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Start Unpack and check the parts list. Read over the manual thoroughly before you begin construction |
7
Hours Lay out and then glue the precision pre-cut panels to their full lengths. Let the epoxy cure overnight |
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| 12
Hours Wire the keel. Place the temporary frames in position. Wire on panels, one at a time, working from the bottom up. |
15
Hours When all the panels are wired on, go back and tighten them with pliers, double-checking alignment as you go. |
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16 Hours Mix a small amount of epoxy and put in a dental syringe. Run a line of epoxy, filling all of the seams. |
18
Hours Flip hull over and fill any gaps in seams with epoxy. Note the temporary frames holding the hull precisely in shape. |
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| 25 Hours Remove all wires. Drape fiberglass cloth over the entire hull and trim to a 1" overhang. |
26 Hours Mix epoxy, pour in a paint tray, apply to fiberglass cloth with 1/8" foam roller. Work from the center to the ends |
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| 32
Hours Lay deck panels over temporary frames. Wire on panels. Squeeze epoxy in seams. Deck cures, taped on hull. |
40 Hours The next day, remove wires from the deck. Take deck off hull. Turn over and reinforce the underside.
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45
Hours Lay fiberglass inside boat. Apply epoxy with paint roller. Work from the center to the ends. |
50 Hours After underside of deck has cured, place the deck back on the hull. Tape in place and glue permanently on the hull. |
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60 Hours Spread fiberglass cloth over the deck. Saturate with epoxy, working from the center to the ends. |
@ | 64 Hours Attach cockpit combings. Hold in place with C-clamps while the epoxy cures |
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| 68 Hours Epoxy and fiberglass reinforce the hip braces in place inside the cockpit. Let cure overnight |
@ | 70 Hours Bolt your adjustable slung-back seat into the hip braces. Velcro seat pad in place. Install footbraces. |
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| Finished! Happy Paddling! Construction times vary. On average, this Triple is constructed in approximately 70-90 hours. |
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This photo sequence shows the construction
of Pygmy's Osprey Triple (featured in Wooden Boat Magazine, Vol. 131 & 132,
1996). All our boats are built in a similar manner. The panel shapes
differ, but the stitching and gluing steps
are nearly identical.
Pygmy Innovation
Pygmy Boats Inc. is a family-run business utilizing cutting edge technology. Our designer,
John Lockwood, created the world's first hull plate expansion program, revolutionizing
boat building. In 1985 he began using that technology to serve home builders of human
powered boats. Our kayaks and wherry are the most sophisticated kits on the market today.
John continues to stretch the realm of stitch-n-glue designs, each year, with new designs
and innovations.
All of our boats are fully computer designed and manufactured. John studies the
traditional design concepts of centuries past, then modifies them for modern needs and
materials to produce extremely complex hulls. Computer guided lasers cut our plank
templates to .004 of an inch accuracy. Never before have sewn seam boats been cut so
precisely to produce such sophisticated shapes.
Simple Construction
Never before have boats of this complexity been built so simply and quickly. Hundreds of
women and men with no prior woodworking experience build Pygmy boats each year. No power
tools are needed. They require no strongback or mold. No trimming of panels. Our shop crew
does ALL the woodworking.
The kit arrives via UPS to your door. Unpack the boxes, lay out the labeled panels, and
glue them to their full lengths. Edge drill the wiring holes with a handy little template
that makes this step a snap.
Then start sewing the panels together with small wire twists. You exert no force on the
panels. They easily assume their proper shape as you stitch them together. Next, glue the
seams, remove the wires the following day, and fiberglass the boat. We recommend mixing
epoxy, pouring it in a paint tray and laying it on with a foam roller. This technique
quickly saturates through the fiberglass cloth, laminating it to your hull.
The building process takes no special skills and can be completed in 50-70 hours on the
solo kayaks, and in 70-90 hours on our Double, Triple, and Wineglass Wherry. There is
nothing more satisfying than building a beautiful boat which will give you a lifetime of
pleasure.
The Most Complete Kits Available
We use only the highest grade of BS-1088 marine Okoume plywood. Each kit contains precision
pre-cut panels and cockpit coamings, a fully illustrated manual, a manufacturer's book of
epoxy tips, 2-part slung back seat, Keepers adjustable footbraces, 1 1/2 to 3 gallons of
epoxy (depending on which kit), all the fiberglass tape, all fiberglass cloth, syringes,
squeegee, epoxy pumps, wood flour, wire, temporary frames, push pins, latex gloves, and
mixing sticks.
Comprehensive Manual and Phone Support
Our manuals contain computer CAD illustrations to walk you through every step of the
construction process. Many builders have called and written to compliment our manuals as
the best they've ever used.
