(Editor's Note: Craig nicely sent me a stack of
photo's to scan in. In the interest of disc space I did not include
all of them. For some I substituted pictures I already had for
Tom Clark's article.
Nick)
You are about to build one of the lightest, fastest, most comfortable
and most seaworthy kayaks available. This 2000 year old design
will be a delightful surprise on your maiden voyage.
My first skin boat was the 6.6 Meter 2 hatch design with rudder
and sail. What a gorgeous craft..... I could not believe how well
it paddled and sailed my first time out. Great primary stability,
(so good that secondary stability has fortunately not yet been
experienced). It handles well in rough seas and is quite speedy
in calm water. Depending on crew -- expect 3.5 -- 4.5 knots average
over all.
I included 1/2" X 3" ship's teak battens in my first
kayak which ran the length of inside deck. These 4 strips definitely
added to the appearance of the craft's interior, but after some
time I found that the extra weight (15lb) was not worth the trade
off in weight and foot room. I then removed these wood battens
and found car top loading and unloading to be much easier.
The finished 6.6m Baidarka weighed 86lb with the wood battens
and 71lb without the battens. This was with the 26 oz. skin. The
construction time was approximately 200 hours. I would expect
the same finish time from a first time builder with moderate mechanical
ability.
The 6.6m Baidarka also paddles reasonably well solo from the rear
seat. Be sure to put a cover over the front hatch. Paddling the
6.6 by yourself is a good work out. It is not difficult to make
above 3 knots.
Sailing the 6.6m Baidarka is exhilirating. The sail rig (for down
wind sailing only) can be made for about $30 to $50 but I decided
to have the mast made for the Baidarka on a large wooden lathe
at a cost of $47.00. The sail was made by a local sail maker for
$150. I later put windows in the sail as this helps the pilot
see where he is going. Of course a wind at your back is best as
there is no center or side board to keep you from slipping side
ways. Experimenting with different wind directions is a lot of
fun. But be very careful as a strong side wind will capsize you.
I also attached cleats (need picture??) and reinforced them with
stainless steel braces running forward and attached to station
#4. Be careful not to position anything on deck where it might
interfere with your paddling stroke or bang up your knuckles.
For the rudder system I used the designed set up and attached
"Necke" steering pedals to aluminum sheet metal brackets
sewn to the stringers. Cabling was easily run through plastic
tubing and affixed with plastic wire ties (see pic 1). To draw
and lower the rudder I tried many different approaches and found
that the rigging (see pic ??) worked best. The rudder sometimes
needs a tap from your paddle if you have pulled it to the full
up position. This is especially true if there is sand in the mechanism.
The 5.28m (17.32 ft.) is also a wonderful craft. It weighs less
(38lb) with the 14 oz skin, is a single and doesn't have a sail.
Also, at George's urging I am trying this Baidarka without a rudder
and find it very stable and tracks well.
I am very pleased with the 5.28m Baidarka's performance in calm
water as well as a rough confused sea. It is wonderful to be able
to toss this boat on your shoulder and just walk down to the shore.
As opposed to needing a set of wheels or a strong partner (see
pic ??) which are necessary with the 6.6m Baidarka.
Construction time of the 5.28m Baidarka is less than 100 hours
depending on your experience. I purchased the tubing already bent
for this craft and saved at least 15 hours work. Bending tubing
can be difficult and wasteful the first time around as it takes
a "special touch" to get it right. Although it is fun
to learn this technique.
Tubing
Bender
Assorted Tools
Modified
Gloves
I understand that it is possible to mount the station supports
on a shop wall and build outward instead of upward. Good Luck
Materials
from the kit
At first one might be a bit over taken by the massive number of
holes (6.6 m = 1,730 and 5.28m = 1,300) that must be drilled but
I have found with proper center punching they go rather quickly.
First of all, don't bother laying everything out with dye and
scribing cutting lines. It is faster and much cleaner to cut out
the part patterns from the blueprints and then glue them in place
with rubber cement, wall paper glue or double sided tape. Be sure
to leave 1/2 inch border around the cutting lines. This way you
have a better view of where you are cutting.
