Free Kayak Plans From Glen Smith
Designed by Glen Smith, built by Mike Thompson.
Glen Smith often contributor to the Kayak Forum and Administrator at the Bear Mountain Canoe Forum has provided the following three designs for free. These three designs have been developed in the excellent Kayak Foundry, which is available for free from Ross Leidy’s website. This free software can print out building stations, so no lofting is needed.
Glen writes the following about construction methods: They can be built using either an internal or an external strongback and the stem forms can be modified to make use of inner and outer stems if you so desire.
He also adds the following: Please note that neither one has ever been built but I have built a few kayaks along these general lines and they are very nice boats indeed. Anyone who builds and paddles one of these kayaks does so at his/her own risk.
Donate to Glen for Plans
If you use Glen’s plans to build a boat, please, consider donating $30 to him for the work he’s put into the project. He accepts payment via PayPal.
Free Kayak Plan: The Petite-W – A low volume kayak for a small paddler
Designer’s Statement: The “Petite-w” is designed for the small-framed, lightweight paddler who wants a kayak for small adults rather than an oversized kayak or a children’s kayak.
Design Hydrostatics
- Overall Length: 14′-6′
- LWL: 13′5.8″
- Overall Beam: 21″
- BWL: 19.4″
- Draft: 3.2″
- Design Displacement (used for KAPER): 120 lbs
- Wetted Surface: 16.4 ft2
- Cp: .577
Download: petite-w
Please, note that you must have Kayak Foundry, which is available for free from Ross Leidy’s website, to view these plans.
KAPER Results for Free Plan: Petite-w
Free Kayak Plan: 17′, 165lbs – A standard sized kayak
Designer’s Statement: “17 foot, 165lbs” is named this way because it is a 17 foot kayak designed for a 165 pound paddler. This paddler weight seems to be fairly standard and this design should provide a decent kayak for general purpose paddling.
Design Hydrostatics
- Overall Length: 17′
- LWL: 15′6.9″
- Overall Beam: 21.7″
- BWL: 20.1″
- Draft: 4″
- Design Displacement (used for KAPER): 225 lbs
- Wetted Surface: 19.8 ft2
- Center of Bouyancy: 53%
- CLA: 53%
- Cp: .55
Download: 17foot-165lbs
Please, note that you must have Kayak Foundry, which is available for free from Ross Leidy’s website, to view these plans.
KAPER Results for Free Plan: 17′, 165lbs
Free Kayak Plan: Edger II – A semi-hard chine kayak
Designer’s Statement: Semi-hard chine. Not yet built. Inform Glen if you build this design.
Design Hydrostatics
- Overall Length: 17′6″
- LWL: 15′11.5″”
- Overall Beam: 22.5″
- BWL: 20.6″
- Draft: 4″
- Design Displacement (used for KAPER): 254.6 lbs
- Wetted Surface: 21.5 ft2
- Center of Bouyancy: 55%
- CLA: 52%
- Cp: .56
Download: edgerii
Please, note that you must have Kayak Foundry, which is available for free from Ross Leidy’s website, to view these plans.
KAPER Results for Free Plan: Edger II
Recommended Books to Buy Before Building
- Building Strip-Planked Boats
: The newest book by kayak building authority, Nick Schade. A must have.
- The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build
: The gold standard of kayak building books. Clearly explains all the sets of boat building from tools to epoxy work. There are so many tricks and tips in this book that you’ll be able to save time.
- Kayakcraft: Fine Woodstrip Kayak Construction
: Presents a slightly different way to build cedar strip kayaks. Lots of great ideas.
- The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build: If stitch and glue is your thing, then this is the book to get.
Buy me a beer if you liked this article.
February 7th, 2009 at 11:01 am
I’d be happy to buy a beer, but I can’t down load and make it open with the kayak foundry program.
got some primer on how to make this work?
I’m looking for plans for a couple of …… slower kids to build.
tony
February 7th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Hey Tony,
Which file are you having a hard time downloading?
Are you “Right Clicking” and “Save As”?
I just noticed that the later two files are in a .zip, so you’ll need to extract them. If you’re running Vista, right click and select extract here.
If none of this works, I’ll email you the files.
Let me know.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I just downloaded one of the zip files to my desktop. I just double-clicked on the zip folder and when it opened I double-clicked on the kayak foundry logo and I was prompted to choose kayak foundry as the program, I clicked on “open” and it worked fine.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
That’s good to know.
Tony, you should buy Glen a beer by using the Donate to Glen for Plans button near the top of the page.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Hi Glen,
I am building your 17′ 165lbs boat. I weigh 185, is this going to be much of an issue?
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:26 am
The extra 20 pounds will bring the kayak down by 3/10″ and the added friction will be hard to notice. Go for it!
April 25th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hi Glen,
Is that canoe plan still available and if so has anyone built it?
April 27th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Hi James, which canoe plan are you looking for?
April 28th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Hi Glen,
My preference was for the 12 ft plan but I found that you removed it and replaced it with a 13′6″. I like the stem profile of the 12 ft.I do have some questions regarding the suitability of the 13′6″ for my purposes. Should I ask them here or email you
Thanks
James
April 28th, 2009 at 9:54 am
James, please email me: glen@charlevoix.net
November 10th, 2009 at 5:05 am
hello,
which one is the plan for http://www.nessmuking.com/nessmuking/wp-content/uploads/cache/2008/11/s-yak-200×300.jpg ?
the first one ? thanks
p.s. do you have more pictures with this awesome kayak ?
November 10th, 2009 at 10:00 am
That kayak was build according to custom ordered plans which cannot be shared.
If it is the stars and stripes look that you find awesome, the builder used analine dye and a lot of hard work to do that.
I could ask him permission to send you a link to more photos of that kayak if you wish but you cannot obtain the design file.
Glen.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:46 am
no, is not about the stars and stripes, is about the shape of the kayak. i think this design is awesome and i’d like to see more photos of if. (you could send an email with the link if you don’t want to make it public).
p.s. – tell me please, this kind of kayak is suitable for rivers ?
November 11th, 2009 at 11:31 am
You are right, it is an awesome design with very good handling features. It was custom designed for a precise paddler weight and his preferred paddling locations which are lakes and slow moving rivers in State Parks.
You can view photos of the build at this link: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v507/mtpocket/Kayak%202006/
Enjoy it.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:50 am
@Alin-What kind of rivers? Are you looking to paddle whitewater or slow moving rivers?
November 14th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
@Bryan – on Danube more exactly
November 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am
On that river, any type of kayak should work fine. I’d suggest a sea kayak.
November 16th, 2009 at 6:50 am
thanks
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi, I don`t understand Kayak Foundry program very well. Is it`s possible to make my own project? I want to change dimensions of kayak, yours is to big for me.. The lenght should be aprox 3m.
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I suggest you join this forum to learn all about Kayak Foundry functions: http://www.blueheronkayaks.com/phpBB2/index.php
December 6th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
thank you very much!
December 16th, 2009 at 11:47 am
http://www.canoafriuli.com/forum/tradicional-kayak-nuova-linea-acqua-t620-75.html
lokk this ! my funny kayak
December 17th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Very strange! Does it perform well?
December 19th, 2009 at 9:13 am
the direction in navigation is good
has an amazing ability to surf
suffers with high winds
collects many algae
Overall I thought the worse
is in the end is a little uncomfortable but its lines …… I liked him a lot and I built