RL-1
I
created my first design using my design software, KayakFoundry.
The goal for the design was a fast, strong-tracking, expedition-capable kayak. It is
19'x21", swede form (widest beam is aft of the midpoint), with a shallow arch hull
and fine entry and exit angles. Its low aft deck should make it a good roller. Its
high bow should allow it to ride over waves. I built it first as a 1/4-scale model.
It's my intent to take fewer photos on this project, and try to show just the more interesting or unique aspects of the construction. If you're interested in more detailed kayak construction photos, take a look at the Outer Island or Guillemot pages.
Hull
Since this was a prototype, I planned to use up all my scrap strips and to be cavalier with strip placement, color matching, etc. I found that to be more difficult to do than I expected. I quickly fell into the old behavior of taking too much time trying to determine which strip to place where. Somebody help me.
Outside Photo-op
After
completing the hull, it was time to tackle the deck. When Cleveland
had one of those freak coincidences where nice weather occurred on a
weekend, I moved the kayak from the basement to the yard to begin
stripping the deck. I had a great time enjoying the sunshine and
working on the kayak simultaneously - a first! I used the
opportunity to take a few photos of the kayak from a distance.
Deck
Back
in the basement shop, I completed the work on the deck. Paying
proper respect to my intention to strip the deck as simply as possible, I
soon found myself adding more inlays. More "stained glass"
inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Coonley Playhouse.
Complete
I
pushed to finish in time to take the kayak to the Newfound Rendezvous
2003. I managed to get 2 coats of varnish applied before the
trip. The maiden voyage was on Newfound Lake in Bristol, New
Hampshire. What a place for a maiden voyage!
The kayak performed well during its first few days on the water. During the Rendezvous, a number of much more accomplished paddlers than myself took it out for a spin. Some recurring comments were: easy to roll, easy to balance brace, strong tracking, fast, long glide.
My preliminary comments: It does have strong tracking (stronger than both the Outer Island and the Panache), but it became noticeably easier to maneuver when placed up on edge - even slightly. Course adjustments were easy with a slight edge while continuing a steady forward-stroke cadence. For its 21" beam, it's quite stable, and its secondary stability seems to come on suddenly and is very noticeable. With the prominent bow, I thought there might be a tendency to leecock, but with 10-15 knot quartering wind, the kayak felt remarkably neutral - I was pushed by the wind, but the kayak didn't wander much from its heading. I had it in 2ft waves, and the bow rode over most of them. A couple time water washed over the front hatch, but the bow quickly popped back up.
I'll post more as I learn more about the new kayak.
-Ross