Aleutian Baidarka kayaks are among some of the fastest kayaks ever built. They have a grace and beauty much different than most commercially produced kayaks. Traditionally built from wood and sealskin, this free Aleutian Baidarka Kayak plan is designed to be built from plywood or cedar strips. I’m including three free plans for this Baidarka.

Original Aleut Baidarka Kayak

The original kayak that this one is based from is known as MAE593-76. It was originally collected by I.G. Voznesenskii in 1845 on Akun Island in the Aleutian Islands. The lines were taken off the boat by David W. Zimmerly in October of 1975, and then the plans were redrawn and faired by Kathryn P. Ireland in 1982, and, of course, I translated them to a Hulls file in May of 2005. It should be noted that on the plans, they call this kayak historically important because the bow was the same as described by Captain Cook, but this design disappeared only five years after this kayak was collected. Either Zimmerly or Ireland also note on the plans that the frame was originally painted red, and in that spirit, maybe if you remake this craft, you should paint it red or use redwood.

The Three Free Plans

The three free plans on this page are each slightly different. The first or Aleut1 is the one you should modify if you wish. The second or Aleut2 has Auto-Spline chines turned off in order to define the stern stem. The last or Aleut3 has Auto-Spline chines turned off, and it has been expanded to 20 inches wide vs. 17 inches.

Free Boatbuilding Design Program

To view these plans, you need to download Hulls, which is free from Carlson’s Design. To save these plans, right click and Save As… Also, I have included a VRML. To view this file you will need a VRML viewer that can read WRL files to view it.

Plan 1 –
Free Aleution Baidarka Kayak Plan

Plan 2 –
Free Aleution Baidarka Kayak Plan

Plan 3 –
Free Aleution Baidarka Kayak Plan

VRML File –
3D – Aleution Baidarka Kayak