> Mike,

> Thanks for the idea. I have seen the name of the Putz around these forums,
> but haven't encountered any detail. Can you suggest where I might find
> some information regarding this design?

> Rob.

Rob,

The Putz Walrus is hard chined canvas kayak based on a 1923 Norman Skene design that is based on a West Greenland design. The building plans are in George Putz's book "Wood and Canvas Kayak Building". I built the 17 in canvas and it is a wonderful balance of speed, turning and tracking. I plan on building a wood versiion of it this summer. My 17 weighs 33 lbs. and is 17 feet long and 21-1/2 inches wide if I remember correctly. The 18-1/2 has the form size and spacing increased by about 10%. The 18-1/2 can be used as a single, double, or a rowing shell. In the book George says the it could be stretched or shrunk about 1-1/2 feet hurting the performance much. The plans call for one large open cockpit, but this is up to the builder as to what to do here. I would think it would have higher initial stability than the Pokomoke, but I've only read about that boat. To adapt to a plywood version you could easily use Skip Snaith's tack and tape methods from his book(I don't recall the title).

I have attached a picture of mine, being paddled by my wife. I think she will be using this kayak until her Redfish Spring Run is finished. The more each of us paddle this kayak the more we like it. When we go out now, this is the kayak we each want to use. I made the deck very high around the cockpit to give extra room for my legs. The cost of building it was about $250, it could be built for less if you are careful. It tracks as straight as my Pygmy Arctic Tern, but turns much sharper. I think it accelerates quicker but has a slightly lower top speed (it is 2 or 3 inches shorter).

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Mike