And it begins.
Went over to Spiritlines webstore to check on availability of new skin for Duh!kee.
Ouch!!!
The same skin kit I purchased last year for Serena for $160+S/h is now $260.
I figured a price increase was coming but not a 50+% jump. Ouch again!!!
I’m gonna bite the bullet and order it even though I won’t be doing anything till late this year or early next (assuming everything holds together that long. I ain’t holding my breath. ) but like the rule states: Better to be looking at it than looking for it.
My plan with Duh!k is a total overhaul. New cutwater shape, double up the chine numbers and raise her upper deck 2″ in the bow area and up 1″ for the first half of the stern. I want to slim down the rib lengths to bring the keelson closer to the(current) deck but still keep my foot depth and cargo areas. To keep weight close to present, I intend on removing a few ribs as well. I found on Serena that I had way too many ribs in Duh!k. The two weigh the same even though Serena is 2′ longer, 2″ wider and has a heavier skin with more dope on it.
And I am building a completely different cockpit coaming using the techique used on the feathercraft: Fiberglass lay-up. (I’m in process of making the pattern for it now.)
‘Why bother with it?’ You ask? I loved the way Duh!k cut the waves on the lake where Serena rides up them. That has everything to do with bow cutwater shape.
On top of that, Duh!k is still the faster boat, even if only by tenths of a knot. I think I can gain another tenth or two by rounding the hull shape better.
And its all part of my learning process. Playing with the WW boats recently has added to my knowledge of hull dynamics, at least intuitively. I now know why I needed to add the skeg to Serena but not Duh!k, and I see how hull shape affects stability and speed.
I can see why Serena will surf where Duh!k needs a rudder brace to hold the wave face.
I still intend on racing Duh!k, with Serena as my tour/expedition boat. Keep the WW boat for river play and practice as she is easier to get to water (being short has its merits).
And it will give me something to do when the cold northwinds come to visit and the nights are longer than the days.
But damn! 50 flippin percent increase in prices. If it weren’t for the fact that the dope has an expiration date if not mixed, I’d double my order now for future boats. (Note: 2part polyurethane ; the poly solids part starts to separate out and is near impossible to mix back in. It makes for some seriously lumpy coatings.)
Dio's Workshop 
Have ya checked on lumber and sheet goods lately? Wow!
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August 21, 2020 at 9:03 pm
Yup! Wow indeed. Treated 5/8 for my dads deck at $2.50/ft. Blew me away,!
And we were told we were lucky to get it because shipping is all backordered on most all lumber
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August 21, 2020 at 9:07 pm
Good example of this trend. Two years ago I replaced the fan control switch in my trucks AC. It cost $24.95 back then…the same switch failed again here recently. Went down to the same parts house ( Discount Auto parts) to get another one , now $44.95 !
Dontcha just love all the savings this trade war caused lol ?
So I paid the higher price…and when the clerk handed me the receipt , he said it was warrantied forever…I said , well how come I paid this time then ? I bought this here two years ago ! Sure nuff, he looked it up on the computer and there was the original receipt.
Gave me my money back , no charge… sometimes computerization is a good thing.
How the hell can you stay in business , guarantying stuff for life when it fails after two years ?
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August 23, 2020 at 3:52 am
“How the hell can you stay in business,,,”
Because that only applies to individuals who ask. 99% won’t.
Besides that point, a lot of what I am seeing, in regards to price increases, is in direct relation to shut downs and supply/demand. Lumber is usually an American/ Canadian produce, not Chinese, and we are seeing large gaps in the supply side now that the demand side is kicking back into gear with loosened restrictions. Some of those sources are in Washington and Oregon where things are far from normal.
In the case of my boat skin, that may be due to tradewar. Ballistic nylon is probably cheaper to make over there, so the price increase is due to either import fees or higher cost of locally produced. The dope is supposedly made in state, but they may be feeling the crunch of it to; the chemicals may be produced in China and ‘assembled’ here. Not certain but that 58% hike really ‘showed me’. And I can read it several ways, from trade war, Covidiocy shutdowns, the edge of hyper-inflation, etc. But no natter how it reads, the price is real and that means my hobby is gonna feel it to. (It also means the price to buy one of my boats just went up.)
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August 23, 2020 at 6:41 am