West Greenland Kayak Build Along!

[D. Tiller]

Well, I finally started on a kayak like I said I would. Meant to document it from beginning to end but I got carried away at the start.  Got the Gunwales put together and now started putting the deck beams in. After a Full day of work and a couple evenings here is where I am so far. I'm hoping to get all the decking done this weekend and start putting the ribs in next week. Then the little extras like a covering and some other stuff and I will be on the water.

Oops! Almost forgot!!! If anyones interested in this you should see  www.skinboats.org . Corey Freedman got me started on it and I purchased the wood and stuff from him. He is just north of me in Anacortes, WA and has a great school for building traditional kayaks. I will be taking a class from him later this spring on building the Baidarka Kayak from the Aleutian Islands in AK. Best kayak there is! The Greenland is a kayak that can be made in your garage but there are tricks to the Baidarka that need to be learned first hand. I'm pretty amazed at how easily this kayak can be built with just a few tools and some patience. If you like the kayaks and getting on the water then this is the best way to do it for the least amount of money. Plus, you get a the Cadillac of kayaks to boot!

David T




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[mullet]

  Keep building, David. I'm watching. I want to build one I can take way off shore.

[D. Tiller]

Hey Eddie! This is one type but if you want long distance go for the Baidarka. It  can carry a lot more cargo and is built for taking on high sees and winds and keep you alive.

[cracker]

Interesting project David. Keep it coming.Ron

[D. Tiller]

Thanks Ron! I forgot to mention that the Gunwales are all old growth cedar and the deck beams are second growth. Believe it or not, there are absolutely no screws, nails or glue used in building these kayaks. Its all pegged together with mortise and tennon joints and tied together with artificial sinew. I love these kayaks for how wonderfull and easy to build they really are. No rulers needed eather just anthropomorphic measurements!

[DanaM]

Pretty cool David, if its possible can you get the pictures a little bigger, this Yoopers eyes aren't so good

[mullet]

 That's the one I wanted to build, David. Cory did a build along on PP about 5 years ago and I got hooked. I thought it was cool how everything was tied and pegged. It probally helps it stay together in rough seas. I'm looking at putting a sail on one of my 'yaks now.

[D. Tiller]

Uhm! It's 17 feet long. I had to stand back a bit to get it all in. Which part would you like increased?

[D. Tiller]

That's the one I wanted to build, David. Cory did a build along on PP about 5 years ago and I got hooked. I thought it was cool how everything was tied and pegged. It probally helps it stay together in rough seas. I'm looking at putting a sail on one of my 'yaks now.

The baidarka's a good  candidate for a sail. They used to put downwind sails on them for long distance trips. They can even be made to cut across the wind to but cant really point into it. No keel! But I think there may be a way to improvise one.

[mullet]

 You can buy modern keel kits. I'm going to put one on my two seater. I have a friend that has built 4. One is just used for a template. If you go on Tradgang, he is logged in as EZ on the TBOF site under Traditional Clubs. Ronnie found a place in Jaxsonville,Fl that sells real thin plywood for Hydroplane Racing boats. That's what he skins his with. They are beautiful but he wants $4grand to build one. Or go to his house, use the Template boat and he will help and it's just material cost.

[D. Tiller]

Eddie, this one is going to cost me about $300 or less to build. The frame is wood mortised and tenon jointed together and tied together at certain points. The outer covering is nylon or canvas. The Nylon is sewn on tightly and then doped with a Urethane varnish that seals it tight. The canvas is painted with something else, but I could not tell you off the top of my head what it is.  The whole thing should weigh in arround 25#'s and make the creme de la creme of kayaks. Stronger than fiberglass or carbon fibre mass produced kayaks. Trust me and go with one of these designs!

The cool thing about this one is that when you get the gunwales all marked out and the rib tenons carved into the gunwales you put the inner faces together put a few loops of rope around the bow and stern then pop in a stringer where you want the widest part of the boat and you have the shape of it! Then as you can see in the pic you start cutting the deck beams and popping them in. Start at the bow and stern and work to the middle. Flip it over put in the ribs and the stringer, bow and stern plates flip back  over for the cockpit and a few other items and its ready to skin. Just need a couple tools and your ready to go! Man I love these kayaks!!!

Check out www.skinboats.org and watch the vids to get a better idea of how durable they are check out this youtube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYyvIExWkqU

[venisonburger]

David, about 6 or 7 years ago I build a 21 foot wood framed canvas covered kayak, I bought the book by George Putz which had the plans and all. What started out as a neat idea ended up taking me 2 years to build. It turned out fantastic. The plans called for cedar strips but being a large person I decided to modify the plans and ended up using ash. it took me awhile but I found someone with long boards. We planed them down to 3/4in thick and then ripped them to 3/4in. The plans called for building forms that were secured to the floor in my garage. basically the boat was built upside down, the strips were temporarily attached to the forms and front and back pieces were made and the strips bent to them and beveled to make smooth ends. then the stringers were fit along the length of the boat. all joints were drilled, countersunk and screwed with non corrosive screws(started with brass but turned to coated due to cost) all the screw heads were filled with epoxy and sanded. eventually the boat was pulled off the forms and turned upright. then the canvas was tacked to the top edges of the framework and stretched tight, an ash keel strip was applied, as were ash bumper rails and an ash cathedral opening. slats were attached in the bottom to sit on. The book called for oil based paint on the canvas to waterproof(I used a UV activated body filler paste that hardened. I used the boat numerous times and eventually traded it(this is the ironic part) to a bow builder from somewhere in Wisconsin, I traded for cash and several bows. I think now that I know how to build bows that he got the better of the deal. I don't recall his name, maybe he's a member of the site. I have pictures and need to scan them to upload, I'll post them so you can see the process I took
good luck on your build.
VB

[D. Tiller]

Thanks VB! Man, sounds like it was a much more sophisticated process you went through. This one should only take me arround 5 full working days to build. Been sick so I have not done much on it. Got a couple more deck beams in but have not had a chance to pin them in. Once all the deck beam are made to fit I will take some spannish windlesses and pull the Gunwales up snug against the ends of the deck beams which are angled at 73 deg. (17 off) Then they are pinned in with two dowel mortises in each beam that are pigeon toed in. then some of the beams will be tied into the gunwales and the Gunwales will be tide in at the bottom sides near the bow and stern ends to keep them from springing out and to keep the angles they are set at. Flip the frame and then put on the bow and stern plates and tie them in. Stringer gets set next with the right amount of rocker set in. Then boil the rib (a lot easier than steaming them) and bent to shape and then set into the blind mortises in the bottom side of the gunwales. Then stringers and then the skin goes on next.

[venisonburger]

What are you using for the skin? I've seen sites where they are using what looks like rubber, I've seen nylon like that used for sails, I used canvas but no matter what it's all expensive, I think the frame can be made for alot less than the skin.
After reading your post it makes me want to start another, my son and I had bought wilderness systems plastic kayaks but I sold the about 2 years ago, now I miss not being able to go out.
This time I think I'll do a simpler method, more in the lines of what you are building.
keep posting pictures please
VB

[D. Tiller]

You got it VB!

I have to get over this bug first and then I will be on it again. My next project is a baidarka! Where are you located? May determine the type of skinboat you will want to make. If you are planning trips longer than 2 days and would like to carry a little cargo I would suggest the Baidarka (Ikiyax), King Island Kodiak, or the bearing straights style boat.  I believe the Bearing Straight model has the largest cargo capacity and you can always seat a rear gunner in the cockpit with ya back to back like the Inuit used to do.