tomtre
25th July 2013, 02:57 PM
Hi Everyone
I haven’t posted here lately, nothing much has happened to post about since I built my rowboat a few years ago. I do check in here regularly and I just thought Id post about a couple of kayaks I built over the past few years. (I sometimes like to see where I’m going and I sold had the Plastic yak I had because I didn’t use it much after building the rowboat)
First kayak was a JEM Laker, Plywood Boat Plans (http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=Laker13) , quite a straightforward build with excellent plans, except that I wasn’t straightforward because I decided a curved deck would look nicer so that’s what I did (without designers permission). The build took twice as long as it should have because I had to work it out as I went but turned out reasonably well. (I didn’t alter the hull shape at all from gunwhale down). Most of the fiddling was making a reasonable profile and making sure at the same time I had space for my feet. The first photo is the boat having its deck profile worked out , the second is almost finished, the third during the hatchmaking part.
278370278371278372
The last pic of the Laker is of launch day, 12 Feb 2011
278373
I dont have the bits of paper or woodscraps I wrote the measurements on so please dont ask. I have since given that kayak away, it just wasnt the perfect boat for me, a mate wanted a kayak and I was making another. Nothing wrong with it, I just have too many small wooden boats. Darren uses it for chasing fish.
The second kayak was going to be a Eureka canoe. Eureka Canoes - Light Simple Wooden Touring Canoes Stitch and Glue - Michael Storer Wooden Boat Plans (http://www.storerboatplans.com/Eureka/Eurekacanoes.html) I got it cut out and stitched together and decided it was going to be a lot bigger than I needed so I abandoned that idea. I still had the cut and glued panels and rather than throw them away ( 2 x 1/4” sheets of $ 55 1/4” “marine” ply and a bit of glue for butt joints), not a lot of money but too much to waste, I decided to see if I could use them.
I downloaded the Carlson Hulls program and had a play with it. Carlson Design – Software – Add Ons – Shareware – Hull Designer (http://carlsondesign.com/software/add-ons/shareware/hull-designer)(Thank you Mr Carlson for making this program freely available)
I put the bottom panel of the Eureka into Hulls, Then made bilge panels and side panels to what looked like reasonable shapes which could be cut from the Eureka panels producing something which looked reasonable on-screen. Displacement and trim waterline looked reasonable on the computer. Length 12'8” beam 24 1/2”
I cut it out (No chance of Eureka now) and wired it together and it didn’t look too bad so I decided to spend more money and started mixing epoxy. It came out a bit beamier than I really wanted but that was how the ply wanted to lie so I left it. No one else is going to know about my other deviations from the “plans”.
278376
A sheet of 3/16 “ ply was purchased for the decks. Curved deck again.
278375
After all the usual stitch and glue stuff I had a kayak shaped object ready to paint. I had decided while building to add a skeg to reduce corkscrewing while paddling. While painting,(house paint, this is a cheapie), I remembered I would need a paddle so I made one. Better to remember at that stage than at the waterside!
Lacking further excuses I launched a couple of weeks ago.
278377
It floated and didn’t leak so therefore is successful. I don’t have a photo with me in it, there weren’t many people about being mid winter so I am still not sure how the fore and aft trim worked out, Ive got a feeling I should have set the cockpit about 2" further back. It has plenty of initial stability and tracks well in calm conditions. I haven’t weighed it yet. Total cost about $250.
I was a half mile or so away when I took this photo of one of the stumps in the water in some parts of the lake. Most are just below the water waiting for someone in a rowboat (don't ask how I know that). Powerboats and skiing are not allowed here.
278378
All in all I am pretty happy with this kayak.
Tom
I haven’t posted here lately, nothing much has happened to post about since I built my rowboat a few years ago. I do check in here regularly and I just thought Id post about a couple of kayaks I built over the past few years. (I sometimes like to see where I’m going and I sold had the Plastic yak I had because I didn’t use it much after building the rowboat)
First kayak was a JEM Laker, Plywood Boat Plans (http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=Laker13) , quite a straightforward build with excellent plans, except that I wasn’t straightforward because I decided a curved deck would look nicer so that’s what I did (without designers permission). The build took twice as long as it should have because I had to work it out as I went but turned out reasonably well. (I didn’t alter the hull shape at all from gunwhale down). Most of the fiddling was making a reasonable profile and making sure at the same time I had space for my feet. The first photo is the boat having its deck profile worked out , the second is almost finished, the third during the hatchmaking part.
278370278371278372
The last pic of the Laker is of launch day, 12 Feb 2011
278373
I dont have the bits of paper or woodscraps I wrote the measurements on so please dont ask. I have since given that kayak away, it just wasnt the perfect boat for me, a mate wanted a kayak and I was making another. Nothing wrong with it, I just have too many small wooden boats. Darren uses it for chasing fish.
The second kayak was going to be a Eureka canoe. Eureka Canoes - Light Simple Wooden Touring Canoes Stitch and Glue - Michael Storer Wooden Boat Plans (http://www.storerboatplans.com/Eureka/Eurekacanoes.html) I got it cut out and stitched together and decided it was going to be a lot bigger than I needed so I abandoned that idea. I still had the cut and glued panels and rather than throw them away ( 2 x 1/4” sheets of $ 55 1/4” “marine” ply and a bit of glue for butt joints), not a lot of money but too much to waste, I decided to see if I could use them.
I downloaded the Carlson Hulls program and had a play with it. Carlson Design – Software – Add Ons – Shareware – Hull Designer (http://carlsondesign.com/software/add-ons/shareware/hull-designer)(Thank you Mr Carlson for making this program freely available)
I put the bottom panel of the Eureka into Hulls, Then made bilge panels and side panels to what looked like reasonable shapes which could be cut from the Eureka panels producing something which looked reasonable on-screen. Displacement and trim waterline looked reasonable on the computer. Length 12'8” beam 24 1/2”
I cut it out (No chance of Eureka now) and wired it together and it didn’t look too bad so I decided to spend more money and started mixing epoxy. It came out a bit beamier than I really wanted but that was how the ply wanted to lie so I left it. No one else is going to know about my other deviations from the “plans”.
278376
A sheet of 3/16 “ ply was purchased for the decks. Curved deck again.
278375
After all the usual stitch and glue stuff I had a kayak shaped object ready to paint. I had decided while building to add a skeg to reduce corkscrewing while paddling. While painting,(house paint, this is a cheapie), I remembered I would need a paddle so I made one. Better to remember at that stage than at the waterside!
Lacking further excuses I launched a couple of weeks ago.
278377
It floated and didn’t leak so therefore is successful. I don’t have a photo with me in it, there weren’t many people about being mid winter so I am still not sure how the fore and aft trim worked out, Ive got a feeling I should have set the cockpit about 2" further back. It has plenty of initial stability and tracks well in calm conditions. I haven’t weighed it yet. Total cost about $250.
I was a half mile or so away when I took this photo of one of the stumps in the water in some parts of the lake. Most are just below the water waiting for someone in a rowboat (don't ask how I know that). Powerboats and skiing are not allowed here.
278378
All in all I am pretty happy with this kayak.
Tom