Was skyline now Mercury, tear inspired camper for six

[rowerwet]

some times a day of work looks like very little got done, other days a few hours makes huge visual progress, this was one of those huge days!
test fitting the fabric first to get it all ready to glue on

first deck skinned

making the deck plate and fabric hinge

moving fast! both decks done and moving on to the sides.

to protect the keel I made the over lap about 6" across, gonna wait and see if the seam needs any fiberglass tape to reinforce it.

[rowerwet]

and the moment you've all been waiting for!

I weighed the foamie mouse and my own plywood mouse for a comparison. the plywood mouse is overall the same dimensions, the seams are held together with 2" fiberglass tape and marine epoxy inside and out. the only protection for the luan underlayment hull is Glidden porch paint. total weight (including some dirt from the last paddle) 35 lbs.
Foamie mouse with the TBII still uncured all over weighed in at 13.2 lbs, even with a coat of paint, the cockpit skin on, and straps installed to provide carrying handles, I can't see the mouse coming in that much heavier.

my lightest complete mouse to date is 30 lbs , it took me about 6 hours to build. I have a lot more time tied up in the foamie mouse.

[bonnie]

I can handle 13.2 lbs.

[GPW]

That’s Incredibly LIGHT !!!

[rowerwet]

a quick cost run down for the foamie mouse
-3 sheets of foam at $11.25 a sheet http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Cornin ... /100320343
-2 cans great stuff at $3.98 a can http://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF- ... /100003351
-1 bottle gorilla glue at $6.47 a bottle (can't say for sure exactly how much I used, I was building my stand up paddle board at the same time, I used it to repair the seam that broke and to glue on the cockpit rails) (my local depot only carries the 4 oz bottle, gonna shop around for the 8 oz, it is cheaper) http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla-Glue ... /100141832
-4 strips of plywood to reinforce the rails in the cockpit, (scraps left over from another project so no cost)
-one king size flat bed sheet, $11 on clearance,
-1 gallon titebond II at $17.97 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Titebond-II- ... /100207696

total cost so far $77.15

compared to my best guess on a plywood mouse
-1.5 sheets of sureply luan underlayment at $19.44 each for two sheets
-4 pine square strips to make the top rails/keel strake at $5.56 each
-about a quart of marine epoxy and hardener (hard to put an amount on this, not sure exactly how much I use, I buy it by the gallon and use it for all kinds of projects) $4.50 in hardner $16.87 in resin approx http://www.duckworksbbs.com/supplies/cl ... /index.htm
-50+ feet of 2" fiberglass tape roughly $9 http://www.duckworksbbs.com/supplies/cl ... /index.htm
-2 screw out deck plates (you could use drain plugs $2.56 each http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/pl ... /index.htm) you need some way to relieve pressure in the air boxes, deck plates give a great place to store stuff to keep it dry. $11.58 each http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/ha ... /index.htm
-1 quart glidden paint at $24.44/gallon, it will take a few years to use a whole gallon! $6.11

total cost estimate $101.32 , I've been estimating $60 each... just slightly off on my guestimates at least I'm still ahead of the cheapest kayak I know how to buy, $150 at wallyworld, and those are tippy and would be uncomfortable to carry my daughter with me, and most of all, there is no way to reboard from the water. You can reboard a SOT kayak from the water, but the enclosed type cannot be "wet" reboarded. I snorkel and swim from my mouse, it is fairly easy to pull myself up over the bow to reboard.

the big difference, being able to say "I built it myself", PRICELESS!

[KCStudly]

compared to my best guess on a plywood mouse
-1.5 sheets of sureply luan underlayment at $19.44 each for two sheets
-3 pine square strips to make the top rails at $5.56 each

... and glue and paint, and ...? The little stuff adds up.

[rowerwet]

compared to my best guess on a plywood mouse
-1.5 sheets of sureply luan underlayment at $19.44 each for two sheets
-3 pine square strips to make the top rails at $5.56 each

... and glue and paint, and ...? The little stuff adds up.

I hadn't finished totaling up yet, I was running web searches and the post feature has a time limit.
go back and check it now, IT REALLY DOES ADD UP!

