The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build (INTERNATIONAL MARINE-RMP) - Softcover

Schade, Nick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 007057989X ISBN 13: 9780070579897

Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 1998

Synopsis

Although books on strip building canoes abound, this is among the first to adapt the technique to crafting attractive, functional kayaks. Using high-quality, computer-generated illustrations and photographs to explain key techniques, the book provides complete plans and measurements for three different kayaks: 1) A simple solo craft for beginners, 2) A high-performance solo kayak for intermediate paddlers, and 3) A tandem design for two paddlers. With its easy-to-follow guidance and instructions, The Strip-Built Sea Kayak makes top-notch kayaks accessible to budget-minded paddlers.

About this title

Review:

Nick Schade has managed to raise the craft of strip building to the art of graphic design in wood''

From the Author:

A comprehensive how-to for building a beautiful wooden kayak
Strip-building is the craft of converting a small pile of thin wood strips into a boat of exquisite beauty. The art of strip-building is assembling those strips into a striking example of a fully functioning, rugged water craft. The strip-built method permits a unique degree of design freedom, both in the hydrodynamic shape of the boat and the graphic arrangement of the wood.

There are several reasons to build a kayak. Maybe you are a wood worker who wants to try a project completely different from furniture, or possibly you are an experienced kayaker who wants a unique, high performance boat, or it could be you are a novice woodworker and kayaker, but you want to gain experience in both. Whatever your reason, you will find building a sea kayak to be unlike anything you have done before. If you are used to building chairs, think of a chair in which you can cross an ocean. If you are used to roto-molded plastic or fiberglass kayaks, imagine gleaming varnish and wood cutting through the water ahead of you in a rugged boat that is lighter than most boats you have previously paddled. If you are a rank-beginner, you can enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own introduction to kayaking.

My book starts with background information about how design affects performance, choosing materials, and selecting tools. Then it comprehensively covers building a boat from setting up shop, through creating forms, working the wood, fiberglassing and varnishing. Instructions for fitting out the finished kayak, making a wooden paddle complete the project. Along the way you will learn how to raise the boat above a simple way to get on the water to a stunning work of art.

Over 200 illustrations showing every step of the building processes make it feel like you are watching over my shoulder as I build a boat. I hope you can virtually build a boat by looking at just the drawings and photographs. The text is comprehensive enough that you should be able to build the boat without looking at the figures. The combination of the two will make the project very clear.

I came to design and build my own kayaks because I wanted the best performing boats available and decided I could make something better than I could buy. With the help of my book, so can you.

About this edition

• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 007057989X
• ISBN 13: 9780070579897
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216