Hi Wes,

I think the relatively light weight of the boat is the result of several things:

- the small size of the boat. The SLT version is only 15.5 feet long, and this in itself saves some weight compared to the full sized Storm.
- 3/16" instead of 1/4" strips, which saved about five pounds.
- 3.25 oz Thayercraft glass (thanks for the info on that one to Bill Hamm).
- solid cedar internal stems, not end pours. The internal cedar stems weigh next to nothing, and add a lot of strength.
- lighter hatch seal rims than most designs I have seen pictures of. They are narrower than most I have seen, both where they are glued to the hull, and where they hold the gasket, which in my case is a 1/4" diameter neoprene foam O-ring. The seal rims are also lighter because they are all carbon, and I laminated them under vacuum. I will post photos on the hatch design later.
- taking care to squeegie excess epoxy out of the glass. I found the firm rubber squeegie I bought at a fiberglass specialty place to be very effective, much more so than the plastic one I got at a marine supply place.

The boat could be made lighter yet, but I was generous with carbon reinforcement fore and aft of the cockpit, put maple and extra layers of glass on the outside of the stems, and of course, added the skeg, which you may not wish to do in the full sized design.

As others have mentioned, in the weight game, each little bit adds up. Good luck with your build, I think you will love the boat when it is done.

Best regards,

Allan Edie

: Allan,
: Thanks for the performance report. I've been watching for it, as I
: have the plans, forms, and all materials on hand to build a
: Storm. I currently paddle a 17' x 23" Merganser 17W hybrid
: and love the way it fits and handles, so have not been in a rush
: to build another boat. I expect the 17'-6" x 22"
: Storm, with its rounded chines, however, might be better in the
: choppy waters of Buzzard Bay, where I usually paddle.
: The initial tenderness you mention might be due to your light
: weight. Valclav says this design is best for a 190 pound
: paddler.
: I'm also interested in how you kept the boat weight so low. What
: size strips and what weight cloth did you use?
: Beautiful boat, by the way.
: -Wes