Klepper
Aerius Two-Seater
(27 wooden parts, 2 seats, 2 backrests)
A Klepper Aerius is of simple, mature design, and is very
easy to assemble. Looking at a framework below, you can see
the general arrangement of parts. The framework will be assembled
in two halves, each one is then inserted into the hull. All
parts marked with red color will make the front half, all
parts marked with blue color will make the rear half of the
boat frame. Exception: 7 ribs are used in numerical order
(l through 7).
Assembly
of Front Half of Frame (7 parts with red markings and rib
1 and 2) Unfold the keelboard. Insert the wooden bow
piece (b) at the twin-headed rivet into the slot at forward
end of keelboard. Spread the keelboard fork, using both
hands, guiding with both thumbs, to let the bowpiece pins
snap into the holes in wood (1). From below, insert the
two rods (with red caps) with hooks into fitting (d) of
wood bow-piece.
Mounting
two gunwales: Left and right gunwales are interchangeable
(f). Near the front end are red letters (Vorne-Bow), flat
woodplates face the inside of boat. Lift a gunwale with
both hands, insert curved metalfitting into slot on wood-bow
(2). Now insert the second gunwale on the other side.
Find
deckbar (e) with red cap. On wood bow, lift up metal track,
slide red fitting into slot on bow, holding deckbar slightly
lifted, then press down metal track.
Take
two rods (no color marks) with sliding sleeves, insert the
plain female end over the male ends of the rods already
in place. Sliding sleeves point toward center of boat. Take
crossrib 1, place it on keelboard at #1 location. All numbers
on all ribs always have to match keelboard numbers, and
be visible together. Snaplocks slide over tongues (click).
Take rib 2, place on keelboard in spot #2, engage locks.
Fasten locks on side of ribs to gunwales, then press rods
into black rodholders, located on bottom side of ribs. Finally,
engage tongue at end of deckbar to snaplock on top of rib
2. Front half of frame is assembled.
Assembly
of Rear Half of Frame (7 parts with blue markings and rib
6 and 7) Rear half has parts which look almost
like front parts, but rear half of boat is wide. Connect
rear keelboard to rear stern piece, using both hands. Insert
2 blue rods with hooks, attach 2 blue gunwales, add blue
deckbar. Place rib 7 in location #7, place rib 6 in location
#6. Lock up deckbar on top of rib 6. Remember: number
on rib always matches and faces number on keelboard.
Place
Frame into Boathull:
Always look for a favorable level place, such as
grass, a planking pier. Lay out boathull all the way, 17
feet long. Hull is larger than woodwork, thus no forcing
needed. Rear end of hull has a metal rudder bracket. Lift
up front half (about 15 lbs.) and slide gently (to avoid
damaging the air sponson pockets) into front half of hull,
watching that sponson pockets rest evenly along the gunwales.
Lift up rear half (about 14 lbs.) and slide gently through
large cockpit opening towards the rear of boathull, again,
watch sponsons. In center of cockpit, wooden parts will
overlap. Lift up sections of keelboard (3),and
connect
wooden tongue with metal horseshoe. Place your flat hand
on the joint, and press down with feeling - then hold down
to avoid popping up. Gunwales are hinging inward, connect
wood tongue to horseshoe, press outward with flat hand:
pull filler tubes of sponsons through wood structure to
avoid squeeze.
Now find the last two rods (51 in.), on one end slide female
over male sleeve, in the center pull sliding sleeve over
short male, and locate head of screw to be visible,
in order to avoid screw from rubbing on boathulls. Finally,
place ribs 4, 5 and 3 in that sequence.
Placement
of Cockpit Coaming:
Coaming consists of folded wood parts (k, 4) and a metal
mastbracket with masthole. Look under mastbracket, see T-fitting.
On deck is a grommet, through the grommet you should see
a rectangular hole, with a little pulling. Hold coaming
at a 90 degree angle to the boat axis, and insert
T-fitting into hole. With feeling, swing coaming (horizontally!)
to settle over cockpit of boat. Spread coaming apart. At
location of ribs 3 and 4, T-fittings are now pushed through
grommets, to rest exactly in top excenter levers. Lock down
excenter levers (5).
Swing rear sections of coaming towards cockpit, attach T-fittings
to top of rib 5, and join rear-end fitting to hook on top
of rib 6. When all T-fittings of coaming are attached, push
(press) from above thick edge of deck into groove of coaming
starting at the mastbracket and going back on both sides.
Sternpiece
of Coaming (Boomerang):
Side with 4 screwheads has to face cockpit. Push one end
downward into track, until screwhead settles into notch.
Hook up 4 grommets over 4 screwheads, then press other end
into track, settle screwhead into notch (6).
Placement
of Seats:
As you cannot look under the seat, it is best to place one
finger at snaplock, and one at tongue in rear. Line up snaplock,
let rear tongue drop into oval hole, and with a tap of hand
from front to rear, snaplock should engage (click) and rear
end tongue moves under wood. If you use seats with a variable
position, you must first assemble the bottom pin into the
track and then you insert the front pin by opening the screw
again.
Attachment
of Backrests:
Front backrest is longer (17 3/4 in.) than rear backrest
(16 in.). The endcaps can turn to open and close. Open endcaps
slide from front to rear over T-fitting, then close with
a quarter turn (5).
