A few questions for the experts...

First, thanks for having a great site with lots of ideas.

I recently purchased a half-finished double-ender.  The brief history of the boat, as I understand it, is that it was built in Idaho in the late '90s by a guy who planned to use it as a white water dory.  It's big (16'9'' bow to stern) and was supposedly decked at one time. It was purchased by a carpenter in Denver in the early 2000's.  This guy supposedly put it in the water a few times then took all of the decking out with the intent to eventually make it into a fishing boat.  I'm not sure I believe all of this, since some of the other claims ("glassed to the gunwales") didn't turn out to be accurate.  In any event, this monster will eventually be my fishing boat.  It was painted when I bought it, so I'm repainting it.  Painting, by the way, is more time consuming than it looks.  I plan to keep posting pics until the interior is done. If anybody has any ideas about the design of boat and if the above story makes sense (white water dory), I'd love to hear it.

My question involves a few pics I uploaded to my page.  The boat currently has wood oar blocks in the gunwales (I think), but they are not drilled for the oar locks.  Also, steel oar blocks came with the boat that would stick out of the sides of the boat (also in my pics).  My inclination is just to drill the current wood blocks in the boat, but I'm wondering if there is something I'm missing with the steel blocks that came with the boat.  Also, should I drill a hole in the middle of each block or maybe two holes in each block.  I plan on making the oarsman's chair moveable, so I may not need to drill a bunch of holes?  Please let me know what you guys think.

Pics (hopefully this works, if not they are all on my page):


Brant

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Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on March 7, 2010 at 11:48am
Here's a bit of clarification on what those oarlock brackets are about. They go inside, not outside, giving you better angle placement on the oarlock. For Grand Canyon use, we also add steel straps to hold the oarlock secure to the deck for violent crabbing situations.

Looks like a pretty interesting boat, but does not resemble any design or maker I know.

On my McKenzie I used a very long oarlock block (oak) and drilled oarlock holes in it every two inches, so I have tremendous adaptability in the placement of my rowing seat and oarlocks, depending on whether I'm rowing alone, with company, with a big load, etc. It certainly does not effect the structural integrity to have more than one option, although there may be just one perfect spot.
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Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on March 7, 2010 at 12:31pm
That's very helpful. So, if I'm planning on making this primarily a fishing boat, do you guys think I should use those brackets or just drill holes in the wood blocks that are already in the gunwales?

As far as the design of the boat, I agree that it doesn't look like anything I've seen in other pictures. Does my story about it being a white water boat make sense to you guys? Any other comments on the boat design or potential problems with the design would be appreciated.

Thanks again guys. Painting is almost done. Interior build begins soon.
Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on March 7, 2010 at 3:13pm
One way to determine whether to mess with the blocks is to measure the distance between the oarlocks were you to put them in the gunwales. I think a standard Briggs Grand Canyon boat is about 78", which is optimum for a 10' oar.

Hard saying what that boat was designed for. With its full rocker and narrow ends, it would not be an ideal Grand Canyon boat. We mostly run a Rogue style down here, with a long flat spot in the middle and much fuller ends. They track better and don't twist out on the big waves. Yours looks more McKenzie in style, and would be better for smaller water. Should be just fine for fishing.
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on March 7, 2010 at 10:14pm
Great info again, Brad. The boat is 74 inches wide at its widest point (middle of gunwale to middle of gunwale), so I'm guessing that I'll be fine using the wood blocks that are in the gunwales. The boat came with 10' oars. Thanks for the input on the boat design. I'm pretty psyched to get it in the water.

Brant
Permalink Reply by mitchell on March 8, 2010 at 7:09am
this is probably small potatoes but I don't see any way for water that splashes into your boat to make it down to your drain plugs. Those are drain plugs, yes?

Most drifters I've seen, if not all, have little holes in the cross member (help, what is attached to the ribs, bottom frames?) One hole on each side of each member. Water that's entered the boat can migrate through the holes to the center of your boat. Make any sense?

Brant, good luck and have fun with your boat.
Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on March 8, 2010 at 7:46am
Sharp eye, Mitchell. That would further indicate it was originally designed as a decked whitewater boat. With decked boats you don't want water to migrate from hatch to hatch, so the ribs are sealed to the floor. With an open boat, as Mitchell says, you want water to move from rib to rib toward the center where you can bail it (or let it out the drain plugs on dry land, if those are indeed drains). Adding these would be an awkward thing to retrofit with the floor on, but feasible--probably easier than pulling the floor off, or bailing each section individually after every splash or storm. (I think they are called "limber holes" but I may be way off. My book is down in the shop.)
Permalink Reply by Brant Jaouen on March 8, 2010 at 9:12am
Thanks guys, but it does have those holes (two for each section). Take a look at image 1682 on my page, and you will see them on either side of the midline of the bottom of the boat (can't remember what that midline board is called).

http://www.woodenboatpeople.com/photo/img1682-1?context=user

Keep the comments coming though! I'm obviously new at this, so whatever input you guys have as I go along is welcome. I'll post more interior pics as it comes together in the next month or so....

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