Thread: Home-built-Kayak

The rest of the pics should be up there now. The color washed out in the pics - it's supposed to be Aqua. One picture on land as I was painting, the rest on the water, with no one aboard.

015 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It's very light. My guess is 30 pounds. But I was supposed to use 3/8 in plywood for the floor panels, and I used what I had, which I think was 3/4 in. It is a nice sturdy flloor, makes it easier to get in and out, but it really added to the weight. The seat I usually use adds to the weight too. It's a Wal-mart folding "pedestal" seat like you would see on the end of a bass boat. Of course, w/o the pedestal. I mounted it to a piece of 1/8 plywood as a base - it lifts out.

Are you planning a canvas build or a wooden one? From plans, or a kit?
If I build another canvas one (which I might, from different plans), I will cover the hull with roofing elastomer coating instead of painting it.

I'm just about to start another, but it's a wooden boat designed by Gavin Adkins. It's called a Cruising Mouse - it has a high capacity, can carry two plus camping gear, and I intend to put my oars on it for a rowing skull.

I looked them up, and it looks like a nice project. Good luck and have fun with it.

Regarding plans for Pirogues, there is a very nice one called the Piragua. You can get plans, maybe free, from Duckworks Boat Builders Supply or in the book Ultrasimple Boatbuilding by Gavin Atkin. Here's a Yahoo group for his mouseboat variations:
mouseboats : Mouse Boats

Here's a Yahoo group for the boats like the Piragua and a cool variation called a Toto:
Michalak : Michalak's Small Boat Designs

The Toto is one beautiful boat, much like the Piragua but with a slight V-bottom. I bought these plans ($12) from Duckworks, but have yet to build it.

There's also a free plan set for a cheap canoe, very much like a Pirogue, on Bateau.com - boat plans on line since 1993 I like this one, and may build it yet.

There may be others you can get if do search for Free Plans, pirogue plans, etc.

I am about 75% finished with my Cruising Mouse project, which has features of a canoe, pirogue, John-boat and kayak. It is just under 12 feet, has a short for- and aft-deck for flotation (also makes it easier to get in and out and layout fishing gear, etc. I has enough capacity to carry two with full camping gear, but can be solo paddled like a kayak. It is also from Gavin Atkin, and I have his book but used a PDF set of plans I got from the Yahoo Group.

www.jemwatercraft has some great plans (they designed the free canoe plans a free kayak plans called a Laker). I ordered the Cape Fear set but have yet to build it. Here's the link to their Pirogue plans:
JEM Watercraft - E-mail Plans

I just added 2 pics of the boat I'm now buildng, to the Flickr page. It is bottom- up - you can see the skeg and general shape. It's called a Cruising Mouse by Gavin Atkin. I'm still sealing edges, then will add a for-and aft-deck, paint, seats, etc.

Try this link or scroll up for the other one:

015 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I just uploaded some more pics (use link above). The boat is nearing completion. We did a water test (both decks on, no seats, no paint) and I paddled it around a bit. I am working on trim, adding the seats (I have two lift-out seats, plus am adding brackets for a board that goes across, like a canoe). It will have a center seat and one in the rear. I may have it on the water by the weekend, or early next week.

The build wasn't without problems, but was mostly fun and feels good to be nearing the end. Good luck with yours.

Added 2 new pics with the inside painted (Sun Yellow, but washed out in the photos) and the decks stained and varnished. I just put one coat of white (roof coating) on the bottom. After the second coat, it's ready for the water. The other pic shows the Lark I built from plans on the water with my 2 plastic kayaks.

015 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Launched the boat yesterday. Put up 4 more pics, including on the water. My camera is washing out the yelow, so I color enhanced some of the pics, to better show off the colors.

Took it out for an hour or more. Had a tough go of it in the wind and waves, but otherwise it handled well. I'm pretty satisfied with it, now that it's done.

015 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Started another kayak, building my own design on a frame. It's going slow because I have no patterns - have to size everything to fit. I wanted to try out some ideas - such as using 1/8 Luan plywood, building it much thinner than my other boats, a peaked deck in front and a flat deck with hatch in back, watertight compartments front and rear for flotation, etc. I will keep patterns in case I like it and want to build another.

One advantage of building on a jig, is that next time you can move the frames further or closer, raise them to change the shape, etc

I meant to say, you build it up-side-down on the jig. I'm using basic techniques shown in Skip Snaith's book - Building Your Own Backyard Kayak. I'm also using techniques I learned building previous boats. It's off the jig now, sittiing in my yeard. I'm filling all the seams, making a pattern for the final shape of the sides, which I will tape or tack to the side, and then cut them to the pattern. I want a peaked deck in front with a flat deck in back, so I will have to put in some kind of frame to hold the peaked deck. Of course, painting and trim. Not sure about the seat ont this one, it's too narrow to take my other seats. I found a plastic boat seat I may cut down.

BTW when I took it off the frame, it was so light I could hold it with one arm, practically. It will be heavier with the decks and a few frames (and seat), but it still should be very light - maybe 35 pounds. This with the narrow, needle- like shape should make it a real speedster, which was my goal with this one.