Grab handles - finally

At last the grab handles arrived from EdsCanoe. They were marked out, cut to size and fitted using the M6 stainless screws in pretty short time. I had previously cut out spare plugs so chisled these out and epoxied them in place. Next morning I used a junior hack saw to remove the bulk of the protrusion. Will belt sand then apply more coats of danish oil.

The canoe is done....

Deck Plates Fitted

Fitted the deck plates after cutting a groove with a router in both the plate and the inwales. I used 4mm thick marine ply left over from my other canoe to make biscuits which were then covered in epoxy glue mix.

After fitting I sanded down the excess epoxy and gave the wood a coat of danish oil.

Still waiting for my bloody grab handles - at this rate I'll end up making them myself... Apart from these the canoe is finished. I do need to get some rope or tapes for painters though.

Deck Plates

Started on the deck plates today. I cut up strips of oak and sandwiched them around some maple. I used epoxy as glue then covered it in a plastic bag so the epoxy wouldn't stick to it and then clamped it up.

I then used a jigsaw to cut the shape out and planed the plates to size. Need to get a biscuit jointer befire fitting them to the inwales.

Pretty much finished

Still waiting for the grab handles to be delivered so apart from fitting them the canoe is finished. Picture below shows the ash furniture fitted.

The gunwale corners were bevelled off using a router borrowed from my neighbour. All the wood was oiled several times. So the boat was ready for its first outing. I went with fellow Apache owner Rich down the Dedham for the first of the sea trials.

I decided to fit deck plates so will show more of that later.

Almost there!

Finished work early on Friday so collected the fixings needed to fit gunwales, seats and thwarts etc. Decided on M6 cap screws in the end.

Carried on fitting the outwales using a 3-in-1 drill, clearance and counersink drill bit which I bought at the same time as the fixings.

Used my angle grinder with a sanding disc to cut away the excess GRP and then used a belt sander to bring this and the gunwales down to the same plane. In the process my neighbours car got covered with fine white/ blue dust so I had to do a quick wash down before doing anything else.

Added the kneeling thwart with angled spacers and fitted for size. Borrowed a router and shaped the spacers (gunwale offcuts) for the bow seat. Fitted the seat but not before giving them a coat of danish oil.

Carried on using the router with a 3mm bevel and routed all the gunwale corners. Borrowed a 10mm plug cutter and cut out enough ash plugs plus spares making sure I can match the grain up.

Jobs left to do:

• Fit plugs using epoxy mix
• Epoxy fill bow and stern inner gunwale points
• Hand sand all wood
• Danish oil all wood using hot oil
• Wait for the delivery of my missing grab handles before I can fully finish...

I've decided not to fit the stern seat for the time being since most of my paddling will be solo but will add it if both kids want to come out paddling. With this in mind I will probably not plug the fixing hole for the kneeling thwart since in my other boat I've had to remove it a few times. Maybe I'll design some kind of neat looking quick release mechanism but I'll leave that for later.

Sea trials not far away!

Inwales fitted

Finished off fitting the inwales. The joints aren't really as good as I'd like them but one of them will be improved when I fit the grab handle as it will close the gap up, the other end will need to be filled with an epoxy mix.

Measured and cut the portage yoke then fitted it for size. Used a ratchet strap to pull the sides in so I could mark the centre and the drilling points for fitting.

Made a fixture that aligns the outwale with the inwale.

Need to get some more screws to fit the outwales on but want to find out about how to plug the holes first. What I did on my other canoe (which had much thicker gunnels) was to counterbore a 10mm hole then use a plug cutter and glue and hammer the plug in place. On this canoe the gunnels are only 20mm wide so the drilling needs to be accurate and I'm wondering if a M6 screw will be too big so the counterbore could break out??

Fitting Out

Started the fitting out. I started by mitrering both inwales to get a good fit then clamped down half of one side and drilled and countersunk through the hull. I used a useful little tool that I'd seen on SoTP which rests on the inwale and straddles the hull and hangs down the right distance on the outer to mark the centre of the inwale to ensure the screw is in the right place.

