What is Next?

 I sold two rowboats boats this week, helping to clear out the shop.  I have one more that I want to sell. (Now sold to a gentleman in California; he drove here to get it.)  If you have been following my blog, you can see that as I build a design, I am always asking "What could I do better?"  Then the next build incorporates those changes.  The boats I am letting go are perfectly adequate but have been replaced with slight improvements, sometimes with only aesthetic differences.  And I am at a point where few new improvements come to mind on my rowboats.  A sailboat would be a different project, but the Colorado mountains might not be a good place for consistent winds and sailing.  

I have been looking for the proper trailer for transport.  I finally located one, but it needs work (23 years old) and modification; it had been set up for hauling bicycles.  I bought it; used boat-type trailers are hard to find in Colorado, especially light duty.  I have replaced the tires, inner tubes, bearings, and axles.  I exchanged its setup for bicycles with a 5 1/2' by 5 1/2' deck for small boats.  Next project:  I have discovered that not all the trailer lights work.  The wiring is old (obviously) and not well protected.

I need to get out on a lake with my newest boats; that use may suggest further improvements.  The boating season at the altitudes where we live, 7000+ feet, is only about six months long, making for a limited opportunity on our lakes. 

The blue/gray kayak was my first recent design attempt.  The natural finish on the second kayak is a design for my wife.  I already have ideas for an improved design to slightly reduce width and weight.

 

This trailer came with a short tongue and a long tongue.  I attach the short tongue for use while in the shop.  The trailer (a commercial build from California) has coil spring suspension and motorcycle-type tires.  New tires are not easily found, but I was able to get some off Ebay.com.

I had a contractor come by to look at some home repairs.  When he spotted my boats, that is what he wanted to talk about.  He told me to call him when I get ready to sell the next one.  My most recent sale was for $400.  The gentleman from California told me I am underpricing my boats.  1) Colorado is a boating desert.  There are few buyers here.  2)  Mostly, I care for an appreciative home for these boats.  Each one is a unique design and product.

UPDATE: With everything completed, we got out on a local reservoir today, and I learned some lessons about kayaks compared to guide boats.  My guide boats have a steeper deadrise but are more stable, not just due to the slightly wider waterline beam but also due to having two oars in the water instead of one paddle blade.  Two oars also make for quicker turns, but the kayaks had good directional tracking when paddling.

While we were out on the lake, at 9,000' altitude, the wind increased in gusts, and I gained appreciation for the influence of increased freeboard.  As the wind became stronger, it shifted, and we realized that we would be paddling to windward to get back to the launch area.  Those of you familiar with kayak design can laugh and shake your head at this amateur (me) making mistakes instead of using a proven design.  For me, it is just another project which I can fix.