I selected Bear Mountain Boats' 16' 5" Resolute touring kayak from their online catalog. I chose this boat based on my size and weight, and its excellent stability. The next step was deciding whether to build it from scratch or from a kit.
Building from a kit means everything is provided except for the strongback, which is a long, low table used as the foundation for the molds that define the shape of the kayak. People who don't have my kind of woodworking and fiberglassing experience can also build a kayak (or canoe), but I'd recommend they begin with a kit boat.
I have a lot of experience as an amateur woodworker, and I have worked on my sailboat with fiberglass and WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy. I was confident I could build a strip kayak without a kit, So, I chose to build from full-size plans. Soon the fun began.
I started by building the strongback (Fig. 1 & 2). I took my time because inaccuracies here would be transferred to the finished boat. The next step was building the molds. I transferred the full-size plans to plywood, cut them out with a saber saw, and attached them to the strongback (Fig. 3-7). Using a string, I checked to make sure all the molds were in line. I used a batten to adjust the height of the molds so that they were in vertical alignment (Fig. 8).
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Denne historien er fra Winter 2023-utgaven av Sailing World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Tips for More Successful Epoxy Projects
That have nothing to do with epoxy mixing or application techniques
Auxiliary Rear Station Build
From past fishing experiences, I've learned that quick changes in speed and direction are often required when retrieving a hooked fish.
TARGETED PERFORMERS
Defending their title at the 420 Youth Worlds in July, Freddie Parkin and Asher Beck were on a roll-until they weren't.
BALANCE ON THE PINNACLE
The path to gender equity in the Olympics has been a long and twisted one, but when the sailors assemble in Marseille next year, we'll finally see what's been a long time coming.
SIMPLE STEPS TO CONSISTENT SPEED
Boatspeed is the magic ingredient for winning races because we can get away with bad decisions if we are fast, but we can't make good choices if we're slow.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL JIB-LEAD ADJUSTMENTS
Floating jib leads give trimmers more dynamic control of the headsail profile.
BETTER TOGETHER
Success over three decades comes down to making it meaningful.
JUSTINE THE MACHINE
This self-effacing Swiss sailor has-in her quiet and understated way become one of the stars of offshore ocean racing in recent years, whether as part of a winning crew in The Ocean Race or building her credentials as a top-class solo racer.
THE MULTITASKING MULTIHULL MOM
Competing in Olympic sailing's most challenging discipline is one thing, but doing so with a tyke in tow takes the campaign hustle to a higher level.
CONNECTED COAST TO COAST
From sunny St. Pete to historic Marblehead, the 34th edition of the Regatta Series linked sailors and friends across the country, with a few new twists.
