Agreed, but I'm kind of impatient. By this time next year I'll complete a couple of boats.
It all boils down to how much juice I feel like pouring into the next one. If I can't get top quality material, I may build what I'll call an "experimental", using all plywood frames and strips. Never tried it that way.
Boy that's a great push pole! Gotta love the ease of transportLaunch day is looking like Saturday, or Sunday if something important like fishing or shooting comes up Saturday. I think I mentioned that I ordered a multi-piece pole for ease of transport, as the pole is over 17'. It arrived yesterday, it's a Carbon Marine "Traveller". I haven't weighed it yet, but would estimate it at around 5 lbs. Not the lightest pole in the world because of the SS fittings, but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm curious how well the foot will work in our marshes. It'll probably be OK since our bottoms are firm for the most part.
This afternoon or tomorrow the boat will be flipped upright and get a final paint touch up in preparation for the maiden voyage. I also need to remember to install the bow eye, it's all pre-drilled and fitted. The little voice in my head keeps whispering oar lock holders, so maybe-just maybe.
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Still messing with a stool, I can't find a stool that I like. I have an old bar chair from our place in Maine that may work as a last resort, but it seems likely the first trips will see the sport in a folding directors chair.
It's great only having to haul 4 short pieces. I'm envisioning a carrier, possibly a 4' piece of 4" PVC with one end cap. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. Messing with it in the yard, it feels exceptionally stiff because of the fittings.
Is that a pole you made, or one on the market? What's it made of? I've just figured a simple bungee-based storage system to keep my 12' ash pole on the boat when I haul it, out of the way while under power, and ready to hand when needed. But always interested in other options. Great debate in the canoe world over ash (heavy but strong, not very flexible) vs. spruce (light, springy, but easy to break) vs. aluminum (universally hated by traditionalists, but preferred by many who consistently win poling races). I've even heard of people using fiberglass pole vaulting poles, but never seen it done.
Looks great on the water
One thing I found to be helpful as far as seating goes.
Looking good. Thinking through Jode's thoughts, I'd look at a gunwale to gunwale bench seat somwhere forward of mid-ship. A tall stool with a half-standing gunner seems like an accident waiting to happen, as does a stool that can rotate and let gunner swing towards the stern.
Thanks. It's reasonably stable. We were able to switch positions....carefully.
Agreed, once I get a stool I like it'll be affixed to a frame for stability.
On the Kennebec at least, good rail water levels can come from rains big enough to push a lot of freshwater down into Merrymeeting Bay. But too much covers everything and send the rails elsewhere. Such conditions are not looking likely this fall, but a hurricane or two can change that rapidly.
As long as it's screwed to a larger frame or piece of plywood it's very secure. A primary reason for a movable seat is to balance the boat fore/aft. Yes, safety is always important. I haven't had the feeling in the past that a stool promotes carelessness or stupid. This one only swivels a bit less than 90 degrees. The biggest safety factor is that my buddies are careful so I feel good about it.
Hurricane rail hunts are fun if the better half doesn't veto the plan. Tropical storms can also be good. Done several in my life, a few hours before it hits as the surge comes in. I'm probably aged out of that excitement buts it fun to think about.
We don't often get storm surge here in rail season. (We do in winter storms.) But a big dump of a rain from hurricane or tropical storm remnants can bring rivers up fast. BTW, that pole has me drooling. Not sure I'd want the jointed version, though.