: I am looking for info on george dyson aluminium baidarkas..
: how have these lashed aluminium craft held up over time?
: how heavy are the frames, lighter than all wood?
: any other comment appreciated...

: generally on baidarkas- how similar to the line drawings of past
: aleutian ones are modern plans?

: cheers

I have many stories about Dyson Baidarkas. I built two of them with a friend about 18 years ago, and both are still in excellent condition. I've paddled a few others while living in the SF Bay area. The first I built was his "Shields" replica, and the second is a 6.6m (21'8") double. Both boats were a pleasure to build. The double has been in 4 of the 5 great lakes, the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico (Horn Island), the Pacific from Mendocino to Ensenada (MX), the Sea of Cortez, and most recently Lake Powell. On it's maiden voyage, we were loaded down with provisions for a week out, and we unintentionally surfed it hard onto a mussel bed, skidding for several feet, with no damage. A few years later, after a day out in the Monterey Bay with my wife, I forgot to tie down the stem line, which was hanging from the stem. I drove over the line after we reached 10 mph or so, and the boat came crashing down on the roof of my car. It destroyed the Yakima rack and bent up the roof of my car, but the kayak was fine. After 18 years, the skin is very tight and the keel at the stern is badly worn and leaking, but the kayak is otherwise like new. I think it will be around much longer than I will.

The double is quite a cruiser. My daughters will ride out on the deck and play/swim from there. See photo below. My wife and I used to do weekend trips up Tomales Bay, and we'd pack an inflatable mattress, pillows, blankets, big Coleman stove, bottles of wine, etc. We used to watch fireworks from the boat in Mission Bay, CA, every July 4th. Many good memories.

Of course, the downside to a boat that is so overbuilt is that it is quite heavy. I've never weighed it, because I don't know how, but it is a beast. I've got full-length redwood floorboards and a heavy nylon skin, both of which add much to the weight and maybe the strength. I'm sometimes discouraged to take it out, because it is so heavy. Lately, I've been thinking of reskinning it with one of George Dyson's lighter materials, since I now live in Colorado, where there are no mussel beds.

Below is a recent pic at Lake Powell. There are a couple more photos in my recent post on the launching of a Yost Sea Pup.