Hole drilling started with an automatic or self loading spring
type center punch. I have found it best to center punch all the
holes after taping the blueprints to the aluminum. This way if
your pattern moves while you are working you can realign easily
on the center punch marks.
Drill the 1/2" and 3/4" holes, in the bulkhead pieces,
which end up being cut in half when you band saw the outside of
the pieces. If you don't drill these holes first you will have
to hand file them later.
An adjustable hole cutting bit "fly cutter" is the only
economical way of cutting the large diameter holes. Be very careful
to hold the metal tightly in place and use the right speed on
the drill press. Look out for the spinning arbor it is a real
knuckle buster. Be sure to use a wood backing plate when cutting
these holes. A good tip when using the "fly cutter"
is to cut half way through the metal and turn it over and finish
your cut from the other side. Somehow this just works better.
Some have used a saber saw to cut the larger holes.
Most of the sheet metal cutting is done with a band saw or saber
saw. (stop picture) Practice with scrap to be sure you have the
right blade. I use a 1/4" 16 TPI blade for this. Some suggest
18 TPI, 3/8-1/2 inch blade.
After all the cuts are finished file and deburr the edges. The
deburring tool pictured (pic #) is a wonderful and cheap tool
for this operation. Otherwise you can simply use a hand file.
Drill the small lacing holes and use a single flute counter sink
on both sides of the hole. Be sure to visually re-inspect each
hole for a clean counter sink otherwise you will end up breaking
your lashings. This inspection can be done also by feel. Running
your fingers over the holes. The ideal counter sink would be as
follows.
Insert picture of counter sink
Clean all pieces with Acetone, solvent or soap and water. This
is done so that later the epoxy will stick to the lashings and
aluminum. You might also burnish these flat parts to make them
look better. Scotch Brite works well.
Note: discuss types of thread etc. I have no input on this....
Lacing all the pieces to together is a simple task but takes a
bit of time and concentration. Use steel wire or electrical ties
and bind all pieces together in place. Use a single length of
the nylon thread and a straight needle.
George sells good needles, straight and bent, but you can get
all kinds of other sizes and shapes at your local sewing shop.
The stern top piece is called out to be pre-bent in between the
center line of holes. I have done this and the bend tends to follow
either one set of holes or the other and thus becomes off center.
So be careful. I have also just pulled this piece in place and
lashed it down. This works well.
Start your lashing wherever you please but be sure to hide any
knots so you can't see them.
Also, be sure to position knots where the skin won't later touch
them and create a lump.
TIP: It is best to use thread length of no more than twice the
width of your arm span otherwise you will spend a lot of time
untangling unwanted knots and snarls.
Corrosion is a problem when using any type of metal for construction.
The most important thing to consider is not to have more than
one type of metal in contact with another, i.e. aluminum tube
with a brass plug or stainless steel bolts. This combination will
create a very accelerated corrosion situation. Many thoughts have
been considered regardin the frame corrosion problem including
anodizing and coating the frame parts. Both solutions have their
own adverse effects. For example, anodizing makes the metal more
brittle and will wear off in areas of friction. This will then
concentrate any corrosion. Another problem is that coatings and
anodizing will crack when flexed. As this craft is built to flex
the problem of cracking is obvious.
The best solution so far is to simply use the tubing and sheet
aluminmum as supplied and keep your kayak well flushed with fresh
water.
After a time you will notic some corrosion but don't be too concerned
as it will eventually cover itself with a white film and thus
slow down it's sewn progress. Eventually, your frame will become
structually impaired but this happen to all types of craft as
well as our own bodies. How you take care of your craft and body
dictates how long it will last.
I have found that cutting tubing with a band saw leaves a cleaner
edge then a tube cutter. This is important when you are using
tube splices. Be sure to have a square cut so the butt joints
match well. If this cannot be done on the band saw then use a
tube cutter.
Tubing can be purchased in three different configurations. The
best is full lengths, but UPS does not ship packages over nine
feet. Therefore you can either pick up full lengths or pay for
extra shipping.
I have found that splicing the tubing after it has been cut to
9 ft. lengths is satisfactory but be careful to have the splices
fully inserted into each piece.
