: I am a teacher at a high school in Maine. I'm an advisor for the outing club,
: and want to get the club involved in sea kayaking. We (the students and a
: couple teachers) will be building some kayaks for the club to use, and I'm
: looking for some suggestions on what kind of kayaks we should build.

Arthur,

Building 5 SOF's in one week is possible if either yourself or the other
teachers have prior SOF experience, and have built a design similar to the one
you choose, with the materials and methods of construction being the same.

The Combi Double/Single has yet to be tested, as I've just completed the single
version skin , and the double will be skinned next week. Living in Colorado,
I'm at the mercy of the weather for testing purposes.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend my folders for this type project as the sewn
and coated skins alone take a fair amount of time. However, I've switched to
an easier and faster method using PVC.

You could make sub assemblies such as cross sections, coamings, seats, tube
cutting, and riveting inserts in preparation for the hectic building week you
have planned. One thing about a folder is the ability to make most
everything in a small working environment. With enough advanced fabrication,
your week will be spent simply assembling the kayaks, and skinning.

I've just completed my first one-piece PVC hull and deck. The big advantage of
this type skin is the time to build and the cost.

A Combi Double skin will cost about $80.00 and the time involved is under
20 hrs. Total cost per kayak should be about $400.00 with aluminum and HDPE
plastic. The sewn/coated skins take much longer and cost about $200.00 alone
when using Hypalon coatings. In addition, this is a toxic process and not well
suited to a school environment.

You can build a less expensive SOF, but not one that is a folder, and can be
assembled as either a single or a double.

So, once tested, If you're interested, I'll be glad to assist you by email
in the construction of a Combi Double. That way, you'll be an expert by the
time the project commences.

Total construction time for a Combi is well under 100 hours. There is no
sanding or varnishing which greatly speeds up the process. You can make the
single version skins if time is available during the week, or make them at a
later date. That way, you'll have 10 kayaks for nearly the same construction
time and cost of five.

Either the double or single should be fine for the paddling conditions you've
mentioned.

See the Link below for better pics of these designs (site still needs work),
and an attached pic of the PVC skin. It's really small, but the best
I can do here.

Thanks for your interest, and good luck !

Tom