Concrete Canoes

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neil
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Concrete Canoes

Post by neil »

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trebor
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by trebor »

what happens when you get "T boned" ?
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by chris »

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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Obscured by clouds »

chris wrote:And at the other extreme:
http://www.flaxland.co.uk/fabric%20boats.html
having built a skin on frame canoe I can attest to their strength. never tried flax [linen?] though.

Much prefer that approach, rather than concrete!
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Michael Brigg
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Michael Brigg »

There is nothing new under the sun...

Racing rowing shells made of paper?
Lightweight Paper Boats, c. 1868!!

Paper boats were developed in the late 1860s and patented in June, 1868 by the Waters, Balch & Company in Troy, New York. They were a box manufacturer and devised a method of taking sheets of damp paper and forming them over a special mold, then drying and sealing the hull with a glue-resin type material. The U.S. Naval Academy was one of the first programs to purchase a Balch shell - a four-oared. From 1870 to about 1885 they were THE boat to have. The boats were widely used in all parts of North America and foreign deliveries were made as well.

The builder's claim was that the hull shape could be exactly molded and built consistent with the designer's intent. However, their life span was limited and they were difficult to repair. Once injured, they would absorb water and their high performance was compromised. In the late 1880s they began to lose favor and by 1895 they were mostly forgotten, but they were the rage in 1870s.


Here are some of the dimensions and weights of the paper boats in 1871:

Single Shell Length - 30 ft. Width - 12 in. Weight - 30 lbs.
Double Sculls Length - 34 ft. Width - 14 in. Weight - 50 lbs.
Four-Oared Shell Length - 41 ft. Width - 18 in. Weight - 100 lbs.
Six-Oared Shell Length - 49 ft. Width - 19 in. Weight - 120 lbs.
There was also an Eight known as "The Glass something or other" that won alot of international races. Skin so thin it was transparent.
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Meryl »

I knew of a sailing boat constructd using Kraft paper built by a couple who were going to sail accross the Atlantic in it. A large group or us lifted it bodily out of the field and onto the Severn estury for the fitting out. Never heard of it after, often wondered if they got accross safely (and with a small baby)
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by JimC »

A concrete sliding seat would certainly provide some serious righting moment... I fear capsize recovery might be problematic though...
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Garry R »

It'll be the proverbial lead balloons next!
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by jpa_wfsc »

At the end of the day, it seems the choice is between silica or carbon fibres....
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by rme_01 »

Oh come on what about cellulose aka wood!!

The problem with concrete is that it is great in compression but not much good in tension, the opposite in fact to wood. I remember the concrete boats in the 60's and got quite into it at the time. The tension problem was dealt with by a matrix of chicken or weld mesh usually bound to a waterpipe frame. Most were amateur efforts which often sagged horribly during plastering albeit Windaboats in Norfolk did produce some good boats commercially. Obviously we are talking about seriously heavy displacement and it would have been interesting if the concrete canoe article had given a bit more technical information to see how things have developed.

None of this distracts from the ultimate boat building material - wood, better still engineered wood as in the hot and cold moulded hulls. It is sad that that there has been no revival of moulded wood in the dinghy field despite the revival of new build clinker dinghies (Redwings, Tideways, International 12s etc.).
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by JimC »

Serious technical information on the concrete canoes? Start here.
http://canoe.slc.engr.wisc.edu/designpapers/index.htm
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Michael Brigg »

JimC wrote:Serious technical information on the concrete canoes? Start here.
http://canoe.slc.engr.wisc.edu/designpapers/index.htm
Interesting stuff!! :shock: :? At the end of the day I suppose this is the technology that prevents the French from building too many dodgy airport terminals!

Image

...although personally I much prefer Robot wars! :evil:
Michael Brigg
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Michael Brigg »

trebor wrote:what happens when you get "T boned" ?
OK its not canoeing its my other pssion but this thread on the rather aggressive "Talk Rowing" forum gives you some idea of a high speed T-bone.

(Warning; Some of the medical stuff is not for the squeamish.)

http://www.evsra.org/documents/5.6%20NE ... RTICLE.pdf

The rest of the thread is quite fun too.

http://usrowers.com/talkrowing/index.ph ... 10347&st=0
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Bootscooter »

*vomits*
Michael Brigg
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Re: Concrete Canoes

Post by Michael Brigg »

JimC wrote:Serious technical information on the concrete canoes? Start here.
http://canoe.slc.engr.wisc.edu/designpapers/index.htm
This concrete thing is fun... A bit more health advise here...

I guess this office could have used some of the technical engineering development.

Michael Brigg
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