SUNDAY. JUNE 28. 1959
HERALD AND NEWS. KLAMATH FALIJ?. OREGON
PAGE SEVEN
Assembling A Kit Boat
Separates Men From Boys
NEW YORK UPI Assembling
your own boat? Remember it
lake more than two guys and a
keg of beer to put together even the
smallest prefabricated kit boat.
And it usually can't be done in
a day even with power tools.
If you're a real handcraftsman
mainly because there is no elec
trical power available a kit boat
of the simplest style can take
hours of careful planning and la
bor. The planning is the most im
portant part and the labor is just
work.
The first step after deciding how
large and what style boat best
suits your needs is to ask a boat
dealer or a reputable old salt to
recommend a manufacturer of
boat kits.
Once you have placed your or
der, start thinking about a con
venient place out of (lie way of
normal living where consttuction
can be accomplished at a leisure
ly pace. Garages, porches and
recreation rooms are liable to be
needed before you get through.
Basements are suitable and
work there can be done in rainy
weather when the backyard might
be too damp. Of course, every
one knows the basement door has
to be big enough to haul out the
completed boat.
When the kit arrives, the first
thing to do is dig for the direc
tions and retire to solitude for
careful study. Then check the var
ious parts to see they all arrived,
and figure what tools wilt be need
ed. If the kit comes equipped with
a screw driver, don't be misled
by thinking this will be a one
tool job. Various size drills, a coun
Launching From Trailer
First Test Of Boating
Skill And Consideration
Boats, and boating, are fun, and
thousands upon thousands of peo
ple are discovering and enjoying
boating every year. The morp
he knows what he is doing with
a boat, the more the novice skip
per will enjoy it.
Recognizing this fact, the Evin
rude Boating Foundation has con
stantly attempted to give tips on
seamanship, the art of skillfully
handling a boat. The Foundation
recognizes that good boating habits
are largely a matter of good tun
ing. If you tram yourself to do
everything in the most seaman
like manner, you will be tabbed
as a good boatman by the man
ner in which you handle yourself
in and around your boat.
Let's assume in beginning the
lessons on seamanship that you
are one of those thousands of new
comers to boating and have pur
chased a boat, outboard motor and
trailer, all of which are properly
matched. You're all set to go
Your dealer has properly rigged
your outfit and your only concern
is to get it into the water and op
erate it.
Where do you start?
If you have the boat on a trailer
and most boatmen today trailer
their boats your first concern is
to get the boat to the lake, ff
the trailer and into the water.
A good idea is to go out for a
little test drive when traffic is thin
and find out just exactly how your
trailer rig behaves how much ex
tra braking is necessary to stop.
How much less pick-up your car
has in pulling the rig. and how
much extra swing you need to
avoid having the trailer wheels
hit -the curb. There ii no great
problem m towing a boat trailer.
Just remember: you're driving two
vehicles and not one.
Where the novice experiences h
first trouble will come in back
ing the trailer onto a launching
ramp. It might be a good idea be
fore you try to launch at a crowd
ed ramp to go out into a shop
ping center parking lot after shop
ping hours or on an off-day and
practice backing the trailer into
the marked parking spaces.
Basically, there if one thing to
tersinking tool, a rasp, a saw and
a nammer are also basic.
If a power drill is used, the
job goes more quickly, but, if not.
a yankee screw driver or a brace
with a screw-head bit are much
easier than working with a sim
ple hand screwdriver.
Most kit boats are built on a
saw horse-type form which is con
structed first. Don't just nail it
together loosely, thinking of its
dispensability at the conclusion of
construction. This will have to
stand the assault of hammering,
screw driving, sawing and rasp
ing. It also helps keep the align
ment of the boat in proper per
spective. Once you are started on con
struction, don't be afraid to re
treat if you find a mistake. It's
easier to take out two screws
than 20. If directions are puzzling
contemplate the work until you
understand what is necessary.
