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By George...
By:Ken Finger
Date: 1/22/2001, 8:08 am
In Response To: Whitewater Kayak plans (Mark)

I recall seeing a whitewater kayak on George Robert's website, don't recall if it was strip or plywood.

There aren't a lot of plans for short kayaks around for strip construction. I was looking for a 12-14 foot recreational kayak plan last year - there's really nothing out there. I ended up "borrowing" the lines from a plastic boat (12.5' Walden Vision) to build the hull, making some changes because cedar strips do not flex as easily as plastic can be molded. I designed the deck myself, using measurements from other boats I used to determine deck heights for knee, foot, and back areas to allow proper clearance, and yet be easy to roll. Basically ended up with a touring hull and a whitewater deck. A friend has a Perception Pirouette, and it looks like the hull would be easy to duplicate in strips. The deck needs to be modified somewhat to get the stips to conform.

Some warnings:

I think the reason there aren't many designs for short stip boats available is that they are difficult to build. Because of there length, they must also be wider to carry the same amount of weight - a 12' boat with a 21" beam would need a periscope to carry an average size person. This means more curvature of strips over a shorter distance. If you try to build one, have some wood screws handy - staples will not suffice. My boat ended up with about 2 dozen screw holes in it. You might be OK with an older whitewater style boat (11-12' length), but the more radical designs (7-9' length) is probably inadvisable.

Also, whitewater conjures up images of rocks. Not the best areas for wooden boats. Yes, strip boats are strong - given the right fiberglass layup. But constant confrontation with rocks? The boat may survive, but the varnish will need frequent work if you want to keep it looking good.

Messages In This Thread

Whitewater Kayak plans
Mark -- 1/19/2001, 1:53 pm
By George...
Ken Finger -- 1/22/2001, 8:08 am
Re: By George...
Rob Macks -- 1/22/2001, 11:27 am
Re: Implying ...
Ross Leidy -- 1/22/2001, 11:36 am
Re: Implying ...
Rob Macks -- 1/22/2001, 2:20 pm