Kayak no 35

Then it was finally time for a first test paddle. Brilliant afternoon sun and plenty of time, it could not be better. Once I got down to the beach the wind blows a little bit, but not more than I dare to get out. I manage to fall off at the first attempt but no water had time to get in the kayak.






Here I have shot my self-designed footrest. These worked really well except that I overestimated my height. I will shorten the straps and move the base plate closer to the cockpit, otherwise there is no way to adjust.













This was all the water that came into the kayak. Most from my wet shorts, and from the paddle (Have not had time to sew a skirt yet)
No leaks in the hull!

Should add that it felt pretty unstable, I think that I´m too easy. May take more packing next time.















After an hour I had tested clear. Why did chafing from the edges of the cockpit and over the edge.
So when I got home I took a piece of thick mats like matrial which I had lying and fastened with two thongs, see if it does the trick.

Kayak no 34

After two layers of the Colean coating it´s enough.
The last layer crackt on the aft deck.
But it is not really so important, most annoying.

Kayak no 33

Now the deck lines and toggles are in place.

In front of and behind the coaming I used 6 mm rubber cord.









In the bow and stern I used 6 mm deck rope.

Kayak no 32

The kayak do not leak!

Unfortunately it blew too much for a first test paddle. Becuse the only thing I had with me were a life jacket and a greenland paddle. What I'm waiting for some good weather combined with a free moment, so I can test paddle it for real.


Now there some job with the deck lines etcetera.

Kayak no 31

Has begun the work on the deck toggles. These are manufactured of one piece Jarrah coming from my grandmother's old outdoor table. Jarrah is according to NE "wood is heavy, hard and strong and has excellent resistance to rot and insects."
This sounds promising for something that will constantly be flushed with water.





Ropes, I ordered from kajaksaker.se 10 meters each of rubber cord 6 mm and deck rope 6 mm.
Ordered at 5:00 pm on Tuesday and received the delivery at 1:00 pm on Thursday, That's very good delivery time I think! Must also add that the 10 meters was almost 11 meters.

Re-thanks to Kajaksaker.se!

Kayak no 30

The final coat of the kayak!
I did a third and hopefully last layer on the bottom this afternoon. Now I just waiting on a sunny day off for a first try on water.
The last layer of coat was the easiest to do and there was enough whit half jar ZAR polyurethane varnish. If you want the kayak in a solid color it´s required about 100 grams of artist oil paint / layer.


The picture is taken before coating!

Kayak no 29

After rain comes sunshine! So they say, and it is the truth because it has been raining! Somewhere they said it was the coldest and most rainy June in 50 years.
So now when the sun is shining, it was time to paint a little on the kayak. I have done the bottom once, and the deck two times. This time I used plenty of artist oil paint in the warnish.





But wow what difficult it is to get evenly without running warnish.

Are not visible in the pictures but I have had to scrape of a lot of warnish between the coats.

Kayak no 28

I finally had time to give the kayak a first layer of coating.
My thoughts after the first layer:

It takes about 45 min / layer.
Mix CAREFULLY!
One jar / layer.
Don´t need to be diluted.
an extra jar to mix in is good.

Kayak no 27

The kayak ready for the first coat whit Zar Polyurethane

Kayak no 26

I think the seam on the foredeck was very successful. It looks like I used to thin gunwales because they are not in a smooth curve.

Nobody has told me about how difficult, time consuming and torment of the hands it is to sew the skin on the kayak.














After having sewn the skin it´s time to attach the coaming. I began to tighten with a strap but I had no force to it. Then I continued with a powerstrap from the car, it worked very well. I also took the chance to try with two boards and clamp, it also works fine, but it was difficult to get room to sew.





The best seem.











Rear of the cockpit.











Front of he cockpit.












My wery first greenlandic kayak ready for the first coat.

Kayak no 25

To skin a kayak is not a game.
I read somewhere that you should tighten the canvas to the ache in your hands, I took the word for it.
Either I have weak hands or it is the sinew. I sit with four plasters and whimpers, I may take a few days pause to get my hands healed. The aft deck of the kayak is sewn together and cut so it is only a tab at 2.5 cm left.





This tool is lent to me by my father, super easy to cut the skin with.

Kayak no 23

Finaly time to start sewing the skin on the kayak.
6 m nyloncloth from FOV Fabrics, a needle and many meters senew. I begin by running stitches along the stem and also around the tip so it forms a small pocket.

Tomorrow is time to do the stern.

Kayak no 22

Has had time to do some shopping, 3 bottles ZAR varnish from Blåhuset in Sollentuna (473 grams / pc odd amount) and 200 grams of artist oil paint titanium white from Hummelgårds färg in Arlandastad.

Coaming no 5

Cockpit ring tested on the kayak!
I stained the bright cockpit ring with Herdins varnish stains, believe that the darker tone will do well against a white canvas on the kayak. I will drill 170 holes in two rows, the top row of the edge and the bottom for sewing it to the canvas.
Since I don´t own a drilling machine, I contacted the nearest school where the nice janitor Stefan promised to let me in to the crafts room when I needed it, fantastic!

Coaming no 4

The cockpit coaming did´t brake! (almost).

A small crack was there, nothing serious and it is partially concealed under the coaming flange. I glued on two thin flange of 5 mm to get the total thickness of 10 mm. I will sand the entire cockpit and after that "sew it in place". Finally, the cockpit will be treated but this I will come back to later.

Kayak no 21

After the test paddle kayak has found it self down in the basement again.

At the top of the picture you can see the guides for the foot rests which I have glued in place.

I hav tryed to make a masik to get the coaming to get in the right position, it is not yet glued.

The broken cockpit coaming to test the final look, I think it will work.

Coaming no 2

This is the first attempt!
a little sad, I am.

But a little pity on the beautiful oak base. Now I have purchased a good piece of pine without knots will see if it goes better.

Kayak no 20

Finally launching time!

It feels much more real now when the kayak has been known close to the water. That I was worried aboute the keel would be oblique, has just been wasted of energy.
The kayak went strait the hole time. I think however, that it is a little high in the water but it means that I can load it whit heavy luggage.





This picture was taken by my friend Micke HA who were there as a photographer, moral support, a lifeguard and generally nice friend.

Once we were about to pack up came a very nice Finnish man who wanted to show his strip built kayaks built of prints from. Thomasson design, incredibly fine work there.

Coaming no 1

I have changed little on the form since the first attempt. As material, I had a floor base of oak lying which fitted perfectly for the job. I cut it down to about 7 mm at the table saw. After about 12 minutes in my seam box it was time to get in shape, I had good help of my colleague André. It had never worked to make this by myself!

Kayak no 19

It is approaching the big S day, S as in splash.
Tomorrow I will test paddle my kayak to see how it behaves in the water. I have in the absence of "saran wrap" wrapt the kayak in building plastic / moisture barrier. I hope it will hold.