Hi Mike, I am just making up my list of fabrics to order for my S&G Heron when I see your using carbon fiber to keep it light. What are you using the CF for? What are your planning for lay-up? How much fabric and epoxy do you think you need?

I would love to keep mine Heron light but doubt I can afford the exotics, just got layed. Off, that is. With the rocky beaches I contend with I'll probably add a layer or two of dynel to the football.

I had thought of doubling up the plywood as I cut out the panels so I could make two Herons. I emailed Nick for a quote on a second license, without plans, and he answered with a very resonable fee of $35. I decided that instead of making a half-ass catamaran my stack of okoume is better used making a full-ass anything else. Maybe I can find plans for a surf-ski or an outrigger.

: Team

: A little update on progress on Day 2 but first, I've looked in and and been
: put on hold two yaks, but got food and drink on a third for my critical
: assessment and corrective work. It was tough, but the cajon chicken and
: mushroom and wild rice, and the bottle of vino helped me get my strength
: back. It was tough, really...

: On the Nick's Night Heron progress with Dave. Today we discovered that we
: really screwed up Big Time and only bought 3 sheets of okoume versus 4.
: Damn! How did we so badly screw up? Well, how the hell should I know?
: So....Dave and I jumped in the trick, headed east and bought the glass and
: carbon fiber ($230 worth), then headed west though the typical Insane
: Diego trtaffic to Forst's to pick another sheet of ply up. We were
: wondering how a big sheet was going to fit into the 4Runner when there in
: front of us 9n the parking lot was Bill Todd aka Wild Bill the Viking Man.
: For those of you not familiar with this legend, Wild Bill is a guy who
: paddles like the wind, ROWS his Cal 28 sailboat forom the marina out over
: the bar and out into the ocean 3-5 miles before turning around and ROWING
: it back. Wild Bill is 70 years old, a survivor of lymphoma and the
: strongest paddler I have ever met. He's the most level headed and calm guy
: in the face of danger I have ever met. Any way, Wild Bill sized up the
: situation, loaded the ply into his van and off we went to Dave's for a big
: lunch and a drink.
: Real work involved cutting the okoume into pieces ready to scarf and glue up,
: assemble the work table (which I might add I designed). We also had a few
: minutes to chat with Nick to order a second set of master plans in order
: to tear up marking out the patterns to cut out of the joined okoume. Nick
: had to point out his thoughts of carbon fiber (jeeez, what is this with
: the carbon fiber bashing?). Still, the goal is a Night Heron under 35
: pounds and we'll make it, too!

: Some serious thoughts about licensing and the guy who designs kayaks:
: designers don't make a whole lot of money for the wonderful creations that
: they craft. Anyone who buys plans is buying the plans for ONE kayak.
: Building a second one first requires buying a license to build a second
: one. These guys have slaved over thse designs and morally deserve
: financial compensation. There, I had my say.

: Anyhow, we cut and readied verying for tomorrows finishing of the scarfing,
: glue up, and cutting out the nifty components that Nick designed dor the
: kayak. If anyone ever wants to see some of the most complete and well
: deisgned plans arund, tale a look at Nick's. They are so impressive that I
: have to again make a big deal about them.

: Finally, a word about the work bench (which Dave laid on the center span to
: watch the World Series without causing any deflection. E-mail me and I'll
: send you the design free. Give me a week since I haven't put it in a
: digital format yet. It works well and is cheap to build a flat surface to
: work on or support a strong back.

: till tomorrow, adios for now