Redfish Golden
Finally, the Redfish Golden is ready for the water. Here are thumbnail links to larger photos.
Construction Notes:
- Surplus Western Red Cedar strips 0.2 inches thick
- Cove and bead strip edges
- Mahogany stems and coaming
- Staple construction on the hull, stapleless on the deck
- Two layers of 6 oz. satin weave s-glass outside and one layer inside
- System 3 clear coat and MAS resins
- Top Secrect epoxy paint finish
- Magnetic hatches
Impressions:
The Golden has a lot in common with it's bigger brother the King, but as expected it is more maneuverable and has less glide. It rolls easily, edges well, and catches waves even better than the King. I had it out once in three foot wind waves and felt it did not have enough tracking for downwind work so I added a bit more keel in the stern. That has worked out so far, but it needs another workout in bigger waves to know if it was enough. I will likely instal a skeg to improve downwind performance and trim off the excess keel to revert back to faster turning. It is a fun boat and it is my current favorite for playing around. With two layers of s-glass top and bottom it weighs around 45 pounds completely outfit, 11 more than my King. It feels rock hard and should prove to be tough. 12 ounces of s-glass is about the same as 16 ounce of e-glass.
Comments:
Staple construction and cove and bead strips suck! There, I said it. I won't use them again. Staples lead to at least a marginally heavier boat and don't save much labor for me. Cove and bead creates as many problems as it solves and the coves are fragile. Perhaps cove and bead is more useful on a boat with gentle curves, but I still don't like them.
