This is my canoe. There are many like it, but this one is mine - outfitting

[Codger_64]

The Creed of a US Marine by Major General William H. Rupertus... "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life." Now replace the word "rifle" with "canoe" and you will understand the following.

I recently scored a deal on an antique/classic whitewater canoe. Designed by Steve Scarborough (now with Perception) and made by Blue Hole Canoes of Sunbright, Tennessee in the mid nineteen-eighties, it was well traveled and, while the hull and structure was in good condition for a 26 year old Royalex canoe, it was "experienced" and the outfitting was toast. Various previous owners had added their own touches to customize the canoe to their own tastes and needs according to their budgets and ideals of it's intended use. I began by laboriously stripping it out down to the last vestige to create a "clean slate" for my own design.

Any good customizing of a canoe (or car etc.) starts out with a plan. I plan to use the canoe for solo whitewater as Scarborough intended, with a cargo space reserved in front of the paddler station for... well, cargo when not occupied by my bow-wow-man, Jake. The rest of the interior, from the seat back to the stern and from the cargo station to the bow, I intend to fill with floatation... modern urethane coated nylon air bags... inside of paracord and webbing cages.


But first... a seat is needed. What happened to the original seat is a mystery lost to history. It was heavy aluminum tube framed, bolted through the sides of the extruded aluminum gunnels and had a flat molded plastic seat platform as can be seen on the few surviving unmolested examples.

The last previous owner fitted it with two salvaged seats to accomodate a second paddler. Both wood-framed seats, one laced with weathered broken rawhide and one with nylon rope, went on the scrap pile first thing.

But what to replace them with? Current whitewater vogue is a molded plastic saddle or formed and glued closed cell foam pedestal accompanied by thigh straps and foot pegs, the paddler kneeling on pads and strapped in, allowing one to roll the canoe back upright in a capsize. But full-time kneeling doesn't fit my style or abilities. So a traditional seat it is. But which seat? As with cars, canoe seats now come in several design choices. Buckets (also called "tractor seats") are used by some manufacturers but they don't appeal to me and they give little choice in adjustment of seating position. Bench seats are more traditional (as were original in this canoe) and the platform choices are cane (woven wicker) or nylon webbing. For durability in a whitewater environment I chose webbing on this canoe. And for comfort, a contoured rather than flat ash bench frame. The cost difference was negligible and the mounting is the same.

 

[Codger_64]

Seat mounting? As I said, the original seat was mounted to the inside of the gunnels rather than from bolts through the gunnel tops as with many modern canoes. This was because most of the lip of the 1 1/2" wide gunnel is on the outside with very little lip on the inside. Modern seat drops are carved wooden trusses or dowels meant for vertical bolt-through mounting. But a few makers use flat aluminum drop plates that have a flat lower flange to mount the seats and allow horizontal bolting to the canoe. I ordered Wenonah/Current Designs plates for this application. The plates are tall enough to allow me to trim them for the desired depth of drop below the gunnels and even to tilt the seat slightly foreward if I so choose. Of course there is a balance, a "sweet spot" for seat lowering. Too high and stability is seriously affected. Too low and paddling reach becomes more restricted, as well as the space left underneath for the paddler to fit his feet when conditions require kneeling. At the paddling station on this particular canoe, the outside to outside width is only 31" (15 1/2" to either side of centerline), so reach isn't as much of an issue as with a wider solo canoe. Using C-clamps, I'll set the depth and tilt by trial and error.

Once the seat position and depth are set, I can mount the kneeling pads and toe blocks, both of which help the paddler "lock" into position in the boat with the lowest possible center of gravity and best stability (knees spread to the chines and feet indexed closer together under the seat) during difficult drops and technical paddling in rock gardens.

