Note: The sheerline and design features sweeping curves that might challenge first-time Yost-style builders. If you haven’t built a Yost-style SOF before, this might not be the best option.

The basic process of a wooden framed Yost-style SOF is to cut out the six wooden frames, shape them to accept stringers. Glue or nail it all together and then skin it with ballistic nylon. You then coat the nylon with a waterproof coating.

Linesplan

The linesplan gives you an overview of what the finished kayak will look like. This boat has some rocker, which makes it easy to turn. The flare makes the secondary stability feel solid, so it’s easy to hold on edge for quicker turns. The stern stem is harder than the cedar strip version which helps with tracking, because you can’t add a skeg to this boat. The cockpit, which isn’t shown runs between station three and four. It’s 30 inches long.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this kayak from the free plans, please, donate $30. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Siskiwit Bay Skin-on-Frame Sea Kayak Plans

These two new services come with a fee. While I’ve made these plans available without expecting to make any money from them, these two new services take a significant amount of time. The printed plans cost $100 per set. The electronic nestings cost $30. The plans take 2 to 4 weeks to ship, and the electronic nestings take 1 to 2 weeks to ship, unless I have them finished. For those that I have finished, I’ll send them to you as soon as I get the payment info email from PayPal.

I’m currently updating all the free canoe plans and free kayak plans pages with the following info. If you want a plan that doesn’t include the “Buy Now” buttons, then you can order it from this page.

Sample Station and Stem Plans

The free drawings comes with a combined station and stem plan. You can work from this if you only want to print out one piece of paper. Great for framing and placing in the boat house (garage). Sample below.

Nesting Sample

These drawings come with multiple pages of nestings. Each station and stem is drawn separately. Use spray adhesive to fix the paper to your plywood before cutting out the forms. Nestings cost extra. Sample below.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this canoe or kayak from the free plans, consider donating $30 for my time and effort. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Printed Canoe Plans and Kayak Plans Plus Electronic Nestings

The plans come as a pdf that you can print off at a office supply store, such as Officemax or Staples, or any printing store that can print up to 36 inches. If you don’t have access to a large-format printer, I included dimensions for every 2 inches. Using the dimensions, you can draw the cockpit out yourself. To do it:

1. Draw a 32-3/8-inch centerline on a 24 inch wide piece of paper. Tack the paper down to a piece of 3/4-inch plywood.
2. Mark intervals on the centerline every 2 inches.
3. Run a line perpendicularly to the centerline the specified distance at each 2-inch interval.
4. Place a nail at the end of that line.
5. Place a nail on each end of the centerline.
6. Run a flexible batten around the nails.
7. Draw a line around the batten to draw the cockpit outline.
8. Mirror the outline for the starboard side.
9. Add in the knee braces following the same procedure.

Note: To reduce the cockpit length to 30 inches, remove the sixth line from the left and make the spacing between the fifth and seventh line 2 inches.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Sea Kayak Cockpit Plans

Things I Learned

On a project of this magnitude, about 100+ hours of computer time, I’m bound to learn something, and I did. Basically, I learned to quickly model boats using DELFTship Pro, and how to efficiently turn them into a printable plan using CAD. I’m not sure I learned the most efficient or correct practices in both programs, because I essentially self-taught from tutorials. DELFTship was easier for me, because I’ve used it for years — since when it was called FREEship. I have a background in rudimentary CAD and drafting, so I was able to translate that to the project and increase my abilities.

Where I Sort-of Failed

Early on, I wanted to export my DELFTship models back into FREEship to calculate cross curves of stability. Although, I had a basic understanding of stability, I didn’t really understand it. After starting this project, via research and some email conversation, I have a better grasp of righting arms, etc… I wanted to release stability charts with each plan, but that was too much extra work for the project. I may add the graphs in the future as I now have a spreadsheet that a fellow boat designer made to convert the numbers from FREEship into a Sea-Kayaker-Magazine-style stability chart.

What I’m Happiest About

I’m really proud of the skills that I gained and the later models that I made. The baidarka-style kayaks have unusual bows that I had difficulty modeling. For the first one, I spent over an hour on the bow alone. Eventually, I got it right and on my second baidarka, I knocked out a drawing that I’m really proud of. I’m also pretty happy about finishing a few models that were requested by other canoe and kayak builders. Adding 25 free plans that any wooden strip builder could start building today to the world makes me feel pretty good.