I left 125mm (5" in old money) distance between screws and got about 3/4 of one inwale fitted before it was time to go in.

My order from Ed'sCanoe turned up (minus x2 grab handles), quick delivery and didn't have to pay any duty either. Laid the seats etc out just for size.

The Apache arrives

After having the Raven for a while and borrowing/ owning various plastic canoes I got a bit fed up hauling heavy(ish) boats around so decided to look around for a lightweight alternative. I didn't want to pay a lot of money for a Royalex boat so looked at and test drove a Venture 14' canoe. I probably would have bought one except the shop's order was stolen which lead me to the Apache website.

I didn't want to buy one with testing one out first and noticed that someone on SoTP lived in Suffolk and that person turned out to be a neighbour of mine. We got together and I had a paddle one evening on the Stour. It was quite windy on the way back and the Apache behaved very well in wind, unlike the Raven.

Anyway deal done I ordered one, well the hull and the ash for the gunwhales and arranged to collect it from Nottingham.

This blog will show the progress of the build...

Sudbury to the Sea (S2C)

First of all I'd like to thank The River Stour Trust (RST) for putting on a well organised event. Tea and buns at the end of each day is a nice touch too.

The day started for me, my youngest son, Bigrich, Greg and Stan the dog at The Granary at 9am. The boats were offloaded and we made our way to the slipway ready for the off. The carpark started to get quite busy with many craft including a couple of coracles.

We set off into perfect weather, sunshine and very little wind. There are several portages early on where the RST had people to help.

Along the way we spotted a Quentin sticker belonging to Mabbo who'd done S2C last year with his son. This year was with Mrs M.

The picture below shows one drop of well over a metre and the approaching banana boat took this on successfully.

The boat was fibreglass and flexed and wobbled its way down, it was pointed out later that it didn't have any gunnels, hence the flexing.

Lunch and around 6 miles into the trip was Bures. This is the view approaching the road bridge.We pulled the boats out at Bures cricket club.

Once checked in (each boat has a number which is logged at various stages) we were fed and watered and watered again as we headed off to the pub.

Stan the dog, who came along for the whole trip.

Below - the scene before lunch, probably only about 20 odd craft or so. By the time we came back it was a different story with lots of boats coming and going. Even the coracles had made it - hats off to you guys.

We met up with a couple of other Ipswich Canoe Club members who were in sea kayaks. Some of the ICC crew plus Mr and Mrs Mabbo.

We arrived at Wissington for the overnight camping stop around 3:30pm where we were helped out and pointed in the direction of tea and buns. I recently bought a pocket stove that I'm well impressed with. Good heat and very fuel efficient - down side is it blackens the pots... I also brought my home made meths stove made from a coke can which again worked really well however I need to improve my pot stand but that's another story.

The pocket stove in action.

In the evening the campfire was lit and the singing began... Next morning we headed off at 9am with my oldest son in the boat this time. We were also minus Bigrich who had a prior engagement doing the River Gipping cleanup.

There are stretches along the lower section that are very shallow, so shallow that getting out the boat is the only way forward. For some reason the mornings paddle seemed quite long and tiring so the lunchtime stop at Stratford St. Mary was most welcome. We also ran into Mabbo and missus again in the pub - deja vu.

The section from Stratford down to Cattawade (the end point) is quite familiar to me and the ICC members being our local and so we set off into familiar territory. The wind really got up in this last section and I was glad that it was with us for the most part.

Again the RST did a good job handing out cups of tea and cakes plus a certificate to mark the occasion. All in all it was a really enjoyable event and good to meet up with Mabbo and missus who hopefully we'll see on the water again. My kids also loved the "boat on a rope" I made, it kept them amused for hours.

Poling at Dedham

Only a couple of days until my 2 star assessment so decided to get a bit more practice time on the water. Started out at Dedham and paddled down to Flatford. Followed a kingfisher for quite some distance but never did get close enough, even with silent paddling, to get a good view though. Practised stopping, turning, moving sideways, ruddering and paddling backwards in the area above the lock gates.

