A new sea kayak for 50 pounds

[nickcrowhurst]

This was the first time in the water for a skin-on-frame built with and for my 11 year old grandaughter. She is now an ace with a router, drill and jigsaw.I was impressed with how she could handle the potentially dangerous tools. I was very, very close to her when the tools were turning, of course, and she had all the safety gear. The boat construction used scrounged bits of wood from friend's garages, and was completed in a week. The total cost was under 50 pounds, and it weighs 23 lbs. Nick
http://cid-8db0863312b040e2.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/SOF?uc=1&nl=1&sa=957818694

[maryinoxford]

Very nice. Dimensions?

[nickcrowhurst]

14 feet long by 19" beam. The offsets are here:
http://www.yostwerks.com/SeaPup2.html
Nick

[Westview]

Good job . Your granddaughter must be proud.

The yostwerks website is amazing , the inflatable Sonnet is intriguing.

[Mikebelluk]

Thanks for that link; I think Iv'e just found the right boat [Sea Pup] to build with my 9yr old nephew!

[maryinoxford]

Tom Yost is a regular contributor to the Folding Kayaks forum and is always ready with help and advice for people building any of his boat designs.

[nickcrowhurst]

Good job . Your granddaughter must be proud.

You're right. Here's a photo of her sawing out a frame:
http://cid-8db0863312b040e2.skydrive.li ... ?uc=1&nl=1
and another when routing a curved profile on the stem. That's a scary noisy tool:
http://cid-8db0863312b040e2.skydrive.li ... outer?uc=1
Here's the frame completed. The construction is the same method I used 50 years ago to build my first kayak, a Granta 11. It's very straightforward construction:
http://cid-8db0863312b040e2.skydrive.li ... frame?uc=1
Nick

[andre]

A good looking boat.What material did you use for the skin?

[nickcrowhurst]

A good looking boat.What material did you use for the skin?

Andre, thank you. I used bog-standard PVC. I think it was 16 oz/sq yrd, but my notes are back in the UK, where I return in a couple of weeks. If you buy some, do insist that the material is rolled for delivery, not folded. The folds can stay visible for ever, even under tension, and even with applied heat. You could use a spare boat cover or lorry tarp if you spot one lying around. It would be fun to make the kayak for the minimum cost, perhaps by visiting the totters at the local tip. Creating the moulds to the offsets is a considerable amount of careful work. I still have the moulds, and would be happy to lend them to anyone wanting to build the boat. Parcel delivery would be okay. The moulds could then be passed on to the next builder. Just a thought.
Nick