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Started building July 8th, 2017
Launched September 12th, 2017
Build thread: Narfi's HC14 build thread - LAUNCHED

Deviations from the plans:
4oz fiberglass over entire inside and outside. (Plans just have tape on the seams)
Air tight compartments added to each end and covered outside with 4oz fiberglass.
Seats each moved 4.5in toward the center.
Seats lowered almost yo the bottoms of the side panels.
Plans specify 55lbs if built light. This one ended up a 90lb beast.

Review:
I had read horror stories of this model being very unstable and was concerned how we would fair on our launch.
I am happy to report that we had no issues with stability even in small wakes from other boats or small rollers once out on the big lake. Landon was a little timid of tipping but by 20minutes into our trials he was jumping up and down and intentionally trying to rock back and forth. Once back he got out and I pushed back out and tried standing up solo and had no issues even with most of my weight on one foot to the side it was fairly stable. Then his turn for solo was also successful and he had no trouble going out and ramming back onto shore by himself.

I have no experience with canoes or paddling. It seems to move quickly through the water and while it takes a few strokes to really build momentum, it seems to glide quite a ways once you stop as well.

Landon had fun, I had fun, and we both are quite proud

Super job. It looks really great. Well done.

Great pictures. Landon sure has a beautiful boat. You've done well pilgrim!

Narfi

As a kid who spent more time in a canoe than in land when near water I know just how much fun you and Landon will have. I'm glad to see you enforcing safety as well. In thing you MUST do is practice capsize recovery. I think I only went over 3 times but all of them were dangerous. My dad forced me to learn in water over my head so I knew exactly what to do. As much as I wanted to kill him for that I know it saved me at l say three times.

The canoe looks perfect. Great job, not in the build, but in creating an opportunity for good memories. The build is sweet too.

Congratulations to the launch and the fact that you built heavier than the plan and lowered seats must have helped the stability and from the looks of your outfits with jackets and hoodies I assume the temperature of the lake was not any more that one wants to have an unintentional swim by going turtle with the canoe.

Congrats! Great looking boat.
Thanks for the beautiful shots.

Great photos Narfi!!! I am sure Landon will enjoy his boat for years to come!! Jeff

The cloth and epoxy was most of you're extra weight. You can do the math if you know how many yards of cloth and ounces (gallons!) Of epoxy that added. Heavy is good in a canoe. I own 3, and my cedar strip canoe, with extra glass and epoxy, is the most stable. My Grumman alluminum is the most tippy.

The pictures are awesome. Both my children were about his age when we launched the Cedar canoe, also my first build, and 18 years later they are both canoe pros. They also "helped" about as much as Landon and today remember the canoe we built together...

Beautiful job!

Nice

Very nice, Narfi

Tom

Awesome very well build

No more pictures, but had it out for a couple of hours on Sunday.
With Landon and one of his friends #80 and #60 and me #235 and the boat #90 (total of 465)

So stable that Landons friend who had no fear whatsoever would randomly stand up and walk around like he was on a large boat, and they kept leaning over the edges picking leaves out of the water. (fall is upon us)

We paddled around the bay for a bit, then out into the open lake and down the beach a ways to another of Landon's friends, beached and Landon ran up and called him out to play, he launched his plastic kayak and we chased each other in circles for a bit (and maybe played bumper boats just a tiny bit )
Then paddled back home. About 2hrs on the water, gone from the house 2.5-3hrs total.
I am still learning paddling techniques, and can sort of paddle straight on one side now, but still need to correct direction from the other side every 8th stroke or so. (the boys weren't much help with paddling but did try a little)
Surprisingly my rear was not sore from the bench, but my lifelong achievement of never stretching or doing yoga came into play a bit and I alternated between sitting cross legged and with my legs out in front of me under the yoke, to fairly good effect, I was still able to walk when we were done

Sounds like it is doing everything you wanted it to
I did read where JM says they need some weight in them for stability and it sounds like that is working very well for you.
Not long from now you can use it for a sled

That's great Narfi.

I haven't managed to splash my finished "12" yet

I hope to get out for a decent play this weekend. It'll have to be soon or I'll have "missed the boat" re good weather.

That is a great looking boat. Like the colours. Sure looks professionally done. Looks like you and your son are off to many years of fun with it.
Doug

cape man wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:16 amHeavy is good in a canoe.

Right up until you have to portage. Then it's not so great.

Calm cool fall day.
Landon turns 8 tomorow.

Snow is marching down the mountains. will not be long before it hits here. Had ice on the car windshield this morning

Its a foggy spooky halloween!