Paddler station established, I can move on to the floatation bag cages installation. This is usually done using small cord woven back and forth across the canoe and a larger center strap down the center forming a net or "cage" to prevent the bags from floating out in a capsize or pin. Most bags come with grommets or other tie points, but they will not hold up to the stress of extreme water pressure. It is popular (and cheaper) to drill a series of holes in the Royalex hull below the gunnels to thread the cord through. I have done this myself in the past with satisfactory results but wanted a "cleaner look" on this canoe's outfitting. The cage outfitting I removed when stripping the boat used rusty steel eye screws tapped into the gunnel mounting rivet centers. Modern choices include riveted/screwed nylon pad eyes or cable clamps, or small clamped d-rings which were my choice for this application. Regardless of the fastener system chosen, weaving the cord is done according to one's personal preference. Typical spacing is 4" to 8" apart for the anchor points. Some lace the cord in parallel lines across the canoe and some lace them criss-cross like boot laces. I did a web search for photo examples from professional outfitters like Mike Yee before settling on the pattern I will use, though there really is little if any functional difference, mostly appearance.

The cross lacing is followed up with two longitudinal laces (which some omit) to help reenforce the cage, then a 1" longitudinal webbing strap down the center from deck plate to a glued in floor d-ring anchor. Additional anchors are glued in on either side of this center d-ring to help form the rear of the cage with more cord laced in a zig-zag pattern from the last upper cross lace to the floor. This is to prevent the bags from backing out of the cages in the event of a vertical pin.

 

[Codger_64]

Coordinating outfitting materials' colors is a chore. Air bags themselves have devolved into two basic colors from what I have seen, bright yellow and silver/gray. Previous available colors of red, light blue and purple seem to have been discontinued. One reason may be that the bags tend to increase pressure in the sun and decrease pressure when cold, such as when submerged in a cold river. Anchor pads and straps are available in a few colors still.

As for the cord itself, if you haven't looked recently, paracord comes in a bewildering array of colors and color combinations. Most manufacturer's cage kits come with basic black paracord. Since the Harmony brand floatation bags I already have are red, and wanting to keep a constant color scheme (you have to look good to feel good, right?) I went with some paracord called "Liberty pattern" woven from red, white and blue strands.

The Northwater straps and vinyl anchors are also red on gray base pads, all bought in a kit from an online retailer along with the vinyl anchor glue, "Mondo Bond" by Harmony.

 

[Codger_64]

Once the cages are installed, I'll add additional anchors and d-rings to the cargo area for securing gear. And a lightweight ribbed floor mat of some description to give Jake some traction on the slick Royalex floor when he accompanies me.

All that will be left is adding painters to each end of the canoe. Also called "swim lines", they are useful for lining a canoe around obsticals as well as tying the canoe on a vehicle when cartopping. When not in use, they will be coiled under the bag cage laces on top of the air bags to reduce the chances of entanglement in an upset. Some people don't use them for this very reason, and there are differing thoughts on the appropriate lengths when used. In some parts of Europe short lines, two or three feel long called "shrimp lines", are popular. The idea being that they are long enough to allow a swimmer to grab, but too short to entangle a swimmer. I prefer them to be half the length of the canoe or more. I've not yet gotten tangled with these lines but have often found them useful in securing a canoe to shore or recovering a swamped canoe.

As with the color theme of the rest of the outfitting, I've chosen red 3/8" woven floating dock lines for painters. The heavy fore and aft deck plates are securely riveted onto the hull and have a grommeted hole in the top center for just this purpose. Handles or grab loops are not needed on this canoe because there is a heavy aluminum tube under the deck plates forming handles for carrying. For canoes with lighter vinyl deck caps, it is common to drill the hull a few inches below the cap and a few inches back from the end to thread webbing loops or painter lines through.

I still have to add some basic safety equipment like a throw rope bag, an unpinning kit of prussics, caribiners and such, and a river knife and whistle attached to my PFD, and a river first aid kit. But those can wait until after I have taken the newly acquired and outfitted antique canoe out for a maiden voyage on some mild whitewater to see what I need to change, delete, add or adjust. I'll add before and after pictures when all of the outfitting arrives and is installed later this week.

