The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-05-17
A Paper Boat.

During one OF my summer vacations
among the lakes of Central New York.
| resolved to make, if possible, paper
boat which should be easy to row or
paddle, light enough to be carried short
distances with comparative ease, and,
| at the same time, safe and even durable
if managed with reasonable care.
1t was to be twelve feet long. Ifirst
made framework on which to stretch
the paper.
For this latter purpose | bought about
eighteen yards of very strong wrapping
paper. 1t was of light cream color,
smooth on the surface, and very tough,
but neither stiff nor very thick; and
being made in long rolls, it could be OBJ.
tanned of almost any length desired. 1t
was only about yard wide, SO that it
required two breadths to reach around
the frame in the widest part. cut
enough off the roll to cover the frame,
and soaked it for few minutes in water.
L then turned the frame upside down
and fastened the edges of the two strips
of paper to it, by tapping them carefully
on the under side of the bottom-board
and tacking them to it, so that the paper
hung down loosely on all sides. It was
then trimmed, Tapped and doubled over
as smoothly as possible at the ends of
the frame, and held in place by means
of small clamps. Along the edges it
was drawn tight, trimmed and doubled
down over the gunwale, where it was
firmly held by slipping strips of ash just
inside of the gunwales. The shrinkage
caused by the dying stretched the paper
thus fastened, tightly over the frame
work. AS soon as thoroughly dry, it
was vanished, inside and out, with
asphaltum varnish thinned with turpen-
tine, and, as soon as that had soaked in,
a second coat of the same varnish was
applied, but with less turpentine;
and, finally, the laps or Joints
OF the paper were covered with
pieces of muslin stuck on with
the unthinned varnish. The loose strips
OF ash were now removed and another
layer of paper was put ON and fastened
along the edge of the boat by replacing
the strips as before. When the paper
was dry and the whole outside of the boat
vanished several times, until it present.
ed smooth, shining surface, / covered
the whole boat with unbleached muslin,
sewed at the ends and tackled along the
gunwales. 1t was then tightened bv
shrinking, and finally received three
coats of mixture of varnish and paint.
| then took some split rattan, and, after
wetting it, wound it firmly around both
gunwale and inside strip, passing it
through small holes punched in the
paper just below the gunwale, until the
inside and outside strips were bound to-
gether into one strong gunwale.
A double-bladed paddle was at first
used to propel it, and answered the pur-
pose, but was found to be awkward, the
boat being rather too wide. 1t was after
ward rugged with wooden, and finally
with iron, rowlocks and light oars. I
also put in movable seat With these
Improvements it is so satisfactory that ]
have since made no changes. For car
rying the boat / also used a sort of yoke,
which brings all the weight upon the
shoulders, and in that way lightens the
labor.
During the two years that have used
my boat | have often landed it. through
heavy breakers, on very stony shore,
DesldeS running IL against a fair number
of submerged snags and stones, some-
times with considerable force, but owing
to its lightness and toughness it never
received the slightest injury. / have
been out in it in very heavy seas and
have found it much easier to manage at
such times than heavier boat. In row.
ing parallel to high waves it is apt to
ship a little water occasionally, unless
managed, but all small boats
with low sides experience this difficulty.
The approximate cost of the materials
used in the construction of the canoe was
as follows: qts. varnish, 81 80; Is yds
paper, Sl.20; 8 yds. cloth, u cts; bot
tom-board, go cts; gunwales, 80 cts.
cross boards, 25 cts. paint, 5fcts. split
rattan, % cts; nails, screws, wire, etc..
% cts. Total, $6.17.-De Cost Smith,
IN st. Nicholas.