Darted outside in the 104 F heat to sand WILLOW's paddle as fast as I could, used 120 grit pads on a DeWALT random orbital sander, hooked up to a Dust Deputy and ShopVac to collect the dust. We are going to use West Systems 105 Resin and 207 Special Clear Hardener for the coating, and take photos of the 207 for an upcoming article in Small Boats Magazine September 2020.
Trying out some Halcyon varnish from TotalBoat. The squeeze bag is nice, the varnish will store well. We were able to recoat in one hour with no sanding between coats.
We designed a combination paddle and boat hook recently, to assist in boat handling. There are a lot of combinations out there, but we wanted one that took up little space, with that in mind we chose the Greenland paddle shape for our "padook." We also wanted it to float upright, and used information gleaned from a WoodenBoat article to aid in the design.
We just had an article published on the Padook in the Novemebr 2018 issue of Small Boats Monthly, way more information on making, measurements and sea trials posted there. Editor Chris Cunningham shared photos of the construction and float test of his beautiful padook. Chris is the expert, he wrote the book Building the Greenland Kayak and offers a guide on paddle construction.
The article on floating boat hooks and the boat hook itself can be purchased from WoodenBoat.
While the tiller repair was drying we decided to get in some rowing miles. We wanted to try the 8 foot oars to see if we liked those better than the 7 1/2 foot set, starting with the forward station. Went about 20 feet and said "Nope." The longer length required me to dip the grips deeper, and that required changing my knee and leg position around. It wouldn't be any better at the mid station as it sits a bit lower to the water and oar tips would have to be raised even more. Plus the longer oars were heavier, with most of that weight being outboard of the oarlock, which required more effort to balance. So back to the beach to swap out the oars. We also brought an extra paddle, Skipper and I paddled clear of the shore and seawall, then rowed for a mile and a half out to the bayou and back. The boat carries well, not quite as well as Barbashela though. We also practiced boarding with the stern to shore, then pushed off with the paddles, that worked well.
Skipper with her paddle. We are still impressed with the amount of space in a 14 foot boat.
Here's a few shots from the clean up. The boat is easy to rinse off and sponge out. Today we used a wetvac to remove some bilge water and sand, brought in during boarding. The boat is easy to clean out and air dry with the removable bow, side and aft seats.
Launched St. Jacques for sea trials. Crew of 4. Her paddle and oar systems were checked, as well as trim, weight and balance. She floated on her waterline and moved with ease. Dry bilge. She also fit perfect on the Sunfish Dolly from Dynamic Dollies and Racks.
Now she is back to the boat works for finish coat of paint, rig for sprit sail and final outfitting.
