For a few months after designing and building the QUAD for my own use, I decided to make the plans free to those that requested them from my website. One of those requests came from Jeremy Bradberry of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In June of this year I received a few photos, and a brief description, via e-mail, of his QUAD build experience. I was intrigued with his rendition of the boat, and asked him for additional information, photos, and permission to create a Builders Article about his construction experience. The following, in his words, is the result of that request.
Good morning Ken,
You will find the launch day pictures below. I utilized Google Drive in order to get them to you all at one time. I have also included a short video, I am not sure how videos works via Google Drive. Just let me know if you have any trouble and I will try it a different way. Included with the launch pictures are a few more construction pictures that highlight some of the various enhancements that were applied to this design. I will list each unique modification below. Again, I cannot thank you enough for your plans. This craft has already provided many hours of enjoyment. I have plenty more pictures if you would like to see them all just let me know.
* The entire hull was coated with one coat of Tightbond III glue.
* The boat bottom, rub rails, and skids were all coated with two coats of Hurculiner Truck Bed Liner material.
* A pair of Kipp adjustable handles were used to connect each module, steel fender washers were added to each connection point in order to protect the wood from the handle base.
* .90 Kydex thermoplastic sheets were used to form the bulkhead caps and bow cap. An additional piece was also applied to the bow point, as I made some mistakes when creating the angle.
Jeremy Bradberry
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QUAD Canoe - Four modules, two occupants, 11 foot canoe. |
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On the Water |
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Transom Assembly |
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Pre Fitting Modules |
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Forward Module Assembly |
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Kipp Handles |
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Hull Module Assembly |
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Truck Liner Coating |
Good afternoon Ken,
You could most certainly use our correspondence for your article. I will address each of your requests below. Feel free to summarize in your own words, or copy and paste. I will leave the creation of the article totally up to you.
The QUAD BUILD DETAILS
Overall the build process was very straight forward. Your plans did an excellent job of outlining the major construction steps. Given this fact, I experienced very few build challenges. The only notable construction difficulty related to the rub rails. This first issue was in relation to the pre-bending process. I would strongly recommend the use of a backing jig of some type. I utilized various sized spreaders to produce the desired bend around the constructed hull. While this technique worked, in hindsight I feel that a full sized backing jig of some type would have produced a similar, perhaps superior result, with less effort. The second problem also revolved around the rub rails. This was more of a mistake than an actual problem. I misjudged the angle when making the cuts to the rails at the bow point. This mistake left me with a gap at the top of the seam about a half inch or so in width. Needless to say, I found this appearance to be most irritating. However, I certainly did not want to begin this process again. In order to correct this situation, I first filled the gap with glue and a small wooden shim. I then fabricated and installed a cover assembly made from a thermoplastic Kydex sheet. The results were both functional and very ascetically pleasing.
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The Fish Pond |
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Sitting Pretty |
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The End Result |
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One happy fisherman |
CHANGES AND FINAL THOUGHTS
I truly cannot recommend any changes to the major design aspects of this craft. This boat has met and exceeded all of my expectations and use requirements. I needed a vessel that was lightweight, easy to store, easy to transport, and a stable platform on the water. This craft was intended from the start to be a fishing /sports boat, and to that end it has already more than proven itself. It can be launched or beached most anywhere, and will easily float in less than 10" of water fully loaded. I enjoy treading where others won't, and this is the perfect boat to enable that experience. Future plans for the boat do include a trolling motor and final rear module. I can't wait to give the mounting slot a try. In closing, my advice for future builders would be to exercise your creativity, as this is a platform ripe for the application of a personal touch. I already have numerous ideas for additions and accessories, and feel that this will be a project from which I will continually gain enjoyment for years to come.
Jeremy Bradberry
Well, as you can see, I did not have to embellish the text at all. Jeremy's enthusiasm comes through easily, and the end result is a project that both the builder, and designer, are very happy with.
Ken Simpson, Designer
Plans for QUAD by Ken Simpson are in the Duckworks store.
A video below.
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