C-Forum

I've been reading past threads on boat building etc. I have an old Rooke that Jim Gross gave me. I've spruced it up a little to where I now teach and guide in it. I can boat over boat a 17'er in it no problem. Great for middle/high school groups. BUT, my budget is tight, like many others, and I was curious if anyone has taken an old boat and cut it down to resemble the newer shorter creek boats, to creek with (more rocker/ shorter length.) Any thoughts? Crazy encouragement? Thanks.

Andy

Can you make it work? YES!

But first figure out what your motivation is. If it's to see if it can be done, or paddle your own creation, go for it! It's fun and rewarding.

If you're doing it to save $$, forget it. And I'm not talking time here...just materials. You'd be better off finding another creekboat, or a more suitable old school C1 to use.

It is a great learning experience though, and you'll appreciated ALL designs, and the hard work that goes in to them, much more.

All these boats are just over-outfitted inner tubes, when you think about it.

one day at bull sluice the raft guides linked together a canoe that musta been 20 ft. maybe 10 or 12 paddlers in it. every one on the rocks yelling "war canoe! war canoe!" as they paddled by. man, i'm glad i was there that day

you should be able to cut one down on the cheap.... I've narrowed up OC1's and it was not price prohibitive... have also seen good results with rounding off the ends of an composite Atom... however the results are definitely a function of time and effort... first get the absolute centerline... draw a template, trace to both sides and cut away... of course you may not end up with what you had planned, but then again maybe you will, and if real lucky it'll paddle ok... good luck - like Adam said, it'll be good experience

What about linking boats, like OC1 said except for composite C1's: say a the cutdown bow of the rooke and the stern of a supermax?

Hey man glad you have been making use of that old boat. Yes as Adam said you can cut it down. When I started doing this I purchased Charlie Wallbridges Book on boat building. If you are creative and handy enough it is a go. Can be rewarding. I am in the process of a major hack job myself. Had been given an old blown out race boat(very light) made it servicable to try it out . Then I planned out my cuts for what is basicaly going to be a light weight composite Atom. But alas I am in school now and spend most of my free time doing school work. Maybe Christmas or Easter I will get back to the boat. Anyway, your Rooke Shacke is basicaly a big old school open boat hull with a deck on it. Personaly I would think you would want more of a planing hull, but hey, you like your boat over boat rescue ability it sounds like. JIM