 

[jeronimo]

Great job so far Codger_64! I'm looking forward to seeing it all finished.
How long is this old Blue Hole boat? By looking at your top picture, I'm guessing it's 12' or 13' long?
I've read that these were very well made boats. Great find!
I'm leaning towards a Mohawk Odyssey 14, outfitted similarly to yours, sometime in the near future.
Best regards, and good paddling.
JS

 

[Codger_64]

Hi JS! It is a Blue Hole Sunburst II, a 1987 vintage as told by the HIN number, only offered in this one color before the company changed hands and production moved briefly to Gordonsville, Virginia, then to Canada. It is 14'6" long exactly, and 32 1/4" wide outside to outside in the center. It is a symmetrical hull with about 1 1/2" of rocker, not much by today's standards. Center sheer is 16". Yes the older Royalex canoes were molded with thicker sheets than is common now. And the aluminum gunnels and thwarts are thicker and heavier than most modern canoes. They give up some durability for weight savings. I haven't weighed this hull yet but I will, before and after.

The floor of the hull was a mess of glue and odd bits of foam remaining from previous outfitting. I worked a 3M abrasive wheel in my cordless drill with lubrication from WD-40 and PB blaster to get it stripped down to the top layer of Royalex.

 

[jeronimo]

Thanks for the specs, and keep up the great work!
JS

 

[Codger_64]

Well it looks like gathering the bits and pieces needed is taking longer than either the planning or execution. I selected one online paddlesports retailer to provide everything to take advantage of their low one-price shipping. And I have been trying to get the order shipped ever since. Hopefully it will arrive before this next weekend. In the meantime I only have the cord for the bag lacing (fast eBay shipper) and the knee pads, strap buckles and triglides, and float bags I have had for quite some time. Once the "joy package" arrives, I'll go buy the rivets and painters that I need locally and get started. Without those supplies, I can't even begin.

Once it is all installed, it will be ready to take to the river, leaving one finishing touch for some time later. Finding someone to reproduce the factory hull decals. I already have the artwork done, taken from an original.

Since the company has been closed since 1993, original decals are not available.

 

[Scott Free]

You'll eventually post a pic of the whole boat—right?

 

[Codger_64]

You'll eventually post a pic of the whole boat—right?

Of course! At the top are the before and during pictures. I'll take some as the new outfitting goes in as well. And get the before and after weights to see how much the new outfitting weighs compared to the now-bare hull. To hold you until then, this is the pristine original that I got the decal artwork from. It belonged to a little old lady (in her seventies) in Chattanooga. It was one of the special ones, made the same year as mine, which Blue Hole sent from Sunbright to the Merrimac factory to be outfitted in wood gunnels, decks and thwarts. A true "barn find".

 

[Scott Free]

oops. I saw the pic and was so taken with it, that I thought this was YOUR boat, and you'd put wooden gunnels on it and replied without even reading your post. Sorry.

btw... I watched a little kid in a Dagger Tupelo skirt a Class 2 rapid. I'd never seen one in person before. When I saw what it was, I immediately thought of you.

 

[Codger_64]

I had the opportunity to buy the wood trimmed one just after I bought mine, but not the funds. The guy who sold me mine bought it instead. And has bought two other canoes since, making six in his fleet after selling me the Sunburst II and selling a Viper. I was tempted to buy the Viper as well in an offered "two-fer" deal but thankfully came to my senses. Likewise I turned down his offer of a Mohawk saddle for my Sunburst.

I will be very tempted if/when he decides to sell the wood trimmed version though. And I will be his first contact when a different canoe catches his eye and he needs funds to buy it, no doubt. But as with knives, just how many variants of one model does a person need? There were three of this exact canoe, SRA (mine - aluminum trim), SRB (wood) and SRV (vinyl). And then three of the previous model Sunburst I which had the same hull and trim but a 2" shorter sheer fore, midships and aft. I have read that they were a very wet ride with not much weight savings for the smaller volume of Royalex. There was a third variant which is rare as hen's teeth, the Sunburst LTE II made in Kevlar composite which weight 47 pounds compared to the SRA's listed 60 pounds.