The third way to purchase the tubing is to have it cut and bent
by George. Pre-bent tubing is well worth the added cost. You might
be able to purchase lengths locally but I have not had much success
finding the right wall thickness. I think the local salespeople
put it to those of us who only purchase small amounts at a time.
Note: That lengths in cm on the plans are for finished lengths.
Do not cut your rib tubing exactly to length before bending. It
is best to leave 2-4 inches on each side of the tube so that you
can cut to length, matching the blueprint, after the bend is done.
You will see the wisdom in this after you do your first bend.
Installing splices to connect the tubing is a little tricky. I
have experimented with different ways of inserting splices including
heating the tubing (not recommended). The best way is to mark
the center of each splice for reference as to how much splice
goes into each tube. Without this reference you may end up with
a short piece of splice in the tube, thus creating a weak spot.
Note: Be sure that all the ends of the tubing are cut flush.
Be sure ther are no burrs on the ends of the tubing or else the
splices will gall (bind). Next compress the splices with vice
grips or a vice and slide the splice into the tubing as far as
possible do the same on the other end of the splice. At this poing
you must hold one piece of the tubing in a jig or some other type
of contraption. I simply held the tubing flat and secure by screwing
a piece of wood to my work bench with the tubing in between. This
holds the tubing streight and secure. I then hammer the two pieces
together using a piece of wood to protect the end of the tubing.
Keep an eye on the center of the splice. If one side is going
in to the tube too fast use vice grips to hold it in place until
the other end catches up. If a splice is lose expand it by putting
a screw driver blade into the slot and twist.
Note: The cut and bent tubing that George sells come with a set
of plans and markers on each cut tubing. Be sure to follow this
direction.
I used 2 sheets of 3/4" pressed board (ply-wood is better)
screwed together as my jig for bending. I then used 2" X
3/8" aluminum doweling for positioning pegs. You will be
well served to look carefully at the pictures and read the text
in the book Baidarka regarding tube bending.
Note: You will only need to purchase a 1/2" tube bender as
sends the 3/4" tubing already bent and slotted.
Be sure to practice a few bends before you work with the final
parts.
The blue prints have pivot points plotted where you place the
tube bender alignment dowel. As with the flat metal parts, glue,
tape or paste the blueprints to the jig board, and work from the
print. You may use the same board for different tubes. I got a
bit mixed up with drilling all those holes in one board. It may
be better to can flip the board over and start again on the back
side. Be sure that any subsequent hole layouts do not come near
previously drilled holes, otherwise your new hole might drift
into another hole used on a previous bend. I used a hand drill
for most of the holes.
I used a dowel jig attachment on a hand drill to make my holes
were perpendicular to the flat surface of the board. The size
of the hatch coaming can be changed to accommodate different sized
paddlers. It can be made wider or longer depending on your needs.
If you have long legs you may want to make this part longer. If
you have a large bum you may want to make this part wider. I would
suggest going to your local kayak shop and trying different size
hatches then build yours to fit your needs. A spacer in the hatch
coaming sheet metal part should make up for any added length due
to your modification. SHOW PICTURE FOR LOCATION
In bending the hatch coaming tubing... I made it match the drawing
which was pasted to a bending jig. The upward bend of the tubing
was done by putting plywood over the coaming ring and having my
son stand on it, then slowly bending it upward a little at a time
till it met the drawing....
As for bending the hatchway tube, there are no bending centers
on the drawing because it is an incremental bend, you just walk
the bender around the tubing following over the pattern. A symmetrical
job is possible by starting in the middle of the tube, (clamp
the beginning solidly to your table) and bend one half of the
coaming, then flip it over and bend the same half again (same
goes for ribs). This way you are infinitely more likely to end
up with two halves that mirror each other than trying to bend
the whole thing from one end to the other. Getting a good hatchway
on the first try is tricky but not impossible. Take your time...
The most critical part of this operation is to have the frame
supports cut out and precisely placed on the strong-back (work
bench)
I built a work bench (see Pic) out of 3/4" pressed board
and 2X4's. This made a nice flat surface on which to work. My
frame supports were made from 3/4" pressed board and were
attached to the bench with dry wall screws. (see pic). Any old
scrap from 1/4" on up will make good frame supports.
