Building the Ultimate Expedition Kayak
by Wes Kisting
Prelude to Kayak-Building
Okay, I admit it. I have a problem. My passion for sea kayaking has finally collided with my natural tendency toward perfectionism. Now I may never sleep well again until I have built the ultimate expedition kayak. You probably think I'm kidding. You probably think of this article as a "special-interest piece." But it's actually a cry for help.
It started harmlessly enough. At first, I found myself day-dreaming about paddling a kayak built by my own two hands. But gradually, the dream became an obsession. Soon, every time I hit the water, I found myself making mental notes about things I would like to change about my trusty Perception Eclipse. In time, I had pages and pages of notes, diagrams, and rough sketches for what I considered to be the ultimate expedition kayak. And now, at long last, I am resolved to build it.
Since this article is likely to grow quite large, I have divided it into chapters below. Click Next Page to begin reading the article sequentially, or click the links below to jump to specific sections.
Kayak Building Table of Contents
- Prologue
- Design and Goals
- Cutting the Stations
- Making Cedar Strips
- Laminating the Stems
- Constructing the 30-minute Strongback
- Setting Up the Riser Blocks and Stations
- Stripping the Hull
- Planing and Sanding
- Sealing and Fiberglassing
- Building the Deck
- Cutting the Hatches
- Building the Coaming, Joining the Shearline, and Installing Bulkheads
- Applying the Varnish and Rigging the Deck
- Wiring the Solar Powered Battery Pack and Electric Bilge Pump
- A Performance Review of the Redfish King
Copyright © 2003, Wesley Kisting