at the end of the tunnel is a not a train about to run me over after all!

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Vaughn McMillan · Sep 2, 2009

Looking great, Jeff. Will this one remain white, or will you color it?

Don Baer · Sep 2, 2009

Vaughn McMillan said:
Looking great, Jeff. Will this one remain white, or will you color it?

He's gonna need a lot of crayons ... :rofl:

allen levine · Sep 2, 2009

Thats such beautiful work. I cant imagine what it must be like to document each step meticulously so that it can be reread by someone else and put together like a model.
Incredible stuff.
If the skin is polyester, will it be possible for people to get the skin in different colors?

Dan Noren · Sep 2, 2009

considering crayons are made of wax don, would that also qualify as waterproofing?

Jeff Horton · Sep 3, 2009

Vaughn McMillan said:
Looking great, Jeff. Will this one remain white, or will you color it?

Thought I would give you a hint instead of a direct answer to that question. This was a test panel and you will just have to wait and see what I decided.

allen levine said:
Thats such beautiful work. I cant imagine what it must be like to document each step meticulously so that it can be reread by someone else and put together like a model.

Well, I can't explain and stay with the CoC.

Just say it has been a BIG and SLOW undertaking. It is what is keeping me from having kits ready to sell.

My proofreader/great friend, God Bless her, says I am good at explaining it and photographing everything. She is not mechanical nor has she ever even thought of building a boat but she says she feels as if she could follow the instructions and built one. I don't know but I hope she is right! Everyone once in a while she sends it back with a '???' by a section and I know I have rewrite it.

If the skin is polyester, will it be possible for people to get the skin in different colors?

No,i t's hard to find a suitable polyester for use as a skin. I have only one source and but the good thing is that you can dye or even paint polyester. It is less demanding when it come to finishes. Most coatings will not stick to nylon.

Wes Bischel · Sep 3, 2009

Jeff,
I am always in awe of your undertaking. The boat is looking fabulous. I'm not a water person, but I think the experience of building one of your boats would be really cool!

I can't help but wonder - could you adapt your techniques to making furniture? I can envision some really cool pieces.

Wes

Jeff Horton · Sep 4, 2009

Wes Bischel said:
I can't help but wonder - could you adapt your techniques to making furniture? I can envision some really cool pieces.

Visions of a translucent Skin couch just flashed through my head! :rofl:

Jeff Horton · Sep 11, 2009

Almost finished. Actually this one went to the water and I found quite a few springs in it. Springs? Think water. The skin was not quite waterproof and I had a lot of little pin holes leaks in the boat.

I tried a new type of frabric for the skin and I used a different sealer (paint) and obviously I didn't put enough coats on it. So back on the trailer it went. I need to put on the last coat today and it should be water proof. I want to add some more rigging around the deck but that will wait for a while.

The old and the new together.

Here is the finished framed oiled and ready for skinning. I don't think I ever posted these.

Curlew II * Launching Photos

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