I ordered a kit from PygmyBoats.com, and yesterday in the mail I recieved
my Hull Identification Number. I'm wondering how other kit builders put
on their HINs. Would a sharpie on the bare wood show through after
expoxying and putting on the cloth and varnish? Or do you have a better
idea?

Another question: I built a cedar strip canoe back in 1982, and back then
the book I was working for said that a glossy coat looks better and
probably wears better, but if you left it so that it still had some of the
weave texture came through, it would probably be a tiny bit faster (as
well as making the boat a lot lighter). That was probably based on the
premise that tripping up the boundary layer works so well for golf balls,
so it must do something for canoes as well. I wonder if there is any
truth to that theory?

--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
"Every computer crashes, because every OS sucks"
- Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie, "Every OS Sucks" http://www.deadtroll.com/

Everything shows through the glass so I'm sure a sharpie would work
Under the glass it would be very permanent too. If you put it on the
bottom side of the deck or some other hidden spot it would be a great
security feature. On the canoe I built I just had a brass engraving
made that I epoxied into the front deck no HIN just my name and the
year.
Americas cup racing yachts have dimples on the keels to make them
faster so I'm sure your theory is right but I like glossy better it
looks more like you're paddling a work of art that way.

On Sat, 17 May 2008 23:26:16 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

I ordered a kit from PygmyBoats.com, and yesterday in the mail I recieved
my Hull Identification Number. I'm wondering how other kit builders put
on their HINs. Would a sharpie on the bare wood show through after
expoxying and putting on the cloth and varnish? Or do you have a better
idea?

Another question: I built a cedar strip canoe back in 1982, and back then
the book I was working for said that a glossy coat looks better and
probably wears better, but if you left it so that it still had some of the
weave texture came through, it would probably be a tiny bit faster (as
well as making the boat a lot lighter). That was probably based on the
premise that tripping up the boundary layer works so well for golf balls,
so it must do something for canoes as well. I wonder if there is any
truth to that theory?

--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
"Every computer crashes, because every OS sucks"
- Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie, "Every OS Sucks" http://www.deadtroll.com/