Panthera 507

Submitted byJohnAbercrombie onMon, 07/13/2020 - 23:42
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Kayak Building

Without picture uploads there's not much to say, but I thought I'd mention that I'm putting the finishing touches on a Bjorn Thomassen Panthera.

Hope to have it on the water in a couple of days.

I wanted a rudder boat for day paddles and possible short trips, so built a short (507cm) version of Panthera ('High Deck' variant, I like room for my feet...).

Perhaps some kayak sailing; I've planned the attachment points for the stays and mast step.

4 mm WR cedar, 6 oz glass on the hull outside, the rest 4 oz.  Smart Track 'Race' rudder. DIY footboard and pedals. Painted (Valspar) finish.

Sealect and KajakSport hatches - oval stern, round day hatch and front.

I'll probably send a few pics to Bjorn; he'll likely post them in the 'News' on his website.

John that's an amazing build in such a short time frame! I love the color combination, on my first stripper I think I'll have to go natural. The next build I can think about painting. You must have a large storage area with all these builds.

JohnAbercrombie

Sat, 07/25/2020 - 01:25

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Thanks, George!

Clear finish shows all the woodworking details, so there's no hiding mistakes with bondo!

But, the beauty of the wood distracts the eye and you can get away with a few bumps and ripples.

With paint, all the woodworking and joinery mistakes are well hidden, but any flaws in the surface finish really show up. Paint does allow the use of mixed materials - wood, straight glass/carbon, PVC deck fittings, etc and the result can be a co-ordinated appearance. It's also fun to surprise folks with the fact that it's a stripper, not a commercial boat out of a mold.

I'm trying to persuade folks to 'come on over' to WestCoastPaddler and participate in the Building area there. So you are invited!

:)

There have been some interesting comments and questions from other builders at WCP. It's fun.

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Strip Built