Message-Id: <199608221953.PAA19992@bort.mv.net>
From: Wolfgang Brinck <hksystems.com!brinck@imagelan.com>
Subject: Re: storage of skinboats (fwd)
To: baidarka@imagelan.com
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 96 14:19:16 CDT
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SV4.3.91.960805081442.16786G-100000@baidarka>; from "Kirk Olsen" at Aug 5, 96 8:17 am
>
> I have a pre-1850 type Aleut baidarka, which I built out of wood and
> canvas, and would like to know the best way to store this type of boat
> when it is going be sedentary for a while. Is it to leave the boat on
> sawhorses? Should I hang the boat from the ceiling, turning it over once
> every few months? To ensure that there will be no distortion of the
> shape, I'm thinking about picking up a couple of old waterbeds, placing
> them end to end, and "floating" the boat in my basement...
>
>
The strongest part of wooden kayak is typically the deck.
Therefore, when you store a kayak, the weight should be
supported by the deck. In other words, the kayak should be
stored upside down. If you store a kayak keelson down, the
keelson presses on the ribs and the ribs get distorted.
Also, when you store a kayak with only two points of support
such as across a pair of sawhorses or two ropes in the
rafters of your garage, make sure the spacing is correct -
too close, and the ends will hang down, too far and the middle
will bow in ( the bottom will hog in nautical terms ).
Storage of wooden kayaks has always been a problem.
Aleuts apparently removed skins for storage. The Netsilik of
present day Canada even braced the frame with rocks around
the perimeter of the upturned kayak to prevent warpage
during winter storage. However, remember
that this was outdoor storage subject to wind and snow. If you
store your kayak indoors, conditions will be more benign. Also
canvas tends to relax when dry, so it should not be putting stresses
on the stored frame.
wolf ---------------------- wolfgang.brinck@hksystems.com