The Reward

During the project, I asked for donations, and while I did get a few, I expected that I’d get many more — maybe in the future. That sounds like a reward, but what I really want to see is more of these canoes and kayaks getting built, especially the canoes (because the QajaqUSA member seem to build many historic skin-on-frame kayaks).

Where From Here

In the future, I plan on adding more free plans to the website. I’d like to eventually finish every boat in Bark and Skin. But, in the short-term, I’m taking a break from free plans to work on finishing up my first commercial plan. My Siskiwit Bay design turned out really well, but I wanted a more playful kayak with slightly less volume, so I designed one. It’s ready to go. When I release the plans, I’ll offer two different decks and a good set of drawings for builders. Look for it in the next couple of weeks. The image above is the preview of the final design. It’s pretty exciting, and I don’t think there’s anything like it on the cedar-strip plan market. It’s kind of like a mix between a NDK Romany and Explorer. Something like a Tiderace Xcite or a Rockpool Alaw Bach.

Free Canoe and Kayak Plans

With this many plans on the website, I decided it was too hard to find them all, so I added a new page as a placeholder for all the plans. From now on when I add a plan, I’ll add it to the Canoe and Kayak Plans page. You can see all the plans from the project there.

Thanks for following along and I hope that you’ve enjoyed the project.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Canoe Plans and Free Kayak Plans Project Summary

Although it may seem like an April Fools’ Day joke, it’s not. This also marks the end of my winter long Free Canoe and Kayak Plan project. Overall, I produced 25 plans based on historic designs found in several books — Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America has been a constant companion during that time. I hope you enjoyed following along, or if you found this through the Internet, check out my other free canoe plans.

Specifications

Length: 15 feet
Width: 43.5 inches
Draft: 8 inches
Displacement: 625 lbs.

Linesplans

Canoe Building Books

These plans don’t include instructions. If you want that, pick up a canoe building book.

• Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction
• Building a Strip Canoe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded by Gil Gilpatrick

For a more, check out my review of canoe and kayak building books.

Send Appreciation Via Cash

Consider donating $30 for my time. Think of all the free canoe and kayak plans I made.

You can give other amounts by clicking on the “Buy Me a Coffee” or “Buy Me a Beer” buttons.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Canoe Plans: Beothuk Canoe

On a modeling and personal note, this canoe is the penultimate model. One more canoe and I’ve completed my winter project of producing a free canoe or kayak plan each week all winter long. When finished, I’ll have modeled 25 boats. And the plans, designed for cedar strip building, are all free—as in free beer. It is a relief to be so close to finishing this project. I’ll have about five to six extra hours of free time a week after next Friday!

Specifications

Length: 27 feet 6 inches
Width: 3 feet 7 inches
Draft: 8.4 inches
Displacement: 1000 lbs.

Linesplans

Canoe Building Books

These plans don’t include instructions. If you want that, pick up a canoe building book.

• Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction
• Building a Strip Canoe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded by Gil Gilpatrick

For a more, check out my review of canoe and kayak building books.

Send Appreciation Via Cash

Consider donating $30 for my time. Think of all the free canoe and kayak plans I made.

You can give other amounts by clicking on the “Buy Me a Coffee” or “Buy Me a Beer” buttons.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Plans – Coast Salish Style Canoe

Personally, I love the look of the stems. It’d be fun to paddle this canoe through the Boundary Waters or other canoe country destinations.

Specifications

Length: 15 feet 6 inches
Width: 35.5 inches
Depth: 12.5 inches
Capacity: 300 to 675 lbs.

Linesplans

Canoe Building Books

These plans don’t include instructions. If you want that, pick up a canoe building book.

• Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction
• Building a Strip Canoe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded by Gil Gilpatrick
• Consider buying The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America for more info about this canoe.
  

For a more, check out my review of canoe and kayak building books.

Sample Station and Stem Plans

The free drawings comes with a combined station and stem plan. You can work from this if you only want to print out one piece of paper. Great for framing and placing in the boat house (garage). Sample below.

Nesting Sample

These drawings come with multiple pages of nestings. Each station and stem is drawn separately. Use spray adhesive to fix the paper to your plywood before cutting out the forms. Nestings cost extra. Sample below.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this canoe from the free plans, consider donating $30 for my time and effort. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Plans – Old Model Ottawa River Algonkin Canoe

I wasn’t going to model this kayak, but someone requested it, so here it is. I find the cockpit interesting, especially since it’s atypical. To me, it looks like the builder wanted to lower the cockpit coaming so he wouldn’t feel like it was swallowing him. Notice in front of the cockpit, I rounded the deck slightly. It might be more authentic to skip the roundness.