Alignment of the frame supports is done by running a piece of
nylon thread through each frame support and then centering the
supports on the thread. Attaching the top portion of each station
is done by sewing in place a gussett or knee. You will find that
there are three different types knee design for this area.
1. The insert design.
Where the knee is inserted into a slot made in the tubing. This
is the strongest support but is time consuming to do and some
think it is over engineered for the strength needed. 2. The bent
tab design
This design is very strong but incorporates two pieces for each
joint. It too is a bit over engineered. 3. The simple design
The simple design is the one that comes with the plans as of today.
It is very easily cut out and installed but does not provide rigidity
until the ridge beam is installed.
I have used all three types of installation and found each to
be acceptable. I will stick with the simple design as it takes
less time.
Once the knees have been cut out and holes drilled, assembly takes
place in a large vice or calmping device (pic). The two pieces
of tubing must be held flat and in place while the knee is sewen
in place. A tight lashing does the trick. Don't forget to put
plugs in the ends of the tubing.
Putting the frame together is a matter of simply starting at the
bow and working aft. Be sure to check and double check alignment
of each station as well as being sure that all ribs are vertical.
George suggests marking each rib from the blue print as to where
each stringer goes later on.
Don't forget to file the 3/4" groove in each station before
attempting to put the frame together.
As each part goes into place, tie it with either wire or plastic
ties. Then remove them as you do your lashing.
Lashings will show through the skin so don't be concerned.
Knots tied in the wrong place will also show. You might want to
put a small piece of fabric over the lashings and inside the outer
skin to protect against chaffing in the stem and stern areas where
the gunwale terminates.
Note: You might want to put a piece of fabric over the lashings
which attach the gunwales to the stem and stern. These areas are
somewhat sharp. This application will prevent the skin from chaffing.
I have also found that there are only two basic knows used
in lashing the kayak together. The overhand loop and the half
hitch. The overhand loop (see pictures) is used to start or anchor
the lashing and the half hitch is used for finishing the lashing.
In the case where you run out of thread, I do not try to attach
two lengths together, instead I simply start again with another
knot.
Lashing the tubing is simple but tedious. Be sure to use the half
hitch tie off method in the diagram. This will pull the lashing
tight and hold it in place. It is also a good idea to melt the
ends of the lashings with your Bic lighter. An alternative is
to leave the lashings ends long and burn them off later with a
soldering iron.
You will want to use a net needle (see Pic) for this operation
as well as have your hand or hands covered with leather gloves
with all but the little fingers removed.
You might turn the frame upside down for tying the lower lashings.
This makes it easier on your back. the frame regains its shape
when reattached to the frame.
After the frame is lashed together and aligned leave it attached
to the frame supports. This will keep it in shape during the epoxy.
I have used West Systems epoxy and found it to be very easy to
work with. Any "laminating or coating" epoxy will do.
The thinner the better. INSERT CANANDIAN BRAND OF EPOXY
Be sure to read and understand the instructions on the epoxy.
Otherwise you may end up with a coating that doesn't dry properly.
Clean all surfaces with Acetone.
Lightly brush on a coat of epoxy to all lashings. Look out for
drips and do not try to do the under side of the lashings. Reinspect
for drips frequently.
After the first coat dries (per the instructions) remove the frame
from the supports and turn it over. Now coat the bottom of the
lashings. A second coat may be applied over the first coat.
This operation will increase the stiffness of the frame.
You'll probably be so excited at this point that you will want
to rush. DON'T... This is a very important phase of construction
and should be done with care to provide a pleasing look. It also
doesn't take that long, so take your time. Mistakes made here
can be irreversable. You may want to install carrying handles
prior to attaching the skin. I used 1/4 inch nylon rope with 3/4
inch PVC handles. Attaching these in the vicinity of the aluminum
sheet stations is a good idea as this is a very strong area. (see
picture)
I would suggest that you use the 14 or 15 oz skin for most applications.