After a short while I headed back upstream paddling on my weaker left side for a bit of practice, the water was flat calm and mirror like only disturbed by my bow wave and the occasional jumping fish. Kept a look out for the kingfisher again but the light was dimming by this time and I didn't see it.

Got back to the mill pool at Dedham and practiced some poling where I felt like I'd improved upon previous attempts. Overconfidence got the better of me and whilst performing a sweep stroke and tipping the boat to aid the turn I lost my footing and landed on my arse in the back of the boat. I was quite pleased with myself though because, as I was falling, I was thinking about getting myself central in the boat and not splaying my arms out in case I injured myself on the gunnels. I found myself on my back with my feet and arms up in the air still hanging on to the pole and looking at the sky. After collecting myself for a few seconds and thinking that was lucky I got up and carried on with a bit more respect of the pole.

Time was getting on and it was starting to get a bit dark even though it was just after 8pm so I decided to call it a night and head off home.

River Stour @ Sudbury

Took the kids out for a second time in the Big Blue Canoe, this time we started at The Granary which is the headquarters of The River Stour Trust. Parking is free, and the put in point is great, there's a nice slipway and jetty to cast off from.

The rowing club can just be seen in the distance and there were several boats around, some of whom were learners so we had to keep a close eye on what they doing. The cut joins the main river shortly after where we were met by the local scout group in a bunch of small dinghies careering around all over the place.

We headed upstream into the wind to start with towards the A131 road bridge.


Both kids had their own paddle this time, however the youngest who was in the back insisted on facing the wrong way and paddling . He was enjoying himself so that was fine.

The river splits after a short while and one of the channels had a fallen tree partially blocking the way so we took the other one.


Eventually it became too shallow to continue so we did a U turn and headed back to the blocked channel and decided to force our way through. It was just about a metre wide so no problem. Again, this channel became too shallow and overgrown with reeds etc for us so we headed back downstream only to discover the wind had changed direction. Isn't that always the way?

To keep the kids interested and stop them getting bored we took along some bread for the ducks. The oldest decided he was a duck and ate most of his.



Anyone got other ideas to keep the kids interested on canoe journeys? I'd like to hear them.

Trip time was only a few hours but we all really enjoyed it, so much so the youngest wanted another go after lunch before we headed off home.

Monday night bonus paddle

Came home from work not feeling great and hadn't even considered paddling; that is until my better half said are you going out tonight? I thought about it and decided; yes, I would go. I wasn't sure if any of the other Monday regulars would be around and sure enough they weren't which meant unloading the boat on my own. I had the club boat as I'd put a new coat of varnish on the gunnels on mine and it hadn't fully dried yet.

I put in a Cattawade and decided that I'd paddle up to Flatford and back. I tend to paddle on the right side and am not that good on the left still. The BCU two star award requires that all strokes be performed on both sides so I decided that this would be a good time to practice. I got up to Flatford after a few stops on the way to watch a heron and then the barn owl that I've seen before and practiced some strokes in the mill pool.

I headed back still paddling on my left side, which, by now felt completely natural so it was worth the effort. Trip time was about 2 hrs, distance ~4.5 miles.

Dedham to Flatford

Took the "Big Blue Canoe" out on the ICC club night and put in at Dedham. Got there a bit late so the carpark was pretty full. The wind was quite strong in places; especially where there were open fields and no trees. The canoe tracks well and is very stable but as previously found out it's not that manoeuvrable e.g. turning on its axis.

During the lesson we tried doing some prys, the boat moved sideways but also seemed to be moving forward too. I think this was due more to my technique than the canoe.

We got down to the lock gates at Flatford (scene of Constable's "The Hay Wain") where the Trusty II was moored. This is an electric boat that does river trips up and down the Stour. They also rent out some row boats of which there were a few about so some dodging was required.

