An Electrifying Experience, and Sea Trials.

Tillikum gains Electricity.
A Proper Yacht these days has electrical power to operate its various expensive gadgets: bilge pumps, lights, depth sounder, radar etc.. I wanted Tillikum to be up to date as well and I was particularly interested in an automatic bilge pump. I imagined being in an emergency situation where the canoe was taking on water and I was too busy rowing or sailing for my life to stop to bail. It would also be nice to plug in a navigation light or even a VHF radio.

The perennial problem was weight, but I found a small gel cell 12v. 7.5 amp. hr. battery that would fit through the hatch in the rear flotation compartment. I glued a plywood base for it to rest on into the bottom of the compartment with a bungee cord to keep it in place even in an upset. Wires from the battery (fused) lead through the bulkhead (sealed with marine silicone) to an automatic bilge switch and 500 gph. bilge pump set at the rear of the slot that forms the keel. A second set of wires and fuse serve a waterproof socket into which I can plug a variety of lights and a flexible solar panel for recharging. Anything else, like a GPS map plotter or cell phone can run on their own batteries.

Tillikum goes to Sea.
Late summer is a busy time around our house for my wife Heather, with a whole big vegetable garden to be processed into winter stores. There is no time to go gadding about with her husband in his latest toy, so when our friends Tom and Charlotte dropped in for a rest from their long Kayaking trip through the Gulf Islands it seemed a good time to take Tom back out to sea so I could try Tillikum out in salt water. We trailered Tillikum down to the head of Fulford Harbour and found the tide was out - way out! Having checked the tide tables, we were expecting this and it was the perfect opportunity to try out the carriage for the long walk over the sand to the water. The new wheels worked well on the hard sand and soon I was rowing out the bay somewhat disappointed not to find the canoe slipping along like greased lightning. She was no faster than my dory, but then, Edith is particularly fast.

An hour later and three miles from our launch site we went ashore at an island park for a walk and then I rigged the masts and sails and got Tom to take pictures as I sailed around in a light breeze. This time Tillikum tacked with no problems and sailed to windward well. With Tom back aboard we ran back up the harbour again in the light breeze. Running is the slowest point of sail but even so we only took another hour before we were beaching the canoe again and rolling it up to and on the trailer. Altogether a satisfactory sea trial.

Tillikum gets wheels.

Last time I put wheels under Tillikum, I borrowed the set I had made up for my dory. As they were designed to fit under the bows of the dory, the carriage was quite narrow and also fitted just back from the bow of the canoe: the weight 14 feet back at the stern was quite considerable. I needed a carriage that would be positioned close to the center balance point.







I had a couple of wheels saved from a broken lawnmower so these became the beginning of the new project. I removed the short axles and, after measuring the width needed amidships, I found a hollow metal tube the same diameter as the old axles and cut it to length. In itself it would not be rigid enough as an axle, so I forced a length of threaded rod down the center of it to stiffen it up and give a place to attach washers and nuts on to the outer ends of the axle.



A length of 2 by 4 was cut to fill the space between the wheels, a grove cut lengthwise and the axle glued into the slot with epoxy. (Washers between wheel and wood.)This stiffened the axle even more and gave a wooden frame to attach triangular plywood gussets on either end and either side. Onto these angled pieces were placed two plywood rectangular pieces to act as bunks (rests) where the canoe bottom met the carriage After a coat of paint I glued pieces of closed cell foam (old camper mat.) as the contact point for the canoe. Holes in the corners of the bunks took ropes to lash canoe to carriage. (I may replace these with cinch straps).







Strapped on amidships, partway in the unloading of canoe from the trailer, the canoe can be trundled around with one hand. Now I do not have to find a proper launching ramp or a full tide for launching. The canoe can be walked down any reasonably smooth beach, slid off the carriage into the water and the carriage left on the trailer for the reverse operation on my return.







Total cost: $0.00. Just the way I like it!