Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
By:Eric Mattison
Date: 7/21/2011, 11:32 am
In Response To: Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try... (JUSS10)

Hey Justin,

Just to put this out there for your consideration, you mentioned that you have been kayaking a few times which makes it sound like this is a relatively new hobby for you. If you haven't paddled a SOF before, you might consider doing a stitch and glue or strip build first. You'll find them to be generally more beamy and solid feeling with little to no freeboard. They are also great platforms to fish from.

SOF boats will sit deeper in the water and feel less stable. They are also more difficult to get into and are easier to roll (both the good and bad way) than some others.

Don't let the length be a detractor. 17' may seem like a lot of boat, but given your size, it will be much faster than the shorter wider boats you are considering. To put things in perspective, I'm 5'7" and my normal go to boat is a 16' CLC. I am currently finishing a 17' Sea Ranger. Those may sound like big boats for someone my size, but I can easily average 3.5 mph in my CLC, fully loaded.

IMHO, unless you have some friends to paddle with until you get used to it, start with a S&G or Strip build. If you go right to a SOF without the community support, you may create a boat that frustrates you and ends up sitting around.

Eric M.

Messages In This Thread

Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/20/2011, 7:28 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bob Johns -- 7/20/2011, 7:57 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Aaron Hines -- 7/20/2011, 8:02 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/20/2011, 9:57 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Ken Blanton -- 7/20/2011, 10:32 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Dave Gentry -- 7/20/2011, 11:12 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/21/2011, 1:02 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/21/2011, 7:49 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
David Bynoe -- 7/21/2011, 4:54 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
dave g -- 7/21/2011, 1:56 am
"Disko Dreadnaught"
Doug S -- 7/21/2011, 1:11 pm
Belated replies
Dave Gentry -- 7/25/2011, 8:51 pm
Re: Belated replies
dave g -- 7/25/2011, 10:23 pm
More Dreadnaught goodness
Doug S -- 7/26/2011, 1:07 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/21/2011, 10:54 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Wayne One (wwfloyd) -- 7/21/2011, 11:21 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Eric Mattison -- 7/21/2011, 11:32 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
john raley -- 7/21/2011, 8:50 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Eric Mattison -- 7/22/2011, 1:34 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Wayne Two -- 7/22/2011, 2:50 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Eric Mattison -- 7/22/2011, 3:53 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Allan -- 7/21/2011, 9:54 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Eric Mattison -- 7/22/2011, 1:42 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
john raley -- 7/21/2011, 9:01 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/22/2011, 1:46 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
thomas duncan -- 8/3/2011, 7:20 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
thomas duncan -- 8/3/2011, 7:21 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Wayne Two -- 7/21/2011, 10:26 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/21/2011, 10:59 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Wayne Two -- 7/21/2011, 11:55 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/22/2011, 1:51 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/22/2011, 10:31 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Todd Olson -- 7/22/2011, 10:52 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Wayne Two -- 7/22/2011, 2:54 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
john raley -- 7/22/2011, 7:42 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/22/2011, 10:34 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try... *PIC*
John Raley -- 7/22/2011, 12:59 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/22/2011, 1:18 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
John Raley -- 7/22/2011, 1:44 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/22/2011, 1:50 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
John Raley -- 7/22/2011, 1:57 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
JUSS10 -- 7/22/2011, 2:01 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/23/2011, 4:18 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
john raley -- 7/23/2011, 8:27 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Bill Hamm -- 7/24/2011, 12:26 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
Paul G. Jacobson -- 7/22/2011, 8:42 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: want to give this a try...
ancient kayaker -- 7/26/2011, 7:06 pm