Canoe

It's been two weeks since I brought the canoe back from the build it yourself workshop and it's still to make its maiden voyage. There were a number of things to be completed to finish it off before it could take to the water though.

In the main two things that I wasn't happy with were required, which were due at least in part to the rush to keep abreast of the build schedule. The first and probably most important item was to finish off the glass fibre taping on the two upper seams at the front left. The lengths of g/f tape had been cut short and didn't go the full length of the seam, ending about six inches short at the rear. Rather than cut new tapes I applied all four and remembered to fit short extensions to finish off the left side ones. But I completely forgot all about the right hand side ones and didn't discover my omission until I came to fit the gunnel end plates.

I've now sanded down the seams and painted the outer hull in white which gets rid of the unfinished look on the outside. It's taken three coats to stop the grain showing through but White is always a poor covering paint. Luckily the one litre pot has been enough to cover it adequately. I've had to invest in a g/f kit for the materials to finish off the seam taping which went on this afternoon.

The  other non urgent job of varnishing the gunnels strips was half finished off today. I've sanded the gunnels off and put a slightly rounded edge on them to make them a little more comfortable to grip rather than the sharp planed edge of the original wood. I've made something of a mistake with the varnish which is taking hours to dry out. Apparently clear gloss varnish should have been stirred before application. At the moment gunnels, lift handles, seat spacing blocks and end plates are still not dry to the touch and aren't likely to be before tomorrow. I hope I'm not goIng to have to clean it off to reveal it.