anewhouse
5th January 2013, 10:26 PM
After seeing small children frustrated by the difficulty they have controlling adult size kayaks and after seeing how easily small children with their low weight and low centre of gravity manage kayaks that adults find unstable, I decided to design and build a small child's kayak.
Early trials suggest that it is the right size for children between about 15 and 25 kg who want to paddle a kayak properly. The stability seems more than adequate and the tracking very good. Finished weight is 5.7kg. The hull and deck weigh just 4.7kg and the seat, bulkheads, hatches and footrest add another 1kg.
The smaller child in the kayak is a small 3 year old and the older child is a tall, slim 10 year old. They represent the lower and upper limit of the intended size of paddler.
The design was created with "Kayak Foundry", a program available free from Blue Heron Kayaks (http://www.blueheronkayaks.com)
The timber is mostly 4mm thick Paulownia strips with WRC accent strips with a few scraps of Australian Red Cedar used for the thigh braces and the cockpit recess.
Early trials suggest that it is the right size for children between about 15 and 25 kg who want to paddle a kayak properly. The stability seems more than adequate and the tracking very good. Finished weight is 5.7kg. The hull and deck weigh just 4.7kg and the seat, bulkheads, hatches and footrest add another 1kg.
The smaller child in the kayak is a small 3 year old and the older child is a tall, slim 10 year old. They represent the lower and upper limit of the intended size of paddler.
The design was created with "Kayak Foundry", a program available free from Blue Heron Kayaks (http://www.blueheronkayaks.com)
The timber is mostly 4mm thick Paulownia strips with WRC accent strips with a few scraps of Australian Red Cedar used for the thigh braces and the cockpit recess.