It may take two days to arrive
at a variable keel bevel which al
lows the bottom to fit snugly to
the keel, and the bottom fit is
important.
Most do-it-yourself indulgents
have the skill to put a kit togeth
er if they have the patience to be
careful. Here are a few don ts:
Don't leave the prefab pieces
around where the kids might
throw them out the window or into
the rose bush, or where they get
wet and warp.
Don't try to force a soft brass
screw into hard oak by twisting.
It will break. Drill the holes deep
enough.
Don't let unfamiliar terms
scare you. Ask someone.
A And don't' lose the directions.
remember about backing a trailer
rig. When you're backing down to
the water's edge, the stem of your
boat will swing in the opposite
direction to the rear of your car.
It's always best, if space will per
mit, to pull up so that j : trail
er is straightened out behind your
car before you begin to back down
to the water. This will call for
less maneuvering and will make
the entire operation easier.
Another tip that is worth while
to the new boatman. When beck
ing to the water, grip the steering
wheel of your car at the bottom.
Then do your steering from that
position. If you want your trailer
to turn left, swing the bottom of
the steering wheel to the left, and
vice versa if you want the trailer
to turn right. Don't over steer.
This can cause your trailer to
"jack-knife," or swing sharply in
one direction. The only solution if
this happens is to pull ahead again
and start over.
But after a time or two, back
ing your trailer will become second
nature. When you get it down to
the water, roll it in just short of
hub cap depth. With the modern
tilting trailer, it is seldom, if ever,
necessary to back into the water
any further than that. This will
prevent water from seeping in
around the seals and causing rust
in your wheel bearings.
Now. before you get ready to
push the boat into the water, you
should make one important check.
Be sure that the seacock, or drain
plug, is inserted into the drain
hole. If not. you might go sub
marining instead of boating.
Then just loosen the winch rone,
be sure you hat a line attached
to the boat, and push it into the
water. Now you're all set to go
boating.
Just one little word of caution.
On a launching ramp is the fir.it
place to show your knowledge of
seamanship and boating courtesy.,
When your boat is in the water,
have someone else hold it in tow
while you get your car and trailer
off the ramp so that someone else
may use it. You'll be respected
for it, i
Outboard Motor Boat Is
Popular, Also Versatile
By JIM FIEDLER I
NEW YORK iUPl The out -I
board motor boat, fast becoming
the most popular pleasure craft in
the U.S., is also one of the most
versatile.
Except for the Bayou Buggy
and the Seminole Swamp Sled,
which can glide over a few inches
of water or even a patch of dry
land, the outboard is 'the only
boat that can be beached with its
motor tilted up, eliminating any
chance of damage to it.
Many boats, from canoes to sail
boats, which were not originally
designed for propulsion by an en
gine, may be adapted to take an
outboard motor.
This can be done with the use
of outboard brackets, available in
local marine hardware stores. The
brackets can be clamped to the
side of a canoe or bolted to the
transom of a rowing skiff or sail-
I However, before motorizing your
boat, make sure it can safely use
the motor you intend -to pur
chase. Is the boat built by a recognized
boat builder and will it give peak
performance when using recom
mended horsepower? If you are
a water-ski enthusiast is the hull
recommended for that sport?
Another factor to consider is
material construction. Whether the
boat is built of wood, metal or
fiberglass, has the material been
proved durable for your locale? Is
the transom strong enough to hold
two motors if desired? t
Freeboard., the height that ex
tends above the water, is some
thing else that should not be over
looked. Big craft carry more free
board, not because it is necessary
to keep afloat, but for the large
waves that are encountered in
rough weather.
Outboard motors have 16 inch
and 20 inch motor driveshafts.
The longer shaft permits a hign
er transom cut-out, thereby mini
mizing chances of flooding by a
following-sea. Most boats built to
day have a self-bailing motor well
which allows any water shipped to
run right out. Also there are out
boards manufactured that have au
tomatic power bailing.
