why does one switch to wood gunnels?

french erick · Post by **french erick** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:14 pm

Obviously there is the easthetics of it...
But otherwise, why would you do it?
Would it be worth it even for whitewater boats?
Does it not increase maintenance?

I'm strangely tempted but wonder if it's not just a DIY temptation?
I have a prelude and wonder if it would be worth it...one thing that annoys me is access under those plastic gunnels of mine.
Cheers for any input.
(idle whilst my students take a test...I hate tests, I'm bored in class and I have to correct them after when they're not beneficial to kids or myself...just manipulated by politicians into re-election stats...)

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:34 pm

weight

ncdavid · Post by **ncdavid** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:50 pm

The best looking Prelude I've seen is one that kanur altered. Flattened bottom, ash gunnels, slightly shorter thwarts. Looked like a 9.5' Ocoee. Definitely lighter.

french erick · Post by **french erick** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:02 pm

how did he flatten it????
Seems there's loads of DIY skills to learn (says he grinning to self).
May consider make the boat lighter sooner than later (all that portage...it's killing me

).

Have got pics of Kanur boat anywhere on the net ncDavid?

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:14 pm

it also stiffens them up... less ~flex~

fwiw... if you have a tandem boat (especially with vinyl rails) and can put in a center thwart... I highly recommend it. It really helps get rid of that floppy ~flex~.

ncdavid · Post by **ncdavid** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:24 pm

Heat lamps and pressure. Contact him through this site. He has some step-by-step photos of his process. I haven't done it to my Prelude yet.

TheKrikkitWars · Post by **TheKrikkitWars** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:33 pm

I was thinking of doing this to my prelude a while back and thought I was just being vain... but if there's a real benefit I might do it over the summer.

As I may be able to lay my hands on a variety of rare hardwoods, you reckon teak fittings would look good in a prelude?

As for flattening, if anyone wants me to take some kind of measurements from the original design (My prelude is one of the flat bottomed, sauvage ones in RX) to make a jig with, I'll do my best.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:37 pm

the slight curve to the bottom of the hull on the Prelude isn't why it's squirrely

Dooley "flattened" one out... ask him how he liked it

this isn't the exact thread but... http://www.cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

cbcboat · Post by **cbcboat** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:10 pm

you reckon teak fittings would look good in a prelude? [quote]

it would probably look nice but Teak is a little heavy, if I'm not mistaken.
Maybe you were joking though
B

TheKrikkitWars · Post by **TheKrikkitWars** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:27 pm

cbcboat wrote:
you reckon teak fittings would look good in a prelude?
it would probably look nice but Teak is a little heavy, if I'm not mistaken.
Maybe you were joking though
B

I'd like to, but I don't think I can afford it.
I'm going to explore the prices of different pretty hardwoods for the future.

Post by **sbroam** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:57 pm

Elasticity - I had an ME nearly wrap twice in one day - significant flex - and the ash gunwales spang back w/o so much as a splinter. Vinyl and AL are maintenance free but springy? Not so much.

french erick · Post by **french erick** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:30 pm

Josh,
We should get together and do our boats up...meet in the flesh for good (could give you those axes too

).
Start of August on my way back from homeland alps? Could even do some boating and you could show me some tricks...
Do the gunnels, tweak outfitting, etc
what says you?

TheKrikkitWars · Post by **TheKrikkitWars** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:27 am

french erick wrote:Josh,
We should get together and do our boats up...meet in the flesh for good (could give you those axes too ).
Start of August on my way back from homeland alps? Could even do some boating and you could show me some tricks...
Do the gunnels, tweak outfitting, etc
what says you?

That would be good, but rather depends on my as yet unconfirmed employment status over the summer, I'm hopefully working in July/August (to finance me purchasing some kind of car).

I will be up in scotland early september, so depending on how you're fixed (it would be around the weekend of the 18th, don't know how that fits with the scots school system) we could definately meet up then... (and Bob McKee is there too, He'd definately show both of us some tricks).

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:11 pm

Hi Erick,

I hope things are good with you. How's the boating going? Anyway, I have some ash for gunnels. Some is machined and some is not. Let me know if you are interested.

Kelvin.