For the double 15oz X 72" wide skin is OK. I used the 26
oz skin on my 6.6 and found it to be nice looking, easy to work
with, but very heavy and overkill as to puncture resistance. The
24 oz skin also soaks up a lot of Hyplon. On the 6.6, I would
have saved about 12 pounds if I had used the lighter skin.
Nylon shrinks. This is very important as you do not want to make
your initial fitting too tight. One's tendency is to pull the
skin too tight. I found while constructing my second boat that
you can leave the skin fairly wrinkled and still end up with a
tight fit after shrinking is complete.
What we are trying to do is find a middle ground on the tightness
issue. The stringers and gunwales of my 6.6 Baidarka bend and
release due to temperature even after 2 years.
How lose is too lose before you shrink? Be able to easily put
your thumb in between the fabric and deck stringer. DO NOT USE
A HEAT GUN TO SHRINK THE FABRIC except in very small defined areas
such as around the hatch coaming or to take out specific wrinkles.
The first step is to turn your frame upside down and rest it on
a few of the station supports. Snap a center line on the cloth
and center the cloth on the keel.
Be sure to ask George to ship you 1 foot of extra cloth if this
is your first boat. You'll find out why later. I held my material
in place with easy clamps. 3 or 4 should do the job nicely. Now
stitch a single running stitch along the gunwales to hold the
fabric in place.
Use a large curved needle and don't be afraid to make this a tight
stitch. 3" upholstry needles work well also.
Turn the boat over and cut away all fabric not needed with a hot
knife. Be sure to leave an over lap of at least 2 inches on the
deck stringers. Do not cut fabric away from the stem, stern or
hatch coaming yet.
Now start in the middle of the kayak and work outward fore or
aft. Run a basting stitch (single line with curved needle) along
the deck stringer. This will hold the fabric in place while you
sew and cut the final seam.
I have in the past cut through the deck stringer lashing with
the hot knife during this operation. In subsequent cutting and
sewing operations I have taken a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe and
cut it in half on the band saw. I then place this over the deck
stringer and use it to back up my hot knife cuts. When finished
with the cutting and sewing I simply remove this spacer. In addition,
this extra spacer allows for a loser fabric.
I use two needles to sew this deck seam. I start by marking each
side of the fabric with sewing marks (1cm apart) and then proceed
by using a cross stitch.
IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXI (X on top I under the skin)
Use a single thread. Cut away about 6 inches of the fabric then
sew with one needle and then the other. Be sure to keep the seam
straight. Use a hot knife to smooth rough edges on the fabric
before you sew. When finished this seam is extremely strong. Don't
be concerned about the seam unraveling as Hyplon seals this area
well.
Once you have reached the stem area be sure to baste enough extra
fabric in the (inside mouth area) of the jaw.
Start sewing along the top of the stem, up around and into the
mouth area. Continue sewing and cutting fabric until the end of
the mouth area is reached then start going forward toward the
Horn or Prow area. Stop about 3 inches before the top of the prow.
Now turn the kayak upside down and make your bottom cut starting
at the point where the fabric begins to be lose. Cut away excess
fabric and start sewing up the prow and stop about 3 inches before
the top of the prow.
The top of the prow is finished at your own discretion. I have
done a (dart) type of inverted peace sign and also a (cap) type
of seam. (see Pics). As discussed previously, practice will reward
you with a better job.
The stern area is also a little tricky in that as you approach
the narrow stern the seam tends to pull off center. In order to
reduce this tendency, alternate from side to side every 2 inches
or so. Camp the opposing side as you go aft.
The vertical stern stitching is done after folding the fabric
inside of itself about 1/2 inch then working up and down the vertical
stern sewing holes.
The fabric around the aft keel area must be lashed and sewn to
make a water tight seal.
Attaching the skin to the hatch coaming is not tricky although
it is a bit time consuming.
First, sew the lower part of the skin to the bottom of the hatch
coaming. When sewing a long seam like the hatchway circumference,
you can save time (and a knot or two) by starting with (about)
3 circumferences of twine, use half the length going clockwise,
then the other half counterclockwise, you'll meet back where you
started. The two stitches are out of phase, so combined they give
a very neat stitch. Hide any knots under the tubing on the inside.
