kayakplan needed for summer class

[jorgoz]

I'm looking for a plan for a stitch and glue kayak, for calm waters but it needs to be able to carry a small load for the potential week long trip. I'll be guiding some folks (youngsters and young adults) in the construction.

I first chose the CLC wood duck, but after starting on one myself (from plans) i've gotten the idea that it might be to much for a first time build for a summer course. It will take too long before we can actually start forming the hull. (transfering the plans, shaping the panels)

I can't work from kits, as i live in Belgium (expensive to ship kits) and i don't stand behind the idea to start from a kit anyway.

I looked at the jemwatercraft kayaks, but they seem to be all flat bottomed, which i don't really like. Also looked at the selway-fisher esk, don't like it.
Also looked at the stillwater sunrise kayak, but i have the plans for the sunrise canoe and i don't particularly like the construction method of these boats. It's a nice design though.

I've also looked into a canoe, like the wee lassie, which i quite like. I think it will take too long because i looked on Ross Leidy's site (kayakfoundry), who build a wee lassie 2, and he took about 170 hours to complete one.

We would like to do it in a time frame of about a week or if there's no other alternative maybe 2 weeks spread over a period of 2 months or something. A design like for a CLC chesapeake look-alike but around 12-13 foot would be nice. They have a 14, but it's only suited for paddler up to 150 and one of the potential participants is about 6' 3". There will be a couple of girls as well so it needs to be light.

Can anyone help us out ?

[JimD]

CLC Mill Creek?

[James McMullen]

Really quick to build is kinda hard with a stitch and glue design because you're going to have a certain amount of time waiting for the epoxy to cure hard enough to sand before you can go to the next step no matter what. The fastest as well as the most economical way to build a kayak I know of is a skin-on-frame design. Have you seen Tom Yost's website (http://yostwerks.com/WoodSOFFrameMenu.html)?

You could easily build some of those designs in a single week.

[John Meachen]

Quite a number listed here: http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/r/plansindex/kayak.cfm a few more are here http://www.theknowledgeservice.co.uk/links.htm .I haven't checked to see if the lists overlap.

[Hwyl]

Dick Newick has a good one that is not S&G. You'd have to call him directly. The chine log and beam shelf (forgotten the American word, but the fillet that holds the deck to the hull) are the same constant angle.

Should go together in about 40 hrs.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

"Cheap Canoe" is not very elegant but it is something that can be built on a limited time schedual and the cost is not severe.
If you download the plans ( they are free) you can see if they are to your liking.
One added benefit. The designer is Jacques Mertens now of Vero Beach, Florida but previously from some small country near the mouth of the Rhein. I believe he personally answers any questions asked in Flemish, French or German.
Plans
http://www.bateau2.com/free/cheapcanoe.htm
Pictures
http://www.bateau.com/boats/NC16/index.html
Most of the boats pictured are the 13½ft Cheap Canoe. A few are a 16' version called Nice Canoe for which the plans cost $10 and are sent by
e-mail.

[Gerard]

I second the CLC Mill Creek suggestion, in part because the planks (parts) come with full size patterns which should work for you as it keeps transferring to a minimum. However it is flat bottomed, does carry a good load though. Once you move to more complex hull shapes you're required to invest a little more time, not much in the grand scheme though. I do recommend the CLC plans as they are very thorough in my opinion.

[garland reese]

B and B yacht design's Diva, is about the easiest stitch and glue construction I've seen, and results in a very nice kayak..... Do a google search for the website, and look for the Diva kayak.
The plans are simple, and complete enough, if you have a basic knowledge of the stitch and glue process.

[ShagRock]

If you are still looking at the possibility of a canoe, then Michael Storer's Eureka 155 might be a reasonable choice for building within a class project setting.

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Eureka/Eurekacanoes.html/htm

[keyhavenpotterer]

To give you an idea of what can be achieved building Eureka 155, here are 394 pictures from the very recent 10 day Duckflat building school. Two Eurekas were built, one from a kit and one from scratch.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boatmik/sets/72157617013281203/

For a kayak I reckon Tom Yost's designs are unbeatable. The inflatable looks terrrific fun to build quickly.

http://www.yostwerks.com/InflatableMain.jpg

http://www.yostwerks.com/InflatableMain.html

Chris Perkins in the Uk has just built a Wood Duck, his blog is here, sweet little boat, very flat bottomed and thus stable for beginners.

http://strathkanchris.wordpress.com/boats-i-have-built/candyfloss/

Brian

[garland reese]

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/diva.htm

here is the address for the Diva kayak. It has a good payload, well designed, and for S and G, is about as easy as it gets, for a boat this nice.

[jorgoz]

Thanks for all the input guys.

I took a look around on the b&b yacht designs site. The diva looks nice for such simple construction. I found some nice pictures of the birder kayak though, http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=5078.0

I've ordered the birder plans.

[garland reese]

The Birder is a good boat. Easy to build, very nice design. A lot like the Mill Creek, but simpler to construct, though as good or better a design.

[JEM]

Some free kayak plans: http://www.jemwatercraft.com/FreeKayakPlans.php

[BrianY]

Hey JEM -

Whats' the difference between the free plan for the Laker and the Laker plan that you charge for?

[Greg Nolan]

BrianY --

Read to the bottom of the page the comes up from the link above.

[BrianY]

Ahhhhh....the light dawns on Marblehead...thanks!

[Ymepointer]

My 12 year old built this little dubber last year, it seems to be very stable, about 8 feet long and 32 inches wide. It ways about 26 lbs and he gets lots of comments on it. There is also a larger version....not sure it would work with a lot of gear in it but this little one has room in the back of a sleeping bag and some dry bags for food I suspect. You can find the plans at duckworks.


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/ymepointer/Calebs%20Kayak/WinchesterLake043.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/ymepointer/Calebs%20Kayak/WinchesterLake060.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/ymepointer/Calebs%20Kayak/WinchesterLake057.jpg