Duckworks Magazine

Wäasabi

by Benjamin Stone - Holliston, Massachusetts - USA

I finally launched WÄASABI last weekend, so I thought I would give you a summary of the project from my perspective, and how I modified Flyfisher to accommodate a Piantedosi RowWing.

I retained most of the design with the following changes:

(click images to enlarge)

I lowered the height of the central compartment deck to just 5” above the keel/hull, to permit the RowWing to sit over the hatch. I installed an additional sheet of ¼” ply, 14” wide and the full length of the aft cockpit, to act as a stringer to support the aft stanchions and hardware for the RowWing.

	The attachment hardware was set up on some additional mounting blocks to permit limber holes for drainage.

I added a pair of 3” tall “half-frames” amidships, just inboard of the bulkheads C & D, to add strength to the gunnels and top strake amidships. These added a lot of stiffness. They also permit some shockcord to be used as a drinkholder.

Under the central compartment, I added 2 support knees amidships, 1 fore and 1 aft just inside the bulkheads, to dramatically increase the deck strength, which I found too flimsy for my 190lbs. I also screwed the cleats under the compartment decking to the bulkheads, and for the forward and aft compartments, I screwed cleats laterally through the hull planks. This latter was critical to again holding my weight without spreading the hull. I also added additional ply to the hatch covers themselves to support me.

In place of threaded nuts, I built turning toggles for dogging down the hatch covers. I felt they protruded less, and were quicker to release and install the hatch covers.

I added a 10 x 15” elliptical bottom window into the hull of the forward cockpit. I took the installation design concept from a page on the CLC website. I used lexan polycarbonate, supposedly much stronger than acrylic, and safer/lighter than glass.

The design concept included 2 parallel rub strakes alongside the window on the bottom, just ½” thick, to minimize scraping on the window when on the hard.

I added a Keel/skeg for the aft 5 ft. of the hull, 3/4” wide x 5/8” deep. I’m not sure if this helps tracking when I row or not, but it certainly does not impede turning – she still turns on a dime.

Instead of any half-round bronze for the stems, I glued on an additional 1/4” strip to the face of the bow stem, as a sacrificial bumper, to be replaced if/when needed.

I have drilled some ¼” deep receiver holes in 3 places along the inwale in the forward cockpit.