New Kayak on the Ways

[Paradox]

I have been working on this stripper kayak for a few months now. It is a Greenland style, "Guillemot L", designed by Nick Shade. I plan to use it on the small lakes and ponds of New England and New York's Adirondacks for camping.

It is western red cedar, with tiger maple accents on the deck centerline and the near the sheerline. I'm using bead & cove strips with staples in stripping the hull, the deck went nicely without staples.

Below is the deck in the process of "stripping."

Below is the finished deck. The stems will be accented with more tiger maple, then the fiberglassing starts.

 

[J&J]

Wow! Nice job, Paradox.

 

[peakbagger]

I really like the Guillemot family of hulls, (thats why I built two variations of them). The tiger maple accent is going to be impressive, I have a couple of curly maple inserts but didnt try making strips from them. I expect the day you wet it out, the hull is going to really pop. Of course getting use to using such a good looking hull is going to take some nerve.

The one thing that takes a bit of getting used to is that the designer likes to roll him boats, for folks that like a hull with high primary stability without a lot of work, the Guillemots can be a handfull. On the other hand, someone with good boat control skills can take advantage of the design and really play around in the surf.

I expect you know the warnings on epoxy, its real tempting not to run safety gear as it seems to be such mild stuff, but if you do get sensitivity to it, you wont ever be able to go near the stuff.

 

[Paradox]

I really like the Guillemot family of hulls, (thats why I built two variations of them). The tiger maple accent is going to be impressive, I have a couple of curly maple inserts but didnt try making strips from them. I expect the day you wet it out, the hull is going to really pop. Of course getting use to using such a good looking hull is going to take some nerve.

I've been looking forward to today, I put a sealer coat of epoxy on the deck. Yep, the maple she poppin'.

 

[alistair]

Nice ........ I used to own and paddle a 17' Pygmy Cohu

 

[IndianChris]

That is awesome!!!
Keep posting pictures.

 

[Roxi]

Wow!

You've created a thing of beauty. She's absolutely gorgeous! She looks like the Marilyn Monroe of Kayaks. Great lines. Just stunning! I imagine in the water she'll be poetry in motion. Thanks for sharing.

 

[sardog1]

Very, very cool. You've flogged me into setting aside time this week for the three projects that are underway (somewhat slowly) here:

1. New CLC Mill Creek 13 for my wife, currently unglassed and sans deck but that's about to change (UGH, there's still boat-building weather in November .....)
2. Used CLC Chesapeake 17 LT that I "stole" from a guy who couldn't keep it any longer. Needs the rub rails refinished and it's good to go. (You'd cry uncontrollably, maybe even pass out, if I told you what I paid for it.)
3. A 1:12 scale model of a Chesapeake 17, for experimenting with the color scheme that I'll put on the full-size version "sometime" this winter.

"Paddle harder!" (and more often.)

 

[Paradox]

...
2. Used CLC Chesapeake 17 LT that I "stole" from a guy who couldn't keep it any longer. Needs the rub rails refinished and it's good to go. (You'd cry uncontrollably, maybe even pass out, if I told you what I paid for it.)

There was one on CraigsList several months ago, hull painted red, with compass, paddle float, and paddle for $800. I almost bought it, but life got in the way. That one?

 

[peakbagger]

Strip built boats dont have great resale value as the construction quality is generally unknown and most of the fun is building it and paddling it.

Just in case you ever plan to take the boat into Canada, make sure you get a Hull ID number. I tried to get one several years ago from NH and after two weeks of runaround, gave up.

 

[sardog1]

There was one on CraigsList several months ago, hull painted red, with compass, paddle float, and paddle for $800. I almost bought it, but life got in the way. That one?

Uh, no. Ready to cry uncontrollably? $330, with a skimpy nylon sprayskirt, a copy of the AMC's NH/VT flatwater guide, and a decent pump. (I did have to beat Cousin Irene up to Bar Harbor to fetch it, though. So the roundtrip gas cost should be added, if I were being clear-headed about the matter. Which I'm not.)

BTW, I was on my way to go look at the red one for $800 when I found this one instead.

 

[Stan]

Hey! Fantastic job on that faux grain! Did you leave ridges in the glaze? I was surprised, when I was building, at the demand for faux microlam in timberframe construction.

Just kidding. It is a work of art and I admire and envy the crafsmanship and patience (am I being redundant?) that go into these projects. Congratulations!

What are the dimensions and weight?

 

[Paradox]

What are the dimensions and weight?

From the Chesapeake Light Craft website:

Guillemot "L"

Length: Hull Wt: Beam: Max Payload: Cockpit Size: Paddler Weight: Knee Height: Max. Men's Shoe Size:
18' 0"---40 lbs.--23 in.----375 lbs.-----32" x 18"----190 - 275 lbs.------13"--------------14

 

[peakbagger]

I have some forms guillemot forms sitting around the house somewhere if someone is tempeted.

 

[Chip]

Wow, very nice. I see you skipped the Yard Pine inserts in favor of the curly maple; good call. My recent NH woodworking pales in comparison .

 

[Paradox]

I've glassed the hull and the deck.

 

[Chip]

what's the other one in the background, the rowing shell ? when you get these plans, are there different sizes for different "user" sizes ?

 

[Paradox]

what's the other one in the background, the rowing shell ? when you get these plans, are there different sizes for different "user" sizes ?

The upper photo is the hull in the foreground, the deck (flipped over) is in the background. The lower photo is the deck (now right side up), with the hull in the background. The hull and deck are covered with fiberglass on both sides and then they are joined.

Yes, kayaks are kind of like shoes. There is some adjustment to the fit, but you cannot go very far in a kayak that is too large or too small. This Guillemot comes in an "S", a regular, and an "L". Some manufacturers call their kayaks for larger paddlers a High Deck (HD), or a High Volume (HV) to imply that the bigger guys will need more room for their feet.

 

[sardog1]

A boatbuilder can never have too many clamps.

(BTW, that's quite the dust collection system in the background of this very nicely laid out and equipped shop. Would you be willing to adopt me?)

 

[Paradox]

A boatbuilder can never have too many clamps.

(BTW, that's quite the dust collection system in the background of this very nicely laid out and equipped shop. Would you be willing to adopt me?)

Thanks, I've put a lot of time into putting the dust collector together, though not all that much money. The guts of it is a 2HP Harbor Freight dust collector, which was only $139, two years ago.

I have spent the past 5 months putting the boat together, I spent one day cutting holes in it. Gotta break some eggs to make an omelet.

The slots are for webbing loops that hold the perimeter lines and bungees.