: I had seen your website before but could never find it while looking.

: Can you give us some info on your glass layup on the boats.

Since these boat are 8-9 ft. in length, and ment for WW use I have been making a heavy layup. I also added 6 layers dynel around the tip and 4 24" back along the edges.
For Jerry from the inside out:
Hull G/W/G/P/TDC/G.
Deck G/W/G
outfitted weight 35#

The Sundowner (boat #3)
Hull G/W/G/P/G
Deck G/W/G
outfitted weight 25#

G=6oz. e-glass
W= wood
P= poly/cap (ie. poor mans kevlar)
TDC= tie-dye cotten

I started using poly because I found through some reading that it has good elongation properties like kevlar. It can also be used in compression or tension in the composite unlike kevlar, so I can use it in the outer layers to help protect the wood.
After a seasons use I am finding that wood composites may not be the way to go with WW boats. I have created one mushy spot on the Sundowner's hull, which required repair. The wood fibers accually collapsed/seperated. I had good penetration into the wood with the epoxy, so wood was still attatched to the first layer of glass. It was the wood that broke down on impact. I have buried the nose in the bottem in the Sundowner and was flipped over the top by the river and can neither see or feel any apparent damage. I hit hard enough that both ankles were smarting and I was forced to get out of the boat for a while.

: Also, how did you do your designs offset-wise - borrow from a few commercial
: yaks?

I borrowed the method from all of the strip builders out here, but I am the only person I know of that is making squirt boats this way. I made the first one mostly to see if I could. After that I started looking at the newer play boats and used ideas like release chines, spin disks (which Jerry has). I was mostly trying to make a play boat. Then I found some info on the Angst measage board about squirts and thats where I am now. Trying to capitalize on the function and design of squirt boats.
So far the boats I am doing are designed around my dimiensions, since fit is critical to accomplish any kind of comfort in a squirt boat.
To creat my cross sections I start with a top and side view on graph paper and have used both 1"=1' and 2"=1' for scale. Then I layuot section lines at critical features (i.e. knee bump, foot bump, one between for shape, bow, mid and rear cockpit, mid stern and far stern). Then I add lines to the top and side view, shear line in the side view, ridge line for the knee foot bumps in the top view, and any feature in the hull I want to include in the top view. Then I start to make my sections by carefully measuring the lines and features from the top and side views. This is more difficult to describe than to do, and does take some time a patience. After that I translate the sections directly to wood using the shear and a vertical center as datums. Also in the side view draw the location of the stiffback, and put the holes for that as well. When you get the sections attached to the stiff back you will have to do some adjusting, and sighting down the forms and grind some as well to make things fair. This method has not work perfectly for me, but it gets things close and I can adjust as I go (preferably before I lay any strips).

: Are your 3rd and 4th boats performing much better than the first2 in your
: opinion?

Accually Jerry is a very fun boat to paddle. It surfs well, but has just a bit too much volume. And yes, the sundowner is performing much more in line with what a squirt boat is for... sinking. It has knee and foot bumps, pointy ends and is very sleek looking. As soon as I can I will post pictures. #4 (sundowner V2) is still in progress, but coming along nicely. I plan to make mold so that I can make a glass boat or two. Maybe sell a few so my wife will let me keep doing this.
I'll try to put together a little picture presentation like I have seen at other sites to give you more to work with if you want to try this.

: Any info apppreciated. very nice work.

Thank you

Hafte

P.S. Sorry if this seems a little disjoined I'm in the middle of reloading a laptop and helping users. A couple too many distractions.

: thanks,
: Pete czerpak
: albany, NY