For your entertainment...

Hello Wooden Boat People,

I've created a blog about building a whitewater dory with my Dad. Its mostly pics w/ a bit of text. I'd love your feedback and suggestions.

My Dad is an experienced cabinet maker, boater and fisherman. I'm just a dumb river guide. Hopefully together we can come up with something that floats.

Here is the link: http://kellyneu.blogspot.com/

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Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on December 14, 2009 at 9:31am
Very cool... read the posts with great interest and enjoyed the pics!! I'm in the planning stages of building something similar for bigger water than we have in Oregon. (I'm not an experienced cabinet maker, so I will need a lot of help and coaching). Look forward to seeing the finished boat.
GH
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 14, 2009 at 8:31pm
Hi Greg, nice hearing about your project. I am jealous of your OR location... beauty, beers, bodacious rivers. Good luck with your big water boat. We are at the stage of constructing the "whitewater" part of the boat and it definitely adds some hours to the project. We are doing it the hard way. No aluminum hatches for this wooden beauty! My Dad and I are hoping to be done by february... we'll see. Hope to see some pics of your project! -Kelly
Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on December 14, 2009 at 3:22pm
Tell us more! Inquiring minds want to know. Hey Greg, how are you doing.

Rick Newman
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 14, 2009 at 8:39pm
Hmm. What do ya wanna know? -heres a starter:
Started rowing w/ Sundog Expeditions in Idaho and did a bunch of trips w/ Martin Litton... and well that did it. "Ruined my Life", Martin likes to say. Now I'm hooked on dories and dirtbags and it just keeps getting worse. Spending every last dime to build a fragile, tippy little boat for the GC. I thought my friends might demand an intervention but luckily they want a ride down stream in tippy little boats too. Turns out I have the right kinda friends.

Now building a boat on Whidbey Island, WA. Having fun with my Dad, trying to figure it all out. I've got my friend and boat designer Lonnie in Idaho on speed dial. Trolling wooden boat forums and learning from all those who have gone before. Thanks everybody!
Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on December 14, 2009 at 10:28pm
Kelly,

As one of the many "woodaholics" on this sight, I too cruise the forums looking for techniques and ideas trying to avoid re-inventing the wheel. Your blog with all the construction photos are priceless in showing me ideas about the hatches and compartments. Thanks for that!

One of the best days, and it wasn't even on the river was when I met Martin in passing and we just stood in the yard and talked about boats...

Cheers,

Robb Grubb
www.RiverTraining.net
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 14, 2009 at 11:30pm
Hey Robb & fellow woodaholic. I havn't heard that one before... I kinda like it.

Just checked out your website and realized you're the one who has my favorite dory pic! The one shot from water's view... lookin' at the dory through the tip of your toes. Right on! Reminds me of so many good times. Great shot. Also, love the one entitled, "properly loaded gear boat on the deschutes." -So perfect :)

Stay tuned on the blog... should be putting together the hatches and deck in the next week.

And yeah, always good times with Martin. The first time I met him I fell right into his trap. He said, "You know Kelly, you're a pretty good guide but you COULD be a GREAT guide." And not knowing any better, I replied. "Well, how could I be a great guide, Martin?" He gave a devilish grin and said, "Your skirt could be shorter and your shirt a little tighter." ...I can't believe I didn't see that coming. Thanks for the advice Martin. Gotta love a guy who still charging at 92+
Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on December 28, 2009 at 6:51pm
Kelly,

Your boat is looking like a boat! The photos and descriptions you post are invaluable for me right now. I am still doing homework on the best way to build hatches and decking on my own. Commercial boat builders should take notes from you on how to describe the work needed to be done in there own plans and manuals..!

What thickness of plywood are you using for hatches and decking? What type of latches and hinges do you plan on using?

Cheers,

Robb Grubb
www.RiverTraining.net
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 30, 2009 at 1:16pm
Robb, Good luck on the hatch design. Let me know what you come up with.

Everything on the boat is 3/8" ply (except the hull).
The latches are Southco and the hinges are Gem-Lux. Most boats I've rowed use piano hinge which works great. Seems like I see the Southco latches on all newer dories.

What I'm doing on the hatches of this boat is different than any other boats I've seen. I hope it works out. They're probably closest in design to the Alumaweld hatches.

Psyched for you and you're project!
-Kelly
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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on December 30, 2009 at 1:07pm
Looking good too.

A young friend of mine is make a run down the Grand Canyon in her new boat right now. You make only the second river girl I know who is building a dory.

Where were all of you young dory women 30 years ago when I needed you? A few weeks ago a bunch of us did a dory float down the Colorado to Moab. We hope to do it again and have more people join us next Nov. The more wooden boats the better.

The images look great. Can you explain how you are dealing with the water from the troughs below the hatches? If you are using hoses, what kind of fitting are you using and what size hose? Would love to see a closeup of the system. I know a person who did the same thing but used same hoses with brass fitting they get clogged up all the time. Is the foot well a self bailing setup?

Projects looks great keep updating your web site with lots of details. Looks like it will be ready for water in no time.

L
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 30, 2009 at 2:04pm
I know, where are all the ladies? I think they usually trick the dudes into doing the building. wink. Thing is, building is so great. You guys were having all the fun. Maybe your friend and I can pique some interest with some of the young'ins.

I saw your float pics on Jeremy's Blog... whew, pretty sweet. Has me inspired! If my boat is still in one piece by next Nov I might want to tag along.

I'll take some detailed pics of the gutters tomorrow. In the mean time here is one. In the foreground would be the starboard hull and the pic is of the side hatch and front cross gutter. In the background is the cutout for the water to shed into the boatman's foot well.


The brass fitting and tube system is my plan B if this first try isn't adequate. Yeah, seems they get clogged up (at least with heavy commercial use) but when they are clear they work great. And if you use hose clamps to attach the tube to the fitting they are easy to remove and clean. The brass fittings work better than the plastic in my experience. Just a guess but the hoses are about 1/2" diameter. Maybe clear tubing could be used to keep an eye on things... though the clog is usually where the tube and the fitting overlap.

In theory the boatman's well is self bailing. Its just a direct drain tube from the well to the hull. No valve system, as talking with s few GC boatman, the valves fail more often than not...clogged, stuck. WHat do you think about the valve? I could still change it.

Love your website, BTW! I wish there were more dories out there to grace its pages.
Nice hearing from you,
~Kelly
Permalink Reply by Laura Dalton on January 7, 2010 at 7:48pm
Kelly this is an awesome, brilliant project. I am so living vicariously. Everytime I have had the pleasure of running the GC (which is not very often, last trip 2 springs ago I had to wait 12 years for, 12 Years I say) I always chat up the dory guides I see and try to crawl all over their boats. We ran into some OARS guides on the Salmon (they were running from the South Fork to Hellers Bar!) and got full tours from them. I guess I shoulda guided on the grand, and worked for a different company....ah well. Don't know if I will ever build a GC dory but I sure am glad you are. What a great project to work on with your Dad as well. Enjoy it, and all the rivers you will run with it. Have you named it yet?

cheers
Laura
Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on January 8, 2010 at 9:38pm
Hi Laura, just checked out your post on the chine... your boat looks pretty sweet! Awesome all those days on the Rogue... I still haven't been on it. Maybe that will change if I get this boat built. -The Arcturus.

Maybe I'll see ya out there sometime. Have fun workin on your boat this winter!
~Kelly

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