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West Greenland Kayak Build Along!

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D. Tiller:
Eddie, this one is going to cost me about $300 or less to build. The frame is wood mortised and tenon jointed together and tied together at certain points. The outer covering is nylon or canvas. The Nylon is sewn on tightly and then doped with a Urethane varnish that seals it tight. The canvas is painted with something else, but I could not tell you off the top of my head what it is.  The whole thing should weigh in arround 25#'s and make the creme de la creme of kayaks. Stronger than fiberglass or carbon fibre mass produced kayaks. Trust me and go with one of these designs!

The cool thing about this one is that when you get the gunwales all marked out and the rib tenons carved into the gunwales you put the inner faces together put a few loops of rope around the bow and stern then pop in a stringer where you want the widest part of the boat and you have the shape of it! Then as you can see in the pic you start cutting the deck beams and popping them in. Start at the bow and stern and work to the middle. Flip it over put in the ribs and the stringer, bow and stern plates flip back  over for the cockpit and a few other items and its ready to skin. Just need a couple tools and your ready to go! Man I love these kayaks!!!

Check out www.skinboats.org and watch the vids to get a better idea of how durable they are check out this youtube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYyvIExWkqU

venisonburger:
David, about 6 or 7 years ago I build a 21 foot wood framed canvas covered kayak, I bought the book by George Putz which had the plans and all. What started out as a neat idea ended up taking me 2 years to build. It turned out fantastic. The plans called for cedar strips but being a large person I decided to modify the plans and ended up using ash. it took me awhile but I found someone with long boards. We planed them down to 3/4in thick and then ripped them to 3/4in. The plans called for building forms that were secured to the floor in my garage. basically the boat was built upside down, the strips were temporarily attached to the forms and front and back pieces were made and the strips bent to them and beveled to make smooth ends. then the stringers were fit along the length of the boat. all joints were drilled, countersunk and screwed with non corrosive screws(started with brass but turned to coated due to cost) all the screw heads were filled with epoxy and sanded. eventually the boat was pulled off the forms and turned upright. then the canvas was tacked to the top edges of the framework and stretched tight, an ash keel strip was applied, as were ash bumper rails and an ash cathedral opening. slats were attached in the bottom to sit on. The book called for oil based paint on the canvas to waterproof(I used a UV activated body filler paste that hardened. I used the boat numerous times and eventually traded it(this is the ironic part) to a bow builder from somewhere in Wisconsin, I traded for cash and several bows. I think now that I know how to build bows that he got the better of the deal. I don't recall his name, maybe he's a member of the site. I have pictures and need to scan them to upload, I'll post them so you can see the process I took
good luck on your build.
VB

D. Tiller:
Thanks VB! Man, sounds like it was a much more sophisticated process you went through. This one should only take me arround 5 full working days to build. Been sick so I have not done much on it. Got a couple more deck beams in but have not had a chance to pin them in. Once all the deck beam are made to fit I will take some spannish windlesses and pull the Gunwales up snug against the ends of the deck beams which are angled at 73 deg. (17 off) Then they are pinned in with two dowel mortises in each beam that are pigeon toed in. then some of the beams will be tied into the gunwales and the Gunwales will be tide in at the bottom sides near the bow and stern ends to keep them from springing out and to keep the angles they are set at. Flip the frame and then put on the bow and stern plates and tie them in. Stringer gets set next with the right amount of rocker set in. Then boil the rib (a lot easier than steaming them) and bent to shape and then set into the blind mortises in the bottom side of the gunwales. Then stringers and then the skin goes on next.

venisonburger:
What are you using for the skin? I've seen sites where they are using what looks like rubber, I've seen nylon like that used for sails, I used canvas but no matter what it's all expensive, I think the frame can be made for alot less than the skin.
After reading your post it makes me want to start another, my son and I had bought wilderness systems plastic kayaks but I sold the about 2 years ago, now I miss not being able to go out.
This time I think I'll do a simpler method, more in the lines of what you are building.
keep posting pictures please
VB

D. Tiller:
You got it VB!

I have to get over this bug first and then I will be on it again. My next project is a baidarka! Where are you located? May determine the type of skinboat you will want to make. If you are planning trips longer than 2 days and would like to carry a little cargo I would suggest the Baidarka (Ikiyax), King Island Kodiak, or the bearing straights style boat.  I believe the Bearing Straight model has the largest cargo capacity and you can always seat a rear gunner in the cockpit with ya back to back like the Inuit used to do.

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