I miss my Tupelo kinda-sorta. But not really. As I have said, it was much more suited for my young adult children and my grandchildren. But these canoes are a rarity. Dagger only made them a short while before they quit making canoes altogether. It was much more suited for paddlers about half my size and for use in calm backwaters. I do much better in the OT 119 that I bought to replace it, even on class II water. You might ask for the opportunity to paddle one the next time you see a Tupelo, just to satisfy your curiosity. As you likely know, for the most part paddlers are a friendly crowd.

 

[DavidZ]

Great job! Thanks for sharing. I have the same Blue Hole canoe, only in like a sea foam green. I have had it since the early 80's. A great canoe! Enjoy your best friend!

 

[Codger_64]

The outfitting arrived this morning and I made a start.

Care to share a picture of your Sunburst David?

 

[Codger_64]

The bag cages are done now and all that remains are some cargo lashing points and painters. I am going to try to plan the cargo points to be useful if/when I add a center bag, as well as to secure drybags. And to leave the space free for my paddle partner, Jake.

 

[mewolf1]

Very nice and clean install. Won't be long for the water now. How's Jake with his white water moves?

The bag cages are done now and all that remains are some cargo lashing points and painters. I am going to try to plan the cargo points to be useful if/when I add a center bag, as well as to secure drybags. And to leave the space free for my paddle partner, Jake.

 

[Codger_64]

Very nice and clean install. Won't be long for the water now. How's Jake with his white water moves?

Jake moves regardless of the water conditions. But he has excellent sea legs and seldom slips and bumps his chin on the gunnels. If... IF he does well in faster water, I'll be adding traction tape to the floor and gunnels at his station. If he doesn't do well, I'll just add a center bag and leave him at home on those trips. I'm going to try him out in the Sunburst this weekend on a class I-II and see how he works out. A comparison of the hull shapes of the fleet gives some idea of the stability of each. The sunburst has no real defined chines.

Top left: Old Town Guide 169
Top right: Bluehole Sunburst
Bottom left: Bell Morningstar
Bottom right: Old Town Discovery 119K

 

[Codger_64]

I loaded up for the river yesterday but rainchecked the trip bcause of the high chance of thunderstorms which didn't materialize.

I took her for a spin today. Literally. Sorta. Whoever wrote that the Sunburst II had only 1 1/2" of rocker fore and aft was daft.

It wanted to spin at every eddy and course change, and as a breeze came up from the approaching cold front, it tried to weathervane on me. Much more so than the Bell Morningstar with it's lighter weight and 1 1/2" of rocker fore and aft. This felt more like 2 1/2" of rocker.

It was a good day on the river though.

The rentals with their duffers proved entertaining as usual with their antics and warning me about places they had just turned over. I do see some adjustments I need to make. Like moving the seat foreward a few inches and the center thwart as much and a few more. I did get tickled at the livery boys when they hefted the Sunburst off my trailer and onto theirs, and again helped me reload at the takeout. They were unanamous in their impression of how light my canoe was compared to the old aluminum rentals they toss day in and day out. She comes in a hair over 61#. Still not as light as the Morningstar.

 

[JTC]

Codger I see you are in southwest Tennessee which isn't too awfully far from me in Southeast Missouri. What are some of the rivers you canoe if you don't mind sharing.
I try to spend as much time as I can at Current river here.

Thanks.

John

 

[Codger_64]

This one is the Buffalo, Tennessee not Arkansas. I am originally from Arkansas and have paddled most of them there and a few in Southern Missouri. I grew up just south of Blytheville, college in Jonesboro and landed in and around Little Rock for some years. That tiny sticker on the bow of this canoe is an original Ozark Outdoor Supply sticker sent to me by a friend in the ACC. I had them on every canoe when I lived in Arkansas.