Narfi

Very nice work. Love the red finish on your HC14. Now you've got me wondering how the red / white paint scheme would look on the AD16...

Bogie
AD16 build to begin in March

Was hoping for a sunny day, but we went anyways. Had started to sprinkle when we were headed in but it was a fun first day of the year in the water. I've been told the main lake is open, but we couldn't get to it yet.

Baseball hat, no gloves, hoodie not pulled up, maybe 40f......................must be an Alaska kid

First day out in the year. Wonderful. Seasons really mean something in Alaska!

And he does not even look cold!!!! Jeff

350lbs of dad and kid arent enough to feel stable with a terrified 85lb dog. .......
You can see the expression on his face.

Not so sure that was a happy face on your puppy
Took the wifes dog with us halibut fishing the other day. He got seasick...........talk about a ripe smell

Yeah, that face is saying "when I touch ground I am bolting!!"

Update to say 3 years later the canoe still works great even if it is heavy
(this is a cross post from our FS17 thread as we used both boats on our camping trip)


We went camping a couple of nights last weekend but I never got around to posting pictures, here they are.

We headed out Friday around 3. Bought burgers to go at the food truck and launched by 3.30
Headed up the lake about 45 minutes and pulled off just before the sandbar at the head of the lake and put on the old nasty prop.
Then we braved the channel up into the little lake..... made it part way before running aground and I jumped out and walked it a hundred feet or so through the shallowest part then we carefully motored up the rest of the way into the little lake. (Never did hit the prop I had it up pretty high and shut down the instant the boat hit sand) the channel is about 8-10ft wide right against the cliff, but the glaciel silt makes it impossible to differentiate from the huge sandbar it cuts through. During high water earlier in the summer its deeper but it was about 2ft average and 3-6 inches over the sandbar, barely up to my ankles.

Once in the lake it got back to 100ft deep or deeper though with cliffs straight up all around, the pictures font do it justice on just how massive and awsome it looks.

We camped at the mouth of a river/creek below a huge waterfall we hiked upto on Saturday, about an hour hike up the bear trails to get there. Pretty rough going and had to cross the creek a couple times, huge borders make it a bit scarry. Brutus doesn't know how to swim and wouldn't cross.... i had to drag/throw him across while knee deep in the middle of the rapids :p

We took landons canoe and every imaginable luxury. Camp chairs, blow up mattresses two tents, though landon and brutus got cold and crawled in with us the second night. And totes and totes of food and spare clothes for landon..... he goes through clothes at an impossible rate. ("OK you are dry now, these are your pj's, dont get them wet....." turn around 30 seconds later he is chest deep in the lake............)

We motored around the lake enjoying the scenery Saturday night just looking up at all of God's beauty in the cliffs and waterfalls, could even see part of a glacier up between a couple of mountain peaks.

The canoe got lots of use, we sent landon out with it to collect firewood multiple times and the creek we were at was silly, so over to a smaller creek to get drinking water as well. I went up the lake a bit with him on Saturday and we went into some of the little hollows/caves at the base of some of the cliffs, one was big enough we could turn the canoe around in, one had a crevice going back up at an angle further than we could see, landon wanted to explore it but we didn't have a flashlight with us.

All in all a great weekend for both of our bateau boats

You're quite blessed to be within reach of that kind of place Narfi, you've clearly made some very good decisions along the way! Majestic!

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 3:20 pm You're quite blessed to be within reach of that kind of place Narfi, you've clearly made some very good decisions along the way! Majestic!

I am even more blessed with a happy wife.... She has loved being able to go out in the boat and get out of the house.

Those are some great pictures. Nothing better than being able to get out and use the fruit of your labors.
So how is the fishing in your area?

Awesome times! The boy is getting bigger!

narfi wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:43 pm
I am even more blessed with a happy wife.... She has loved being able to go out in the boat and get out of the house.

Happy wife, happy life!

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 8:59 am

narfi wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:43 pm
I am even more blessed with a happy wife.... She has loved being able to go out in the boat and get out of the house.

Happy wife, happy life!

Without a doubt!

Fuzz wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 2:00 am Those are some great pictures. Nothing better than being able to get out and use the fruit of your labors.
So how is the fishing in your area?

Well the lodges around here manage to charge pretty high rates, so I assume its good. I don't fish much myself though.
Wife wants to learn now so I need to figure it out

narfi wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 2:37 pm
Wife wants to learn....

That's where it's at, right there! My wife and I fish almost everyday together during the season, which is the main reason I'm not getting much done on my boat. Winter will be here soon enough.

Beautiful place where y’all live. Great pic of Bateau in a Bateau.