TIME OUT - To Answer Some Questions

Today I had a few people stop by the shop and they all raised similar questions. I think I'll take a moment tonight to answer a few FAQ's.

1.) What's the deal with all those staples?

The staples are temporary ways to keep the strips held against the forms. I am gluing each strip to each other; twisting and bending them along the forms. When the glue dries, the strips of wood keep the shape of the forms, but until then they want to spring back to straight. The staples keep them in the right place until the glue dries. I'll pull out the staples soon and then I'll have to fill the holes with glue & sawdust. The whole boat gets planed and sanded before it gets fiberglassed.

2.) Where are you going to sit? (They see the forms and think they are part of the finished boat)

The forms will come out before the kayak is finished. There are a couple of hardwood forms at the bow & stern that will stay in the boat. They are there to give those sections with long sweeping curves extra strength. Everything else comes out before it gets fiberglassed.

3.) Do you have to steam the wood to get it to bend?

No, the strips are bending and twisting without doing anything to them. They are only 1/4" thick and 3/4" wide, so they are thin enough to manipulate.

4.) What are you going to do about the ends? They look pretty rough.

I will be sanding the area where the ends of the strips meet on the bow & stern pretty soon. Once I am happy with the curve and shape of the bow & stern, then I still have to glue a couple thin strips of hardwood down the centerline from end to end. This hardwood will be rounded over and sanded to a nice smooth "bump". This will protect the bottom and ends from the usual "wear and tear" of kayaking. (Maybe by Day 13 to 14).

5.) Have you ever kayaked before?

Only twice and both times were in Hawaii. One time was down a lazy river through the hills of Kaui and the other time was off the coast of Kaui where I was told the water was 8 miles deep. I have years of experience sailing, boating, snorkeling and SCUBA diving. Kayaking looks fun and easy to learn so I'm not too worried about my lack of experience.