
Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
- nickcrowhurst
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Ben from Australia with his Shrike.
Today I received this photo from Ben in Australia with his elegant new Shrike:


- nickcrowhurst
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Another Shrike in Spain
Ariel in Spain has just completed his very pretty Shrike. He has installed the optional three-part foredeck, rather than using our standard single sheet of 3 mm plywood. Sometimes builders do this because they are only able to source thicker plywood that is unable to bend to the complex shape required, and sometimes the builder just wants a very high knee position. We have the plans for this 3-piece deck and they are available on request, but we know of only two others who have opted for this.


- nickcrowhurst
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- nickcrowhurst
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- nickcrowhurst
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Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Selkie Kayaks from Newhaven, Sussex, UK, is producing Shrikes with some fine workmanship: https://selkiekayaks.co.uk/


- Robert Craig
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- nickcrowhurst
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South coast of Cornwall, U.K
Peter M. snatched a paddle on Monday near Polkerris just before the heavy gales arrived:




- nickcrowhurst
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- nickcrowhurst
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Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Just joined the forum on the basis on this inspirational thread. I read all the pages yesterday and most of them again today. Two blokes, a dad and son get an idea in their heads and it goes global. Easy enough today,; you just click on ‘like’, But with this you have to build a very long sea kayak out of a sheet of wood.... Brilliant!
Growing old disgracefully
- nickcrowhurst
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Thank you, Beryl
Beryl, you've brightened up my day/week/year. Our project is based on love of life, and love of paddling and sailing on our wonderful waterways. Our only reward is the knowledge that we've helped spread this love around the world, so we're always very happy and grateful to receive messages of support.
Thank you!
Nick, of www.cnckayaks.com
Thank you!
Nick, of www.cnckayaks.com
- nickcrowhurst
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- nickcrowhurst
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A Vember in Transylvania

Costa, from Transylvania, Romania, has obeyed the instruction from his 7 year old son to decorate his Vember with animal drawings.
Nick
- nickcrowhurst
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Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Hi all, looking at having as crack at the Shrike 2. Has anyone used 4mm ply as opposed to the 3mm?
Seemingly difficult to obtain 3mm in Ireland as opposed to 4mm
Also what quantity of epoxy did people end up using? Was 4kg enough or is 6 kg needed?
Thanks,
Al Morris.
Seemingly difficult to obtain 3mm in Ireland as opposed to 4mm
Also what quantity of epoxy did people end up using? Was 4kg enough or is 6 kg needed?
Thanks,
Al Morris.
- nickcrowhurst
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Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Al, I buy 3 litres of the non-blushing low viscosity MAS epoxy from here:
https://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/ ... -slow-cure
Epoxy is heavy and expensive, so try to use the minimum commensurate with strength. I use tongue depressors to form the fillets. By varying the angle at which you hold the depressor against the joint one varies the size of the fillet:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wooden-Tongu ... TvZhAs21jQ
I aim to put an excessive dollop of epoxy at the start of a joint, and drag it steadily along the joint, leaving two small ridges of epoxy at the sides of the fillet. I then put the depressor on its edge, and sweep the ridges along at an angle so they can be removed. When all the fillets are complete in the hull I give it all a thin coat of epoxy all over. One of my granddaughters is the best I've seen at this.
I buy my 3 mm Elite plywood from Robbins, who will deliver worldwide. Superb quality and service, with the sheets wrapped and fitted with bump -resistant corners:
http://www.robbins.co.uk/Pdf%20Files/pl ... oods_1.pdf
http://www.robbins.co.uk/main/delivery.asp
4 mm ply would make the kayak heavier to transport, it would detract from the sparkling performance, and make the one piece foredeck more difficult to shape.
I'm delighted you are considering building a Shrike. Please let us know your progress.
All the best, from Nick.
https://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/ ... -slow-cure
Epoxy is heavy and expensive, so try to use the minimum commensurate with strength. I use tongue depressors to form the fillets. By varying the angle at which you hold the depressor against the joint one varies the size of the fillet:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wooden-Tongu ... TvZhAs21jQ
I aim to put an excessive dollop of epoxy at the start of a joint, and drag it steadily along the joint, leaving two small ridges of epoxy at the sides of the fillet. I then put the depressor on its edge, and sweep the ridges along at an angle so they can be removed. When all the fillets are complete in the hull I give it all a thin coat of epoxy all over. One of my granddaughters is the best I've seen at this.
I buy my 3 mm Elite plywood from Robbins, who will deliver worldwide. Superb quality and service, with the sheets wrapped and fitted with bump -resistant corners:
http://www.robbins.co.uk/Pdf%20Files/pl ... oods_1.pdf
http://www.robbins.co.uk/main/delivery.asp
4 mm ply would make the kayak heavier to transport, it would detract from the sparkling performance, and make the one piece foredeck more difficult to shape.
I'm delighted you are considering building a Shrike. Please let us know your progress.
All the best, from Nick.
Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Cheers Nick, As I've young children of my own, no need to borrow your grandchild, much appreciated anyways. And thanks for the other info.
- nickcrowhurst
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Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Hi, All. Can anyone recommend a place for printing the plans off? Tried various places in Eire and N.I. but still no closer to a print. Have ply and epoxy plus bits and bobs. Need paper.
Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
I used Hobs in Bristol. They were able to post the plans out, I think it was £20 including post. You need to remind them to scale the PDF to 200%.
Re: Shrike, a lightweight sea kayak for home construction.^
Hi Al,
Hacketts printing on Baggot St in Dublin printed the plans for me, 35 euro in 2016. I got 4 mm ply from woodworkers.ie. West epoxy from chmarine in Cork. Getting cedar for the sheer clamps was tricky, ended up ordering/buying some lengths of tongue and groove cladding from mcmahons and cut that to size.
Oisin
Hacketts printing on Baggot St in Dublin printed the plans for me, 35 euro in 2016. I got 4 mm ply from woodworkers.ie. West epoxy from chmarine in Cork. Getting cedar for the sheer clamps was tricky, ended up ordering/buying some lengths of tongue and groove cladding from mcmahons and cut that to size.
Oisin
- nickcrowhurst
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