Cedar strip/hybrid kayak

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 Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020

As we have such a well rounded and knowledgeable lot on here, has anyone built their own cedar strip kayak or canoe from plans or a kit?

I've got the urge to be creative in the New year and really fancy having a go at the Shearwater Hybrid from Fyne Boats.

https://www.fyneboatkits.co.uk/plans/kayaks/shearwater-hybrid/

Hybrid because I want to get decorative with the deck and plans because I really can't afford the kit!

I'm confident on the plywood side of things and can scarf a joint without a problem but starting to think that the cedar strip might be a bit ambitious for a first build.

Anyone on here have any experience or advice?

 jimtitt 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

Well I've built 12 strip Canadian canoes and made and sold kits as well some years ago. My brother's still got a couple in his shed and uses them.

The decks and thwarts are easiest from 6mm ply and decorative veneered though I did a few lighweight ones with Airex foam and carbon fibre then veneered. Carbon laid into grooves inside the keel strip and gunwhales stiffens them up as well which means you can reduce the sizes/weight. You can look at sub 22kg for a 16ft pack canoe if you are real careful, under 20kg for a 20ft race canoe.

Never done a kayak though. Should be less work (sanding) as getting the inside of a Canadian to show quality is brutal.

Nowadays having spent too much of my life sanding wood I play with skin on plastic pipe canoes, whizz up a 16ft pack canoe in a weekend and only 12kg!

OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to jimtitt:

Thanks, Jim.

These suggest 4mm Okoume ply with a clear fibreglass/resin lay up for the hull and cedar strip for the decking. 

A 17' sea kayak should come in at about 20kg though I suspect I'll be using too much resin to start with!

Never heard of polypipe canoes before. Off to YouTube I go....

 ScraggyGoat 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

Another option would be: 

https://cnckayaks.com/project/shrike/#:~:text=Shrike%20%20%20Length%20%20%2...(17,%200.229m%20(9%E2%80%9D)%20%201%20more%20rows

Plans and build manual available at no cost, from above c. £400 build cost

and a forum of people ahead of you should you need to ask questions:

https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=110381&am...

Post edited at 16:11
OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

Ooh. That looks interesting. Bit of reading to do for me there. Have you built one?

I'd kind of set my heart on a strip deck but that could probably be adapted. It's been years since I've lofted plans but I'm sure it'll come back. 

 Mowglee 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

I've made two and have a third on the go at the moment. First was a Redfish Spring Run. Bought the plans for about $100, and the timber from Robbins for about £800. Glass etc probably another few hundred, can't remember. This was 2009 and I didn't really know what I was doing. Turned out ok though.

Second was a Shrike from 3mm plywood. Free plans (google it - good free resource), much cheaper materials, and a lot quicker to build. Lighter and faster, but not as robust. Good for day trips, not so much for expeditions.

Both shown here: https://imgur.com/a/ihDnWzr

The current project is a Nanoq by Bjorn Thommassen. Plans again about £100. This time I've got a table saw and milled all my own bead+cove strips. I actually milled about twice as many as I need, and I am looking to get shot of the spares, so send me a message if you want some cut price cedar!

Few pics here: https://imgur.com/a/Ew5jpk2

Post edited at 16:18
 Mowglee 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

The Vember from CNC is plywood top and stripped hull. Seems daft to me - I'd do it the other way around, but they've done it to get the smooth curved hull rather than the hard chined plywood.

 marsbar 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

My Dad has.  Happy to pass on any specific questions to him.  

OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Mowglee:

Very nice indeed! Some sweet curves going on there. 

Might well take you up on the strip offer. That's looking like the most expensive part at the moment. Best price I've seen is £2.25/m and I need something like 150 metres!

OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Mowglee:

Agreed. The whole point to my mind is to have the pretty bit on top.

If you're going for a strip hull why make a hybrid!

 Mowglee 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

I'm looking for £1/m - here's the ad I put on the 'Cedar Strip Canoe and Kayak Building' page on facebook: https://i.imgur.com/NyyAVtO.png

OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to marsbar:

Many thanks. I'm sure there will be. 

I'm hoping to start in January but it'll be many weeks (months!) until I expect to get to the strip part...

OP Oceanrower 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Mowglee:

Interested.

You've slightly buggered up my calculations by milling them in two different sizes. Was there a reason for that? Everything else I've seen has been 18mm.

Post edited at 16:29
cb294 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Mowglee:

Very nice!

I will not be building a kayak, but am mulling over plans for a cedar strip canoe.

CB

 elsewhere 31 Dec 2020
In reply to jimtitt:

> Nowadays having spent too much of my life sanding wood I play with skin on plastic pipe canoes, whizz up a 16ft pack canoe in a weekend and only 12kg!

Now that sounds interesting for a woodworking dummy like me...

....is there a plan/instructions/URL you suggest?

 jimtitt 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

> Thanks, Jim.

> These suggest 4mm Okoume ply with a clear fibreglass/resin lay up for the hull and cedar strip for the decking. 

> A 17' sea kayak should come in at about 20kg though I suspect I'll be using too much resin to start with!

> Never heard of polypipe canoes before. Off to YouTube I go....


Sea kayaks are usually lighter for length as they are narrower and have a deck to stiffen them, a 16ft Canadian is for mayge 400kg payload or more and nearly flat bottomed.

The usual poly-pipe canoes on the internet are rubbish, I do 5 chine ones identical to a ply Canadian. The trick is to heat form the tube (I work with electrical conduit) with hot water to make all the frames and the keel form then bend tubes to make the chines. From the outside they look identical to any hard-chine canoe. Cheap as hell depending on the skin cost, maybe £200 or less. Skin on frame is good if you make the whole thing flexible, they just slide over rocks and stuff, I've a roll of Kevlar truck tarp somewhere!

Done week long camping trips no problem with all the junk.

Might have to look into an Eskimo kayak, see what's possible!

 Doug 31 Dec 2020
In reply to jimtitt:

sounds like a modern (& hopefully lighter) version of the wooden framed/canvas  skin canoes we used to have in the Scouts many years ago.

 Mal Grey 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

There are also loads of helpful and knowledgeable people in the self-build section of Song of the Paddle forum, plus you'll find some records of people's builds there with a bit of digging about.

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/self-build-canoes-f27/

I'm always impressed by how amazing these things are, once finished. I'd be hopeless building one myself!

 Mowglee 31 Dec 2020
In reply to Oceanrower

> Was there a reason for that? Everything else I've seen has been 18mm.

Just the thickness that the planks came in, and not wanting to waste too much. I used red for the hull and yellow for the deck. Different widths don't matter so long as you keep it symmetric. Be careful with calculations - better to have too much rather than not enough! I'm planning to use my offcuts to make a Greenland style paddle. 

OP Oceanrower 03 Jan 2021
In reply to Oceanrower:

Well. Plans ordered. The adventure starts here!

Thank you all for the input. 

Post edited at 00:17

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