>

>

Quick Links

Blog -

Category
-

Calendar

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Categories

Archives

Browse
archives by date

XML/RSS Feed

Syndicate this
site

Statistics

Total entries in this blog:

Total entries in this category:

Published On: Jun 26, 2004 09:47 AM

Powered by
iBlog

Akas, Amas and Fastenings

The akas (cross pieces/bars) are very simple. I
just picked over a dry pile of 2x4 spruce studs 12 feet long. Got two very
straight ones with nice quarter sawn grain and few knots, shaped the top
edges a bit to thin them near their ends, leaving them full size where
they cross the main hull (down to 2x2.5). More on this with pictures
later.

The amas (hulls/pontoons) are
6mm cheap ply. This was all an experiment so I put little money into this
conversion (akas, amas and glue cost $60.00 CDN). Everything worked so
well that I won't change these parts until I have too. When I need to
build new amas, I'll use 4mm mahogany ply, plenty strong. As it is, the
6mm ply amas are very light and work well. I did fill the end thirds on
both amas with foam (the spray closed cell type from a can) but it really
isn't needed. The center sections had no access last year but this season
I'll cut small inspection hatches with water tight covers. Nothing should
be stored out here.

These hulls were
extremely simple to construct and install. The main thing you must be sure
of is proper alignment. To do this simply measure from each end of the ama
at it's center, to the center line of the main hull, mark and install by
the method I use, or one of your own.

We lash our akas to the main hull. To do this we drilled
holes (ISee the pictures below, worth a thousand words) in the main hull
under the sheer/rub rails. We then simply rove the lines through these and
over the akas pulling them in tight to the main hull. The lines we use are
6mm super low stretch, so they only need adjusting a few times for the
whole season, or when we take it apart for trailering. For last season, we
bolted the amas to the akas. This was ok, but we will experiment with
lashing here as well, less fuss.

These
next photos show the main hull, aka and amas as drilled and ready for
lashings.

Posted: Mon - April 26,
2004 at 03:49 PM

©