This weekend I finally had the opportunity to launch and conduct sea trials on my Brinck Baidarka.

I dipped it with my wife at Martha Lake, just outside Mill Creek, WA on Friday evening.
I didn't paddle much at the initial launch, just played and tried to get a feel for it.
I'm essentially switching from doubles and Eurospoons to a Baidarka and a Greenland paddle, so it was an interesting experience.

I took it out each day of the long weekend and made a loop around the lake (30-45 mins).
All days were spectacular, and only on Monday was the wind up enough to be 'interesting'.

The 'Sea Trials' did what they were supposed to and identified some sticking points and things to change or figure out.
Need to finish the cockpit coaming, make a sprayskirt and/or tulilik, install deck lines, and make a longer paddle.

The only big question for the group would be:

Do people outfit their cockpits in skinboats, if so, how?

I added some towels as temporary hip padding and felt much more 'attached' to the boat. Is that desirable?

Frame is Fir from Lowes.
The 43 Ribs are 1/4" x 3/4" Red Oak.
Cockpit coaming is 3 layers of 1/8" White Oak laminated with thickened epoxy.
Lashings were Hemp twine and Tandy Leather Artificail Sinew.
Skin is #10 Cotton Duck from Seattle Fabrics, sewn with unwaxed dental floss and coated with 6 coats (one thinned 50/50) of Minwax Waterbourne Polycrylic.
Final weight is around 45 lbs.

Formal 'Commissioning' will be in a few weeks with some friends and family.

More written details on my website. Pictures to be updated over the next day or so.

Thanks to all for the moral support and assistance, direct and indirect.

Aaron Cunningham