Last summer, this reporter wit
nessed a marine accident and took
part in the rescue while sailing
on Long Island Sound. Six fisher
men, crammed into a 12-foot rent
ed row boat with an outboard mo
tor, were swamped and over
turned during a blow.
Luckily, all were saved. But the
accident taught some valuable les
sons. First, there should not have
been six people in the boat. The
transom was low in the water and
there was little freeboard due to
the overcrowding.
Second, the motor was too pow
erful to handle properly. Finally,
these Izaac Waltons knew noth
ing of boatmanship.
To carry the more powerful out
board motors on the market to
day and to provide added versa
tility and stability, many outboard
boats offered this year have great
er beam than previously. With the
greater and more varied use that
today's outboard boats are under
going, this development follows
the general build-up in average
IRON WITH CARE
COLUMBUS 'UPD The com
bination fabrics of dacron with
rayon, cotton or wool all require
extra ironing care, says Kdna
Akers. clothing specialist at Ohio
State University, i
Although the fabrics look and
feel like wool, they should be
pressed with an iron set at the
rayon setting 250 to 300 decrees.
Pressure on the fabric should be
light, and the iron should be in
contact with the fabric for the
shortest possible time.
Remember that the fabric should
be pressed on the wrong side. If
il is necessary to press on the right
side, use dry press cloth.
COWS MII.K TAXPAYERS
WATERBURY. Conn. l'PI A
herd of 10 cows at a city wel
fare home have been warned to
produce or else. Superintendent
Vincent Andrikis said the city is
spending $12 50 a (lay to main
tain the cows but they're turning
out only $10 worth of milk.
boat lengths during recent years.
A boat that has risen rapidly in
the past few years is the outboard
cruiser Its popularity has grown
because motor manufacturers are
coming out with electric starters
and remote control steering de
vices.
Today new motors are made so
that there are fewer maintenance
cares for the owner and quieter,
more versatile operation. In most
medium and high horsepower mo
tors, for instance, shearer pins
are replaced by slip clutches,
thereby eliminating the frustrating
job of changing, sheared pins. .And
PAINT
THINNER
55.
WIESfTS
FULLER PAINT STORE
2899 So. 6th TU 4-6377
Commercial
Printing
Business Forms
. Letterheads
Envelopes
Cords
Invoices
Statements
Checks
Dcsiqned Eipeciolly
To Fit Your Needs
All Types Of
Snap Out Forms
GUIDE
PRINTING CO.
Ph. TU 4-5373
12th end KUmolh
Jfc oocHSf fSSA VAPO
sas 1 illl)CANS
ffiBS uEp : vapo I Safe'
v. (Ui!iijb -'' i bags I Xssi&a
" ' 1 PLASTIC I $,C5H
r 1 A, Y.u. I
aluminum cowlings are being re
placed with fiberglass, whicn
serves a dual purpoe. Fiberglass
will not oxidize, as aluminum
does. Also it abosrbs sound, risk
ing for a quieter motor.
Fiberglass Boat
Building Materials
The Gun Store
714 M.i
Ph. TU 4-3861
if WTiTi
WASH
YOUR HAIR
THE NEW EASY
WAY I
WW SINGLE HANDLE FAUCI!
G. C. MOTLEY, INC.
812 Klomoth Ave.
Phone TU 4-6616
Time to Freeze
STRAWBERRIES!
Ordinary mwt etwrnp, lb If)
Mty flipping. Nov lets) wtlyw
vp ! ahppiflf t vM.
Proved Best
In the "X" test
Wind -Tunnel
Whirlwind '
cut mows fhem oil I
Daring "X" Test proves
new Whirlwind gives
sharper, crisper cut than
any other rotary, vacu
ums clippings, debris.
O l.4t lvmpls lV tMMtt
O Sas. NpptAf N.
e m ri i...
89B
OS WMriwi4-lr ft 00
As ofcovr (no "X" Ittl !
J. Y. KERNS
734 So. 6th - TU 4 4197
I (jrocert anagkrJ
77
7
i