MtB
08-12-2012, 04:02 PM
I've watched with interest assorted videos on how to build one of these vessels and I got to thinking about attaching the skin, and can it be done without stitching it on. I came up with this idea.
Stitching is fine so long as you are making a permanent vessel, but what if you are out and about and decide that you need to cross a lake, or just feel like a paddle?
I've never made one of these, and I'm assuming a standard needle and extra strong thread won't be strong enough (unless you use severval hundred, maybe a thousand, feet of it), to attach the skin, and I'm doubtful anyone would want to go mess up their groundsheet, basha, or tarp, by punching dozens of 3mm holes (for your cord) all about it...
So, how feasible is it to do this?
1. You cut down all the willow you need and construct the framework of it.
2. You cover the framework with your tarp.
3. Instead of stiching it on at this time, you take some more Willow and lash together a ring of a diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of your coracle, and put it on top of your skin and push it down tightly, so that the outer ring firmly traps the tarp against the inner frame.
4. Carefully turn your vessel rightside up. You then tie your paracord to the outer ring, bring the cord up over the gunwale, loop it round an inner spar, pull tightly, bring the cord back up over the gunwale, loop it round the outer ring, pull tightly, take the cord back up over the gunwale, loop it round an inner spar, pull tightly, and so on until you have gone round the whole vessel.
Basically all you are doing is using the inner frame as a parbuckle hoist to pull the outer ring up, which can't go anywhere and so serves to lock the tarp between the inner frame and outer ring.
Has anydody done this?
What's your thoughts?
Thanks to any and all respondents.
My apologies if this has been posted before.
Stitching is fine so long as you are making a permanent vessel, but what if you are out and about and decide that you need to cross a lake, or just feel like a paddle?
I've never made one of these, and I'm assuming a standard needle and extra strong thread won't be strong enough (unless you use severval hundred, maybe a thousand, feet of it), to attach the skin, and I'm doubtful anyone would want to go mess up their groundsheet, basha, or tarp, by punching dozens of 3mm holes (for your cord) all about it...
So, how feasible is it to do this?
1. You cut down all the willow you need and construct the framework of it.
2. You cover the framework with your tarp.
3. Instead of stiching it on at this time, you take some more Willow and lash together a ring of a diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of your coracle, and put it on top of your skin and push it down tightly, so that the outer ring firmly traps the tarp against the inner frame.
4. Carefully turn your vessel rightside up. You then tie your paracord to the outer ring, bring the cord up over the gunwale, loop it round an inner spar, pull tightly, bring the cord back up over the gunwale, loop it round the outer ring, pull tightly, take the cord back up over the gunwale, loop it round an inner spar, pull tightly, and so on until you have gone round the whole vessel.
Basically all you are doing is using the inner frame as a parbuckle hoist to pull the outer ring up, which can't go anywhere and so serves to lock the tarp between the inner frame and outer ring.
Has anydody done this?
What's your thoughts?
Thanks to any and all respondents.
My apologies if this has been posted before.