Okay, I need some advice – or at least some other input. Our scout troop is looking into building a fleet of kayaks for a summer paddle trip. A friend of mine helped his troop build 23 of these over a 2 month period. I have attached a photo of his kayak as well as one without the skin. We went on a canoe outing last month and I took my Chesapeake LT17. The scouts were all asking how to build one.

The plusses.

1. Easy to build. The construction is plywood frame with hemlock or spruce strips (I’m not up to speed on the correct terms for a skin on frame kayak). The strips are screwed to the frames. There is a heavier (1x2) strip along the keel and the center ridge of the deck. 10 oz canvas is stretched over the frame and it is sealed up with ordinary house paint. Scouts as young as 11 or 12 years old got it done (often times by pairing up or working with a parent)

2. Low cost. The last troop to do this managed to get it done for about $75 per kayak. For a lot of families, this is a big deal.

3. Light weight. I’d guess about 30 lbs, maybe 35.

4. Easy to repair. If you get a hole (not unusual) just paint on a canvas patch, wait 30 min for the paint to dry and go paddling again.

5. This is probably the most important. The advantages above allow a scout or other young person to build something on their own and say “It’s mine!”

The only minus

1. I’m not even sure it’s a minus. These kayaks are really wide. They are 14 feet long and 31 inches wide at the sheer. I’m pretty sure that means they will be very stable, especially for smaller paddlers. But it also means that it is a bit of a reach to the side to get the paddle in the water (I have not paddled them, but it seems like that would be the case).

The questions

Is the width a point of concern? What would happen if we took the templates and narrowed them up – say from 31” to 27” or 25”? How much could it be narrowed (if it need to at all)?

Has anyone ever seen a design like this? Or, how about a similar design that is narrower?

Thanks for any comments you may have.

Steve

If we do this, I think it is safe to say that the progress on my King is going to slow down! (The deck is about half stripped out)