C-Forum

Stealing from Sandie's Prelude thread, maybe folks can post here on the pros, cons and how-to's of flattening the bottom of OC-1s?

DJ offered an e-mail to elaborate on his equipment list (6' of rope?), but it might be good info to have on-line.

How do you apply how much weight? Do you heat the bottom, the sides, the chine, everywhere? Do you flatten it more stern or bow, or evenly around the centre line?

Are there round hulls you would never flatten?

Pat.

I had a converted kayak that I wanted to flatten and, ideally, make wider. I had the idea to fill it with boiling water then press the boat into the floor by loading the decks with weights. I never followed through but always wondered if that would have worked... "So crazy it just might work" or just "so crazy"?

C'mon, any ideas or experience?

Specifically on flattening an Outrage. How? Where along the chines, fore or aft? How much? What not to do?

P.

"To go where no man has gone before..." Personally, I would try this on a poly kayak before I tried it on an ABS canoe. And I would try it on an OLD ABS boat before I applied it to my favorite new boat. Differential heating and cooling of the ABS layers could result in some serious internal stresses in the layers after they cool.

You want to flatten the bottom of your Outrage?!?
NOOOOOOO!!!

You have two big curves, gunnel to gunnel and bow to stern. Assuming that you want to flatten the cross section and not the rocker I think you would have to build a platform curved to match the rocker. Set the boat on it. Heat up the hull and get four of your biggest beer drinking buds to sit on it. Pretty fair chance you'd trash the hull so add the cost of the lumber, beer and replacement hull(s) and you could probably get yourself a nice Occoe or Viper for less.
Or look for a Slasher, Atom or even a real slalom boat.

Pat:

WHY

I mean why bother? Want a flat hull? Get a boat with a flat hull.
Want displacement? Get a displacement hull.

Just get out and paddle the boat, should not waste time
modifying good designs (the outrage is a good design, so are Viper
and Ocoee)

Just my .02 CDN $
Cheers, Jan

Hey, I didn't bring this up, not my idea! In other threads people were talking about this like it's a good idea that works if you want to give a boat more "edge".

Don't worry, I have no intention of messing with my perfectly good Outrage - it's my friends trashed old hull I was thinking of!

Pat.

My name is at the top of this thread. I must be the one to blame.

But I don't have or want a fat bottom, sorry, flat bottom.

I just asked how wide my Prelude should be. The OC Rec Boats list on this site says Preludes are 25" wide and mine and a few others are 27" wide.

Preludes are not easy to paddle. Everyone with one must at some point think 'There must be something wrong with the one I have'. But there isn't anything wrong, it just takes practice and skill.

Since getting a new canoe I don't get the practice any more and am loosing the knack.

I have also joined a new club and have been doing the K word a little too much. I am seeing a therapist and hope to be back to one blade soon.


Sandie

The most effecive way to flatten a canoe that I have seen is to wrap it around a large rock or bridge. The river need not be flowing all than fast either.

Getting the boat off the rock again can be a problem.


Sandie