: I am interested in making the Putz SOF Walrus or a custom Morris design. I
: found a reference in Putz's book that the Walrus 17 weighs about 70 lbs.
: How accurate is this? How much does a 17' Morris SOF weigh? I was hoping
: to stay under 40 lbs with a SOF kayak. I like the Walrus because it has a
: "known" shape and leaves less decisions for me to make and it
: has a "frame" to build on. Any suggestions on how to keep the
: weight down? I am planning on doing quiet water paddling, no open ocean,
: no rushing rivers.

Tom

As an alternative to wooden stringers, you might want to consider aluminum
tubing. It requires no shaping, sanding, or finishing which will speed up the
construction process. In addition, the round tubing cross section is a natural
shape for the skin to be wrapped around.

By combining aluminum tubing with plywood cross sections, connected with
nylon squidding line/epoxy, and skinned with 8oz. nylon cloth, you will have
a lightweight, durable, and good performing kayak.

The LINK below is for an Aleut style kayak ( BIF-16) that is built using the
method just described. It weighs just 25lbs. and is a very high performance
kayak. Click on the "thumbnails" to view the pics.

The Walrus would be even easier to build as it wouldn't have the more
complicated Aleut Stem/ Stern design. Wood is a wonderful building material,
but there are alternatives that perform equally well.

A possible skin alternative is a 2 piece PVC/Polyester skin ( Hull/Deck).
There is no sewing, no coating , and it's extremely durable and easy to
construct. It is non-shrink so it will not provide as tight a fitting skin as
the moisture shrink sewn nylon.

At $5.00 yd ( 36" X 61") it's a very inexpensive way to skin a kayak.

Good Luck,

Tom