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Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
By:Robert W
Date: 4/1/2016, 10:34 pm
In Response To: Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder (Chris Gutierr)

I also second the opinion that you build a more advanced boat. However, I think the alternate suggestions (like Nikumi) are too narrow and tippy, even assuming a quick learning ability.
Where do you live and paddle? If it's some nice and warm place (ex. Florida), then it's OK to swim a lot while adopting to narrow kayak.
If you live in a place where capsizing = hypothermia within 15 minutes, you better start with something a bit more stable.
Think kayak ~17 feet long (+- 1 foot) and 22 to 24 inches wide. Those dimensions are kind of a mid-range - reasonably long and fast, while still reasonably stable.
The good news is that sacrificing only a bit of speed (ex going from kayak that is 21'' wide to kayak that is 22'' wide) increases stability a good deal.
The bad new is the inverse - to increase the speed by a little you sacrifice the stability by a lot.
The type of the boats you should be looking for : Tom Yost Sea Tour 17, Guillemot Great Auk, CLC Shearwater, Kudzucraft Firefly and Long Shot, skinboats.org baidarka.

Messages In This Thread

Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Chris Gutierrez -- 4/1/2016, 8:33 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Marc Upchurch -- 4/1/2016, 8:40 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Chris Gutierre -- 4/1/2016, 9:28 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Marc Upchurch -- 4/1/2016, 5:19 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Mike Bielski -- 4/1/2016, 9:19 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Chris Gutierrezz -- 4/1/2016, 9:29 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Mike Bielski -- 4/1/2016, 9:42 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
scottbaxter -- 4/1/2016, 9:52 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Chris Gutierr -- 4/1/2016, 1:11 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Mike Bielski -- 4/1/2016, 3:05 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder *PIC*
Curtis Fisher -- 4/1/2016, 3:18 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Robert W -- 4/1/2016, 10:34 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Robert W -- 4/1/2016, 10:39 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
scottbaxter -- 4/1/2016, 11:34 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
JohnAbercrombie -- 4/2/2016, 12:24 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
JohnAbercrombie -- 4/2/2016, 12:35 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Ken Blanton -- 4/2/2016, 12:45 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Yoshi -- 4/2/2016, 12:54 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Robert W -- 4/5/2016, 12:49 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
fadedred -- 4/5/2016, 2:29 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
fadedred -- 4/5/2016, 2:33 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Robert W -- 4/5/2016, 4:20 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
fadedred -- 4/5/2016, 8:49 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Bill Hamm -- 4/6/2016, 12:19 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
JohnAbercrombie -- 4/5/2016, 6:01 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Yoshi -- 4/6/2016, 9:57 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Dan S -- 4/6/2016, 1:45 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Marc Upchurch -- 4/6/2016, 2:09 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Dan S -- 4/6/2016, 4:25 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
scottbaxter -- 4/6/2016, 7:11 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Beginner Kayak Builder
Bill Hamm -- 4/6/2016, 7:49 pm