Building a Kayak - The Saga Begins

C

CanDo

Joined
Mar 10, 2006
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Thought I'd fill you in on my summer project. I've been planning on building a wooden/glass kayak for about a year now, and will finally be able to begin within a couple of weeks. I'm planning on making one of plans by Nick Schade's Guillemot Kayaks. I'm deciding between the Guillemot, Guillemot L, and the High-Deck Night Heron.
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/19/detail
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/41/detail
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/30/detail

I don't have any commitments for June, so will be trying to build this thing within the month. I'm pretty sure that's possible if I work from 7 am to 7-10pm each day. We shall see...

Any boat builders on the forums? I will be in need of a lot of advice, I'm sure :)

~CanDo
 
Amendment:

I'll be using this kayak on the coast of New England, hopefully for some extended trips :)
 
The only boat I've built was a PD Racer (http://www.pdracer.com/), which I'm sure is not nearly as complicated as a kayak... but if I were going for a Kayak as a first boat, I would be sorely tempted to buy a kit boat instead of just plans. I've heard good things about Chesapeake Light Craft. http://www.clcboats.com/

My advice: Buy lots of clamps! (Sometimes you can find cheapies at dollar stores)
 
I'll check those links out, thanks.

About clamps, I read a cool instructable a while back about making your own clamps. Something about cutting cross sections of some sort of plastic pipe - comes out incredibly cheap.
 
CanDo said:
I'll check those links out, thanks.

About clamps, I read a cool instructable a while back about making your own clamps. Something about cutting cross sections of some sort of plastic pipe - comes out incredibly cheap.
Click to expand...

PVC Makes really good spring clamps. Get a length of 4" or 6" Schedule 40 PVC and slit it lengthwise on a table saw. BE SURE TO USE A SPLITTER FOLLOWING THE BLADE!! If you can make a splitter that's just a bit narrower than the saw blade, you'll be better off. The PVC will want to spring closed as you cut which will cause the blade to bind and the pipe to potentially turn into a javelin...

Once you've cut the slot, you can use a hand saw or a power miter saw to cut it into rings. The wider the ring, the stronger the clamp. 1.5"-2" works best for me. This will be for clamping the stringers so a ton of 1.5" wide clamps will do just as well as half-a-ton of 3"...

I'll be starting one from Chesapeake Bay plans next month as well. I'll race ya! :)
 
I helped build three 24' voyager-style canoes half a lifetime ago. Lots of satisfaction putting paddle to water piloting something that you built from scratch. Take your time, knock off when you're tired, and wear breathing protection where appropriate (red cedar, glass, etc.).
 
I have never built a boat, but this sounds like a neat project. I am very interested in seeing some updates and pics of your progress.
 
j williams said:
I have never built a boat, but this sounds like a neat project. I am very interested in seeing some updates and pics of your progress.
Click to expand...

I'd like to keep a rough photo journal of the process to give beginners an idea of what they're getting into. I really don't have any idea of what to expect. The author of the book I'm reading puts construction time for a beginner at 200 to 250 hours.

HomeBru,

Sounds awesome. With projects like this I'm tempted to say 'screw it' and just buy the best of everything, but thrift always wins in the end.


The worst part of this ordeal is the step I'm in right now; choosing which one to build. This will likely be the only boat I'll be able to build for several years, so it has to be versatile. I think one of the 17' - 18' models will provide tracking and storage for extended runs while being fun for rivers, marshes, and surf. We shall see.
 
I haven't built the boat yet...:rolleyes:

When I do it'll probably be a Chesapeake Light Craft Sassafras 16.

Right now I'm carving and learning to carve and shape Canoe Paddles.

My suggestion... www.woodenboat.com

A great Magazine and website with lots of cool links and a great bookstore for more info.

Good luck and please keep us updated.
 
Cando there is a forum caled southernpaddlers that there are many small boat builders who build canoes kayaks and piroques and are very generious with advice thru tried and true techniques.
 
I have 3 sea kayaks, two poly and one in composite, one of which is the wife's boat. I have always wanted to put one together from a Chesapeake or Pygmy kit, so my hat is off to you for taking on the project. I paddle with a few people who have made them, people I would not consider handy with tools, yet they successfully built nice seaworthy crafts. Chesapeake has a great deal of info and support on their web site, doesn't matter if it isn't a Chessie kit. Good luck with the building and I am sure you will find it enjoyable.
 