[rowerwet]

the closest equivalent in a sit on top kayak would be the yakboard a great design for surfing and diving, not so great for going distances as it is slower, and you since it is a SOT and the seat is lower for surfing, you sit in the water unless you weigh less than 100 lbs. they cost @ $300.

[Mary C]

???? What is the little square area up front you have made with a little cover? I have 4 squares of bead foam and am planning to put some of that up front and two pieces in the back to counter the weight of the battery. used for the trolling motor I can build them in. I was going to build a wood frame that could be just set in that will provide for hard points for steadying my rod and reel and paddle and my little cloth " bait and tackle" lunchbox type cooler keep my bait in it along with a little plastic box that has a couple of extra hooks, 2or3 artificial baits, longnose pliers,two little floats and a stringer. I am ready.......... I am also adding 1& 1/2 inches to the height. with the extra height and the extra foam I hope it will still work.
Row what do you think?

Mary C.

[rowerwet]

when you build a plywood mouse the decks on the ends are sealed air boxes, if you look at the picture of my nephews swamping the mouse, those end air boxes keep the boat from sinking. they did that many times until the cockpit was full then paddled it back to shore full of water. the boxes take up almost a third of the boat. the decks also reinforce the inner bulkheads so you can lean back and nap (I've done that more than once) without breaking the bulkhead.
If you are building a foamie mouse the hull will provide quite a bit of flotation, the foam in a 1" foam hull will support roughly 150 lbs, thicker foam will support more. Reinforcing the bulkheads and rails with wood will take care of any issues with napping against the bulkhead. You may want to put the battery forward of the cockpit to keep the boat from dragging the stern http://duckworksmagazine.com/14/designs/kwiky/index.htm like this guy with a similar design.
I prefer to have a good spot to store my lunch, water, camera, sun screen, towel, etc. with the decks on I didn't have to add wood to reinforce the bulkheads (they keep the hull sides spread where they belong)
the foam blocks glued into the hull would do the same job as the air boxes.

[rowerwet]

I was going to build a wood frame that could be just set in that will provide for hard points for steadying my rod and reel and paddle and my little cloth " bait and tackle" lunchbox type cooler keep my bait in it along with a little plastic box that has a couple of extra hooks, 2or3 artificial baits, longnose pliers,two little floats and a stringer. I am ready.......... I am also adding 1& 1/2 inches to the height. with the extra height and the extra foam I hope it will still work.
Mary C.

I might just make the wood frame part of the boat, car topping will put stress on the foam that makes the sides where it sits on roof bars a 3/4 x 3/4 wood strip notched right into the top edge of the foam would give you all the strength you could need, I would also do the same for the top of each bulkhead and the bow and stern (basically a ladder shape that follows the top of the boat. Plus that would give you a "hard point" to mount rod holders, cup holders, cleats for an anchor rope and give the board that the motor is mounted on a solid push to the whole boat, not just the stern.
share some pics when you build!

[Mary C]

I had not thought about the transport but putting a little wood frame would give it some structural strength for transport too. I like the boat you showed the kwicky and thought about that folding idea my self I thought about perhaps folding a foamie using the material and some type of plastic but I am not sure how to get it from the head to paper, I will keep thinking. Thanks for the info.

Mary C.

[rowerwet]

well it looks like the price is a wash after all. I picked up a gallon of oops porch paint for $9, then this morning in the shower it hit me I forgot the cardboard floor in the foamie cockpit, another $14.... oh well, it is fun anyway
my dad is impressed with the weight, he wants a foamie boat for him and another for my mom. After hashing it out we decided on a hybrid, foam sides and bulkheads, plywood bottom, they are afraid of crunching through the bottom getting in. The boat will be a bit heavier, but not that much. I'm gonna see if they will trade me for their Yak boards, they are both beyond the surf kayaking now.

[GPW]

Well then , what’s a boat worth that won’t Rot and won’t sink ? ...

[rowerwet]

Well then , what’s a boat worth that won’t Rot and won’t sink ? ...

the first thing mentioned to me at work when I told them about the new boat weight.
http://www.wcvb.com/news/3-children-inj ... y/25963672