Comments on: Free Kayak Plans For Backyard Builders – Siskiwit Bay

By: Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:42:30 +0000

I’m glad you like the site and glad you found it too. I hope that you continue to follow along when new articles are posted. Please, pass along the website to others. Good luck with future boats.

By: Jerry Miller

Jerry Miller — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:12:39 +0000

Hi! I love this site, reading how everyone loves working on boats. Pretty much a self taught woodworker. Built us a 16′ canoe. Plywood cut into 3/4″ strips. Then the wife said she wanted to kayak, got some plans out of an old handymans encyclopedia, they were tiny and fuzzy, and for a canvas, but I made them work and built us 2 9’2″ kayaks. Plan on more as we have lots of nephews that we taught to kayak. The kayaks are Poplar about 30 lbs, and very flat bottomed, we use them in lakes. Glad I found this site:)

By: How I Got Started Paddling | Nessmuking.com

How I Got Started Paddling | Nessmuking.com — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:06:44 +0000

[...] of shoreline grabbed my attention. Using what I learned from my other kayak builds, I designed a new kayak and used it to explore the lake. During that time, I started guiding kayaking for a resort, and [...]

By: Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:17:07 +0000

Rob, I’m working up a 15′ multi-chined 23-24″ wide design based on the Siskiwit Bay. If interested drop me a direct email and I’ll send you some more info.

By: Rob Rock

Rob Rock — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:34:15 +0000

Hi Bryan, At this stage I could go either way, but I am thinking the single chine approach at this moment, but that could change tomorrow. I am influenced by the ease and the speed of the build, and as I said, I am not interested in rolling the kayak, and I think the multi chine version would be a smoother roller. I think both designs have more stability as they are loaded, and that is a good thing, as Martha used to say.

I have about 5 days after my trip, and before I have to go back to work… lots of details to figure out. These aren’t exactly a kit boat, and I think that is good.

I have a few other travel pics at http://www.zorpia.com/mtmyrock if you are curious. I haven’t added any new pics lately, but I plan for some boat building pics to end up there some day before too long.

By: Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:20:41 +0000

@Rob- Sounds like an exciting vacation. Are you still planning on a single chine or are you going the multi-chine approach?

By: Rob Rock

Rob Rock — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:01:45 +0000

Thanks for all your help Bryan, I have been up late nights for over a week researching kayaks, and to be honest, repairing my computer a bit too. My wife is getting a little frustrated that I haven’t made it to bed before 2 am in that time, but…

I spent a few hours yesterday hunting through the local wood shops, and I was only able to find some clear pine moulding, but I think it will work admirably, even though it will take more work. I have enough to make 130′ of 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ stock.

The moulding is (metric but about) 3/8″ X 1 1/2″. I think it will bend well, I have the option of laminating it before, or after I set the stringers to the frame, and I have thought about one piece inside on the gunwhales, and the second on the outside, sort of a rub-rail assembly that could also serve to help hold the deck cover, and I could do the same on the keelson to give a bit (3/8″) of a keel, and some rub protection. I haven’t decided if I will have to use a scarf, the pieces are 7.25′ and 8.5′, respectively, just starting them from opposite ends gives me a minimal 16″ overlap on the glue joint. I think it would be strong enough.

I have spent a lot of time on the instructables site, and got some ideas there, and also on the Yost site, which I really like by the way, but I like the looks of the SB better, and since I have not paddled either, that is all I have to judge it on. The material that I have indicates I will have a boat about 15 1/2′ in length (8.5′ + 7.25′ moulding, with a little trimming), and I am thinking of a widest frame of 22 1/2″, since I never plan to roll this thing (given my own choice).

I am unsure of just where to put the cockpit to make a “balanced” boat. Perhaps you can offer a suggestion? My stations/frames are currently planned to be balanced/mirrored from stem or stern at 0, 18, 42, 66, 120, 144, 168, 186. I hope to set the cockpit, and use a frame for and aft that will finish it off, at your suggestion, if I may be so bold as to ask.

I am pretty excited about starting this since I haven’t built anything with my hands in about 4 years, (since I came to China), but on Monday I fly off to Guizhou province to Caotai Lake to see if the black cranes have arrived, and then on to Kunming and from there to just above Myanmar to Xishuanbana, to see the wild elephants (mating season I am told), then down the Mekong (in a motor boat) to someplace in Laos for a few days hiking, and then off to Bangkok until the middle of Feb. I admit I will enjoy the vacation, but I won’t get to start for 3 weeks… I guess I am excited about all the aspects of what is coming. Thanks again for your help.

By: Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:08:02 +0000

@Rob, check out this instructable. If you're not trying to duplicate the performance of the Siskiwit Bay, it will allow you to build a single-chined Greenland style kayak without using any plans.

By: Rob Rock

Rob Rock — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:09:08 +0000

I have to laugh, you are way over my understanding at initial thought, after running it through my translator, I am guessing the frames are what holds the shape of the kayak. I am guessing about 8 or 9 frames. Chines must be the longitudinal stringers. Frankly I do not know the advantage of multi- chines over a single chine other than strength. I think I am perhaps a bit more like the native builders…. Hmm, that looks good, lets try that. I know I am building by the seat of my pants. It is hard to get books here, they have to get by the censors, and that can take months, so I am literally just taking a leap into thin air, or maybe water. I don’t speak much Chinese, so I have spent about 2 months just trying to find stainless steel staples here, since I am going to play in the ocean, I know the steel ones will not survive long. Most Chinese don’t know or understand the terms. I had to get a Chinese friend to find an engineer to find out the words for stainless. I don’t have a table saw, or access to one, so I will be using what ever Chinese standard stock I can find, or maybe I will buy a hand held electric planer to reduce my stock. I will have to leave the planer, (and the boat) if I leave China, since they use 220 volts here, so I am going to have to buy some tools, and I will get pnuematic, since I can take them back to the states and use them with out problems. I don’t have much hope for buying clear stock, it will be pine, and I hope for small knots, or to cut up the bad pieces for frames, etc. I hope I can find a little 1/4″ marine ply to use as gussets, etc, 3/8″ or 1/2″ if I can’t, ell the metric equivalent. I guess I really don’t know how to answer your question, though I know you are trying to be helpful. Sorry. I am just looking at an approximately 17 foot boat with a beam of about 24-27 inches. I am 55, 6′ tall, and about 210lbs. I am not as athletic as I used to be, but I am not ready to head for the rocking chair, (and they are WAY complicated to build). Who knows where I might end up.

By: Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:51:54 +0000

Hi Rob, The multi-chined version of these kayak plans may work as a starting point for you. If you're going to build a skin-on-frame Yost-style, outputting the frames at intervals would be easy enough. If you're interested, just let me know the positions relative to the stern you'd like to have frames and I'll output them and post it in the multi-chined page.