Well. On Christmas Eve I just had to start a new build and it took until today to try it out. Kind of a new record. You may call me Mr Slowly too.
The first mandatory shot takenSome sloppy setup for the plunge routerChristmas outside the houseStem pieces to make a nice rounded bow and sternWho put the puzzle there
Went and bought another oak plank.
Deck beams and formsHeavy (oak) shit dudeThe Beetles had their partyRipping it with a headlight on
Stems, steambending, keel and stringers.
Tried ribs with grooves to control the bend. Kinda worked.Keel done, stringers ongoing
Starting to look like a kayak.
Approximately 7kgOne can not have too many clampsMeanwhile, outsideMaking masiksEnded up with three masiksLooks like an abomination but the kayak is really flat and lowA “gull-wing” extra masikComparison to my East greenland qajaqA nice assHad only brown oilStem platesMostly a joke but might stabilize the stem
Sewing the “skin”.
Better cover up dear, it’s cold outside!One last lookFinished outside. Cold, wet and relaxed.Just messin ‘ with tarred thin string
Just a quick coaming while sewing…
It’s messy bending double coaming lipsI had some hand-forged looking copper nailsTadaa!Now would be the time to consider no colorI love this stage
The coating disaster.
First layerSecond layerDay two and most of it came offDay 3-4Day 5After giving up I acetoned the shit out of the skin. The qajaq’s and mineThe resultOther sideAfter consulting with my supplierIt still mostly came offand settled after 5 daysYayy…kind of hard to save this aesthetically
More layers and then waitawhile. It took a layer at least 3 days to settle and one week to become non-sticky.
Slowly covering up with a 50-50 mix of old and new PU. I leave it nice and glossy and come back to this every time.One month laterI invented a whole library of cursesBut sometimes you just have to roll with itThe lines seem standard but she is quite low and wideShe didn’t sink
And then finally… a qajaq which took me exactly 3 months to finish. It weighs 11kg, is 51cm wide and 503cm long. Will post more info and vids when I have them.
With this transparency one sees the labour put into the frame. Photo by Karin Å.Photo by Karin Å.
This would-be rolling beauty actually paddles really well! She’s quite stable, has great secondary stability and has almost no wind-cocking tendencies. If my East Greenland kayak is a 2+ in stability out of 5 (and I use it as my everyday-kayak), this one is a 3+ or more if your weight is less than 80 kg.
However, you will have a hard time fitting anything larger than a small drinking bottle and a pair of gloves in it, let alone myself. For the first paddle I had to take my shoes off to fit inside!
I’m ok with 11,2 kg fully equipped or just over 24 lbs for a playful kayak which rolls, tracks and steers well. To top it off it’s probably the most stable kayak I’ve built! Packing one’s daypack is an issue though 🙂 Another trait is that she’s a little reluctant to do forward finishing rolls, at least the harder ones. Hmmm, maybe I need to caress her and practice more? Most likely…or build another one when the first infatuation is gone? Don’t tell her!
She is 51cm wide and 503cm tall. I will call her Nila. An easy name to remeber and it means blue or dark blue in Sanskrit.
