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| Flier: An Ultralight 27 lb Foam Fishing Boat Build |
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| vtsteam:
Last winter I designed and built an experimental 12 foot superlight fishing boat out of foam and polyester fabric. I named the boat Flier, after a type of panfish found in Florida. The boat was very easy and quick to build -- my tool of choice was a used hacksaw blade. I built it in a tiny temporarily rented studio space, as will become evident! Here's a video of the build: |
| Brass_Machine:
This is very cool! |
| awemawson:
A very interesting build Steve - came out looking just right :thumbup: Was the idea of building Flier in a small rented space to demonstrate how it was possible with minimal space and facilities, or were you all frozen up at home? |
| vtsteam:
Thanks Eric! :beer: Andrew! :beer: Heh, both, (plus I didn't have more to spend on a bigger rental. A friend works in the owner's office and I was able to rent it for a very reasonable amount one month between "real" tenants.) I kinda wanted to see what could be done with absolutely minimum of everything. Tiny workspace. No bench, almost no tools, a couple of cardboard boxes for "sawhorses". Duct tape for clamps (cramps?). And almost all low VOC water-cleanup materials, and no fiberglass. The building space was two feet longer than the finished boat. Tools were basically an old dull hacksaw blade (better than a new one for foam -- cuts cleaner instead of digging in and tearing), some sandpaper, and paintbrushes. I think the result is pretty sophisticated despite the lowly materials and conditions. Compared to my kayak ( a Lifetime Tamarack Angler) this boat weighs less than half. carries 50% more weight (also naturally has 350 lbs of flotation in the foam. -- you could saw it in half and it would still float that much weight). And I do 4-1/2 mph without straining, compared to 3.3 mph in the kayak (gps measured rates). That gives me a 15 minute access to 4 square miles of fishing, vs. 2 square miles in the kayak. A mile an hour does make a noticeable difference by the end of the day. The other big difference is comfort and stability. I can move around in Flier, but am stuck in one seated position in the kayak. Oh also, I can portage Flier on my shoulders because the seat placement puts the balance point there. Can't do that with the kayak (sit-on-top style). You have to drag it or carry all 67 pounds on it side by a handle. 30 feet and I'm feeling it. I can carry Flier down a trail for a half hour before really wanting a rest. It's more like backpacking. Anyway, obviously I'm proud of the boat. Wish I'd had it years ago. |
| Pete.:
That's fantastic Steve! How is the directional stability? It seems to have very little draft and having no keel except that thin centre strake does it not tend to want to wander like a coracle? |
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