Specifications

Length: 15 feet 4 inches
Beam: 25.5 inches
Draft: 6 inches
Displacement: 275 lbs.

Linesplan

The linesplan shows all the views of the kayak. Click on it for a larger view.

Kayak Building Books

• The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build: Contains all you need to know.
• Building Strip-Planked Boats: Contains updates to The Strip-Built Sea Kayak.
• The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America has more info about this kayak.

For a more in-depth list, check out my canoe and kayak building books review.

Sample Station and Stem Plans

The free drawings comes with a combined station and stem plan. You can work from this if you only want to print out one piece of paper. Great for framing and placing in the boat house (garage). Sample below.

Nesting Sample

These drawings come with multiple pages of nestings. Each station and stem is drawn separately. Use spray adhesive to fix the paper to your plywood before cutting out the forms. Nestings cost extra. Sample below.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this kayak from the free plans, consider donating $30 for my time and effort. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Plans for the 1888 King Island Kayak

Photo of an original Nunivak Island kayak Creative Commons Attribution by Travis S. on Flickr.

I had a good time modeling this kayak and drawing the free plans. It seemed to come together very easily. Like other drawings by Chapelle the station plans disagreed with the other views. I wonder if something was lost when scanned for the book, or, maybe, Chapelle just wasn’t that great of a draftsman. I think this would make an interesting boat.

Specifications

Length: 14 feet 11.5 inches
Beam: 30 inches
Depth: 15.75 inches
Draft: 4.8 inches
Displacement: 316 lbs.

Linesplan

Kayak Building Books

Get a kayak building book to learn how to make a boat from these plans.

• The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build: If you only buy one book, then buy this one.
• Building Strip-Planked Boats: Contains updates to lots of the techniques found in The Strip-Built Sea Kayak.
• Consider buying The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America for more info about this kayak.

For a more in-depth list, check out my canoe and kayak building books review.

Sample Station and Stem Plans

The free drawings comes with a combined station and stem plan. You can work from this if you only want to print out one piece of paper. Great for framing and placing in the boat house (garage). Sample below.

Nesting Sample

These drawings come with multiple pages of nestings. Each station and stem is drawn separately. Use spray adhesive to fix the paper to your plywood before cutting out the forms. Nestings cost extra. Sample below.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this kayak from the free plans, consider donating $30 for my time and effort. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Plan – 1889 Nunivak Island Kayak

I had a hard long battle modeling this one. Like the last baidarka that I modeled for a set of plans, it took a ton of time. It didn’t help that Chapelle’s drawings don’t exactly match, so I fudged a little and went with what my eye and the computer program told me was fair. I’m extremely pleased with how I drew the bow and stern. It took time, but it really looks like the baidarka that I built. I think this bow looks really cool and I’d love to paddle this kayak. I bet it’s fast.

Specifications

Length: 17 feet 8.5 inches
Width: 20 inches
Draft: 4.8 inches
Displacement: 275 lbs.
Capacity: 140 to 325 lbs.

1894 Unalaska Baidarka Kayak Lines Plans

The lines plans show different station intervals than the pdf. Click on it to see a big version.

Kayak Building Books

To build a kayak from the free plans, you’ll need instructions. These books are a good start.

• The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build: If you only buy one book, then buy this one.
• Building Strip-Planked Boats: Contains updates to lots of the techniques found in The Strip-Built Sea Kayak.
• Kayakcraft: Fine Woodstrip Kayak Construction: Some really good ideas.
• Consider buying The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America for more info about this kayak.

For a more in-depth list, check out my canoe and kayak building books review.

Sample Station and Stem Plans

The free drawings comes with a combined station and stem plan. You can work from this if you only want to print out one piece of paper. Great for framing and placing in the boat house (garage). Sample below.

Nesting Sample

These drawings come with multiple pages of nestings. Each station and stem is drawn separately. Use spray adhesive to fix the paper to your plywood before cutting out the forms. Nestings cost extra. Sample below.

Printed Drawings

Buy printed drawings that include the Station and Stem Plans and a full set of Nestings for $100. Comes printed on 24- by 36-inch paper.

Electronic Nestings

Buy a pdf of the electronic nestings for $30. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.

Donate

If you build this kayak from the free plans, consider donating $30 for my time and effort. Any donations are appreciated. Whether or not you donate, please, send me a picture of your build–I’ll add it to a builder’s gallery.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Free Plans – 1894 Unalaska Baidarka Kayak