Strip built Coaster

Submitted byRalph Merriman onTue, 06/12/2018 - 19:03

Hi All:

I have a thing for Mariner Kayaks designs.   I used to own a Max and it was a great boat, if heavy.  

My most recent project is my attempt at a strip built Coaster, starting from the information on their web site, mostly the lines taken from an old issue of Sea Kayaker magazine.  This is the album of backyard launch pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204586821627719.1073741840…

I plan to have this boat at the Wooden Kayak Rendezvous in Port Townsend in August, along with my  strip built Express, if anyone cares to try them out. 

One problem is finding a place to store more boats.   I have a really nice Bjorn Thommason Njord I am getting a bit old for, if anyone is interested!

 

Ralph

 

It looks great.  I would really like a Njord if I was 15 years younger.  I hope to make it to Port Townsend this year so I will see you there.  Being unemployed at the moment I have the time, the money may be a challenge.

JohnAbercrombie

Wed, 06/13/2018 - 12:05

Great job on your Coaster 'type' boat- it's lovely.

I really like the rear hatch treatment.

 Those lines (originally in Sea Kayaker magazine?) were what I also used when I built my strip Coaster-type boat years ago. At that time I didn't see myself ever getting my hands on 'the real thing' (times change!). Even though there were some real differences between the strip version and the factory boat, the copy was an excellent little boat.

John's Coaster imitation

Coasters are quite quick boats when paddling in the 'normal' cruising speed range, say up to 4 knots or so. It's always fun to paddle away from (or at least keep up to) folks in 'longer and faster' (sic) boats.

:-)

The Njord looks like an excellent boat - it needs to find a new home! I like my Frej(s) a lot and they are more-or-less in the Njord family.

The Njord was one of the starting points when Bjorn was designing the Panthera, as I recall from the discussions we had via email.

JohnAbercrombie

Wed, 06/13/2018 - 12:26

Here are a few pics of a Coaster hull - the shape is quite complex.

The stern area would be a challenge for strip building, if making an exact copy with a glass Coaster for reference.

Coaster