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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tuross Head, South Coast, NSW
    Age
    77
    Posts
    155

    Default DIY Design and Build Kayak

    One advantage of designing and building your own kayak is that you can match it to your own weight and your intended use.

    Since I weigh only about 60kg and don't do extended expeditions, I find that even designs intended for the average 75kg paddler are bigger than I need. I have been paddling for long enough to know how much stability I need to feel comfortable. I also know that I will almost certainly never need to bounce the kayak off rocks.

    Consequently, I have designed and built myself a kayak that is 5.3 metres long, 530mm wide, 280mm high and weighing 11kg. It fits me beautifully, but I'm sure a 75kg paddler couldn't fit in it.

    Almost all the timber is Paulownia with a few WRC accent strips. The strips are 5mm thick and 22mm wide. The standard width for strips is 19mm, but I'm convinced that width is selected simply because that is the metric equivalent of 3/4". Building with 22mm strips was no more difficult than using 19mm strips.

    The glass is one layer of 125gsm inside and out. The epoxy is Bote Cote and the polyurethane protective coat is Aquacote.

    The group of six photos shows how tunnels were created under the deck to run the perimeter lines and bungee cord on the front deck. Those fittings are generally known as Maroske fittings after the builder who thought of the idea.

    In spite of the fact that I intended the kayak to be for leisurely paddles on my local inland waterways, the final photo is of me completing my last lap in a 24 hour relay. (BTW Our team of three mature age men paddled over 220km in the 24 hours. )
    Attached Images Attached Images

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    San Antonio, Texas, USA
    Posts
    3,070

    Default

    Wow, beautiful work! Got any in-process shots?

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tuross Head, South Coast, NSW
    Age
    77
    Posts
    155

    Default

    Rob, I have very few photos of this kayak under construction.

    When I built the first strip built kayak I took a lot of photos, but it seems that with each subsequent kayak, the number of photos reduced.

    As this is my twelfth strip built kayak, I really only documented the parts that were different from my earlier kayaks.

    If there is some particular aspect of the construction that you are especially interested in seeing, I might be able to find a photo from an earlier kayak that shows what you want to see. Maybe.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    NSW, Australia
    Posts
    474

    Default

    Nice.
    You know you're making progress when there's sawdust in your coffee.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Newcastle
    Age
    69
    Posts
    1,071

    Default

    That is an excellent job, thanks for posting.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Townsville, Tropical North Qld.
    Age
    76
    Posts
    556

    Default

    Pretty nice build Andrew, love the accents with the WRC.
    Cheers, Ian
    "The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.. it can't be done.
    If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run.
    And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better"

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    San Antonio, Texas, USA
    Posts
    3,070

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by anewhouse View Post
    Rob, I have very few photos of this kayak under construction.

    When I built the first strip built kayak I took a lot of photos, but it seems that with each subsequent kayak, the number of photos reduced.

    As this is my twelfth strip built kayak, I really only documented the parts that were different from my earlier kayaks.

    If there is some particular aspect of the construction that you are especially interested in seeing, I might be able to find a photo from an earlier kayak that shows what you want to see. Maybe.
    Years ago I read the John McPhee book The Survival of the Bark Canoe and was fascinated by the story. Any pictures you have and care to post would be much appreciated, or perhaps you should write your own book.

    Cheers,
    Rob

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Adelaide - outer south
    Age
    67
    Posts
    935

    Default

    Rob,

    Here are some links to some of Allan's other builds. Doesn't show all of them but does indicate his versatility as they are different designs for different purposes.

    http://www.blueheronkayaks.com/phpBB...php?f=6&t=2083

    http://www.blueheronkayaks.com/phpBB...php?f=6&t=1912

    http://www.blueheronkayaks.com/phpBB...php?f=6&t=2300

    http://www.blueheronkayaks.com/phpBB...php?f=3&t=2443

    Allan,

    You have given a lot of good advice to people, not only here, but also on the Blue Heron site over the years and it is still very much appreciated. Hope you and your family have a very wonderful Christmas.

    And, yes, that wish goes to everyone else on here as well.
    Cheers, Bob the labrat

    Measure once and.... the phone rings!

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    San Antonio, Texas, USA
    Posts
    3,070

    Default

    Thanks labr@,

    The links are very interesting. I'd really like to see a full end-to-end build log of one of those kayaks. Is there a book available?

    Thanks,
    Rob

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tuross Head, South Coast, NSW
    Age
    77
    Posts
    155

    Default

    There are a lot of books available and a lot of information on various sites on the internet. Some people have published very detailed step-by-step photo journals of their builds.

    I read Nick Schade's book, "The Strip Built Kayak" (several times) before I started building. I also found a lot of very useful information on these sites:
    http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/information
    http://oneoceankayaks.com/Shop.htm
    http://www.laughingloon.com/shop.tips.html

    You will notice as you read various sites and books that there is more than one way to complete a build. That might sound as if it would cause confusion, but it is actually a good thing. We all have different skills, different tools at our disposal, different time constraints, and different standards, so the variety of approaches that have been published allows you to select the techniques that are most likely to work for you.

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