Next cut the fabric at the top of the hatch coaming with a hot
knife. Make it level with the top of the coaming. (some people
fold it over to the inside of the coaming and sew it there). I
cut it at the top and then attach the rope around he hatch coaming
with a barber poll type stitch using the top holes of the coaming
and putting the fabric in between the metal and rope. Be sure
to stretch the fabric as you go in order to take the wrinkles
out.
The butt joint of the hatch coaming rope can either be sewn in
place or covered with a piece of fabric. I have found that this
section looks more finished with a cover piece sewn in place.
You might try to leave enough fabric (from the verticle covering
of the hatch coaming) in place to pull over this joint.
When the skin is in place and finished take a misting type spray
bottle and mist the outside of the skin and let it dry. Be sure
to keep the seams straight as this process proceeds. A properly
tight skin should feel less taught than a bongo drum and tighter
than a well maid bed. Kind of like the skin on your forehead.
Try to take additional small wrinkles out with more misting.
The keel wear strip is very critical to long term use of your
Baidarka, especially in the areas of the bow and stern. These
areas are exposed to a great deal of wear.
After the skin in installed and shrunk into place cut the wear
strip to length and round the edges at each end. Rounding the
edges will help keep the strip from coaming loose. Use contact
cement to attach the strip to the skin. I have found a solvent
based product such as DAP Weldwood to work effectively.
I tried a water based cement and found that it did not hold well.
Use at least 2 coats on each surface for a tight bond. Be sure
to center the strip and run it from the stern all the way up the
stem (front).
Do not mask off the area to be cemented as it will leave an ugly
line where the glue is not in contact with the wear strip.
After attaching the strip iron it down with a roller device such
as a wall paper seam roller.
Note: The material sold by George adheres to the curved section
of the Prow well on the 6.6 but wrinkles a bit on the 5.28. You
might want to make a few small cuts in this area to make the strip
lay down.
Any 1.5 inch webing should also work for this application but
it should be flexible enough to mold to the keel. Some have used
additional (left over) nylon material but this is difficult to
cut straight.
As you might already know, many kayakers of old were able to make
repairs while in the water. This was done by rafting a few boats
together and flipping the injured craft upside and making the
repair right on the spot. How novel.
The only repair I have had to make so far was when I split the
seam on between the two hatches on my 6.6 meter Baidarka. I did
this because the skin was too tight and was bending the stringers.
I had to release the tension. The repair process in this case
was as follows:
Remove all frayed or bulky material with a soldering gun cutting
tip. Use a double length of nylon line and a very long needle
or curved needle depending on the type of blind sewing needed.
Make pilot holes with a hot nail for each stitch opening. This
is necessary on the thick fabric but might not be needed on the
14 oz fabric. Sew up the "wound" as well as possible
making sure that locking stitches are used so that the seam will
not unravel if one stitch gives way.
Next, glue a piece of fabric over the stitches and coat with Hyplon.
Minimum of 3 coats. This will hold very well and look fairly good
if done with care and attention to detail.
Note: Should the hull of your craft need replacing for any reason,
think about cutting a line at the gunwale and removing the old
hull. Then sew a new piece of fabric to the hull and cover the
seam with webbing. This will save a lot of work, fabric and Hyplon.
Deck attachments should be firmly sewn to the ridge beams or deck
stringers. A rule of thumb should be that the empty kayak should
be able to be supported by a single attachment.
I have used nylon washers purchased at the hardware store. These
washers are 1/16 inch thick and are 1/2 inch O.D. X 3/8 inch I.D..
George uses a PVC tubing ? X ?. One of the problems is that it
is hard to blind stitch these pieces in place. George uses a curved
needle for this purpose. I have used a small person inside the
kayak to feed the needle back and forth.
Three or four stitches will hold the rings in place and the knot
is terminated by using a double half hitch. I mask the rings and
then apply Hyplon around the area covering the stitching.
Hyplon is a brain burner so be sure to wear OSHA approved breathing
mask otherwise you will have problems with mentation during the
final stages of the project.
Xylene is the only thinner to use with Hyplon.
DO NOT USE Xylene SUBSTITUTES as they do not mix.
Before you put your first coat on be sure to burn off all fuzz
balls on the fabric. this is done with a blow torch or lighter.
