Glass Atoms

[whitewaterevans]

There have been some questions asked about the glass atoms. Hopefully, this post will answer most of them.

Laura and I(Vann) have been long time members of Elite Team Dagger. We have always asked Dagger to make a high performance plastic C-1. The Atom was their answer. After Dagger was purchased and consolidated, the Atom was discontinued.

Laura had never really liked her plastic ATom. It was too heavy, too big and nose-dived when she surfed. I, on the other hand, thought the ATom was THE best plastic crusing C1 made. So, I was pushing to have the Atom made in glass. Reluctantly, Laura went along, but warned that she would likely not like the glass version any better.

We approached Dagger and asked for permission to build Atoms in glass. We got permission to build 2 prototypes and I contacted several well known glass boat builders with my project . Victor Barnett with Class Five Boatworks in Chattanooga built them for us.

We indeed have a mold that was taken from a brand new plastic Atom. The glass versions are identical to the plastic Atom . They weighed 24 pounds with walls and seat. Class Five used a pressure molding system that is proprietary.

The boats are very stiff, very fast and surf like a dream. The boats are quite nimble and responsive. The light weight and flat hull allow them to pivot or flat spin. They exceeded our expectations. And Victor did a beautiful job with the layup and graphics.

From the moment she first got into her boat, Laura was all smiles. She could not believe the difference between the glass Atom and plastic boat. I too was ecstatic with my boat. It exceeded my wildest dreams for a cruising C1.

Unfortunately, both Laura and I have been injured this season and have not been able to show them around very much to other C boaters. we hope to be able to let others demo them soon.

If there is any great amount of interest, we are willing to approach Dagger to ask for permission to build more glass Atoms.

Vann and Laura Evans
Vann whitewaterevans@earthlink.net
Laura cboater@earthlink.net

[Mike W.]

Hey Vann,

I hope y'all aren't injured too badly & have quick recoveries.

Season? You mean Autumn?

I got a quick look at Laura's boat at week of rivers. It was on the rack & she was in a hurry so I didn't get a real good look. From what I could tell, it looked like a real nice boat. I especially liked the modled in backband/hip grabber . That was an excellent idea!

If you want to generate some real interest in glass Atoms & don't mind letting folks paddle your boats y'all should head North with us to the Armada next spring. If you're not familliar with the Armada, a bunch of us C & OC boaters meet on the North Branch of the Potomac to paddle, swap boats & stories, camp & eat. It's always a great time. It's also a great chance to try a bunch of different boats. There are conversions, race boats & everything in between (I'm paddling my Acrobat next year ). Just check here after the Corps of Engineers posts their release dates for '05. You can bet that as soon as the releases are posted discussion here will turn to the Armada.

[edg1]

Victor's a super nice guy and a pleasure to work with. I'm psyched to hear the glass atoms turned out so well....Ed

[sbroam]

A couple of times a year in discussions with C-boaters, the conversation will turn toward the Atom. If there is any sort of glass officianado in hearing, somebody will say "that would be a great boat in glass". Sounds like it is. Wouldn't be too hard to take a little volume out of the stern...

Can somebody pm or e-mail me with contact info for Victor? I've got a question for him about a boat I think he built.

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

I agree that the Atom is the best plastic C1 ever built for river cruising. I have never had so much fun in Class 3 and 4 water with any other plastic boat. The glass version would be a blast and worth getting if the layup can take a good hit.
SYOTR,
Bruce

[Sir Adam]

Down the road a few years I'd definitely be interested in a Glass Atom. Especially if a bit of volume was out of the stern

[Mike W.]

HA HA HA Funny that both Scott & Adam mentioned cutting the stern. I now recall that as Bev & I were checking out Laura's boat we both mentioned how we thought it would really be a neat boat if it were cut down a bit

I'm thinking cut it just enough that it would be tough to get the bow down. That would make the stern effortless to initiate, but maintain good behavior while running big rapids. Maybe it would act a bit like a miniature Viper... That's probably being too wishful

[angela]

A glass Atom sounds like fun....but I bet that boat still nose-dives on surfs and over drops so I'd vote to leave the stern the way it is and add some volume to the bow. Assuming we're talking about building a cruiser and not another playboat.

[Kelly-Rand]

I would love a glass atom. It is the boat of choice on unknown rivers for me. The pearling that others have complained about has not been a factor for me. The squirly behavior on rock garden/ hole type rivers (the Indian leading on to the Hudson) was an early symptom that I have overcome with time. The Atom is a great eddy hopping boat. It has delivered me to spots I would not consider in my Viper. The loop take out would be bearable in glass. So pester Dagger for an arrangement to manufacture the Atom in Glass. I would buy one.

[Mike W.]

Hey Jim, I'm curious now. I've spent a lot of time in my full cut Viper. I've only been in Atoms a couple of times. Please expand on "It has delivered me to spots I would not consider in my Viper".

[jKelly-Rand]

I find going through a technical set of rapids that in the Atom I am able to catch eddies on the fly and the bouyancy is predictable. In the Viper, carving into an eddie is a broad arc, and to pivot into an eddy is a delicate art for me. I can pivot turn the Atom also which has put me in eddies that are shorter than it. In the Viper you have to sink the edge to turn quickly, I have never done a flat spin in it, where as it is almost natural in the Atom. I spent most of the Summer in the Viper on shallow rivers, the only exceptions being the Dry Fork, Cheat Narrows and the West. The Viper was much more at home on those deep water runs where hitting the pivot too sharply posed less of a penalty. Tha Atom has a nice ferry, not as fast as the Viper. In any continuous class II+ water I have to work the Viper, it has to be going forward or stern squirting, either way I have to work the paddle, to make somethng of what ever the edge has taken to. The Atom is more akin to an open boat in the way I run rivers, and it is that predictability that I like.
Well I hope that made sense.

till next
Jim

[Classfive Boats]

Greetings.. Composite Atoms were made with special permission.. At the present , Our website is opencanoe.com... However we offer much more than openboats, and we are working on a totally new .com address .. But the registration process takes a while.. for information email address is : Victor@opencanoe.com..
We also make canoe/C1 paddles, saddles.. etc.. ..Thanks for the interest!

[ClassFive boats]

hers a better pic of one of the Atoms http://opencanoe.com/pics/vandl.gif

[sbroam]

I didn't see the pic on your homepage in this thread :
http://opencanoe.com/

For some reason, it won't display correctly with Mozilla, but you can see it by going straight to the picture file :
http://opencanoe.com/pics/VANNATOM.gif