Build your own.

Pool noodles with holes down the middle cut in half, staggered,
lashed with string, a sailcloth cover bag, pulled snug, and you can
make your own. Doubles as pillows, lifebelt, MOB recovery toy (all
the kids should know how) trebuchet personal launch sling, sea
luggage, hammock, what else? Could use pressurized pepsi bottles,
but not as good.

Cheap enough?

How mini? 50 gal drums, spaced and lashed inside 14 strapped 12
degree bevelled planks of wood 5 1/2 " wide inside, chain or fence
wire "X" ties, bridge beams at top, light deck. Upside down, heavy
fish scow. Hinged, perfect swim platform.

A hole in the deck makes it a great mooring service raft. Cast your
mooring grindstones at low tide, pick em up at high with no work,
only patience.

The scow is partly full of water, but can move netted fish alive.
You could build up a standalone open transom outboard rack with
removeable 2X4 legs/ braces. It'll plane, empty. With a styrofoam
insulated bottom and a top deck, It'd even keep them warm and dry.

Disassembles easily to go ashore by one man. Portageable.
With bilge boards and a derrick mast, It'll sail. When you get where
you're going, the boards could make a cabin roof, the barrels, wind
wall and storage, the sails, national flags, even parachutes.

If you tie a piece of rope around the drum necks, leaving footloops,
even after a terrible crash and dissassembly (Dissassembly!?),
there's lots of flotsam for aspiring drownees.

My cableferry catamaran for icy climes and glacier sailing. Could
add skate blades. Two on end could make a warm ice fishing hut.

Now, to add an airboat prop and rogallo wings a la
flyingbeachboat.com , or a bicycle drive prop or two. I wonder if a
lawn mower could make it a hovercraft?

Wanna picture?

Terry K


Bill McKee wrote:
Farms, use the 12" as part of the distribution network.

"JamesgangNC" wrote in message
link.net...

The only thing I've ever seen in that industry sector in large sizes is
the black corrugated stuff. Althhough I have seen a corrugated with a
smooth inside wall that was pretty stiff. I'm thinking the only market for
big pvc is developers and city services.

"Bill McKee" wrote in message
thlink.net...

"JamesgangNC" wrote in message
news
Looks like you can get sched 40 pvc up to 16" in diameter in 20 ft
lengths. I was only able to find wholesale skid pricing, not retail. It
worked out to individual prices, all 20 ft lengths:

10" = $8.20 each skid qty 220
12" = $23.15 each skid qty 120
14" = $54.68 each skid qty 60
16" = $71.50 each skid qty 60

You could probably build a full size pontoon with the bigger sizes.
Only trouble is that skid is about a ton of pipe. Is there a uv issue
with pvc? Guess you could paint it.

"Ed Edelenbos" wrote in message
...

dh@. wrote in message
om...

On 12 Sep 2005 14:03:34 -0700, wrote:


If it's for a kayak or canoe you may look up sponsons.
Sponsons have become a nasty word in the kayak news groups because
there were some safety accusations made concerning their lack of use.
That or you could make something up with PVC pipe and end caps.
( The latter is great for Hiding guns in. (Water tight and tough
should
you want to burry them : )).

I'm looking for something more about this size:

http://www.islander-pontoon-boats.com/hydro-bike.html

Maybe PVC would work...


I'd like to hear of what you might find (or what anyone might know
about pricing for 12"d pipe.) A quick calculation says that a 10 foot
section would be (roughly) good for 500 lbs at full submersion. A pair
would be good for 500 lbs at half submersion... I couldn't find the
weight per foot of the pipe itself. If it is cost effective, I could
see a project or 2 that it would be perfect for.

Ed



Go to an irrigation supply company.