Without this procedure those little fuzz balls will look like
golf balls when filled with Hyplon
Hyplon is very forgiving as it dries out. I was very disappointed
with drips and runs during my first boat. But later found that
as the material dries out that drips and runs seem to shrink.
My experience with coats of Hyplon has been best with the following
formula. First coat mix 50/50 and re-thin during initial application
if necessary. Second coat 40% thinner 60% Hyplon Subsequent coats
30% thinner 70% Hyplon
Always thin as you apply to keep an easy flowing coat.
Be sure to build a well padded support platform for both the top
and bottom of the kayak. Or use foam blocks (see pic) I tried
using clearwrap over foam blocks and found that even the clearwrap
left wrinkles in the skin. Be very careful in this respect as
wrinkles cannot be removed.
I have tied down my boat after more than a month of cure time
and found that the tie-down straps left marks in the skin. During
each application I would suggest that you start at one end or
the other and proceed toward the other end switching sides each
2 feet.
My suggestion regarding coats would be to apply 2 or 3 coats in
one day, allow to dry, flip the boat over and do 2 or 3 coats
and so on. Try to feather the coats at the gunwales.
Seats are a very personal accouterment of the finished craft.
I have tried every conceivable type of seat from regular open
cell upholstery foam to Spenco jelly (used on bicycle seats).
I have found a closed cell, molded seat sold by Southwind Kayak
(So. California) to be very comfortable on the bum during long
trips. I also carry along two self inflating camping pillows for
comfort. One for my back and one for under my knees. I also pad
the knee braces on the 5.26 meter, which are built into the hatch
coaming, with 1/2 inch closed cell foam.
Regarding foot peddles, I suggest using rigid peddles in the front
cockpit on the 6.6 meter Baidarka and steerable foot peddles on
the rear seat. My preference is the fixed pedals be supplied by
George and Necke adjustable peddles for the rudder system.
In the single 5.28 meter I have installed Necke adjustable peddles
and have tied them off to keep them stable. I may need them later
if I decide to install a rudder.
Floatation is also a consideration. I am using beach balls currently
but would suggest investing in a good set of puncture resistant
floats. Floats are necessary in case your boat fills with water.
Be sure to have floats in both ends of your kayak, otherwise it
may end up looking like a channel buoy.
Regarding foot peddles, I suggest using rigid peddles in the front
cockpit on the 6.6 meter Baidarka and steerable foot peddles on
the rear seat. My preference is the fixed pedals supplied by George
(Yakima made by North West Design works) and the Necke adjustable
peddles for the rudder system.
In the single 5.28 meter I have installed Necke adjustable peddals
and have tied them off to keep them stable. I may use them later
if I decide to install a rudder.
Floatation is also a consideration. I am currently using a good
set of puncture resistant floats. Floats are necessary in case
you flip and your boat fills with water. Unless you have a good
amount of boyancy you will not be able keep ahead of water sloshing
over the hatch coaming. This is a very real senario. Be sure to
have floats in both ends of your kayak, otherwise it may end up
looking like a channel buoy.
I had my foot pedals poke holes in on of my float bags so be careful
not to pinch the bag when adjusting the pedals.
GENERAL NOTES: Most hull damage is encountered while transporting
the kayak. Roof racks come in many different configurations (see
Pic) but it is very important to support the bow of the kayak.
A flag on the rear is also important to attract the attention
of other dirvers and to remid you of your rear backing limit.
Be careful not to bend your boat when it is filled with water.
Hull modifications are possible but not desirable below the waterline
as changes in length or width will greatly change the craft's
performance.
It is also possible to change the height of the foredeck (for
more leg room). This is accomplished by increasing the height
of the deck stringer supports.
One of the most popular changes of the design is to either lengthen
or widen the cockpit opening to accommodate wider and taller people.
This is done by simply changing the size and shape of the hatch
coaming tubing, the coaming flatware and rope. Be sure to order
more material if you are contemplating a change.
©1996 Craig Kelford Please do not repost, publish, or put
this item on ftp or web sites without Craig's permission Craig
Kelford II 76763.2331@compuserve.com
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