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It's ALIVE ! ! !
By:Paul G. Jacobson
Date: 8/7/2010, 2:59 am

: Yes is it repairable, no doubt a fairly easy repair.

So fix it before storing it.

: If it were one
: of my other boats I would. Bottom line is I don't really like
: this boat that much. Rarely paddle it and fine is uncomfortable
: for more than a 15 minutes.

Donate it (after repairs) to a scout troop, give it away as a door prize, keep it to loan to a visitor, or hang it--after being repaired-- for shop decor.
Display the restored boat with pix of the damage.
Anyone who wonders about the strength or durability of a SOF boat will have the answer in front of them even before they start to form the question in their mind.

: So I would rather put the effort and
: money into other projects.

Money? The fix shouldn't cost over $3 for the patch fabric and glue. For that and 2 hours you have a working boat. It will take 20 times that to build a new one.

: Thinking about stripping it and using the frame for decoration or
: show and tell at a boat show.

Really bad idea (In my opinion). Put your BEST work on display, not a broken first-attempt. You aren't making your current frames this way so why confuse your audience with a poor display of workmanship which you have already improved? I can't think of a scenario where it is to your advantage to display this frame without a skin. Nonfunctional patch and a coat of paint make it an object d'arte. Functional patch, with or without final paint job, gives you a working boat.

The design and size of this boat may not suit you but it might be a perfect fit for someone else. Make someone happy--sell them the boat at a greatly reduced rate--and they will tell their friends what great boats you build.

Or, do a paddlemaking session with a scout troop. Not every scout can afford or store a boat, but a paddle is something they can personalize. At the end of the session pick the coolest paddle. Paint the paddlemaker's name on the boat and give the boat to the troop as a floating trophy. Go back every year and paint new names on the old boat.

When it is time to reskin the boat you can cut out the patch of skin with the names on it and frame that. Then demo how to skin a kayak.

Every scout has parents and every leader has friends. Generosity like this is word-of-mouth advertising which you CAN buy.

Just some thoughts

PGJ

Messages In This Thread

Announce: Kayak Obituary
Kudzu -- 8/4/2010, 8:08 pm
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Robert N Pruden -- 8/7/2010, 12:50 am
medical miracle can raise the dead
Paul G. Jacobson -- 8/6/2010, 7:12 am
Re: medical miracle can raise the dead
Kudzu -- 8/6/2010, 10:05 am
It's ALIVE ! ! !
Paul G. Jacobson -- 8/7/2010, 2:59 am
Re: medical miracle can raise the dead
Bill Hamm -- 8/7/2010, 2:06 am
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Bill Hamm -- 8/5/2010, 3:03 am
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Tim Sheehan -- 8/4/2010, 10:01 pm
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Robert N Pruden -- 8/6/2010, 12:20 am
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Dave Gentry -- 8/4/2010, 8:43 pm
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Shark Bait -- 8/4/2010, 11:42 pm
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Kudzu -- 8/5/2010, 11:03 am
Re: Announce: Kayak Obituary
Shark Bait -- 8/5/2010, 6:32 pm