Trying my hand at kayak building

[Yboo]

Ive been messing about in my garage with some kayak building. Stitch and glue method. I have finished the fiber-glassing and am going to paint the underside and UV varnish the deck.. after putting on some fittings.. hatches and lines, long trailing lines.. for when I fall out!
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[Rich Jones]

Welcome to the Forum!
That's a nice job you're doing.
I'm curious about the mast hanging from the ceiling.
Is there a boat that goes along with it?

[Autonomous]

I love the Greenland hull form, good choice.

[Yboo]

Welcome to the Forum!
That's a nice job you're doing.
I'm curious about the mast hanging from the ceiling.
Is there a boat that goes along with it?

Thanks for the welcome Rich, the mast is from my first boat build which was a Glen-L Tango. I didn't make the mast, it was donated by a friend who said it was clogging up his garage. As I was building at the time he thought I might have a use for it. I took it apart, cleaned it up, re-glued it and revarnished it. Getting it just at that time was a great bit of luck. I leave it hanging in the garage now as that boat no longer gets used as much.
The boat was named "Spirit" by my daughter and we had a good few years fun with it. However life and work got busy this last ten years so it has been kept under wraps and now that I am looking to return to sailing I think perhaps its no longer the boat I need.
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[Yboo]

Thanks Autonomus

[stumpbumper]

Nice job on the kayak. The Tango looks great too!!!

[Rob Hazard]

What design did you choose for the kayak?

[Yboo]

Thanks stumpbumper

[Yboo]

Hi Rob, a sea kayak was what I was looking for, with a narrow profile and an appropriate rocker curve. That might sound like I know what I am talking about but really it's only what I have read. After looking at lots of drawings on the net I bought a set of plans labeled "sea kayak". It was only afterward when I had begun building and done a little reading I realised that I might have gotten lucky and landed myself with something reasonably easy to build and comfortable to use.

[Yboo]

Managed to finish the Kayak, a while back now about I year I'd say, I should have posted earlier but here it is. side.jpg
I will have to build a small trailer as carting it around on the roof rack is too nerve wracking, I put it in storage after testing as I won't have time to use it until next year at the earliest and am already started into another boat build so I need the garage space.

[dutchpp]

Nice kajak, well done!

[Yboo]

Thanks dutchpp

[sp_clark]

...life and work got busy this last ten years....

Funny how that can happen... kinda creeps up on us, eh?

Where'd you source the plans / kit Yboo?

You ever hear of the FyneBoats folks a bit east of you? They offer kits, host a wonderful forum much like the one here that you might want to look into.

It took me about 45 years between building my first boat to making a start with the second. Life and work, yeah. I have an idea how that can happen.

You've done a fine job on both! Likely with your daughter too!

[Yboo]

Thanks sp_clark, the plans for the Tango were from Glen-L, and also for the Kayak. I had a look back there a couple of weeks ago and noticed the Tango did not seem to be in the catalog anymore. I also purchased (years ago) their plans for the "Bulls eye" which once again I had little time to use after building, I gave it away to a neighbour who got the value of it, much better I thought than leave it sitting in the yard . A couple of years ago I bought plans from John Welsford designs which was the Swaggie. I have now started on this as I have long since realised that time does not make space for the dreams of mortal men. Hopefully I will be able to cut what I need during this winter and be ready for initial assembly when the temperatures start to rise.I may take a few years to build but if I stick to it I'll get there. I have spent the last few years purchasing equipment on a budget and I am hoping that previous building experience will lead to a successful outcome. Time will tell, as I wrestle with it

[W Grabow]

"time does not make space for the dreams of mortal men"

Is that an original statement? Seems rather profound to me. Good luck with your boat building.

[sp_clark]

"time does not make space for the dreams of mortal men"

Is that an original statement? Seems rather profound to me. Good luck with your boat building.

It is that, and a circumstance we all labor under.

Time seemed endless to me back decades ago... not so endless now, for this body at least.

And I share your sentiment for Yboo's endeavors also.

[Yboo]

"time does not make space for the dreams of mortal men"

Is that an original statement? Seems rather profound to me. Good luck with your boat building.

I guess it is, and thank you W Grabow.

[hawkeye54]

I just had to add my compliments on a fine job - the kayak looks great ! ! !





Rick

[Yboo]

Thanks Rick

[willin woodworks]

Nice!

[Autonomous]

Do you like the Greenland paddle?
After building mine I converted from feathered to non-feathered Euro style paddles to keep muscle memory and technique the same when bracing and rolling with all my paddles.

[Yboo]

Do you like the Greenland paddle?
After building mine I converted from feathered to non-feathered Euro style paddles to keep muscle memory and technique the same when bracing and rolling with all my paddles.

Hi Autonomous, thanks for your replies. Yes I like it, years ago, in my very brief kayaking youth, I used euro style paddles and they are fine too. The fact that I realised I could make a Greenland paddle myself ended up being the reason I am using it. I have found it quiet in the water light in my hands and it propels me with a reasonable amount of speed. The paddle in the photo is now gone as a friend of mine was interested in it so I gave it to him to try. The beauty of that setup is I can just go and make another in a couple of hours... of course the next one will be better