Skin on frame kayak

[wvbreamfisherman]

Hi folks. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but if anyone is interested, I posted a bunch of pic from building my skin-on-frame kayak.
Outdoor Basecamp Forums - wvbreamfisherman's Album: Building a Skin-on-frame kayak

I have to apologize that the pics are not in good order. I can't seem to find any way to rearrange them (if that's even possible).

I got the plans online from an old Mechanics Illustated article.

The long stringers were ripped from clear pine and scarfed together to make the length. The boat is 15 feet long, and 30 inches wide at the center. The frames are cut from 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood. I used brass screws and waterproof wood glue to join everything.

Once complete, the frame had all the edges rounded over with a rasp or sanding, sanded smooth all over, and sealed with two coats of polyurethane varnish.

The covering is vinyl coated polyester. The hull is secured to the gunwales with stainless steel staples and the ends and folds are cut and glued and covered with a patch to ensure watertightness. The deck is the same material but is only glued in place, except for four staples on each end, along the center deck beam.

I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in each end and glued a small piece of PVC pipe in place so that I could add hand loops, which I made from yellow polypropylene rope which I cut and spliced.

The finished boat weighs in at 44 lbs. It cost roughly $300 in materials, and about 150 hours to build. I could have done it much faster but I piddled around a lot of evenings, so didn't get much done.

Besides basic hand tools, the only power tools used were a table saw, electric drill, and orbital sander.

I plan to add an oval coaming to the open cockpit so I can use a spray skirt.

I didn't get to paddle it much after I finished it this fall, but I expect to use it quite a bit this spring.

[ppine]

Isn't your boat design a Badairka? It is a traditional and functional design from the Bering Sea. Not to mention beautiful. I built a Pygmy Coho out of African mahogany and epoxy but evetually sold it, since I am a canoe man.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Well, the article called it a King Canvasback : Recent Projects (scroll down to King Canvasback Scan 1).

I don't know a whole lot about kayak designs, I picked this one because it was simple and not overspecialized.

Next up is to add a coaming so I can use a spray skirt, and carve out a greenland-style paddle for it. I also want to add a somewhat raised seat to make it easier to paddle.

[wvbreamfisherman]

After looking up Badairka, I have to agree with you- it certainly is derived from those lines. This was my first boat-building effort, so it's not quite as polished as it might be.

I'm pretty happy with it so far, althoughI haven't been able to paddle it too far. It definitely needs a higher seat to give me a better angle to paddle. (I'm not tall at 5'8"). We'll have to see how she does on a 10-12 mile paddle come springtime.

I tend to be a canoe man myself, actually.

[ppine]

Keep up the good work. How long is the kayak? The Coho was 17' 9" which made for a fast boat. You are right about the coaming, seat, etc. Make the seat as low as you are comfortable in, because the center of gravity will change noticeably in a boat as light as yours. With camping equipment for ballast it won't be an issue. A day paddle in rough seas will be the test.

From the pictures it looks like you did fine. Yellow is the most easily seen color at sea. A spray skirt is essential for cool weather and rough seas.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Thanks Ppine! She's a shade over 15 feet long and just under 30 inches wide at the center.

I'm thinking maybe 4 inches or so to raise the seat. I'd have to do something there anyway because sitting on the stringers isn't comfortable for too long.

She has a fairly good turn of speed but not a lot of momentum, which I think is because she's so light. I'm looking forward to trying the Greenland-style paddling technique, which should give me better leverage.

I went with the yellow hull for visibility and the green deck to minimize glare (although the Packers are my second favorite team LOL).

Still getting used to the differences between kayaks and canoes!

[ppine]

The geometry you describe is relatively short and beamy (wide) for a Badairka. Your boat cannot be described as fast, but it will be stable and a descent cargo hauler. Perfect for overnight trips, and good for fishing.

The Greenlanders heel their boats for making turns. I assume that is what you are refering to. How about a foot controlled rudder? Do you have any plans for one? In rougher conditons it may be a real help for your boat.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Hadn't really considered the rudder idea, although it probably wouldn't be too hard to implement. By Greenland-style, I meant the techique of sliding the paddle through the hands to extend the blade from side to side, aka the sliding stroke- as in this video:

How to use a sliding stroke in a skin-on-frame kayak | Video « Wonder How To

To do this you need the traditional Greenland-style paddle, which has a long narrow blade which fits within the hand. This article describes the design and use of this type of paddle.

http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pdf

I know this is a beamy boat. It will be used primarily on slow rivers and lakes, and I wanted a decent load-bearing capability.

I may build another one eventually that's more suited for speed, by narrowing the frames and rounding the bottom of the hull a bit. I'll decide how to go once I get a bit more experience with this one.

[ppine]

You are on the right track, and you chose a very elegant design.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Thanks once more for the kind words. I really enjoyed the project, and (as I'm sure you know) building something yourself makes it a bit special even though it may not be unique.