kayaks from
Scratch
BEGINNER FRIENDLY: Stich-and- glue construction requires more
patience than experience. PHOTO: J.J. KELLY
Kayaks You Can Build BY TED MOORES
$39.95 •
www.bearmountainboats.com
Sarnia, Ontario-based yacht designer Otto Vallinga’s Simple series of stitch-and-glue kayak plans are designed to be built from one or two sheets of marine plywood. Te 12-foot, nine- inch flat-bottomed, partially open-deckedSimply Simone (plans only $20,
www.geton-
thewater.ca) is a cheap and easy way to get into kayaking on sheltered waters at the cottage.
Perhaps the most popular stitch-and-glue kit kayak of all time is thePygmy Coho (complete kit $945,
www.pygmyboats.com). Pygmy founder John Lockwood spent a year refining this sleek 17-foot, six-inch multi-chine-cruiser’s lines. Te result is a fast, 39- pound, expedition-worthy boat that tracks well without a rudder and is still comfortable to paddle empty on day trips.
Chesapeake Light Craft’s stitch-and-glue sea kayak kits are distinguished by a blend of graceful arcing decks and crisp hull lines. Te speedy, 18-foot Arctic Hawk (complete kit $1,025,
www.clcboats.com) has a cult-like following of Greenland-style paddlers looking for a DIY boat that’s both roll-ready and capable of hauling enough gear for weeklong trips.
Veteran craftsman Ted Moores hand-selects and mills all the pieces of bead-and-cove western red cedar for his Bear Mountain Boat Shop woodstrip-epoxy sea kayaks. Te 16-foot, six-inchResolute ($125 plans only, $1,765 for materials,
www.bearmoun-
tainboats.com) is a beamy, stable gear-hauler that’s an excellent boat for novice paddlers and confident woodworkers.
Veteran small boat-builder Ted Moores, co- owner of Peterborough’s Bear Mountain Boat Shop and the author of Canoecraft and Kay- akCraft, has produced a hefty hardcover that’s dedicated to the art of stitch-and-glue kayak construction. A series of expert tips, shortcuts, cheap tricks and hundreds of photos make the construction of plywood kayaks a breeze.
Building the Greenland Kayak BY CHRISTOPHER CUNNINGHAM
$19.95 •
www.mcgrawhi l l .com
Tis step-by-step guide to building a lashed- frame, fabric-covered sea kayak is both a means to a sleek, fast, universally admired boat and an excellent introduction to wood- working and boat-building for hobbyists.
Building Skin on Frame Boats BY ROBERT MORRIS
price varies •
www.brewerycreek.ca
Tis book seems only to be available used and in demand. At press time, Amazon had only four copies available, ranging from $249 to $375. Happy hunting (for the book, not narwhales).
LEE VALLEY Japanese Flush-cutting Saw $32.50 • www. leeval
ley.com
Tin-bladed Japanese handsaws cut only on the pull stroke (as opposed to Western saws, which cut on the push stroke), enabling precise, finish-quality cuts. Te flexible blade of this model is suitable for cutting trim and shortening cedar strips and tenons.
FROSTS Laminated steel 3.75-inch Shop Knife $17.50 Cdn • www. leeval
ley.com
Discerning woodworkers will shell out hundreds of dollars for a quality shop knife. But for less than $20, this Swedish-made, stainless-steel-blade, birch-handle knife holds a fine edge and serves the purpose for hundreds of uses around the shop—or the campsite.
Read our archived articles about kayak building at www.
adventuremag.com/features/features_kayaks 34 ADVENTURE KAYAK | SUMMER/FALL 2010
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