Chris demonstrated an unusual technique of propelling the canoe forwards without a paddle. He stood on the stern gunnels and bounced until forward motion was acheived then promptly lost his balance but credit to him he managed not to fall in. I'm going to try this at the next training night since we're doing rescues and will be wet anyway.

First trip out

Launch day. Went down to Cattawade on the Stour since I know that part of the river pretty well now. The river was higher than normal and there was a definite flow that I hadn't seen there before, not suprising really given the amount of rain we've had. Also the wind was gusting well.

I had my kids with me so decided I should test the canoe out on my own first and make sure everything was o.k. I seem to have got the thwart in the right position so the boat felt quite nicely balanced. It tracked well but turning on its axis isn't so great which must be due to the bilge runners.

Sea trials over, it was time to get the kids in. One at a time to start with then both in together, one in front and one behind. We did a couple of trips just to get them used to it and went up as far as the lock gates for those who are familiar with the river. Again the flow was strong here and the kids didn't want to go through so that was the limit of trip that day. with the flow the way it was I'd expect the current to be strong further up at Judas Gap weir.

The kids seemed to really enjoy it and somehow I managed to get permission from my canoe loathing wife to take the kids on an overnighter for the Sudbury to the Sea trip in September.

C'est finis

Yep it's finished, all bar tying the painters on. The paint and varnish need to fully dry and next weekend I'll take it out for its maiden voyage.

I finished the painting early Saturday morning as yet again the kids woke up at some ungodly hour. It took an hour to apply the second coat and I'd finished by 6:30am! I put a couple of coats of varnish on the gunnels as these edges will get the biggest wear due to the paddle running against them.

It feels strange that it's done although I've noticed a few minor blemishes that need tidying. It's a bit like when I finished writing my dissertation for my degree I sat around thinking well what do I do now? No chance of that this time round as I've got the Triumph Vitesse to renovate.

One Star Paddler!!

The ICC changed venues from Cattawade to Dedham last night and our instructor decided that we'd do our 1 star award. It was pretty windy but we used the shelter of the mill to do the various manoeuvers required and I'm glad to say I passed.

First top coat

Spent about an hour last night putting the first of the top coats on. I'm not sure about the colour; which is blue, I think because the undercoat is showing through a bit still. I'm sure the colour will deepen as soon as the second coat is applied.

Almost there - the plan for my first launch is either next Friday evening or Saturday sometime wife permitting.

Final undercoat

Put on the second and final undercoat last night and this morning - kids woke me up early again! Also added the bulkhead hatches including the mastic to create a watertight seal plus fitted both seats, thwart and yoke. It really does look like a boat now.

Bought some exterior gloss paint for the top coat so am hoping to get it finished by the weekend ready for a first trip out sometime the week after.

Things left to do:

• Paint the exterior
• Varnish the exterior
• Buy painters
• Get out on the water

Total expenditure to date £392

Undercoat

Gave the cabin area a last coat of varnish. Turned the boat over and sanded down the rough epoxy from the bilge runners then sponged the whole of the outside down to get rid of all the dust. Woke up early this morning and started painting the undercoat on but was only able to do about half the boat before running out of time and having to go to work. It looks like the paint has taken ok as this was a concern after reading several posts from SoTP.

Total spend to date £377

Bilge runners

Glued on the centre and bilge runners over the weekend. I didn't want to drill and screw through the hull to attach them (as per the plan instructions) so used the by now familiar epoxy/ woodflour mix. Once dry I then filleted the join to the hull to fill the gaps and to make it a bit stronger. The bilge runners are supposed to stiffen the bottom panel and reduce the "oilcanning" effect seen. I didn't want to test this out just yet but will wait a few days until the resin has completely cured. I'm almost out of hardener now but that's fine as this job was the last of the constructional type tasks.

Gave a second coat of varnish in the cabin area - only one more to go! Bought some undercoat which I'll try applying tonight. Also need to buy a top coat the colour of which I think will be a dark blue.