Inflation
of Airsponsons:
It is almost always done by mouth, place two fingers on
filler tube and squeeze after every puff. Normally 11-12
puffs per sponson should do. Watch center seam on forward
deck to achieve even inflation. Consider inflating
first sponson halfway, then second sponson fully, then fill
up the first one. See center seam move!
Important for good center positioning of skin: On top of
forward deck left and right of masthole are two D-rings,
underneath D-rings below deck are two metal hook fittings.
These have to engage below the top strut of gunwale. This
is most important for sailing to transfer pressure to frame,
or D-rings might rip out.
Reminder: when filling sponsons properly for good
shaping of hull be aware that air expands with temperature:
in the cold air will shrink in volume, in hot sun air will
expand up to 10 %. Mouth inflation can never do harm, inflation
with very simple footbellows is done with caution. Never
use compressed air.
Attaching
a Rudderassembly:
A good position for the footpedal is when you are comfortable,
knees slightly bent, and the footpedals are nearly vertical.
Loosen black starnut on foot pedal, open up moveable jaws
on bottom, rubber pad is heel rest, faces operator. Easiest:
take out front seat, keelboard is narrower there, attach
to keelboard and slide back towards rib 4, pad could overlap
rib 4, now tighten black starnut. Hook up elastic bands.
Rudderblade: carry to stern rudderbracket, match up teeth,
slide crosspiece into top notch, push rudderpin from above,
there is a little catch spring (8). If a rudderpin feels
tight, stick it in several times.
Ruddercable: attach hook at rear to holes in crosspiece,
run chains through grommets of boomerang (rear of coaming),
stick plastic sleeve into grommet like a cork, attach chainlinks
to footpedal, and even out rudder to be in a neutral position.
Rudderlifter: Hook to hole in top of rudderblade, run line
through rudderpin toward D-ring on right deck. You generally
have to untie knot at slider, put through D-ring, and retie
knot. Wise paddlers attach a security line (shoelace) to
prevent loss of rudderpin!!
Taking
Boat Apart:
Let air out of sponsons, which slackens boat skin. Take
out seats, backrests and stern of coaming. Use white rings
(I, 6) to pull edge out of coaming slot. Remove coaming,
remember 90 degree turn-out! Remove ribs 3, 4 and 5, then
4 rods. Open up gunwales and keelboard, disengage. Now slowly
pull out rear half, then front half of frame to prevent
damage to air sponsons or pockets. Take apart in reverse
order of assembly.
How
to Pack Boat into Bags:
Logically all long parts go into long bag. Place bag on
ground and load from side: keelboards on top of each other,
hinges first, gunwales side by side, hinges first, coaming
on top of keelboards (some wrap a towel around), bundle
rods and deckbars, paddles fit into bag. Hullbag: fold up
hull first, pull bag over hull. Place soft sides of seats
and backrests against hull, then add ribs, bow and stern,
other small items.
Folding
a Boathull:
1) Newest method for hulls with multiple keelstrips
- hull is flat on clean surface, widest part about 37 inches
wide. Grab seam on side, and fold in lengthwise about 7
1/2 inches. Now hull is 24 inches wide, all keelstrips are
still flat on ground. Take bow to center, take stern to
center, about 1 hand apart. Fold once more from ends, and
then once more. Bundle is now 24" X 27".
2) Conventional method for hulls with only 2 keelstrips
or no keelstrips: Fold once lengthwise, taking seam to seam,
thus cloth touching cloth. Start from bow, fold into 2 ft.
folds to center; go to stern, fold into 2 ft. folds to the
center, then once more. Bundle is 23"X25".
Transportation
on Boatcart:
1) Boat packed in bags, place long bag on cart first, then
hullbag, then ribbag, run belts through loops on side of
bags, then cross-over and buckle up.
2) Boat assembled: Place boatcart under boat below rear
seat, run 2 belts around boat and buckle on top.
For
Owners of Quattro Models Only: (4 Air Sponsons)
Inflate 2 upper sponsons first, then 2 lower sponsons. Full
inflation of lower sponsons will result in a flatter, rounder
hullshape. You can therefore slightly change underwater
shape of hulls (7).
Special Instructions for Owners of Aerius Single-Seater:
Has 26 wooden parts, 1 seat, 1 backrest (only 6 ribs). It
is a very good idea to see all joints, all locks,
all angles beforehand, and make yourself familiar by doing
a woodwork assembly once (without hull), and even let it
sit a while.
1) Front half assembly starts with 7 wooden parts
with red markings, similar to two-seater but deckbar
is hinged at first, and deckbar has a crosspiece. Place
only rib 1 in the front structure, swing deckbar
crosspiece, let it rest into upper round holes to spread.
2) Rear half assembly starts with 7 wooden parts
with blue markings, then place rib 6 and rib 5 into
structure, then add two rods with sliding sleeves.
3) Slide rear half into boathull first, then slide
front half into boathull. Add 2 rods (no markings) to the
front rods with the male sleeve. Connect keelboard (3),
connect gunwale boards with flat-hand pressure, outward
and slightly downward (you are giving rocker to the
boat!)
4) Connect rods with sliding sleeve in center of
boat. Place rib 2, 4 and 3 in this sequence into framework
(bottom, then spread, then sides), coaming (90 degree swing-in!),
add sternpiece of coaming, tuck edge into groove, inflate
sponsons, add seat and backrest.
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