We offer our kit builders phone consultation for any questions they might have. Our time
to assist you comes with the kit.
Finishing Your Hull
Once you've completed your Pygmy, you can use it 2 to 4 weeks before varnishing or
painting. This allows the epoxy to go completely hard. Dry out the boat and sand by hand
or with a little palm sander. Most people choose to bright finish their boats. The
mahogany's lovely, warm honey tones go even a bit darker and richer with the application
of a top quality spar varnish. We recommend Z-Spar's "Flagship" or
System Three's Spar Urethane Varinsh. It's durable
and has excellent UV protection. The finish will last 2 to 7 years depending on intensity
of use and climate.
Painting is the other finishing option. It requires more care in the sanding stage. Paint
tends to highlight any unevenness in the sanded surface, the edges of glass tape (we
recommend feather sanding tape edges for a smooth transition), or drip lines of epoxy. If
you work cleanly while building your boat, wiping up drips or sags while they're still
wet, etc., you'll save sanding time at the end. To paint, use tough epoxy paints or 2-part
polyurethanes (extremely toxic, but extremely tough). Other paints do not hold up well
under the abrasion of beach landings.
Rugged Ultra-Lights
Wood-core, fiberglass composites give you the high tensile strength of fiberglass on the
surfaces and the high compression strength of wood in the center. They are much stronger
and stiffer than fiberglass or wood alone. This enables us to build boats much lighter
than a similar hull can be built out of fiberglass or plastic.
Wood-core, glass-epoxy composites are lighter and stronger than fiberglass or plastic!
This superior strength allows a wood-core-glass boat to be about 25% lighter than
fiberglass and up to 40% lighter than plastic. Strength and elegance--you get the best of
both worlds with Pygmy composites.
Tortured Plywood?
Folks sometimes confuse stitch-n-glue with "tortured plywood" boats and assume
they are the same. Not so. Our hulls are more stable and seaworthy than any tortured boat
with a similar beam. In tortured craft, only 2 panels create the hull of the boat. They
are wired at the keel and then forced (with great exertion--hence the name
"tortured") upward and out to be wired at the ends. This torturing technique
does not allow a rounded bilge or full ends. The wood simply cannot bend enough to create
fullness. Tortured plywood boats tend to plunge through waves due to their inherent low
volume bow and stern. They are much less stable than either hard-chine or multi-chine
stitch-n-glue boats of comparable width.
Construction Time
The time necessary to build each Pygmy kit varies. Some of our customers have sent
us their elapsed building times. Here are the averages:
Solo Kayaks, 50-75 Hours
Double and Triple Kayaks, 70-90 Hours
Wineglass Rowing Wherry, 70-90 Hours
With curing times, most folks build their craft over a 3 to 8 week period.
Most people build their Pygmy in a garage or basement. In warm weather, you can
erect a tarp to keep off moisture, and build outdoors. Alternatively, those without
an outbuilding or basement can clear the living room furniture, spread out a tarp and
construct a boat right in the house! Most commonly, apartment dwellers choose this
option. Just make sure the finished boat will slide through a door or window.
Concerning Epoxy
Pygmy ships System Three Epoxy. We chose this particular epoxy after thorough
testing of several different brands. When working with epoxy, mix it in small
amounts, never more than 6 oz. at a time. If necessary, you can mix more, but mixing
in smaller amounts saves you from having to throw away too much hardened epoxy.
Epoxy generates heat as it cures. If you mix 10oz. of epoxy and leave it in a
measuring cup for 10 minutes it will generate so much heat that it will start to boil.
Proper mixture of epoxy is two parts resin to one part hardener. We provide handy
measuring pumps for that purpose.
If you are working during the winter in a garage or basement that is unheated, it is a
good idea to bring in a space heater and try to get the temperature to at least
55 degrees F. (65 to 70 degrees is optimal). If the epoxy is cold,
(below 70 degrees) it will be thick and hard to spread. If you are working below 70
degrees, you should keep your epoxy bottles in a warm place.
Finally, remember that epoxy adds strength to your boat only when embedded in fiberglass
cloth. A thick layer of epoxy floating on top of the fiberglass only adds weight to
your boat, not strength.
Work carefully and refer to our manual and The Epoxy Book (included in your kit), and
working with epoxy will be safe and easy.
Watch Wayne
Reinert Build His Boats:
Wayne Reinert is busy at work on his second and third boat, the Taiga and Coho. He has also completed an Osprey Standard. If you would like to follow the progress, follow the links below.
Building
the Coho.
Building the Taiga
Building
the Osprey Standard (completed)