Part two of two
By Phil Miller
Owner of Black Snow Canoe Outfitters
Following the first article by Black Snow Canoe Outfitters, on outfitting a Silverbirch canoe, this article focuses on the sidewalls, lacing and airbags.
About the Author
Phil Miller owns Black Snow Canoe Outfitters based in Staffordshire. Over the last few years they have perfected the creation of bespoke saddles to fit individual paddlers. Today they specialise in offering bespoke canoe outfitting and custom boat builds and are an official dealer and demo centre for Silverbirch canoes.
http://blacksnowcanoe
outfitters.co.uk
Outfitting and trimming a whitewater OC1 canoe – part 2
Part one can be read here: https://paddlerezine.com/outfitting-and-trimming-a-whitewater-oc1-canoe/
Following the first article by Black Snow Canoe Outfitters, on outfitting a Silverbirch canoe, this article focuses on the sidewalls, lacing and airbags. Some readers will know that a Silverbirch canoe will arrive with a sidewall kit and will be pre-drilled and laced. Airbags need to be purchased separately.
Sidewalls
The purpose of sidewalls is to help reduce the volume of water which can enter the boat. Some say that having sidewalls helps when rolling as they aide the escape of water during the motion of the roll. A boat, equipped with quality airbags and sidewalls, once rolled will come up with very little water, making the boat more manageable.
The Silverbirch sidewall kit is shaped to fit the profile of the boat you have bought. They tend to be a generous depth, and they will need a certain amount of final shaping to achieve a perfect fit. It is a very personal choice as to how well connected into the boat you wish to be but you should work out how much room you need in your boat, between the sidewall and the saddle spine, so that your exit is not impaired.
I do this by making a template of foam or cardboard to the shape and fit that I need. I use the template to mark the sidewalls with a marker pen (see photos), to give me cut lines to work to. You may need to make a template for each side of the boat. To achieve best results, take your time to shape the sidewall once it’s marked up so that it fits really well when glued into the boat. Larger paddlers might need to reduce the overall depth of the sidewall. Some people carve a shape for the outer edge of their thighs on the front of the sidewall, which in effect extends the thigh hooks to give better connection on the thighs.
As with shaping your saddle, work to the waste side of the cut lines and refine the shape using a Surfoam tool. Once you’ve achieved the fit required, offer the sidewall to the side of the boat and mark the outline of the sidewall with a marker pen. You can mask off outside the marks if you’re worried about overspray but most glues spray accurately. Apply two thins coats of glue, to each surface (sidewall and boat) allowing each to gas off/touch dry before bonding the sidewalls into position. Always follow manufacturers instructions relating to glue; most glues are hazardous and flammable and need well ventilated space.
Lacing
The boat will be supplied with pre-drilled holes spaced at approximately 75mm intervals and with a generous amount of lacing in place. Both Silverbirch and Black Snow Canoe Outfitters use Kingfisher 3mm high quality yachting cord. The lacing creates a cage at bow and stern – the airbags will be trapped by the bulkhead and rear of the saddle, which holds the airbags in place. Lacing needs to be pulled tight in order for it to be effective
Airbags
Airbags are a key component, not just to add floatation to the boat but also to displace water. Fully inflated, airbags ensure that water cannot migrate underneath them, helping to achieve a light and manageable boat.
We have a very healthy situation regarding airbag manufacturers in the UK at the moment. Gone are the days of buying a generic off the shelf airbag that never quite fitted your boat. Now we have two companies (Tribal Airbags and BPM Whitewater – links below) making high quality, affordable, durable, custom-fit airbags, made specifically to fit all the latest boat designs, leaving no voids and areas for water to collect.
The guys are very approachable, and passionate about what they do; contact them using the links below if you have questions about airbags. These new generation airbags are fitted with high volume raft valves, so that they’re easy to inflate quickly, using a cheap 12-volt pump or double action stirrup pump. Both come with top-up valves so that you can orally top up if needed while on the water (see photos right).
When fitting an airbag to your boat, feed it between the lacing, partially inflate it until it starts to take shape and then offer it right up into the bow or stern of the boat before inflating it fully. You’ll find that once you get on the water, they may need a top-up or on a hot day, to have some air released. On hot sunny days, it’s advisable to partially deflate the bags when not on the water, as they will expand with the heat.
I like to remove and dry both airbags after each use for a couple of reasons; I thoroughly dry my kit between uses to prolong its life, prevent mould, and to stay in code with the non-native invasive species control between rivers (the check/clean/dry awareness campaign).
Bespoke outfitting
This article has focused on a Silverbirch Rebel 11.3 and the outfitting that it is supplied with. Black Snow Canoe Outfitters also create bespoke outfitting for bare hulls; the following photos show examples of a couple of fully outfitted boats to show some of the options available.
Disclaimers
Gluing sidewalls into a PE boat, as with gluing saddles, carries a risk that things will come unstuck over time. There are great glues on the market specific for these materials, but make it a habit to check your outfitting each time you plan to go out on the water; check that nothing has moved, tighten the thwarts, checking the lacing and airbags.
Always ensure that you have successfully practised a dry and wet exit from a boat with new outfitting before using it on moving water. A fully outfitted boat should be a comfortable fit with good connection but in no way impair exit from the boat.
About the Author
Phil Miller owns Black Snow Canoe Outfitters based in Staffordshire. Over the last few years they have perfected the creation of bespoke saddles to fit individual paddlers. Today they specialise in offering bespoke canoe outfitting and custom boat builds and are an official dealer and demo centre for Silverbirch Canoes.
Further References
Further detailed information on outfitting your boat is available at the Black Snow website: www.blacksnowcanoeoutfitters.co.uk and Facebook page www.facebook.com/blacksnowcanoeoutfitters/
The Tribal Airbags Facebook link is www.facebook.com/tribalairbags/
The BPM Whitewater website is https://bpm-whitewater.com
