-
Building a Nikumi
Safety Note: A vinyl skin is not safe for normal use. This is for show only. Hundreds of years ago, the Aleuts paddled slender kayaks up and down the west coast of North America in search of sealskins and adventure. Their kayaks, called baidarkas by the Russians, were typically narrow, fast, and featured crazy looking bifid or split bows. I first gained an interest in this type of kayak after reading George Dyson’s visionary book Baidarka, and the more I read, the more interesting these kayaks became to me. Eventually, I purchased Wolfgang Brinck’s The Aleutian Kayak with the intension of building a traditional baidarka using traditional methods. But, after…
-
Canoe and Kayak Building Resources
Building resources for wooden canoe and kayak homebuilders.
-
Free Plans – 1894 Unalaska Baidarka Kayak
The Unalaska baidarka appears as Figure 178 in the Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. Howard I. Chapelle, the author, writes that it represents the standard design used throughout the Aleutian Islands and on the mainland as far east as Prince William Sound. The Aleuts also used this style in the Pribilof Islands and at St. Matthew as a sealing kayak. Chapelle notes that the bow varied from the style used in this free plan, but he says that the body style remained the same. The Aleuts also built this kayak in two-cockpit and three-cockpit versions. I had a hard long battle modeling this one. Like the last…
-
Fuselage Frame Boats: A guide to building skin kayaks and canoes — a Review
Fuselage Frame Boats: A guide to building skin kayaks and canoes Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Subscribe documents S. Jeff Horton’s, Kudzu Craft, method of building plywood-framed skin-on-frame kayaks in a similar method to those developed by Tom Yost of Yostwerks. The idea is to connect a series of frames with stringers to make the basic shape of the kayak or canoe. Over the frame, you sew or attach a fabric skin that you waterproof with varnish or two-part polyurethane. By following the process, you can build a boat quickly and…
-
North Water Under Deck Bag Review
The North Water Under Deck Bag acts like a glove compartment for your kayak. Once glued into place under the front deck, it hangs down between your knees. It’s perfect for the little items, such as sunscreen and snacks, that you need quick access to during the day. I’ve mounted one in almost every kayak I’ve owned and have used them for over seven years. (Plus, I’m quoted in the Spring 2011 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine singing praise about them. Thanks, David!) It only makes sense that I review it. The Under Deck Bag is exactly what it says it is. It’s a bag that attaches under the deck…
-
2007 Meet at the Beach – Minnesota
Join us for Minnesota’s first wooden boat Meet at the Beach. The event will occur on Lutsen Resort’s beautiful beach the weekend of June 16-17. All wooden kayak and canoe builders are welcome to bring their boats to show off and let others paddle them in the waters of Lake Superior. Every type of wooden construction is welcome from Stitch and Glue, cedar strip, skin-on-frame, and everything in between. And the event is open to the public.