Great leads, thanks everyone!

The decision of which boat to build is tearing me apart. For a brief moment I think "I'll just build both! :)" and then realize that time means that's not an option. We'll see....
 
I have had a set of plans in my workshop for about 5 years now. My children are a priority in my life and the boat building had to take a back seat. I am excited to see your journal. Good luck

Paul
 
Yeah, better make sure the wife's okay with your new project cause it's pretty addictive. This won't be the only boat you build I bet !!
Guillemots are a well known and respected boat amongst amateur builders.:thumbup:

Make sure you've got a comfy moaning chair and always remember that even baby steps bring launch day closer.

+1 on the PVC clamps - nobody can afford all the ones you'll need. The best thing about them is that the epoxy you'll be using doesn't stick to them. You can also change the width of the slit to change the applied force. If you feed the PVC through the saw slowly and keep the (table)saw blade as low as possible it won't throw so many (sharp!:D) chips at you.

I haven't built a 'stripper' yet but I've done stitch-and-tape and a clinker dinghy. The next one is a 14' pontoon boat with a 6X10 deck...then there's the argo project...

Check out the boards at byyb.org as well - a good bunch there and happy to share.
 
CanDo said:
Thought I'd fill you in on my summer project. I've been planning on building a wooden/glass kayak for about a year now, and will finally be able to begin within a couple of weeks. I'm planning on making one of plans by Nick Schade's Guillemot Kayaks. I'm deciding between the Guillemot, Guillemot L, and the High-Deck Night Heron.
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/19/detail
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/41/detail
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/node/30/detail

I don't have any commitments for June, so will be trying to build this thing within the month. I'm pretty sure that's possible if I work from 7 am to 7-10pm each day. We shall see...

Any boat builders on the forums? I will be in need of a lot of advice, I'm sure :) ~CanDo
Click to expand...

Before I built my 1st boat, I read a book called Boat Building by Howard Chappell. He strongly advises the use of a "moaning chair". This is a comfortable chair placed where you can view your work area, but not close enough to touch it. When you hit a problem and frustration sets in, plop your butt in your moaning chair with your favorite beverage and stare at your project until a solution arises. Trust me, it works and is probably the only reason I finished my boat. Sometimes you can be so close to the work that you lose sight of the big picture. One Saturday, after weeks of fooling with frames, chine logs, panels and such,I was on the verge of destructive frustration trying to fair a sheer clamp. Catching myself, I walked to my moaning chair and plopped down, disgusted. When I looked at my project, somehow that pile of lumber, glue, and sawdust had turned itself into a boat hull. And what a beautiful hull she was! I had become so absorbed in details that I failed to see what I had built. It was all the inspiration I needed and the boat was finished by the next weekend. That was back in '88 but she was a fine 15' daysailer that could also be rowed and made many overnight trips camping on islands or lake shores. Build your boat!
 
I built a CLC boat about 9 years ago. There were four of us building 5 boats in total and it took about 6 months to finish, working anywhere from and hour or so a day. The pvc pipe clamps work well and it takes a pile of them for different stages(like the coaming). The single most important thing I'd add would be to take your time on the hull. You can get it pretty much perfect if you just take your time. Enjoy the process. Once the boat is in the water, you'll be amazed at how tough they are. And best of all, they can be repaired quite easily. I'm currently paddling a Valley Pintail in carbon fibre/kevlar, but I had great times in my wooden boat. Some day, I'll build another. The one I've been thinking about and ordered the plans to is the Black Pearl. Check it out!
Good luck and take lots of pics:thumbup:
 
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A curse upon you CanDo! You have me looking at boat plans again. After all these years, I thought I was cured. I guess not. Damn!
 
Congratulations on deciding to build a boat. It takes a bit of time, but it is worth it in the end.

The best kayak building forum on the net is the one on Nick Schade's website:
http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi

There are others that are good, but that is hands down the best.

I like the hybrid building option because, although I like the looks of the woodstrip boats, I'm not sure I have the patience to spend 200+ hours building one. I have a hybrid One Ocean Cirrus that I put together a few years back.



If you click on the photo, that will take you to the webshots album where there are a few photos of the building process, although I think there are a number of other folks who have done a much more thorough job of documenting their builds.
 
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